Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson: How Much Is Elite Running Back Truly Worth?

When the Minnesota Vikings paid their elite running back Adrian Peterson a deal worth $100 million over seven years, I thought it was a terrible deal for the Vikings.

I decided to truly reserve judgement, however, until I could determine through examining the 2011 NFL season how much an elite running back is truly worth.

Just Some Quick Math

Going down the list in the order that the players appear on the NFL rushing leaderboard is the top 10:

1. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles ($867,500) 1,134 yards and 12 touchdowns.
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars ($7,910,000) 1,040 yards and five touchdowns.
3. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears ($938,250) 985 yards and three touchdowns.
4. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons ($7,500,000) 948 yards and eight touchdowns.
5. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills ($2,075,000) 934 yards and six touchdowns.
6. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers ($7,133,000) 909 yards and five touchdowns.
7. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings ($10,720,000) 872 yards and 11 touchdowns.
8. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks ($1,140,000) 845 yards and eight touchdowns.
9. Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals ($1,022,500) 849 yards and eight touchdowns.
10. DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys ($742,500) 834 yards and two touchdowns.

Peterson isn't even among the top five. He did get into the end zone, though. He is battling an ankle injury right now or he surely would be challenging the top spot.

The thing is, he's going to get injured. The running back position is the most physically demanding in the NFL. Almost every single time a back receives a handoff, he's bound to get hammered for his efforts.

In looking at the numbers, it seems to me that an elite running back should be making between $5-7 million per year. That seems like the right value.

Don't get me wrong, Peterson is at least in the top three best running backs in the NFL, if not the best. So maybe a good value would be closer to $7-8 million for his superb skills.

I'm convinced that NFL GM's will continue to overpay running backs, however. I'm betting that Forte rakes in at least a $10 million per year deal after the season.

The NFL is full of undrafted running backs that have gone on to Hall of Fame careers, going back to San Francisco 49ers great, Joe Perry. Every single year, at least one surprise running back makes a big splash.

Speaking of 49ers, general manager Trent Baalke handled the negotiations with his superstar running back Gore with grace and dignity, making a good deal that worked for both sides without causing any issues within the organization.

Mike Reinfeldt, general manager for the Tennessee Titans, met with a different fate when his star asked for more. Reinfeldt caved in and handed over a fortune to Johnson, and everyone has seen the bad fruit that produced.

I am hoping more general managers start coming to their senses and set real values on their position. Running backs in 2011 aren't the feature anymore. Even in Denver, the running game is quarterback driven.

The NFL is truly a quarterback-driven league now, and the bigger contracts must move accordingly to the offensive linemen and defense. Running backs just aren't as valuable as they used to be.

So, in conclusion, I stand by my original observation after witnessing two-thirds of this NFL season. The Vikings overpaid Peterson.