Marcus Peters could help the Arizona Cardinals weather the final five games
The disaster that the Arizona Cardinals have at the cornerback position could be helped with the addition of the three-time Pro Bowler.
By Jim Koch
Thankfully, there's only five matchups remaining in what has turned into a horrendous year for the Arizona Cardinals. All throughout the offseason, general manager Monti Ossenfort refused to shell out the cash for some quality free agents. The refusal to spend has resulted in a pathetic Cards squad that has limped to a 2-10 record through 12 weeks.
One area of the roster that has definitely been bungled by the Arizona front office is the cornerback spot. Whoever believed that the now-demoted Marco Wilson had what it takes to be a number-one corner was completely off his rocker. It's been so bad that, despite the club's many needs, a cover guy will almost certainly be the top priority when the offseason rolls around.
As for the final month of this dreadful season, some help for the humongous hole on defense is now available if the Cardinals are interested. Marcus Peters, a 30-year-old veteran, was cut by the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday. It may be too little, too late, but would Ossenfort entertain the idea of claiming Peters off of the waiver wire?
Marcus Peters would be an upgrade over what the Arizona Cardinals currently have at cornerback
Actually, the first-year GM should think long and hard about doing just that. The addition of an experienced defensive back like Peters could make the Cards secondary a bit more competitive during the last five games. This past Sunday, young cornerbacks such as Garrett Williams, Kei'Trel Clark, Starling Thomas V, and Divaad Wilson took their lumps during Arizona's humiliating 37-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
It's no secret that Peters is no longer the player who led the NFL in interceptions (8) as a rookie back in 2015. The Oakland native is also not the same individual who was a Pro Bowl-performer with both the Kansas City Chiefs and Rams. Nevertheless, Peters would immediately take over as the top cornerback for a struggling Redbirds defensive unit.
Peters' stint with the Raiders came to an end this past weekend when he was benched during the team's disheartening loss to the Chiefs. A badly missed tackle, followed by an exchange with Las Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce, landed the defensive back on the sideline. Not surprisingly, Peters was handed his walking papers just one day later.
In 12 starts for the Raiders this fall, Peters racked up 43 tackles, five passes defensed and the seventh pick-six of his pro career. Not great numbers by any means, but the Cardinals shouldn't even care. Peters would be an inexpensive addition that would make the squad a bit more watchable until this ugly Arizona campaign can finally come to an end.
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(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)