Panthers should try and sign Patrick Peterson on one condition
By Dean Jones
Would Patrick Peterson convert to safety?
One area where Patrick Peterson did seem to struggle in 2020 was against quicker receivers going down the field. Father time waits for no man and it did look like the former No. 5 overall selection out of LSU looked like he’d lost a step at times.
Moving back to safety would solve this in an instant.
It wouldn’t leave Peterson on an island and considering how much success he’s had on the outside during his career, it would provide an added bit of experience that could be put to good use in the middle of the field.
Peterson has a high football IQ, so the transition could be a smooth one. The player might feel like he still has something to offer at his preferred position of cornerback. But he needs to look at the bigger picture and be a little self-critical when it comes to evaluating his production this season.
The veteran might want to end up on a team that has a more realistic chance of competing for a Super Bowl before he rides off into the sunset. This doesn’t fit the mold of the Carolina Panthers currently and if they identify Peterson as a player of interest, it might be worth asking him just what his thoughts are about moving to safety before making a commitment.
Putting him at cornerback has more risk than reward at this stage of his career.
Peterson’s physicality and awareness are still of a high standard. So if the Panthers can convince him to make a transition to the backend, it would take some pressure off his shoulders and might be a masterstroke in the grand scheme of things.