At present time things are somewhat interesting for the Dallas Cowboys at the cornerback position. We know that Trevon Diggsis group’s top option, but a new depth player has emerged throughout camp in veteran Maurice Canady.
Diggs, Canady seem to be the best players on the roster. There is still hope for other players further down the list. Kelvin Joseph, a second-round pick, seems to be coming into himself as does Nahshon Wright. Anthony Brown is another depth player. Jourdan Lewis is still a possibility.
In less than a month, the Cowboys will begin their regular season. Brown is expected to start in the corner opposite Trevon Diggs. Canady’s growth has led some to wonder whether or not the team should even try and deal Brown, but imagine if this group had yet another veteran option if they had been able to land him in the offseason.
The news that the Arizona Cardinals would be moving on from Patrick Peterson was first reported right after Super Bowl LV. He joined the Minnesota Vikings after we had discussed several times whether the Cowboys should pursue him.
The Athletic recently wrote about Peterson’s new football home. It also featured a story about his frustration with Cardinals brass. Peterson said that the Cowboys were one of the teams that “made a push for” him as a free agent.
After Peterson realized that the team he wanted to play for was not an option, he started looking at other options. The Cowboys and 49ers made pushes, he says. There were also conversations with the Eagles.
Peterson was attracted to Zimmer when he interviewed him before the draft in 2011. Zimmer was at the time the Bengals’ defensive coordinator. The Bengals selected wide receiver A.J. Green was taken by the Cardinals, while Peterson was selected by the Cardinals.
Zimmer thought the Vikings didn’t have a chance of signing Peterson. Peterson then asked his agent for help and called Zimmer. After they spoke, Peterson and Zimmer knew that they were a match.
Peterson should be able to turn his attention towards Mike Zimmer, who has been successful with cornerbacks at the end of their careers. What if it was just a conversation that got Patrick interested in Mike Zimmer? And what about the Cowboys’ “push”?
Stephen Jones frequently talks about the fact that roster construction in the National Football League is a 24/7/365 operation. It does seem like the team has been kicking the tires in this instance. It is difficult to imagine how Dallas could have made it through this one-year deal for Peterson with Minnesota for $8M.
Many Cowboys fans wanted Peterson to be pursued by the team as a possible option to move to safety (a switch that is often flipped for corners more in the tooth). Maybe that was the turning point for them, or maybe they didn’t get to that point in conversation.