Redskins hosting veteran RB Adrian Peterson on a Monday visit

Adrian Peterson is one of the handful of veteran running backs available on the open market. He’s going to visit the Redskins on Monday.

The Redskins are certainly doing their due diligence on running back in the wake of the numerous injuries that they have suffered at the position. On Sunday, they brought in Orleans Darkwa and Jamaal Charles in for visits. Neither agreed to a deal, and it appears that Darkwa isn’t a realistic option as he wants to be a starter, so the team is going to continue their search.

On Monday, the Redskins are bringing in veteran RB Adrian Peterson in for a visit, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Many have been clamoring for Peterson to join the Redskins after the injuries to Derrius Guice and Samaje Perine, and now he will at least have a chance to do it.

Though Peterson is a big name and has had MVP caliber seasons in the past, the fact is that he is well past his prime and hasn’t been consistent over the course of the past few seasons. He had a great 2015 campaign that saw him rush for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns, good for the league lead in both categories, but since then, he hasn’t done much.

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Over the course of the past two years, Peterson has only played in 13 games and averaged 3.1 yards per carry on 193 totes. He has played on three teams during that time span, and few teams have shown legitimate interest in him during the offseason.

Last season playing for the Cardinals and Saints, Peterson was a non-factor in most games. He had two monster performances that saw him post 134 and 159 yards respectively, but excluding those performances, he only totaled 236 yards on 96 carries, good for a yards per carry average of 2.5. His two touchdowns came in one game, so he’s not as much of a scoring threat anymore. Peterson also fumbled once every 55.7 touches, so his lack of ball security could eventually pose a problem for Jay Gruden.

It’s worth noting that Peterson could defy expectations and put together a solid performance in a rotational role. He is a generational talent and a seven-time Pro Bowler who could be effective if he has anything left in the tank. That said, at age 33, his best days are well behind him. He was, at best, equal to Samaje Perine last season, and that’s a negative for Peterson as he is declining and Perine is on the rise. So, it might be difficult for Peterson to outplay Perine (when healthy) and he might be more of a sunk cost than anything else.

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Bringing in Peterson on a visit is a fine move by the Redskins. But, if they sign him, they shouldn’t expect him to be an upgrade over Perine. He could be a decent starter, but he’s not the same strong runner and big TD threat that he once was. So, don’t get your hopes up for a major resurgence from Peterson in the event that the Redskins elect to sign him.

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