The Adrian Peterson-to-the-Saints speculation is no longer that, with the running back telling ESPN's Josina Anderson on Tuesday morning he is signing a two-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. Most of Monday was spent with the expectation that Peterson would end up signing with New Orleans.

The Vikings' first-round pick in 2007 visited with the Saints for the first time back in April, when he was on a free-agency tour around the league, meeting with the Patriots and Seahawks as well.

Peterson, who has been unemployed since the Vikings declined to pick up his 2017 contract option, has not really been able to find a fit in terms of depth chart and finances.

"I am excited to be joining the New Orleans Saints. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. Most importantly, I chose this team because it just felt right within my spirit," Peterson told Anderson. "Additionally, my wife and family added their confirmation with the same feelings. On offense, it goes without saying that the Saints are really solid behind Drew Brees. I feel like my skill set can make them even more dominant as a unit. They have a great offensive line, which is something that stood out to me as well. I could tell from talking to head coach Sean Payton over the last two weeks that he did his due diligence in evaluating how I could contribute. I also did a lot of homework on the defense as well. 

"While I know that injuries have played a role in performance, I also see areas of potential with a lot of younger guys having the ability to step up. Lastly, it goes without saying that the Saints have an amazing fan base and I look forward to making them proud and creating everlasting memories."

New Orleans currently has Mark Ingram listed as the starting running back with Travaris Cadet behind him. Ingram is a quality player, but running back isn't a point of strength for the Saints. 

Let's look at some key points to this deal.

1. The money

Peterson told Anderson the exact terms he's agreeing to, so we can look at those, at least from what he claims he's getting.

2. The fit

Peterson is a curious addition to the Saints because Ingram played solid football last season. Ingram was in Sean Payton's doghouse early, but ultimately ended up having a pretty fantastic campaign. Ingram rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, and caught 46 passes for 319 yards. It was easily the best season of his career since New Orleans took him in the first round following a Heisman Trophy campaign.

The Saints might seem like an odd fit too, considering the stereotype that they throw the ball so much. But, there's a good case for Peterson working out here.

For starters, the Saints had the best run-blocking offensive line in the NFL last year according to Football Outsiders. 

They'll need to operate a little bit less out of the shotgun with Peterson on board, however, given his preference for running from power formations. That might not be all that out of line with what the Saints want -- they've been giving away pass-catching weapons, trying to find defensive help, and quietly improving the offensive line over the last few years. 

Sometimes it's just hard to limit what Drew Brees does through the air.

3. So who starts?

This could get a little dicey. Peterson almost certainly wants to start, even if if he's not the better player. 

Peterson only rushed for 72 yards last season, averaging 1.9 yards per carry and dealing with a plethora of injuries. He did lead the league in rushing in 2015, so it's not impossible to see him putting up big stats.

He's just on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a bunch of physical maladies. 

So it makes more sense for Ingram to start, but it's not difficult to see Peterson playing well in training camp and potentially demanding to be the guy when the season opens. Maybe that creates friction, or maybe he's just fantastic and they can utilize both guys on the field. Betting against any other running back would be easy, but Peterson is not any other running back.

4. Mark your calendars

The Saints open up the season against, of all teams, the Minnesota Vikings. And they do so on Monday night in prime time of Week 1. Peterson is a proud, stubborn man with immense physical skills. 

He is going to take all that pride, channel it into the physical skill and attempt to destroy the Vikings run defense. 

Week 2 features a matchup of the Saints and Patriots, with Peterson and the Pats discussing a potential contract before him ending up elsewhere. Again: pride is a thing here, and it wouldn't be surprising if Peterson channeled some vitriol against the Pats to run exceptionally hard. 

He might run for 250 yards in Week 1 and Week 2  -- and match that the rest of the season.