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The competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite Darius Slay is very much up for grabs heading into the 2022 season. Steven Nelson remains unsigned after hitting free agency, but plenty of suitors have been lining up.
The Philadelphia Eagles don’t appear to be one of them, preferring to bring in new blood. They could draft a stud corner in the first round (see: Derek Stingley, Jr. or Trent McDuffie). Or go with an in-house option like Zech McPhearson, Kary Vincent, or Tay Gowan. The Eagles loaded up at the position in 2021 for this exact scenario.
“I know our numbers are where they are, but I just think that’s such a premium position that you want that depth,” head coach Nick Sirianni said last November. “You want options right there to be able to develop into it.”
Wait, there’s another door for Sirianni to open if he wants a veteran presence in the room. Patrick Peterson is sitting out there as a free agent looking for a scheme that matches his skillset. The 31-year-old isn’t ready to retire after 11 seasons and he recently described the Eagles as a “perfect fit.” He also mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings as favorite landing spots. He would bring a ton of legitimate experience.
Eagles stars Darius Slay and Haason Reddick wasted no time in making their pitches. They both heard Peterson’s comments about Philly being a “perfect fit” and pounced. Bring him here!
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Peterson Reflects on ‘Solid’ Season in Minnesota
Peterson left the Arizona Cardinals after 10 seasons to sign a one-year deal worth $10 million in Minnesota last offseason. No one expected the three-time All-Pro cornerback to turn back the clock with the Vikings.
He was brought into mentor Cameron Dantzler and shore up a young secondary – one with no player over the age of 23. Peterson thought he did that despite missing three games. He had one interception with five pass breakups.
“I feel like I had a good year in what I was able to sustain and not get much opportunities going my way,” Peterson told All Cardinals. “I got the one pick at the end of the year, had a little injury there, I missed three games. But I thought overall I played solid. I thought I had a very, very solid season. So now we just got to see what other teams think and we’ll go from there.”
Peterson was bashed by Pro Football Focus for a lousy 2021 season. The analytics-driven website gave him a 61.0 coverage grade and ranked him No. 56 among all qualifying cornerbacks. The eight-time Pro Bowler had pushed back on Pro Football Focus and their rankings earlier in the year. Sometimes the little things don’t show up in the box score.
Stephon Gilmore, Joe Haden Still Available
Other high-profile options on the free-agent market include Stephon Gilmore and Joe Haden. Those two players – eight Pro Bowls between them – should have plenty of offers on the table.
Gilmore was the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He recently told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports that “a lot of players” have been trying to recruit him. The Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are the front-runners to land Gilmore. Don’t count out the Eagles from getting in on those discussions, though.
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