Former Vikings GM says he would have traded Adrian Peterson

Former Vikings executive Jeff Diamond has some interesting thoughts about Adrian Peterson in a recent piece he wrote for Sporting News. Namely, he writes that he is still troubled by the ethical dilemma presented by Peterson’s off-field problems and he wonders if the running back’s performance this season is obscuring some tough questions and answers.

Much of it is a rehash of all that went wrong, but the most interesting part comes near the end when Diamond — the Vikings’ former VP and General Manager until he left to take a top job with the Titans in 1999 – talks about what he would have done in the offseason leading up to 2015:

“If I was in control and knew I could have received anything close to full value in a trade, I would have shipped Peterson to another team. Perhaps the Vikings did test the trade winds, but in this age of media-savvy team execs, internet and social media, it’s virtually impossible to keep such talks under the radar.

Had a deal been cut, maybe the Vikings wouldn’t be running the ball as well. Second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater likely would be under more pressure. But I, as a team exec, would sleep better knowing I sent a strong message to my team, my organization and my fan base about our expectations on and off the field.”

That’s a pretty strong statement, though it’s also much easier to say what you would have done than to be the one who actually has to make the decision.

You can read the rest of Diamond’s thoughts here.