Vincent defends Peterson talks

Troy Vincent said he visited Adrian Peterson and his wife at their Texas home, held one of his sons on his lap and offered guidance to open the door toward getting the former NFL MVP back on track and on the field after resolving child abuse charges.

But things spiraled out of control and now the NFL's executive vice-president for football operations finds his interactions with the Minnesota Vikings star at the center of a legal dispute between the NFL Players Association, the league and Peterson after their backchannel, informal conversations became public.

Peterson and the union argued unsuccessfully during an arbitration hearing that Vincent promised the running back would be suspended two additional games beyond those he missed.