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          There's only one way Adrian Peterson-to-Cowboys makes sense

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          Hoge doesn't see Peterson slowing down (1:28)

          Merrill Hoge examines how much Adrian Peterson has left in the tank after his option was declined by the Vikings. (1:28)

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 28, 2017, 07:20 PM
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              Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
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          INDIANAPOLIS -- So is it time to really start talk of Adrian Peterson possibly joining the Dallas Cowboys?

          The Minnesota Vikings have declined to pick up an $18 million option and that will make Peterson a free agent on March 9.

          Before Super Bowl LI, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter said there is a belief in league circles that the Cowboys could be in play for Peterson.

          At first glance, Peterson-to-the-Cowboys talk makes no sense. The Cowboys have Ezekiel Elliott, who led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards as a rookie in 2016. Elliott showed no issues handling a full load last season, and the Cowboys used the fourth pick in the draft on him because he doesn’t have to come off the field.

          Why would Peterson want to come to the Cowboys if he can’t have a large role? He grew up in Palestine, Texas. He lives outside Houston. There have long been thoughts of him joining the Cowboys. According to an "Outside the Lines" story from 2014, Peterson spoke to owner and general manager Jerry Jones over the phone saying he would like to play for Dallas.

          Peterson turns 32 in March and played in just three games last season because of a knee injury. Maybe after so much wear and tear, he knows he can’t be "the guy" anymore and wants to join a team that should be a Super Bowl contender.

          Just two years ago, Peterson led the NFL in rushing with 1,485 yards. It was the third rushing crown of his career.

          "My main goal remains the same: to win a Super Bowl championship with a great team, which I also believe we have in Minnesota,” Peterson said Tuesday in a statement to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

          The sliver of a chance for Peterson to join the Cowboys is tied to Elliott’s immediate future. The NFL continues to investigate domestic violence claims against Elliott from last year with commissioner Roger Goodell saying there was no timeline for a decision.

          Jones has lamented the length of the investigation and consistently has said he does not believe Elliott will face any penalty from the league. Elliott’s agent has called for the NFL to cease the investigation. So did Elliott after the Cowboys’ season ended.

          “I do want closure,” Elliott said in January. “I do. I would rather them not drag it on as long. I think if there was something to find, which there’s not, they would’ve found it by now. The police did a very thorough investigation. I will tell you this: It just seems like they’re dragging their feet right now. Who knows, man? I just want it to end.”

          Elliott does not have to be found guilty of a crime to be penalized under the league’s personal conduct policy.

          If Elliott is suspended for however many games, then having Peterson ready to plug into the lineup behind the best offensive line in football makes sense.

          With no definitive way of knowing whether there will be punishment coming for Elliott, Peterson joining another team, perhaps the New York Giants, makes a lot more sense.