Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: What Is Adrian Peterson's End Game?

1. Peterson skipping OTAs

Can anyone explain what exactly Adrian Peterson is doing?

I am being told by a league source the same thing that others have been told: that he won't necessarily skip the entirety of the Vikings' volunteer workouts. He will show up at some point. Not definitely but most likely. At least, that's the working theory.

The belief is that he'll show up because a $250,000 workout bonus is at stake. Peterson gets it if he attends 90 percent of OTAs and minicamps, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson. So in theory, Peterson could skip this week and still get that bonus.

One personnel man from another team said he believes what Peterson is doing is protesting the fact Minnesota won't trade him by stomping his feet. "He's sending a message to the Vikings," this person said. "'I'll rejoin the team when I'm good and ready.'"

In other words, Peterson is marking his territory. The only thing missing is a fire hydrant and cocked leg.

Here is another piece of the puzzle. One Vikings player told me players have communicated with Peterson, and the runner has given no indication he wants to be traded. The players believe Peterson will be with the team next season.

They may be dreaming. But that's their dream, and they're sticking with it.

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

There is validity to that dream. With the draft behind us, it would be difficult to trade a player like Peterson. Not impossible, by any stretch. But most teams took care of their back needs in the draft.

Many people believe Peterson never gave up his game of chicken with the Vikings. He's playing hardball but will eventually end up in Minnesota.

Would Peterson really consider retiring, as CBS's Jason La Canfora reported? I have not heard that from anyone close to him. It's always possible, but Peterson would be one of the few NFL players in history to walk away from tens of millions voluntarily. There's $46 million on the table. That's the totality of his contract. There is also the Hall of Fame at stake. I don't see him retiring, but as I've said before, he is a different sort of cat. Er, Viking.

But truly, no one knows exactly what Peterson will do, except Peterson. The bet remains he throws his temper tantrums, cries for binky and eventually shows up to the Vikings.

2. Trade market for Peterson is "almost nonexistent"

Again, the problem with the notion of a Peterson trade is the market. One general manager called it "almost nonexistent."

He was quick to qualify that remark, saying this is how it is now but that it can quickly change. But Peterson's age (30) and salary ($12.75 million in base salary alone, according to Spotrac), plus the fact the Vikings will want at least a first-round pick for Peterson, makes the whole idea unlikely.

3. The most amazing week of fandom maybe ever

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

If there was ever a week that reminded us that some fans are absolutely, positively crazy, it was this one. And it's not a shock that Patriots fans—among the most absolutely, positively crazy fans of all—were involved in two of the examples.

Please allow me to introduce you to the late Patricia Shong. She was 72 years old and seems to have been a lovely woman. From her obituary in the Auburn Mass. Daily:

"

Patricia enjoyed scrapbooking, cross stitching, pixel art, knitting, and crocheting. She relished weekly card night with the ladies. Patricia was known for being an avid reader which all who knew her can attest to based on her mini home library. She especially loved spending time with her family. She would also like us to set the record straight for her: Brady is innocent!!

"

Now, to be clear, I'm not calling a deceased woman insane. So please don't try to generate fake outrage. No, I'm saying her fandom is insane. When part of your obituary is dedicated to your belief that Brady was framed for Deflategate, well, that is a true fan.

More proof? This past weekend, presumably on their day off, a group of fans had a Free Tom Brady Day. There were signs that said "Free Brady," like he was Nelson Mandela. About 150 people showed up, according to the Boston Globe's Catherine Cloutier. On a holiday weekend. Including this couple:

Brady is worth $120 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com. His wife, Gisele Bundchen, is worth $320 million. The only thing Brady needs freedom from is his tax bracket.

And how about the GoFundMe campaigns fans are starting?

NESN reported on a fan campaign to pay the Patriots' $1 million Deflategate fine. Remember, the Patriots are worth $2.6 billion, according to Forbes.com—the second-most valuable team in the league. One million is the cost for the air the Pats use to inflate footballs (that's a joke).

And even if you understand that this is Patriots fans' way of giving the NFL the finger for penalties they view as draconian, that doesn't explain the ridiculousness in Seattle. CBS' John Breech had the story of a GoFundMe campaign to keep Russell Wilson in Seattle. Think about that for a moment. One day, likely in Seattle, Wilson will be one of the highest-paid players in the sport, and someone wants to fund him millions. I mean, seriously?

What's happening here? Maybe it's just anger in the Patriots case and zealotry in the other. Maybe as sports get more complex and sports figures (and their teams) more flawed, acts like these are a way of regaining some sort of control.

