The New York Jets are reportedly getting offers for young cornerback Dee Milliner, but will general manager Mike Maccagnan trade him before the 2015 NFL season?
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that several teams have inquired about the availability of Milliner after the Jets ink deals with cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine last week.
Milliner, a first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, played in just three games last season after suffering a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. Aside from injury concerns, most analysts are convinced that the 23-year-old is now an expendable asset for the Jets after upgrading their secondary last week.
However, sources indicated that the Jets told interested teams that they will not give up Milliner for scrubs. According to Mehta, three executives told him that Maccagnan will find a hard time looking for a trade partner who are willing to give up assets higher than a mid-to-late pick in the upcoming draft.
While the Jets could still trade him if they get an attractive offer from an interested team, sources also added that Maccagnan is still looking forward to seeing how Milliner will perform once he fully recovers from the injury.
Meanwhile, agent Ben Dogra revealed that the Minnesota Vikings informed him that Adrian Peterson will not be released by the team contrary to previous reports and speculation.
Dogra said in an interview with Fox Sports that Vikings general manager Rick Spielman informed him during a phone conversation on Wednesday that they have no plans to release the running back.
Peterson was placed on the commissioner's exempt list last season after he pleaded no contest for misdemeanor reckless injury charges after reportedly using switch to discipline his four-year old son in May.
Peterson hinted before that it will be "uneasy" to return to the Vikings following the team's decision to put him on the exempt list, but the former NFL Most Valuable Player has reportedly talked to Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf along with Spielman to clear the air on Monday.
However, it is still unclear at this point whether or not the Vikings are planning to keep him for good as there is still a possibility that they will use the 29-year-old as trade bait. And if the Vikings decide to shop Peterson, Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald believe the Vikings will not have a hard time looking for a desirable deal.
"Obviously, he's an MVP-caliber player," Fitzgerald told ESPN. "Everybody knows that. Any team he ends up with -- or if he stays with the Vikings -- is going to have a great back. If he was to come play here, it would obviously mean a tremendous amount for our ballclub."