Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones is doing his best to downplay any potential interest the team might have in trading for Adrian Peterson.
During an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, Jones was careful not to specifically address Peterson or commit a tampering violation. However, he did say that he doesn’t envision a trade of that nature happening.
“I don’t see us using any picks to trade for veteran ballplayers,” Jones said, via Drew Davison of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.
Jones, who is the son of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, was also asked if the Cowboys would be interested in trading for a running back rather than drafting one now that DeMarco Murray has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I don’t see that happening,” he said. “I think draft picks are so important for us. That’s where your value is in this salary cap era. I see us using all of our picks and hopefully do it in a good, wise way. Hopefully when the draft is all said and done, we’ll have really improved our football team.”
Could Jones be telling the truth? Sure. But even if the Cowboys are interested in trading for Peterson, it makes no sense to indicate as much publicly. That would do nothing but weaken the team’s position should a negotiation with the Vikings take place.
The Vikings are reportedly looking for a massive haul if they decide to trade Peterson, whom they seem intent on keeping. Considering AP is 30 and still owed a ton of money, it might make more sense for the Cowboys to draft a running back like Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley.
What we can’t underestimate in this situation is the power of Jerry Jones. Peterson would reportedly love to play for the Cowboys, and there have been rumors that he and Jerruh have had conversations about it in the past. The Cowboys also made this move recently with one of their star players. Stephen Jones’ comments should not be taken at face value.
