Eight-time Pro Bowl CB lists Cowboys among favored teams before free agency
Eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson wants to play for a team that will contend for a Super Bowl ring, and his wish list includes the Cowboys.
Peterson, a free agent, likes the Cowboys roster because he believes he can mentor two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs.
“I love Tre Diggs,” the 12-year veteran said Monday on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “He can use some help and guidance to kind of help continue to flourish his career.”
If the Cowboys signed Peterson, Diggs and the Cowboys passing defense, which ranked eighth in yards allowed in 2022, could reach a new level.
The 32-year-old, a Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team member, remains productive. In 17 games last season, he had five interceptions, tied for fifth in the league, and deflected 15 passes, tied for sixth in the league. Per Pro Football Focus, Peterson posted a 79.7 coverage grade, eighth among CBs, and better than any CB on Dallas roster.
Aside from a mentor for Diggs, 24, the Cowboys need secondary depth. Anthony Brown, recovering from a torn left Achilles, is a free agent, while Jourdan Lewis enters the final year of his contract in 2023. Daron Bland showed promise, recording five interceptions in 17 games, but the 23-year-old lacks experience.
Per Spotrac, Peterson’s market value is relatively low, a one-year deal worth $6.4M. It also avoids devouring cap space. Per OverTheCap, the Cowboys are $14.8M under the cap, 18th in the league.
So Peterson should interest Dallas, and it must offer a deal quickly. The talented CB could have multiple suitors, including the Bengals, another team he likes and believes can win a championship.
