Last offseason, the Los Angeles Rams made a splash move to acquire Marcus Peters via trade. The confident cornerback was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Rams for a 2018 fourth-round pick and the Rams' second-round selection in 2019.
Many were surprised at the small return that the Chiefs received for Peters. But everyone was excited to see Peters play alongside Aqib Talib—who the Rams also traded for the last offseason.
It was a rollercoaster ride for the talented cornerback, to say the least. To begin the 2018 NFL season, Peters got things started fast by getting a pick-six in the Rams' first game of the season.
The defense was playing at an elite level in the first three weeks of the season. In the first three games, the Rams defense allowed a total of 36 points.
The secondary was a key reason for that with Talib and Peters on the field together. That was until Talib suffered an injury in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Talib's injury caused him to be out until Week 12—thrusting Peters into the starting cornerback spot. It was a rollercoaster ride for Peters the rest of the season.
Most notably, Peters struggled majorly when the Rams traveled to New Orleans to face the Saints in Week 9. The ball-hawking cornerback was tasked with covering Michael Thomas throughout the game.
Let's just say it didn't go as planned for the Rams young cornerback. Thomas ended the game with 12 receptions, 211, and a touchdown.
That touchdown catch was the dagger that prevented the Rams from having a chance to win the game. And who was covering Thomas on the play? You guessed it—Peters.
That game really caused Rams fans to pump the brakes on Peters the rest of the season. People began to question whether or not Peters could be serviceable without Talib on the field.
Fast forward to now and the Rams head coach, Sean McVay recently said the Rams “absolutely” want to sign Peters to a contract extension. Is that the right move though?
It's hard to question McVay, who has turned around the Rams franchise in the snap of a finger. Although, it's hard to trust signing Peters to an extension before getting a bigger sample size with him on the defense.
The Rams should wait to back the Brinks truck for Peters. Currently, Peters is under contract through 2019 and becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
Furthermore, Peters will make around $9 million in 2019 but would be making plenty more if he is extended. In addition, Peters will be the 13th highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in 2019.
Also, the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL—A.J. Bouye—is set to make $13 million in 2019. I imagine that Peters would garner nearly the same price if he hit the open market.
From the sample size we've gotten so far from Peters, it's hard to pay a hefty price tag for him. His play in 2018—for the most part—was dependent on Talib being on the field as well.
Nonetheless, Peters is still a very talented cornerback and would be worth an extension depending on the price. Peters had three interceptions and eight pass deflections in 2018 with the Rams—which is decent, but both were career-lows in his four-year career.
Los Angeles should be patient in printing out a contract for Peters until he proves he can be relied upon as the number one cornerback. Until then, Rams can also begin their talks in extending Jared Goff.
Follow Us
Subscribe