TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the teams impending free agent Adrian Peterson has said he would have interest in, and one betting site has the Bucs as the odds-on favorite to land him.
What could make Tampa Bay the ideal next home for the former NFL MVP?
The Bucs certainly fit some of his criteria. Peterson said on ESPN's First Take last month that his goal is to go somewhere where he can "win a championship" and that his next team has to "have a good defense, a good offensive scheme as well and a great coaching staff."
The Bucs finished 9-7 last season, just narrowly missing the playoffs, with a defense that made a huge midseason turnaround. They have a young quarterback, Jameis Winston, who appears poised to take the next step in his third season, and a dazzling young receiver, Mike Evans, who is coming off a Pro Bowl year. Tampa Bay also has almost $70 million in cap space, fourth-most in the NFL.
They also have a need at running back, with a murky situation with two-time Pro Bowler Doug Martin, who left the team abruptly in Week 15 to enter a drug treatment program. Martin was just one year into a five-year deal worth $35.75 million. He was suspended for four games for violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, and he is no longer guaranteed $7 million in 2017, which means the team could part ways with him.
Even if the Bucs keep Martin for 2017, Peterson could find plenty of opportunity in the Tampa backfield, starting the first three weeks of the season, when Martin will serve the remainder of his suspension. Like the Vikings, the Bucs operate a run-first offense to set up their play-action. Peterson would provide second-gear speed that Martin lacks. He also still possesses dangerous cutting ability.
Bucs coach Dirk Koetter has said that his team needs more explosive plays on offense. The Bucs define "explosives" as plays with 12 or more rushing yards or 18 or more receiving yards. Since 2007, Peterson has produced 249 explosives on rushes -- more than any other running back.
But Peterson will be 32 next month, and his advancing age will catch up to him like it has all other running backs. He suffered a torn meniscus in his knee in Week 2 and was forced to undergo surgery. He returned to action in Week 15 and rushed for 22 yards on six carries. He missed the final two games with knee and groin injuries and never truly looked like himself, finishing with 32 carries for 72 yards, the lowest rushing yardage in his 10-year career.
If Peterson was a fan of the blunt coaching style of the Vikings' Mike Zimmer, he'll like Koetter, who doesn't believe in sugar-coating things. Bucs players have appreciated that Koetter is direct and honest with them. They always know where they stand. He also doesn't believe in playing games, saying, "That's the fastest way to lose credibility with your team." Older players can appreciate that.
The Bucs have a lot of money to spend, but they also need some receiving weapons and an upgrade at safety. If they want to go after a big name such as Alshon Jeffery or DeSean Jackson, it will cost them quite a bit, but they could still afford Peterson.
The Bucs could find a far cheaper and likely more dependable option at running back in a draft that features Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey. Running backs coming out of college can struggle with blocking and blitz pickup, but as Kevin Seifert noted, Peterson was a "willing but largely incapable pass-blocker" in Minnesota.
Siefert also noted that "nearly 95 percent of his [Peterson's] career carries have come when the quarterback was under center." That's good news for the Bucs, whose 546 snaps with Winston under center last season were fourth-most in the NFL.
At the right price, Peterson could be a worthy gamble for a Bucs team looking to take the next step in the NFC South next season.