In order to add depth at cornerback, should the Colts sign former Vegas Raider Marcus Peters?In order to add depth at cornerback, should the Colts sign former Vegas Raider Marcus Peters?
Outside cornerback injuries and struggles have plagued the Colts in the past, and Marcus Peters could provide veteran depth, ball skills, and established starting experience.
Despite some early-season struggles at the position, outside cornerback play has recently improved for the Indianapolis Colts—even though there are still some growing pains at the position:
That being said, the Colts could be one injury away from experiencing another potential disaster in their secondary (for a position in the league where injuries are common) as starting rookie cornerback Julius Brents is expected to miss his fifth straight week due to a bothersome quad.
Despite a very difficult start to the season, D.J. Baker’s coverage for the Colts has improved significantly in recent weeks. Rookie late-round draft pick Jaylon Jones has been a revelation at the position. But in the interim, Tony Brown, a vital member of the special team, would presumably be “the next man up” on the depth chart. The Colts might not want to repeat their Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints after Brown had such a difficult game.
Marcus Peters, a former cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders, is a proven veteran depth option for the Colts who might be looking to join a playoff contender for the last stretch of the season.
The 6’0,” 197-pound cornerback was originally chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, when Colts general manager Chris Ballard was still employed by them in front office. He has since played for the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and most recently, the Las Vegas Raiders.
November 25, 1993 is the date. were at Texas Stadium for the Thanksgiving Day game between the Miami Dolphins, who were visiting from their hometown, and the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas leads the game by one point, but in the closing seconds, Miami is setting up for a field goal. Against the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Dolphins could make a statement with a powerful kick. There are a lot of things to consider before we see what happens next. We must rewind in order to do that.
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Despite being thirty years old and probably not being the same player he once was, the three-time NFL All-Pro cornerback can still be valuable to a team as a seasoned starter with 115 career starts.
Although Peters has played 91% of the defensive snaps for the Raiders this season, new head coach Antonio Pierce benched him in Week 12 for what was likely a lack of effort before letting him go. Perhaps more importantly, it was a cost-cutting move that spared the Raiders the $1.5 million in incentives the seasoned cornerback would have otherwise been due.
The recent effort issues are concerning, especially in light of his readiness to give up his body for run support—a must for any Colts cornerback. Having said that, would Peters be more attuned to Indy in light of a potential AFC playoff push towards the end of the season?
With the Raiders over his 12 starts this season, Peters earned a +68.8 overall grade (plus a +71.3 coverage grade) according to PFF (subscription). He added an interception, five passes defensed, and 43 tackles—28 of which were solo.
Even if it comes with a little more “big personality,” Peters has always demonstrated excellent ball skills (having returned an interception for a touchdown with the Raiders) and could provide some veteran depth to the Colts cornerback group.
