The Dallas Cowboys recently signed former Oakland Raiders and often injured running back Darren McFadden (two-year deal). It is probably not the Cowboys final maneuver in their attempt to replace DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher last year as Murray signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last week in free agency.

Does anyone remember the last time the Vikings and Cowboys made a blockbuster trade for a running back?

Dallas sent Hershel Walker to Minnesota. The trade involved 18 players and draft picks and is still the largest NFL trade ever made. A sequence of events could lead Dallas to replace one former Oklahoma Sooners running back (Murray) with another in current Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson.

It appears the Cowboys made little attempt to bring Murray back into the fray, and the reason why is their possible desire to bring Peterson to Dallas.

It was reported last summer that Peterson told Dallas owner Jerry Jones in a June, 2014 phone call that he would take to the idea of playing for ‘America’s Team’. In December, 2013, Peterson was quoted as saying he’d be a “liar if I said it’s something that hasn’t crossed my mind before,” about the possibility of him suiting up for the Cowboys.

Where there is smoke there is usually fire…

The flirtation to play in Dallas by Peterson and their lack of finding an adequate replacement for Murray are two strong signals that the 2014 phone call could have merit in 2015, especially in light of how Peterson feels returning to play for Minnesota this up-coming season.

Peterson told ESPN last month he felt “uneasy” about returning to the Vikings’ organization with doubts on how much support he had from the team. Vikings’ general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer recently flew to Houston to visit Peterson at his home to iron out any concerns.

Peterson is currently the property of the Minnesota Vikings and it also appears both sides are playing nice (in the public eye), but behind the scenes the logical thinking is the Vikings would welcome the chance to rid themselves of Peterson’s hefty contract. He is still owed $44.35 million over the duration of the contract (three years), which includes $12.75 million in 2015.

Peterson will turn 30 years old on March 21^st and even though he is considered one of the greatest running backs of his generation, the NFL is about dollars and sense. The Vikings definitely do not want Peterson to be cut loose with nothing in return and paying him the money he is owed might be too much of a bitter pill to swallow.

Will Peterson take less money to play for the 2014 NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys?

If having a legitimate chance at winning a Super Bowl before he retires is important to “AD,” then a possible trade and restructuring of his current contract could be the way to go. The Indianapolis Colts recently signed veteran running back Frank Gore (who turns 32 in May) to a three-year contract. So it is not out of the question that Peterson still brings a demand to any needy team in the NFL looking for a running back to help get them over the hump and to the Super Bowl.

“Well, we’ll see what we can do, if we can make that happen,” Jerry Jones told Peterson, per Van Natta from his reported phone call between the two nearly eight months ago. “Hmm-hmm I’d like that too. Well, we’re talking pig Latin here, but let’s see if we can do that … We’re talking pig Latin here, but let’s see what we can do about that. OK, Adrian, thanks.”

We have seen over the last over the last week that anything can happen in the NFL. It appears clubs have welcomed the idea of playing ball and trading what they don’t want instead of holding onto another team’s desired commodity.

One-way or another there is a strong chance Peterson ends his career in Dallas.  With his current salary and the Cowboys current need at the position, everything seems to be aligned.