Does Minnesota Want Patrick Peterson Back?
Patrick Peterson has been vocal about his desire to stick around Minnesota. The team hasn’t been quite as vocal about its desire to retain him.
Free agency officially began yesterday at 4 p.m. ET. So far, it’s been all quiet on the Peterson front.
The veteran was brought into Minnesota as an option to take over as the team’s CB1 in 2021. At times, he looked strong, and there were stretches in the season when the opposition’s QB just avoided his side. One wonders, though, how much of that had to do with the chance to throw at Bashaud Breeland, which was usually a good idea for the opposition’s QB.
At this stage, Patrick Peterson is at best a CB2, a role that may still be appealing for Minnesota. There’s an obvious need for talent in the secondary. Harrison Smith is still elite, and Camryn Bynum seems to have a good shot at an increased role. At corner, it’s currently just Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd, and Harrison Hand. In other words, there is one player who has struggled to stay on the field and two depth options.
I was among those who (perhaps foolishly) entertained the idea of bringing J.C. Jackson aboard. His 2022 cap hit is a mere $8 million, the precise number Peterson had last season. Minnesota could have made that work, especially since they’re walking into considerably more cap room in 2023 and 2024.
Alas, the CB1 dream is gone (unless there’s a wild trade).
Now, the strategy likely involves filling the DB room with capable CB2s. Rather than elite play at one spot, have strong play across the board. There’s a scenario where Patrick Peterson fills a role in this type of secondary. It’s worth noting that he had limited chances to play press man, but did reasonably well when given the opportunity. That ought to make him more appealing to Ed Donatell. Perhaps Bryce Callahan could take over in the slot, leaving Dantzler and Peterson along the outside. That could work, especially if the draft brings in a highly-regarded player to grow behind the vets.
One has to think that the Vikings are looking at decreasing Peterson’s cap hit in 2022. A deal that works out to $4-$6 million would be more than worth it, but it’d be surprising if he played for so little. The former All-Pro is one of his generation’s great players, and it seems likely that he’s looking for strong deals. We’ll need to see if Minnesota ends up making an offer he’s willing to accept.
Purple PTSD Also Read: Justin Jefferson Has a Simple Goal in Year Three
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”973246″ player=”26281″ title=”WATCH%20Aaron%20Rodgers%20signs%20threeyear%20$150M%20extension%20with%20Packers” duration=”87″ description=”After plenty of drama, Aaron Rodgers is finally ready to sign on the dotted line. Although today’s news isn’t really news, the four-time MVP has been expected to re-up with the Green Bay Packers, but now we have the financial details, instead of rumors.Initially, it had leaked that Rodgers was set to earn a new four-year, $200 million contract to stick around with the Packers, but the quarterback later backtracked on those erroneous reports.” uploaddate=”2022-03-15″ thumbnailurl=”undefined” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/973193/973193.m3u8″]
