Rarely has a veteran player dominated an NFL draft run-up the way Adrian Peterson has. While this is the portion of the offseason typically overrun with pro days, propaganda and draft subterfuge, Peterson has remained the veteran question mark curling around the month of April.

Who is in the running for a trade? Are the Minnesota Vikings listening to anyone? What's the price for Peterson? How many Valentine's Day cards did Jerry Jones send to his supposed favorite running back?

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It's the story that has driven some NFL front offices nuts (we're looking at you, Cowboys) and made some head coaches uneasy about sharing opinions (hey there, Bruce Arians).

In hopes of burning off some of that vapor and bringing clarity to a still-undecided situation, Yahoo Sports spoke to six high-level NFL sources about what is going on with Peterson – including several among front offices who have discussed a pursuit of the Vikings' running back. Here is what we learned:

As of the start of draft week, the Dallas Cowboys have NOT gotten involved

There are two viewpoints in play here.

1. The teams that Adrian Peterson wants to play for.

2. The teams willing to pay the price to acquire Adrian Peterson.



Dallas does NOT fall into that second category, a Cowboys source told Yahoo Sports. And it goes further. As it stands, Dallas has not even spoken with Minnesota regarding Peterson. Let that sink in: As of the start of draft week, the Cowboys have not spoken to Minnesota about Adrian Peterson, let alone made any trade offers. Anything stating the contrary is mythology.

Would Peterson love to play in Dallas? Yes. Is the Cowboys' brain trust (or even team owner Jerry Jones) willing to part with the draft compensation and money it would take to land Peterson? As of the beginning of draft week, the answer is an absolute no.

The Arizona Cardinals do not want to surrender their first-round pick

Peterson likes Arizona a great deal. All offseason, the Cardinals have been at the top of the heap of his preferred destinations. And if this could all be wrapped up for a second-round pick and a reworked contract, this deal would have been done over a month ago. But as of the beginning of draft week, that's not working.

Right now, the Vikings aren't moving Peterson for a second-round pick – particularly if that choice is late in the second round, which it is for the Cardinals, who have the 55th overall selection. With the third round starting at pick No. 65, the 55th pick feels a lot closer to the third round than it does the first.

Bottom line: the Cardinals' front office and coaching staff feels like they already have a really good team, particularly if quarterback Carson Palmer is 100 percent. And while Peterson could significantly upgrade that offense, Arizona feels like the price of the 24th overall pick and three years of guaranteed money for a 30-year-old running back is too steep. Could that change on draft day? Possibly.

With Georgia running back Todd Gurley looking more likely to be selected somewhere in the top-10 range, Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon may not be there at No. 24. And that's assuming the Cardinals like Gordon as a first-round pick, which there is no certainty that they do.

[ShutdownDraft365: Click here for breakdowns of the top 50 draft prospects]

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