Best available free agents that fit the Las Vegas Raiders needs
. Cornerback. Arizona Cardinals. Patrick Peterson. 4. player. 32
Head coach Jon Gruden has expressed a desire for a veteran presence in the defensive backfield and there is one of the best players over the last decade available in Patrick Peterson. Peterson was in the final year of a 5 year, $70 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals and they chose to let him walk in their attempt to get younger on defense.
The former first-round pick has been a dominant force in the Arizona secondary for 10 years and his trophy case is overflowing with individual awards. Peterson has been named to the Pro Bowl 8 times, has been a First-Team All-Pro three times, and is a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
Perhaps even more impressive is his incredible durability during that span as he has missed just 6 games in his career, all of which came in the 2019 season when he was suspended for PEDs. Peterson has not missed a single game in 10 years due to injury and that makes him all the more attractive as a potential free agent for the Raiders.
The Raiders have two young corners in Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette who they believe have tons of potential but they need a strong mentor and that’s where Peterson can come in. Perhaps the Raiders can deploy him at free safety and his incredible ball skills, as evidenced by 28 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries in his career, can help turn around a defense that struggled to force turnovers in 2020.