Or maybe some fans are just completely crazy.

4. See how easy it is, Washington?

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

A high school team in Oklahoma has changed its nickname from the racist Redskins to the cool Red Wolves, according to the Oklahoman's Tim Willert.

High schoolers made this decision. High schoolers. How grown-ups continue to screw this up is staggering.

5. A good look at CTE

The website MD Direct on Sunday posted a good explanation on CTE, focusing on what we still don't know about the degenerative disease.

The issue is: What is the line of demarcation? How many concussions or subconcussive impacts lead to CTE? One? Ten? Fifty? This is a big question, and based on everything I have read and reported on this issue, the answer could come in just a few years. It will be one of the biggest pieces of information—maybe the biggest—in NFL and sports history.

6. Moss is awesome

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Randy Moss has always been a mix of an intelligent, great guy and a knucklehead. I'm not sure what proportions are what, but good guy has always been there in great amounts. This is one of those good-dude times.

Straight class, homey.

7. NFL never learned lesson from painkiller-riddled '70s

Associated Press

Yes, Don Shula's name attached to a lawsuit against the NFL is probably unfair. But this lawsuit does show how the league never learned a few valuable lessons.

First, there was a lawsuit last year—a totally merited one, in my opinion—filed by players. That lawsuit had some of the same accusations in it as the claims in the one mentioning Shula. Painkillers were still pretty abundant, all those decades later.

The league has instituted some controls, but it still hasn't learned the next lesson. One of the ways to end problems arising from painkillers is to allow players to use marijuana instead.

Pot has been legalized in several states, and the union hasn't collapsed. The safety of marijuana versus painkillers isn't even debatable. The pain-killing meds that many players are taking can be devastating to the body and horribly addictive. Marijuana would be a far safer alternative.

The NFL will go this route one day. It will happen. It will make the league less legally exposed and make the bodies of their players healthier. Figuring out a way to do it isn't that difficult. The fact is, as I've been told many times by players, a significant number of players are smoking it now—and the NFL is more popular than ever.

So the league needs to adapt or keep facing accusations like the ones in those lawsuits.

8. McDonald a test case for new domestic violence measures

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

While the NFL has for years, maybe decades, like the rest of society, gotten punishment on domestic violence horribly wrong, I believe it is now starting to get it right. New policies and an entire unit dedicated to the problem. Greg Hardy was punished pretty severely under these new measures. Those were great steps.

Now comes another test. Ray McDonald, the former 49er and Bear, was arrested yet again for domestic violence.

It is McDonald's third time being accused of violence or assault against women. The Bears released him.

At some point, convictions or not, you are what your arrest record says you are.

My belief is that the NFL will use this moment to change things with how teams make decisions on players with extensive domestic violence backgrounds. I think something more stern than what the NFL has to punish teams that sign bad guys is coming. It's a hunch. But I think the NFL will get harsher on arrests.

9. Newton is right

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

He will earn more hate. People will call him arrogant. But on this, Cam Newton is absolutely right.

His quote, via WCCB Charlotte:

"

I say this with the most humility, but I don't think nobody has ever been who I'm trying to be. Nobody has the size, nobody has the speed, nobody has the arm strength, nobody had the intangibles that I've had. I'm not saying I'm the one-on-one type of person that this league will never see again. No, I'm not saying that, hear me out. I'm just saying that so much of my talents have not been seen in one person.

"

I don't have a problem with that, because he's accurate. Almost no quarterback in league history has Newton's size, athleticism and physical abilities. Maybe Ben Roethlisberger. Maybe.

Newton is 6'5" and 245 pounds. Moves like a running back. Maybe Randall Cunningham is close, but he wasn't as muscled up.

So go ahead and hate him, but Newton is right on this.

10. Horn calls Goodell "the devil"

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Former Saints receiver Joe Horn was always outspoken. Hard working, talented, a showman—but definitely outspoken. In this excellent interview with the Football Girl, he outdoes himself. I'll just leave this one quote here on the table. Horn on what he doesn't like about the current state of the NFL:

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Here's what I don't like. I don't like what Roger Goodell is doing. He has so much power that he can almost shut people down. I just don't like him. And I don't like that on draft day these kids don't know that they're hugging the devil. I hate to see kids that are lost and then happy but they really don't know that the man they're hugging will rip their throat apart. If he has an opportunity to take money from them, or there's a situation where they're guilty before they go to court, he'll rip them apart. And there's nothing no one can do about it. If the owners are happy with Roger Goodell, the fans, the media, no one can take his job from him. I hate it.

"

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.