One veteran the Vikings must keep from entering free agency
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have boatloads of cash to spend in free agency. So it is important to retain as much talent as possible from the 2022 team. One player that Minnesota should have on its radar is CB Patrick Peterson. The 32-year-old had a bit of a career resurgence last season with the Vikes. […]
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have boatloads of cash to spend in free agency. So it is important to retain as much talent as possible from the 2022 team.
One player that Minnesota should have on its radar is CB Patrick Peterson. The 32-year-old had a bit of a career resurgence last season with the Vikes. However, he is set to hit the free agency pool and sign elsewhere if the Vikings can't come to terms with him before March 15.
Peterson tallied five interceptions and a career-high 66 tackles. He proved to be the Vikings’ most reliable cover corner by locking down opposing wideouts in man coverage.
NFL.com listed Peterson as one of the NFL’s most unheralded players who should be kept out of free agency by their teams. Here is Peterson’s excerpt:
"The three-time All Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler may have lost a step or two of his elite speed, but he remains adept at erasing receivers when given the chance. Peterson was targeted on just nine of his 111 man-coverage snaps in 2022 (8.1%). He was the only outside cornerback with at least 100 man-coverage snaps to be targeted at less than a 12 percent rate. Last season under Ed Donatell, the Vikings played man coverage on just 20.8 percent of dropbacks, the fourth-lowest rate in the league. But Minnesota will likely undergo a complete philosophical makeover under new coordinator Brian Flores, whose defenses have ranked in the top four of man-coverage rate in each of the last five seasons."
Paying Patrick Peterson
The hire of Brian Flores will let Peterson shine if he elects to return. Flores loves to run man coverages on the backend with capable cornerbacks on the outside. Peterson fits that bill.
It might be difficult to orchestrate a long term contract considering Peterson’s age, but Spotrac projects his next contract to be a one-year deal worth $6.4 million. Even with Minnesota’s tricky cap situation, they should be able to find that price within their offseason budget.
Featured image via Matt Krohn – USA TODAY Sports
