Star cornerback Patrick Peterson getting a serious look at receiver for Arizona Cardinals

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

Patrick Peterson is one of the best athletes in the NFL, and the Arizona Cardinals apparently realize they shouldn't limit him to cornerback.

The Cardinals are apparently serious about giving Peterson a significant look at wide receiver this year.

It makes sense. The Cardinals could use some offensive punch, and Peterson might help. He returned four punt returns for touchdowns as a rookie two seasons ago. And the Cardinals believe Peterson has the talent to be a top receiver if he concentrated on it.

“If he wasn’t playing corner he’d probably be just as good of a receiver, H-back or Percy Harvin-type player,” Carson Palmer said, according to the team's website.

Coach Bruce Arians apparently said Peterson could be a top 5 wide receiver in the NFL if he wanted, something Peterson downplayed.

It's a pretty smart move by Arians to get creative and maximize the talent on his roster. Peterson is big, fast and quick, so he'd be dangerous as a wide receiver. He has played a little bit of offense already, with four career catches. The Cardinals wouldn't risk him not being effective at cornerback, so he wouldn't be on offense full time. Still, a regular role on offense for Peterson would be fun to track. Consider that he can do this with the ball in his hands:

It's reminiscent of Deion Sanders, who played fairly regularly at receiver during his career. Sanders actually caught 36 passes for 475 yards for the Cowboys in 1996, while being a first-team All-Pro at cornerback. This year, there might be another No. 21 starring on both sides of the ball.

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