Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor might be in the best position to analyze the signing of Patrick Peterson. Taylor spent his entire 12-year career as a cornerback for the Steelers. He now does scouting for the team so he has his finger on the pulse of what they are looking for in a player and what they need. Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowl corner, spent the majority of his career with the Arizona Cardinals and the last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Now he is finally a Steeler, something Peterson says he has wanted his whole career.
Credit: Steelers.com
New Steelers CB Patrick Peterson speaks with the media
The Steelers Got A Ball Hawk In Patrick Peterson According To Ike Taylor
On the podcast, Bleav In Steelers, Taylor and his co-host analyst Mark Bergin talk about the Peterson signing. Taylor doesn't waste any time explaining how excited he is about the Peterson signing. He also shares that Peterson is, of course, the cousin of former Steelers cornerback and Taylor teammate, Bryant McFadden. He goes on to share how he remembers seeing Peterson when he was only in high school.
"I remember Patrick Peterson coming down to coach Tom Shaw (Shaw has coached college and combine prep for future NFL players for many years), at the time he was in high school and I'm like, 'BMac (McFadden's nickname), what college does this dude go to?' and he was like, 'nah bro he's just a senior in high school.' I was like this dude's body built like LeBron (James), you sure he's just a senior?"
Matt Freed, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Bryant McFadden celebrating the team's Super Bowl XL victory
Taylor says there is little doubt Peterson will bring some much-needed veteran leadership and talent to the Steelers secondary.
"Having a guy like Patrick Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowler, look who's now in his later years in the league, it's going to bring everything Joe Haden did to that secondary. It's going to be veteran leadership at the cornerback position and the guy just went to the Pro Bowl last year. Every time I think of Pat P I think of a shutdown corner who had a big frame."
Bergin concurred with Taylor.
"I think they'll use him exactly like how they did with Joe Haden, keep him on the left side - most quarterbacks are right-handed. He's coming off a season where he played mostly zone coverage with the Vikings, adept at reading right-handed quarterbacks tells and tendencies. Playing most zone coverage with the Vikings, he can play man as well. But he can pick up those tells and tendencies that lead to turnover creation - Patrick Peterson's had five interceptions in the 2022 season. That was the second-highest total of his career."
It is not just his ability to read quarterbacks that is a benefit to the team, Peterson is a truly gifted athlete and despite being a bit older than he was in Arizona, he is known for taking excellent care of his body.
"I think people forget that Patrick Peterson was an outstanding punt returner. So when you got a corner who can also return punts, they say the more you can do. He got a lot of tools in his toolbox," Taylor said.
Taylor also speaks about the veteran leadership Peterson brings to the team and how that is an added off-field benefit that can have an impact.
"He's a pros pro, you ain't got to worry about nobody getting in trouble, you ain't got to worry about nobody doing anything off the field that's bad. You put him in one secondary, you put him on any team and he's going to make it happen. I'm just so glad right now he's with the Pittsburgh Steelers because we definitely were looking for somebody and we wound up getting the guy we want if you listen to Pat P he said he always did want to play with Coach Tomlin."
Vikings.com
Pittsburgh Steelers signed CB Patrick Peterson
Peterson has worn the number seven since he played college at LSU, which showed that even then there was something special about him. However, wearing seven won't work in Pittsburgh so Peterson has decided on the number 20. Taylor talks about how meaningful that number seven is for a player at LSU,
"Once you put that seven on at LSU you are special, you are different. You got a God-given talent and that's Pat P. I just remember Pat P in high school. I was just seeing the way that dude move, how big he was, how agile he was. Then him doing what he did at LSU, I was like this dude he's the real deal."
Ok Steeler Nation, sound off below. What do you think about Bergin and Taylor's take on Peterson? What kind of impact do you think he will make on the Steelers' secondary? While Peterson might be a little older, he says he still has gas in the tank, what did you think of his performance in Minnesota in 2022? Do you think this makes up for letting Cam Sutton leave? Comment below.
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