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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings have been trying to take advantage of their opportunity to communicate with Adrian Peterson.
General manager Rick Spielman said Monday the organization has had “open dialogue” with the star running back since the NFL tabled his suspension and returned him to the special exempt list. That’s where Peterson spent much of the 2014 season, essentially paid leave, while the child abuse case he was involved in played out in court.
The league made that move Thursday after U.S. District Judge David Doty overruled the arbitrator who denied Peterson’s appeal. Under the parameters of his suspension, the Vikings weren’t allowed to have any direct contact with Peterson. Now they’re able to, for the time being. That’s critical with the NFL’s transactions period starting March 10. Peterson will turn 30 five days later.
If the Vikings are going to keep him, they need to assess his feelings about staying. If he’s not interested, they’d likely try to trade him to receive some compensation for an elite player rather than release him for no return. But any team dealing for Peterson would need to have significant salary cap space.
“We are able to have communication now with Adrian. We’ll keep all those communications internal. I don’t want to sit here and give you guys a blow by blow every day,” Spielman told reporters at the University of Minnesota pro day workout that was attended by more than a dozen people from the organization. “I think it’s been very clearly stated that we want Adrian Peterson back. There’s no question about the talent. He’s a unique talent, and he’s under contract with us next year.”
Lions won’t franchise Suh
DETROIT — Ndamukong Suh can test the open market when free agency begins March 10 after the Lions decided not to use the franchise tag on the star defensive tackle, according to a report on the team’s website.
Monday is the deadline for teams to designate franchise or transition players. The Lions did not officially confirm the decision to let the deadline pass without franchising their 28-year-old All-Pro, but the report on the team’s website said Detroit concluded that the franchise tag’s price of around $27 million for Suh proved too daunting.
Last month, general manager Martin Mayhew said he was optimistic about getting a deal done with Suh, but the franchise tag was probably the team’s best source of leverage, and even that would have come at a prohibitive cost.
Suh has been a force in the middle of Detroit’s defensive line ever since the Lions drafted him with the second overall pick in 2010. He has 36 sacks in five seasons, including 8 1/2 in 2014, when the Lions made the playoffs as a wild card while boasting one of the league’s top defenses.
Suh has been hit with several fines in his career for his aggressive on-field actions, and he was nearly suspended for Detroit’s playoff game at Dallas last season — a one-game ban for stepping on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was overturned on appeal. But that occasional drama has done little to detract from Suh’s overall value to the Lions, who now face the prospect of having to bid against other teams for his services.
Pats place franchise tag on kicker
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on three-time Pro Bowl kicker Stephen Gostkowski on Monday.
The team said in an unattributed statement that the move gives the sides more time to negotiate an agreement. If no deal is reached by July 15, the Patriots will pay Gostkowski $4.126 million in 2015.
Gostkowski led the NFL in total points for the fourth time in 2014. He is the leading scorer in franchise history.
The 2006 fourth-round draft pick was 35 of 37 on field goals this season — a 94.6 percentage that is the highest in Patriots history.
Giants place franchise tag on Pierre-Paul
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants placed the franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul after the 26-year-old rebounded from two injury-plagued seasons.
The Giants made the move Monday, guaranteeing that their first-round draft pick of 2010 will make at least $14.813 million next season unless the two sides reach an agreement on a long-term deal by July 15.
Pierre-Paul had team highs of 12 1/2 sacks and 21 quarterback hits playing on a defense ranked No. 29 overall. It was his best season since having 16½ sacks in 2011, the season the Giants won their second Super Bowl under Tom Coughlin.
Pierre-Paul also finished third on the team with 77 tackles, including 16 for losses. He was bothered by back and shoulder injuries in 2012 and ‘13.
Cowboys put tag worth on Bryant
IRVING, Texas — Dez Bryant will get four more months to work on a long-term deal with the Cowboys and make $12.8 million next year after the team used its franchise tag on the star wide receiver.
Bryant led the NFL with a club-record 16 touchdowns in the final year of a rookie contract that paid $11.8 million over five years.
The 26-year-old Bryant was the fastest Dallas player to 300 career receptions and second-fastest to 50 touchdowns behind Bob Hayes.
The Cowboys also have to decide whether to re-sign running back DeMarco Murray after he had a league-leading 1,845 yards rushing in the final year of his contract. He becomes a free agent March 10.