The Minnesota Vikings added a big-time free agent on Wednesday with the signing of All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Last season, the Minnesota Vikings defense experienced some significant struggles and it led to them ranking near the bottom of the NFL in several categories.
No one was bothered more by this performance from the defense than Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. So this offseason, it’s been pretty clear that Zimmer has made sure to let the front office know that improving the team’s defense has to be the top priority.
Well, after adding Dalvin Tomlinson to their defensive line earlier this week, Minnesota turned their attention to finding someone who could help improve their secondary.
Patrick Peterson lands with the Minnesota Vikings
A big factor in the disappointing performance of the Vikings defense last season was the lack of experience their cornerbacks group had.
This should no longer be a problem as Minnesota was reportedly able to convince free-agent corner Patrick Peterson to sign a one-year contract with them on Wednesday according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Peterson immediately improves the Vikings secondary the second he walks into the team’s locker room. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler and a three-time First-Team All-Pro who knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
What Peterson can offer to Minnesota goes beyond anything he can do out on the field. He’s going to be such a valuable asset for the young Vikings secondary, especially for guys like Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney.
Peterson has seen his performance decline a bit recently, but he’s about to join a Minnesota team that has a head coach in Zimmer who has a history of getting the most out of the defensive backs on his roster. So a resurgent season in 2021 from the veteran corner wouldn’t be a surprise at all.
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The Vikings are on a clear mission this year to make sure their defense returns to being one of the best units in the NFL next season. Adding Peterson to their roster puts them on a path to meet that goal.