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The Dallas Cowboys could be the perfect landing spot for an eight-time Pro Bowler.
As proposed by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, one free agent the Cowboys should “consider” is Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson. The 32-year-old veteran will be a free agent this offseason after spending the past two seasons with the Vikings.
Ballentine argues that while Peterson may not be the player he was during his prime — when he went to eight consecutive Pro Bowls between 2011 and 2018 — he could be a major upgrade over Dallas’ current starting cornerback, Anthony Brown.
“Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn could still use a veteran cornerback to play opposite Trevon Diggs,” says Ballentine. “Anthony Brown was ranked 101st among the 118 corners they graded in 2022. The 29-year-old has been average at best for the team for too long, and it’s a position that needs to be upgraded.”
Patrick Peterson Remains Top Cornerback at Age 32
Brown has served as a starting cornerback for the Cowboys since his rookie season in 2016. As noted by Ballentine, he produced at a below-average level last season prior to suffering a season-ending torn Achilles injury in Week 13.
The 29-year-old veteran will be a free agent this offseason, meaning Dallas will likely be on the hunt for a new cornerback. Peterson may be a few years older than Brown, but he remains one of the better corners in the league.
According to Pro Football Focus, the former two-time All-Pro selection posted an 80.7 defensive grade and 82.5 grade in coverage last season. Among all cornerbacks, Peterson ranked 10th in defensive grade and fifth in coverage grade.
In other words, Peterson is far from being past his prime. In fact, Peterson posted better defensive and coverage grades than every Cowboys cornerback, with Dallas’ No. 1 corner, Trevon Diggs, posting a 67.6 defensive grade and 67.0 grade in coverage last season.
How the Cowboys Could Use Patrick Peterson as No. 2 CB
Ballentine mentions that if the Cowboys do opt to utilize more zone coverage looks during the 2023 season, Peterson could be beneficial to Dallas in the No. 2 role alongside Diggs.
“The one question Quinn and the Cowboys staff will need to answer is how much man coverage they plan on playing next year. Quinn has shown flexibility in that department,” says Ballentine. “With Seattle and the Legion of Boom, he played a lot of Cover 3. Last year, the Cowboys were 25th in zone usage, but they were third in EPA when in zone. So it would make sense for the team to shift its focus to playing a little more zone coverage. If that’s the direction they want to go, Peterson could provide a stabilizing force at the CB2 slot.”
According to Spotrac, Peterson’s market value is just $6.4 million per year, which would make him just the 34th-highest paid cornerback in the league. That would actually be a slight increase over the $4 million he earned during the 2022 season with the Vikings.
With the Cowboys needing veteran players that can get them over the hump, Peterson could be the perfect guy to do that — especially considering he could be signed at a reasonable rate.
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