Courtesy of Vikings Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had his introductory press conference on February 15, 2022.
The Minnesota Vikings have swapped out some familiar names in the secondary for a few new ones, but one of the most deficient units on the team is far from fixed.
Considerably more work remains to be done this offseason and the NFL Draft remains a good bet for the Vikings to add to the defensive backfield. However, first-round projections at cornerback are waning in favor of increased speculation that Minnesota will look for a QB in round one — either at No. 23 overall of via a trade into the top-10.
The options in free agency aren’t long-term, though some make sense as a bridge to more permanent answers as the Vikings pursue a moderate rebuild. Among those is cornerback Marcus Peters, most recently of the Baltimore Ravens.
Peters Could Hunt Interceptions For Vikings Alongside Byron Murphy Jr.
GettyCornerback Marcus Peters of the Baltimore Ravens reacts to a big play during a game against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report argued that Peters should be the top free agent on the Vikings’ to-do list as of Sunday, April 9.
“The chorus will not quiet down until Minnesota pads a secondary that was 31st in passing yards allowed last year. Even after signing Byron Murphy Jr., the Vikings could use another cornerback of Peters’ caliber,” Kenyon wrote. “The question is money, as Minnesota sits last in the league with just $1.1 million in cap space. But it could find the room if linebacker Za’Darius Smith is not retained, as he reportedly hopes, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.”
Peters has been an interception machine since entering the league as a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015. He earned three Pro-Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections during his first five NFL seasons, amassing a total of 32 interceptions over seven professional campaigns. Peters sat out the entirety of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL he sustained during a practice session in September of that year.
The cornerback has led the league in interception return yards three times and interceptions returned for touchdowns twice, per Pro Football Reference. Peters has scored a total of seven defensive touchdowns in his career while defensing 92 passes.
Peters in Similar Situation as Patrick Peterson Was Prior to Signing With Vikings
GettyCornerback Marcus Peters #24 of the Baltimore Ravens recovers a fumble during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on November 27, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The danger with Peters is two-fold and not a unique story for aging players in the NFL. He will enter his ninth campaign in 2023 at the age of 30 and carries a serious and consistent injury history over the past two years. Peters suffered a calf strain that sidelined him for three games at the end of the 2022 regular season and missed four out of 17 contests total last year, which came on the heels of missing an entire season due to the ACL injury.
Another troubling statistic is the 113.7 QB rating and 64.7% completion rate he surrendered to opposing quarterbacks in 2022. Peters allowed just a 78.0 QB rating in coverage in 2020 while affording opposing passers a 55.6% completion rate in 2019 — the last year in which he was a Pro Bowler or an All Pro.
Minnesota named former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores its new defensive coordinator in February. Flores is expected to bring with him a more aggressive philosophy than the Vikings have played under in the recent past, which will require the starting cornerbacks to engage in more man coverage and will afford less safety help over the top than in several other defensive schemes.
The question that matters most is whether Peters can continue to play such a style of defense at a high level after struggling last season. One thing is certain, Peters isn’t afraid to play man and would be a willing participant in Flores’ vision, which is a good start.
Peters is coming off of a three-year, $42 million contract with the Ravens and is an unrestricted free agent. Spotrac projects his market value at $9.8 million annually over a two-year contract.
The Vikings signed cornerback Patrick Peterson to two one-year deals in 2021 and 2022, worth $8 million and $4 million, respectively. The first contract came at the same age that Peters is now, and two years after Peterson earned his final Pro-Bowl selection.
Considering the similarities of the two cornerbacks’ career accomplishments and trajectories, it tracks that the Vikings would be willing to get into the Peters business for the right price and the appropriate number of years.