Vikings Territory: The Vikings ‘Best Move' Of The Offseason Through A National Lens

Press release from Vikings Territory:

2021-08-26

The Minnesota Vikings conducted a plethora of changes during the 2021 offseason, adding a few new coaches to Mike Zimmer’s staff while welcoming a litany of defensive free agents. The NFL draft was exciting as general manager Rick Spielman traded his 14th-overall pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Christian Darrisaw, Kellen Mond, and Wyatt Davis. The Jets used the 14th pick on USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.

From a national perspective, though, the Vikings best offseason move was one of their first ones in free agency – the acquisition of Patrick Peterson. That’s according to Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, who authored an analysis on every NFL team’s best offseason move this week.

Patrick Peterson fell out of the public eye over the last two seasons. Once considered the game’s best cornerback, the now-31-year-old defensive back didn’t make the Pro Bowl in 2019 or 2020 after doing so eight straight seasons to start his career. Finally testing free agency this spring, Peterson signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings. He immediately takes over as the Vikings’ top corner with the intent of showing he hasn’t lost a step. “I feel lighter, faster,” Peterson told NBC Sports’ Peter King. “You always hear that notion in this game that the older you get, the lighter you want to get. … I wanted to make the body as light as possible so I can get a little more agile, and come a little bit faster out of my breaks. “Peterson’s experience also helps the entire secondary. “Patrick’s had a great veteran’s impact on our guys,” head coach Mike Zimmer said, “and he’s got a little chip on his shoulder too.”

So, either 2020 was the beginning of the end for Peterson – or he will undergo a return to normalcy with a coach like Zimmer who squeezes every positive drop out of defensive backs. Since arriving Minnesota, Peterson jetted up the depth chart with last year’s rookies, Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney, trending down. Gladney won’t play for the Vikings in 2021 – and may not play anywhere ever again – because of an assault charge on his girlfriend in Texas. Dantzler isn’t associated with anything remotely like that, but the shine of his stock dimmed this summer based on consistency woes. Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, and Mackensie Alexander all passed Dantzler by on the depth chart, especially this August.

But the Peterson gridiron marriage with the Vikings is the most rousing. Often, players embark on second acts to careers, rekindling the glory years from their 20s to a reasonable facsimile in their 30s. That’s the plan for Peterson in Minnesota – and the Zimmer brand of Vikings feels like a marvelous place for it.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory .The views expressed here are the author’s own.