Getty Marcus Peters gets his facemask grabbed by Deebo Samuel on October 13, 2019 in Los Angeles.
NFL teams like the Los Angeles Rams are realistically not through with adding to their 2023 rosters. May and the upcoming summer months serve as the time period where teams can turn to whoever is left in free agency to put a cap to their ’23 lineup ahead of either OTAs or training camp.
But that also means rivals can potentially turn to past Ram stars to fill remaining voids. And that’s where Peter Panacy of FanSided on Tuesday, May 2 brought up a former $3 million Rams star as a possibility for the San Francisco 49ers: Ex-L.A. cornerback Marcus Peters.
Peters Remains Unsigned After Baltimore Tenure
Peters, 30, is one of the rare remaining multiple Pro Bowlers left on the free agency market.
Why is Panacy a believer the former Ram is a fit for the rival Niners? Even with a solid cornerback tandem already in place plus the drafting of Darrell Luter Jr., Peters is considered someone who can fill a depth need there and top off the 49ers’ secondary.
“No. 1 cornerback Charvarius Ward is locked in. No questions there. But the No. 2 boundary spot is still up for grabs after Emmanuel Moseley signed in NFL free agency with the Detroit Lions. Sure, the Niners can go with third-year pro Deommodore Lenoir, who took over for Moseley last year and played well enough. But a Super Bowl-gunning move would be to sign still-free-agent corner Marcus Peters,” Panacy wrote. “Peters, 30 years old, bounced back nicely enough from a serious injury suffered in 2021 and is probably looking for the right situation.”
While the 49ers may look appealing to Peters, it’s not guaranteed he’d be locked in as the No. 2 CB there given the emergence of Lenoir. Peters may still believe he’s young enough to man one of the starting CB spots as a longtime interception machine and pick six threat (32 career interceptions with six returned for touchdowns in his career per Pro Football Reference).
Yet, if the Oakland native Peters is adamant about playing for a contender or returning to his native Bay Area, then the 49ers could be that fit.
Could the Rams Re-Pursue Peters?
Meanwhile, is there any thought of Peters perhaps being brought back to the Rams?
The man who helped replace him in L.A., Jalen Ramsey, is off to the Miami Dolphins. Troy Hill remains a still unsigned free agent. The Rams only addressed the CB position through Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in the draft, taking him at No. 182 in the sixth round. But Hodges-Tomlinson could be getting his start at nickelback/slot cornerback.
With a still young and raw CB room featuring two second-year corners in Derion Kendrick and Decobie Durant, perhaps the Rams could become convinced to lure in one more veteran presence. In this case, Peters would be the best available option not just as a vet, but also through his familiarity with the organization.
But the next part becomes if Peters is willing to accept a lesser deal and, at this stage of his career, serve in a mentor-like role for the younger Rams defensive backs. He’d likely still be involved in a battle for playing time with Kendrick and Durant, who showed flashes of starter potential last season.
The former $42 million Ravens cornerback is still without an NFL employer. And now, he’s been called appealing for a contender or any CB-needy team.