Adrian Peterson Signing Makes New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Threat in NFC

It’s been a long wait and the timing is quite peculiar, given that the 2017 NFL Draft is just two days away, but running back Adrian Peterson has finally found a home for the next couple of seasons in the New Orleans Saints.

The fit seems strange on the surface for multiple reasons, but perhaps this is a signal that Sean Payton is going to rein in the aging Drew Brees a bit in the coming seasons and try to balance out the offense.

Though the dollar amounts aren’t anywhere near what Peterson’s previous contract paid him, the value of running backs, particularly 32-year-old ones, isn’t that great either.

On Adrian Peterson: His expected salary from #Saints of $3.25M will be less than Mark Ingram makes in ’17. NO is respectful of Ingram’s role

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2017

This seems to suggest that there will be no bell-cow back and that Peterson will be just one of the guys sharing carries in The Big Easy.

Nevertheless, Peterson seemed excited when discussing the deal with ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

“I am excited to be joining the New Orleans Saints. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity. Most importantly, I chose this team because it just felt right within my spirit. Additionally, my wife and family added their confirmation with the same feelings.

On offense, it goes without saying that the Saints are really solid behind Drew Brees. I feel like my skill set can make them even more dominant as a unit. They have a great offensive line, which is something that stood out to me as well. I could tell from talking to head coach Sean Payton over the last two weeks that he did his due diligence in evaluating how I could contribute. I also did a lot of homework on the defense as well. While I know that injuries have played a role in performance, I also see areas of potential with a lot of younger guys having the ability to step up. Lastly, it goes without saying that the Saints have an amazing fan base and I look forward to making them proud and creating everlasting memories.”

The second-highest scoring team in the league a year ago is likely to gain even more potency with this addition.