Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is still regarded as one of the premier players at his position. However, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has an idea of how he can take his game to the next level.
Despite his reputation as a shutdown corner, he was relegated to zone coverages under Steve Wilks system last season. Joseph said during an appearance on CardsTV via team’s website that he plans on letting him return to his roots in man coverage.
“Pat doesn’t get much work,” Joseph said on CardsTV on the team’s website. “He gets bored doing that stuff. But I’m going to allow Pat to match with the best guy each week to keep his dauber up.”
Peterson will certainly be glad to hear about the change. There is no question that he is still one of the league's elite corners regardless of the coverage he is in. He proved as much last season after registering five passes defensed and two interceptions despite quarterbacks staying away from his area the majority of the time. However, the Cardinals can now take solace in the fact that they will be able to contain the opposing team's best receiver moving forward.
“After the game, we can say he had 15 targets, he caught three balls. Pat P., job well done,” Joseph said.
With Peterson's role already clearly defined, Joseph can now get started on filling the rest of the voids on their roster. He has already admitted that he would like to add a player to his side of the ball. At this point, the Cardinals will need all the help they can get in order to compete in the NFC West next season.
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