The addition of Patrick Peterson to the roster should help the Minnesota Vikings find their way back into the playoffs next season.
Following the conclusion of the 2020 season, we compiled a wish list of top-tier free agents for the Minnesota Vikings to pursue. It featured a total of eight players, including All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Now remember, this was a wish list. Meaning it would be amazing if the Vikings were actually able to sign any of these players, but the chances of this happening was extremely low.
Well, on Wednesday, it happened. Minnesota and Peterson agreed to a one-year deal that will have the former Arizona Cardinals corner suiting up in purple and gold next season.
After 10 years with the Cardinals, the veteran defensive back will join a Vikings secondary that includes All-Pro safety Harrison Smith and a dynamic young corner duo in Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney.
Minnesota’s defense allowed the third-most yards per pass attempt last season. It seems safe to assume the unit’s performance against the pass should experience a major improvement in 2021 with Peterson on the field.
Last season, the Vikings failed to make the playoffs for the second time in the last three years. With the recent signing of Peterson, there are multiple reasons to believe the veteran corner can help Minnesota earn a spot in the 2021 postseason.
He’s got plenty of juice left in the tank
Since the news broke of the Vikings signing Patrick Peterson, not all of the reactions have been full of excitement. Some think Minnesota just overpaid for a 30-year-old cornerback who is past his prime and isn’t that much better than some of the guys they already have on their roster.
While Peterson hasn’t been a First-Team All-Pro since 2015, he still has the talent to perform like one of the top corners in the NFL, especially with Mike Zimmer now being his head coach.
Last year, he finished with 61 tackles to go with three interceptions and eight pass breakups. However, opposing quarterbacks were able to complete 67.1 percent of their passes to guys Peterson was covering while also posting a 98.2 passer rating on these throws.
Obviously, these aren’t amazing numbers, but Zimmer’s presence should help eliminate the worries that this production might cause some Vikings fans. At the very least, Peterson likely won’t be asked to do as much in Minnesota as he was for the Cardinals last season.
Arizona’s defense ran the most man-to-man coverage in the NFL in 2020, and now, the veteran corner gets to play in a Vikings defense that utilizes zone concepts more often than his former team.
Sometimes, a change of scenery can do wonders for a corner that most believe is close to being finished. Just look at how Xavier Rhodes was able to bounce back with the Indianapolis Colts last season or when Terence Newman was able to get his career back on track when he joined the Cincinnati Bengals defense (coached by Zimmer) in 2012.
Peterson is someone Zimmer has admired from afar for a while, so this isn’t just Minnesota signing the corner because of his past success. The Vikings head coach believes Peterson can help his defense improve next season, and when it comes to corners, Zimmer is usually right.
His leadership will help Minnesota’s young secondary take great strides
Patrick Peterson has been a starter in the NFL since the very first time he stepped on the field for the Cardinals back in 2011. Peterson has appeared in all 16 regular-season games in nine of his 10 years in the league, so he’s faced a ton of different quarterbacks and offenses.
Vikings corners Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney appear to have a bright future in the NFL if they continue to take the necessary steps to improve. The addition of Peterson to Minnesota’s roster should help the progression of this young cornerback duo remain on the right path.
While Dantzler and Gladney can help Peterson adjust to the Vikings’ defensive scheme, the veteran corner can help the younger guys with things like the tendencies of opposing quarterbacks and what tactics to use when covering specific receivers.
There were several times last season when Minnesota’s defense, especially the secondary, just looked lost out on the field. Inexperience played a big part in this being the case, and even though he will be adjusting to some new defensive concepts, Peterson should still be able to help make sure guys are in the right spots out on the field.
There’s a chance that this could just be a one-and-done year for Peterson in the Twin Cities. But what he is able to teach Dantzler and Gladney next season could go on to help them succeed for the rest of their careers.
He’s still chasing a ring
The goal for the majority of the players in the NFL is to capture the ultimate prize of winning a Super Bowl. Despite being one of the most successful franchises in league history, this is still something that the Vikings have not been able to accomplish.
Patrick Peterson can relate though. Peterson is someone who has experienced a ton of success in his NFL career, but he’s never been lucky enough to celebrate a Super Bowl victory in a sea of confetti. In fact, he’s never even played in a Super Bowl.
Peterson has appeared in a total of just three playoff games since he entered the league in 2011, with the last coming in the 2015 season when the Cardinals fell to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship.
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With his football career inching closer to the end, the veteran corner should be more motivated than ever to win a Super Bowl next season. Peterson knows his opportunities to win a championship are vanishing, so he’s likely going to do everything he can to make sure Minnesota earns a spot in the 2021 postseason.