Detroit Lions: Adrian Peterson signing a cause for celebration or concern?

It’s great to have an NFL legend join the mix, but what does it really say about the running back situation for the Detroit Lions?

Adrian Peterson is the newest running back for the Detroit Lions. A decade ago, this would have been an earth-shattering development in the NFL landscape.

The Minnesota Vikings’ superstar was coming off his second straight All-Pro season, third consecutive campaign of 1,000+ yards, and had just led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns. The thought of stealing away the surefire Hall of Famer from a division rival would have seemed unthinkable in 2010.

Fast forward to now, and news of legend known as “A.D.” flipping colors to the Honolulu Blue doesn’t pack quite the same punch, to put it mildly. It took several days of the voices in my head having an argument, and I still can’t say that I have a strong opinion on the signing.

If 2020 Adrian Peterson can give a Danny Amendola equivalent of production running the ball, it would go down as a small win for the Lions. Maybe that’s enough though?

With a one-year contract at just over a million dollars, the Lions have found of a way to add a top five all-timer at his position that’s about as cost-effective as possible. Even so, there are plenty of reasonable questions to ask about this signing.

Where does the Detroit Lions run game stand headed into Week One?

With all the work that’s been put into the running back position recently, why was it still deemed necessary to pick up a 35-year-old a week before the regular season, to presumably shoulder a heavy load from the first snap?

Does Peterson have enough battery life left in his 220-pound mainframe to power Detroit’s running game early on, while the young guys get healthy and up to speed? Is his presence a sign that the cup of talent in the backfield is overflowing, or an omen that the glass is still half-empty in the run game?