One of the most surprising moves of the NFL offseason was the Kansas City Chiefs trading cornerback Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams.
Peters has been one of the league’s best since the Chiefs drafted him three years ago. He was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 and led the league with eight interceptions; he was first team All-Pro in 2016; and he led the league in interception return yardage in 2017, gaining 137 yards on five picks. Since entering the league, Peters’ 60.7 passer rating allowed is second-best to Jacksonville Jaguars CB A.J. Bouye.
Going into the 2018 season, Peters is slotted No. 79 on the NFL Network’s Top 100 player ranking, which is voted on by NFL players
Although Peters earned a reputation as a hothead and possible locker-room problem in college, he had been a hit in Kansas City save for an incident last season in which he was suspended one game for an unsportsmanlike penalty and for reportedly arguing with a coach regarding the penalty. So given his production on the field and value to the Chiefs’ defense, it wasn’t expected that the team would be looking to trade him.
The Rams added Peters to a defense that might be the league’s best on paper. He lines up at cornerback across from another All-Pro new addition, Aqib Talib, and they provide the pass coverage while superstar defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald create havoc in the offensive backfield.
Peters’ presence helps make the Rams a legit Super Bowl contender.