Philadelphia Eagles: If Patrick Peterson wants to be an Eagle, why not?

In 2021, the Philadelphia Eagles got good production out of Steven Nelson, a journeyman cornerback who signed a one-year contract worth $3.01 million.

While Nelson’s game didn’t perfectly mesh with Jonathan Gannon’s scheme, as he liked to play off the ball a bit more than his cross-field counterpart, Darius Slay, when you consider he didn’t sign with the Birds until July 28th, well after the summer activities went underway, it’s hard to argue with the decision to sign a player who was on the field for virtually every snap he was eligible for.

Targeted 72 times over the 16 games he appeared in, Nelson allowed 48 catches for 577 yards and five touchdowns while missing two tackles and picking off a single pass. Compared to Slay and Avonte Maddox, those numbers aren’t great, as the duo played at a Pro Bowl level, but when compared to throwing Zech McPhearson out there as a full-time rookie starter, Nelson’s numbers were far from the Eagles’ biggest issues.

Could Nelson come back in 2022? Sure, he’s yet to sign a new contract and would probably accept a similar deal if nothing comes down the wire over the next few weeks, but considering the sheer volume of quality corners still on the market, why not see if there’s a more schematically compatible performer on the market? Maybe even one who explicitly wants to play for the Philadelphia Eagles? Gosh, wouldn’t that be nice?

The Philadelphia Eagles could finally land Patrick Peterson.

If it wasn’t for the 2011 NFL lockout, Patrick Peterson, not Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, would have been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

According to Joe Banner, who was a member of the front office at the time, the Eagles had an offer in place with the Arizona Cardinals to ship Kevin Kolb to the desert for the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft – which would have been used on Patrick Peterson – and a 2022 second-round pick, but because the league prevented teams from trading 2011 picks during the lockout, an alternative deal had to be made that didn’t quite turn out in Philly’s favor.

Goodness, could you even imagine getting a decade of Pat Pet in midnight green? I mean, we’re talking about a player who was named an All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and remained in that conversation through 2018, eight years later. Gone would have been the need to sign Nnamdi Asoumaugi, the need to sign Byron Maxwell and the entire Cary Williams/Bradley Fletcher era.

Fortunately, Patrick Peterson is a free agent this spring and could be signed by any team that wants him. Unfortunately, the Patrick Peterson of 2022 isn’t the same Patrick Peterson as 2012.

Since 2019, Peterson’s game has taken a step back, with his athleticism now downgraded from generational to just very good. Mind you, he’s still a solid performer and was one of the Vikings’ best cornerbacks during his first season with the team in 2021, but Minnesota’s defense didn’t completely fall apart when he landed on IR in the middle of the season, and the new head coach/defensive coordinator tandem of Kevin O’Connell and Ed Donatell appear disinterested in bringing him back for a second season in 2022.

With his stock down and his reputation dashed, it’s no wonder Peterson tabbed Philly as a potential landing spot when asked about his future on NFL Total Access. If Minnesota doesn’t want him back, Dallas had some young guys who could start opposite Trevon Diggs, and the Bucs just brought back Carlton Davis; why not show some interest in finally playing for the Eagles? I mean, Peterson’s game isn’t too dissimilar from Darius Slay, and like Mr. “Big Play,” earning an opportunity to play across from his fellow former Pro Bowler could theoretically be an enjoyable experience, even if it would come on a year-to-year basis.

Even if Peterson is only 80 percent of the player he was in his prime, that’s certainly better than 90 percent of the offerings the team has left, especially if premier performers like Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner are off the board.

If the Philadelphia Eagles wanted to solve their cornerback issues once and for all, they could have gone out and outbid the Los Angeles Chargers’ five-year, $82.5 million offer for the premier cornerback on the market, J.C. Jackson. They didn’t. They also could have signed a player like former Los Angeles Chargers DB Desmond King, who agreed to a much smaller two-year deal worth $7.5 million. They didn’t do that either. No, the Eagles sit now, on March 20th, 2022, with Zech McPhearson opposite Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox on their depth chart, with no clear upgrade on the books. If Patrick Peterson wants to be in Philadelphia, why not sign him up and move into the draft without a massive need on the books, at least in the short term?