NFL Trade Rumors: Eagles reach out to Cardinals about Patrick Peterson

The Philadelphia Eagles have been “working on ways to land Patrick Peterson for weeks and reaching out to the Cardinals,” according to a report from NFL insider Jason La Canfora.

This news is especially relevant following the ESPN report from earlier today that Peterson is “desperately” requesting a trade prior to the league’s October 30 deadline.

It makes sense that the Eagles (and most teams) would want to acquire Peterson. The 28-year-old is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All Pro player.

Peterson carries a $6.47 million cap hit if acquired this week. Moving forward, he’s under contract at a reasonable cap figure for two more years beyond 2018 ($11.9 million in 2019 and $13.1 million in 2020). And by acquiring him in a trade, the guaranteed money would be on Arizona’s books. So the Eagles could easily move on if they needed to moving forward.

Philadelphia’s secondary has obviously struggled when it comes to allowing big plays this season. Starting cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby have certainly contributed to those issues. In an ideal world, the Eagles could just plug Peterson into the lineup and have an improved defense.

The feeling here is that it’s not likely to happen, though.

First of all, the Cardinals seem adamant that they’re not trading him. Arizona head coach Steve Wilks called it “out of the question.” It’s not like Peterson is a super old player (for NFL standards) on a one-year deal and the Cardinals need to get something for him now while they still can. I get that Peterson is trying to force his way out but that doesn’t mean the team has to give in to his wishes.

Then there’s the matter of compensation. The Eagles have an extra second-rounder in 2019 but I don’t know that Philadelphia is so eager to trade their picks for expensive talent. Howie Roseman knows the Eagles are going to be limited on cap space moving forward, especially with Carson Wentz’s mega-contract looming.

I don’t doubt the Eagles have checked in on Peterson. I’m sure Roseman has gauged the price. But it’s probably too high for what the Eagles will be willing to pay. If Amari Cooper is going for a first, what’s the cost for Peterson, who is a much more valuable player? Can’t be cheap.

UPDATE: Former NFL player Bryant McFadden, who is Peterson’s cousin, confirms the Eagles’ interest in the Cardinals cornerback.

McFadden also says Peterson prefers to play for the Saints. Peterson played his college ball at LSU.