The rumors surrounding a trade between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings just will not go away, which lends credence to the argument that there is still something there. Peterson has said that he does not want to play for the Vikings, and the team seems content to let Peterson rot on the sidelines instead of moving or releasing him.

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For their part, Dallas is known to want Peterson, and they still have a hole at running back in the wake of DeMarco Murray's defection to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. But they have also displayed a surprising amount of restraint so far when it comes to spending. According to the Dallas Morning News, it is that new mindset that may hold the key to whether or not the Cowboys pull the trigger on an Adrian Peterson trade.

Cap mismanagement and poor decision making got the Cowboys to where they are today. They had to let multiple key contributors from last year's team leave in free agency because they have so much money tied up in certain players.

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For instance, Tony Romo has the highest cap hit in the entire NFL this year after years of restructuring his deal. This offseason, the Cowboys finally put their foot down on pushing their problems into the future, and they will be better off in the coming seasons if they stick with that plan.

Trading for Peterson, however, would not fit with that goal. They would have to restructure Romo's deal again in order to fit Peterson under the cap if they traded for him, and then their cap would remain a mess for years, forcing the team to continually wave goodbye to good players.

Remember when the Jets went all-in after an AFC Championship Game appearance? They did so at the expense of their salary cap and draft strategy. The moves never netted them the coveted Lombardi Trophy, and they have been terrible for multiple seasons now.

If the Cowboys trade for Adrian Peterson, they could suffer the same fate.