By Jordan Long
The New Orleans Saints have reached an agreement with free agent running back Adrian Peterson. The deal is two years, worth $7 million. According to ESPN, Head Coach of the Saints Sean Payton said, “We are excited to welcome Adrian to the New Orleans Saints. It’s rare and unique to have the opportunity to add a Hall of Fame player to your roster. His career has been top-notch and speaks for itself. We think he will be an excellent fit in our locker room and in our offense. We look forward to the opportunity later this spring to work with him on the field along with the rest of our team.”
The Saints needed a running back. They have 4 running backs on their roster, but only one has NFL experience, Mark Ingram. Ingram has been in the league for 6 years, rushing for 4,238 yards and 32 touchdowns. Ingram cannot be the only running back on the team that makes plays to help this team gain yards on the ground.
Peterson enhances this running game, one cut and he is gone, maybe for a touchdown. His speed makes it difficult for opposing defenders to tackle him in the open field. The Saints may use a two running back system with Ingram and Peterson. This takes pressure off of quarterback Drew Brees to be the only playmaker on offense. The better running attack should open up the passing game.
The problems with Peterson are his age and injuries. He is 32 years old and way past his prime. Peterson has played a full 16 game schedule 4 times in his 10 year career. It is a huge risk for the Saints because Peterson might not last the season.
The Saints would be better off drafting a running back on Thursday. They could have drafted Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook in the first-round. Both of these players are younger and may last a full NFL season. If they don’t draft either one, another running back will be available in the later rounds.
The Saints now have their starting running back. This will make the offense more dangerous. They must hope he can last the season. If not this was a wasted signing.
What do you think of the Saints adding Adrian Peterson to the backfield?
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