Adrian Peterson is the final piece of the Jags puzzle

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to turn the concept of “where players go to kill their careers” on its head here in Jacksonville. Shad Khan is looking for results and the Dave Caldwell/Gus Bradley team doesn’t seem to be the type to sit back on their heels.

One big piece of the puzzle came with Julius Thomas signing on to play here. The free agency signings that have followed are a sign that the times are changing.

A good friend of mine said “ If you’re looking for a veteran looking for a ring, this isn’t the place to come”. While it’s important to note that my friend is a huge Jags fan, he’s also right. But, that attitude is being changed here in Jacksonville as we speak.

Thomas’s arrival followed by Dan Skuta (OLB), Davon House (CB) and several others is a signal to the NFL world that this Jags team will be entirely different. Losing has been something that the Jaguars have been identified with for some time now. Bradley and Caldwell are turning that identity on it’s head.

Now that Thomas and Skuta have arrived in town, that winning culture the Jags need to surround themselves with isn’t so unfamiliar. It’s hard to imagine that the Jaguars are done in free agency even with picking up Bernard Pierce off of waivers. The fact that the Jags picked up Pierce doesn’t mean they are out of the running for Peterson.

Blake Bortles now has his big tight end threat in Julius Thomas but, his reliable running back ran for greener pastures in Oakland. No problem, there is Adrian Peterson sitting out there waiting to be picked up.

The better news for the Jaguar faithful is that Peterson’s price tag hit against the cap this year (15.4 million) is so big there aren’t many teams with much wiggle room. The Jaguars still have 31.6 million dollars worth of cap space left. That would still leave 16.2 million dollars left in cap space if the Jaguars were to sign Peterson.

Just think about it. Bortles steps out from behind the center and could have Thomas or Peterson as an option. For any team in the NFL that’s not to shabby of an option for the quarterback. Bradley and Caldwell were brought to Jacksonville to turn the franchise around. I’m positive that timetable wasn’t 5 years or even 3. That being said, having Adrian Peterson and Julius Thomas on the field for Bortles would do an unspeakable amount of good for this team. If this were to happen the Jaguars would almost automatically be in the mix for the division and at the very least the Wild Card.

The real question is why wouldn’t they? Yes, there is the whole legal issues surrounding Peterson. Yes, he’s got some miles on him. Yes there’s a hefty price tag on him. But, Gus Bradley doesn’t seem to be the type of guy who’s OK with the status quo. That’s if the status quo is a 3-13 record.

Next: Should the Jaguars pursue Greg Jennings?

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