The Pittsburgh Steelers balked at the value CB Cameron Sutton found on the open market a year ago and turned around and signed CB Patrick Peterson. The latter, a future Hall of Famer, signed for a good deal less, but many question if he sees the second of that two-year, $14 million deal.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic believes so. “I’d put it at a conservative 100 percent chance he returns”, he wrote in a recent mailbag article. “Position flexibility, experience and leadership can cost money. They might have plans to move him to safety, which would be interesting”.
I’m not sure about their plans to move him to safety, but they certainly value his flexibility. Peterson played outside, in the slot, at safety, and in the box last season, in considerable measure. Personally, I believe he profiles best in the slot in this phase of his career. I trust him more as a tackler in the box than as the last line of defense at safety. He won’t be as tasked in terms of long speed in the slot as he would outside, either.
The fact that the Steelers can move Peterson wherever they need him, however, can’t be ignored. How much value do you place on a player who can start anywhere in the secondary in a pinch? Granted, you can’t expect Peterson to perform to an equally high standard across the board.
The big question is value, on the other hand. Is that versatility, leadership, and general level of play worth $6,850,000 million to you? He has $3,850,000 remaining in base salary with an additional $3,000,000 as a roster bonus.
Recently, Peterson confirmed once again that he intends to play in 2024, but questioned whether the Steelers intend the same. “You know I [want to play]”, he said on his podcast. “The question is if the Steelers want me to finish with them”.
And Peterson means it when he says that he wants to play. He fully embraced the team’s plans to expand his portfolio, but he’s returning to play. “Wherever I can be to help the team, I’m all for it”, he said in the same interview, before adding with a laugh, “except for the bench”.
One thing helping Peterson’s cause right now is the Steelers’ lack of depth. They currently have Levi Wallace, James Pierre, and Chandon Sullivan due to hit free agency. Joey Porter Jr. is their only clear answer at cornerback this offseason. Cory Trice Jr. tore his ACL in his rookie training camp and Darius Rush spent most of the year inactive.
Even if you turn to safety, you have Minkah Fitzpatrick and them some uncertainty. Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal are under contract, but could the Steelers cut one or more of them? Neal is also coming off an injury, the severity of which we don’t even same to know. They didn’t even bring back Eric Rowe, as of yet, who finished the season starting next to Peterson at safety.
Add all that up and I find myself inclined to agree with Kaboly on this as we sit here today. There are plenty of other directions the Steelers can go, but will they? What I would do is immaterial.
