The Dallas Cowboys kicked off OTAs with all eyes on the running back position. The Cowboys have faced plenty of questions regarding their decision to let DeMarco Murray walk away to the Philadelphia Eagles while replacing him with Darren McFadden. Most NFL insiders still believe that a trade for Adrian Peterson is still in play for Dallas as they have enough cap space to take on his contract. However, after recent bouts of contract issues and hints of retirement that might no longer be in the plans for Dallas.
Peterson continues to be a holdout for the Minnesota Vikings. The running back has stressed that he is unhappy with Minnesota and is pushing for a trade from the organization. According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, if Peterson cannot get a trade, he wants a new contract, something that Vikings' head coach Mike Zimmer believes will not happen. So where does that leave Peterson?
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, Peterson is still thinking retirement might be in the cards for himself. This is not new as the running back has hinted retirement is an option if he does not get a trade from the Vikings. With that report surfacing, the Cowboys appear less likely to make a move for the running back, opting to invest in the players they currently have on the roster instead.
The Dallas Morning News reports that based off the first day of OTAs, McFadden is being groomed as the starter while Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams will operate as the backups. Team vice president Stephen Jones has noted that the Cowboys have a short-list of veteran running backs they could target if they felt an addition was needed. Chris Johnson, Pierre Thomas and Steven Jackson remain on the free agent market. According to ESPN.com, the Cowboys also worked out Ben Tate and Felix Jones prior to OTAs starting, but neither earned a contract after the tryout.
The Cowboys are confident in their current roster. Quarterback Tony Romo already predicted a Super Bowl for the team. Owner Jerry Jones downplayed the idea, but did say the Cowboys have the best offensive line along with a top defense which could make them the team to beat in 2015.
