The Pittsburgh Steelers stole the show early in free agency when they signed potential Hall of Fame corner Patrick Peterson. 

Signing the cagy vet to a two-year deal, Pittsburgh found an immediate remedy to the loss of Cam Sutton. 

But following Mike Tomlin's comments at the annual league owner meetings, Peterson may not only solve the departure of Sutton, but Terell Edmunds as well. 
Let me explain…

Mike Tomlin said this morning that he and Patrick Peterson talked already about his role of moving all over the defense. Said that Peterson is excited with the role

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) March 27, 2023

It's not out of the ordinary to see corner's move to safety as they age. One example of another Hall of Fame corner doing so was Charles Woodson. 

Peterson may do well to take after Woodson's path, and there are already some similarities.

Both started as dominant man coverage corners in the NFL. Then, they shifted to zone dominant defenses, holding down the fort similar to what Peterson did last year in Minnesota. 

The final step of Peterson's defensive back evolution would be the transition to safety, and per Mike Tomlin, it's something the two have already discussed. 

"He's versatile. He is not only in terms of his talents, but his intellect and we're not going to be bashful about moving him around," Tomlin said when asked about Peterson's usage as a safety. "He and I have already had that discussion. I think he's really excited about the prospects of that."

Now, as Dale Lolley of Steelers.com wrote, this is likely more of a shoo-in, should an injury arise or the safety position be an ultimate liability. 

"That would be one option in regard to replacing Edmunds – but probably not on a full-time basis." Said Lolley

Peterson wasn't shy about the proposition when asked about the possibility of playing elsewhere at his introductory press conference, saying:

"Going into Year 13, I always used to beg my coaches, like, 'Man, just put me other places,'" Peterson said. "Because I always felt like if you're able to have a quality athlete, you just don't want to limit him into one thing. You want to make it hard on the quarterback. You want to make it as hard as possible on the quarterback throughout downs. So, if you know a guy is going to be lined up in a certain spot every single possession, he's going to know how to avoid that guy."

That's a telling quote from such an accoladed corner. A lot of guys want to go out on their shield. Meaning, if they came in as a lockdown island corner, thats how their going out. 

So while the team still intends on keeping an eye on the free agent market when it comes to safety, the answer may already be on the roster.