Washington signed Adrian Peterson to a veteran's minimum deal last week. He's 33 years old and averaged 3.4 yards per carry across two teams last season, so his best football is behind him. But after watching his debut with Washington last night, it looks like he can still play.
"I saw a big guy running pretty hard really," Jay Gruden said after the game. "He had a five-yard average, I believe, had a couple good bounces, and, you know, the thing I like about some of his runs is they look like they're like gains of one and he'd fall forward for a gain of three."
Peterson started with Washington's first-team offense, carrying 11 times for 56 yards. Those runs included tackle-breaking 7- and 13-yard bursts up the middle and a 15-yarder around the left end. Robert Kelley came into the game with the second-team offense; Samaje Perine sat out with an ankle injury.
Gruden's offense hasn't typically been one to pound away with the running game; it operates best with a pass-catching back like Chris Thompson in the lineup, and that's not Peterson's game. But older back and all, he seems to bring a lot more to the table as a runner than any of the team's in-house options. It might be Kelley (considering the team has drafted a replacement for him two years in a row) who's most likely to be on the outside looking in for a roster spot.
We'll have to see where Peterson shows up in the rankings after the weekend. But if you're drafting tonight, my personal opinion is this looks like a Peterson-Thompson committee, with Peterson the favorite for carries and any short rushing touchdowns. He's a guy I'd consider in the middle rounds as a potential No. 3 fantasy back, especially in non-PPR formats.
--Andy Richardson