Vikings shut down Adrian Peterson trade rumors

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can probably strike Adrian Peterson off their wishlist, as Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman struck down any notion of the team trading Peterson.

"We can just end the Adrian Peterson stuff. Our position has not changed...we have no interest in trading Adrian Peterson." Rick Spielman

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 28, 2015

Of course, NFL general managers aren't exactly known for their truthfulness, but they tend to talk around the subject rather than offering straight-up denials. And this fits with other reports, which suggested rather ludicrous demands -- like a first-round pick and a starting cornerback in exchange for 30-year-old running back clearly in decline, playing on the most obscene contract at his position. Such demands would kill any potential trade.

Despite those trade terms, horrible enough to scare away any NFL general manager, the Bucs continued to be linked to Peterson. Never in concrete ways, and never in terms that suggested an imminent trade, but they were one of the consistently recurring names when discussing this trade. It does make some sense: the Bucs do want a strong running game, and Lovie Smith is an obvious admirer of Peterson, but this just isn't a realistic trade.

Now if you want a more realistic veteran running back that Tampa Bay could trade for during the draft, I'd give you Matt Forte, who's in the final year of his contract. But even that is unlikely, as the Bucs seem comfortable with their varied stable of backs that includes Doug Martin, Charles Sims and Bobby Rainey. The Bucs may add another late-round talent in the draft, but I wouldn't expect a trade for any big names.