Aug 21, 20183 min read

All you need to know about AP to D.C.

The P&C for AP to D.C

Did they catch lightning in a bottle with Adrian Peterson or is this just one of Dan Snyder’s once great over the hill free agent signings?

Welcome to the Burgundy and Gold Report. The recent news of Peterson signing with the Redskins sent ripples through the Skins fan base. Although AP’s best football might be behind him, that doesn’t mean he can’t be valuable to this offense.

Redskins Coach Jay Gruden is viewed in NFL circles as an offensive play calling guru. Some question is his in-game decision making, but his passing scheme is second to none. The questions is and has been how does Gruden get the running game going?

The Skins continue to deal with injuries among the running back group with Guice having knee surgery this week, Perine nursing an ankle sprain, Marshall dealing with a lower knee injury which could land him on IR and undrafted rookie back Martez Carter was released with an injury settlement. Peterson could just be insurance if another back on the roster is injured, but it’s hard to imagine AP will be content with playing a complementary role behind Kelley, Perine and Thompson.

In choosing to sign AP over Orleans Darkwa & Jamaal Charles, the Redskins are most likely promising Peterson an active role in the rotation. In any player acquisition there are pros and cons. It’s time to take a look at why or why not the move makes sense for Washington.

Pros

Signing AP to the veteran minimum of $1.015 million for 1 year should be viewed as a low-risk, high-reward move for Washington. Although Peterson has noticeably slowed down over the last 5 seasons, he seemed to have found his stride in Arizona in two particular games. In those games, he registered 134 rushing yards and 2 TD’s in a win versus Tampa Bay and a few games later would register 159 rushing yards versus San Francisco. The lack of success Arizona’s offense had could also have something to do with Peterson’s down year (529 2 TD’s).

Father Time hasn’t been kind to AP over the the last few years, but his new teammates believe adding him to productive veteran, Vernon Davis, has now created a decent veteran locker room presence. Body development and recovery training are staples of a savvy veteran’s routine. Peterson has spent his career in the gym and being the poster boy for intense NFL workouts.

Fellow Oklahoma alum and new teammate Trent Williams was extremely excited to have AP as part of the team. The two have worked out in the off-season together for years and did the same this offseason. They also have a unique bond in that, they recovered and trained together after their respective knee surgeries. No player on the roster knows Peterson’s ability, at this point in his career, better than Williams. Chemistry will be a valuable asset when these two former Sooners hit the field together.

Adding AP to the the current group of Reed, Thompson, V.Davis, Doctson,Crowder, Richardson, with Alex Smith running the show, the Skins could have a high-octane offense on their hands!

Cons

Peterson was once a dominating runner that has been slowed over the last few years by injury. At this point in his career, the 33 year old is a one dimensional back . One might wonder how Gruden will use the veteran in his pass-happy scheme.

Before he was traded to Arizona, AP played four games with New Orleans in 2017 registering only 27 rushing attempts for 81 yards. He wouldn’t fare much better with the Cardinals. The 11 year veteran would play 6 games for Arizona and run the ball 129 times for only 448 yards posting a laughable 3.5 yards per attempt.

Although Peterson has kept himself in immaculate condition, it’s a mystery how well he’ll look after a few weeks of full contact. Furthermore, Gruden prefers his backs to be proficient receivers, which has never been a strength of the All Pro. In the end, durability will be the #1 drawback for signing Peterson,

With two preseason games remaining, players will be fighting for a shot at the final 53. Injuries will be on the minds of redskins fans every moment until week one. Before we get to that point we have to sift through the young prospects and roster bubble players to find out who will be the diamond in the rough contributors for 2018.

With The Broncos and the Sua Cravens circus coming to town, will the redskins stay vigilant? Stay tuned for that story and more in the next Burgundy and Gold Report.