8 players who should be on the Vikings free agency wish list for 2021

Patrick Peterson – CB

• Age: 31
• 2020 Team: Arizona Cardinals

Minnesota’s cornerback group is full of youth with Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, and Mike Hughes all being under the age of 25. What the Vikings really need in their defensive backfield is some experience and leadership.

At 31-years-old, Patrick Peterson can provide both of those. Peterson is not the All-Pro that he used to be, but he still has plenty to offer both on and off of the field. Just think of him assuming the role that Terence Newman had during his recent tenure with Minnesota.

Ryan Fitzpatrick – QB

• Age: 38
• 2020 Team: Miami Dolphins

This whole not having a capable backup quarterback thing needs to stop for the Vikings. Minnesota has been extremely lucky during the last two seasons that Kirk Cousins didn’t get hurt bad enough that it resulted in him missing some games.

If Cousins did have to miss time, the Vikings would’ve had to rely on Sean Mannion to lead them from under center. It’s hard not to scream in pain even when one just thinks about that possibility.

So instead of bringing back Mannion or signing some other terrible quarterback who won’t pose as a threat to Cousins, how about Minnesota adds someone to be their backup signal-caller who has actually thrown a touchdown in his career?

Ryan Fitzpatrick would be a perfect choice to be the Vikings’ new No. 2 quarterback. Fitzpatrick could offer his knowledge from being in the NFL for more than 15 years to Cousins and Minnesota’s stress level could slightly decrease due to them knowing they would have a backup who is actually capable of winning a few games if needed.