National Football League

No talks between Cowboys, Vikings of possible Adrian Peterson trade

Published Apr. 27, 2015 9:58 a.m. ET

foxsports

IRVING

The sizzle continues. The steak remains absent.

Peterson, the best running back of his generation and disgruntled in Minnesota, would undoubtedly like to be dealt (along with his three-year, $45-million contract) to his home-state Cowboys. But that's where this story begins and ends, to this point near the eve of Thursday's NFL Draft. Because ...

● Sources tell FOX Sports Southwest that the Cowboys have not called the Vikings.

● Sources tell us the Vikings have not called the Cowboys.

● Sources tell us that as it would be a violation of tampering rules, the Cowboys have, of course, not called Peterson.

But beyond all the fantasy, the facts are these: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' lieutenants have convinced him, to this point, that they've managed the cap smartly enough to want to avoid a $13-mil running back and they've gotten a handle on this draft smartly enough to believe that they'll snag a starting-caliber running back somewhere in a premier round (most likely the second or third).

Jones has the right, if a phone call is received before Dallas picks at No. 27 on Thursday night, to change his mind. And the Vikings (and any other potential suitors, like Arizona, Tampa or Oakland) can change theirs, too. But when the draft comes and goes, and Peterson is still a Viking, he'll likely stay that way — and if Minnesota can soothe his feelings, he'll be highly productive there, as usual.

But the Cowboys don't need to wait until after the draft to visualize their AD-related plans. Barring a Jerry reversal paired with a Vikings' fire sale, Dallas has no AD-related plans.

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