NFL trade rumors: Cardinals' Patrick Peterson requests trade | 4 reasons Eagles should make the move

One of the NFL's best cornerbacks wants to be traded.

Cardinals' All-Pro Patrick Peterson asked the Arizona Cardinals to trade him by the Oct. 30 trade deadline, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Cardinals are 1-5 and recently fired their offensive coordinator. Peterson is widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Per Schefter, Peterson feels the "situation" in Arizona is deteriorating and he's telling others that he "desperately" wants out. The Cardinals, per Schefter, "continue to insist" they're not trading Peterson, and he continues to request a trade anyway.

Cardinals continue to insist they're not trading him - and Peterson continues to request a trade. https://t.co/zioVWT865D
-- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2018

The Eagles will likely be scouring the trade market to improve their roster, and they should make a call to the Cardinals about the 28-year-old Peterson and make something happen.

Here are four reasons why.

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1. He's still a star: Peterson might be a Hall-of-Famer someday. He's that good, and even in Year 8, he remains the sort of shutdown cornerback the Eagles haven't had in a long time. He's been a Pro Bowler every season of his career, he's a three-time All-Pro selection. This season, he already has two interceptions. The 23 interceptions he has since his rookie year (2011) are the third-most in the NFL. In Pro Football Focus' grading system, Peterson has the sixth-best overall mark in the NFL.

2. Eagles need the secondary help: The Eagles are solid at cornerback with Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills, but with Sidney Jones injured the Eagles are lacking for depth at cornerback, especially with rookie Avonte Maddox moving to safety. Darby is also in the final year of his contract, while Peterson is under contract through 2020. To reduce the level of draft assets the Eagles would trade, perhaps including Darby in any deal would be the right way to go. Darby is only 24 and could re-sign with Arizona, becoming a part of their future.

3. The contract: Yes, Peterson will be paid quite a bit in the coming years. He has a $14.9 million cap hit this season -- which would be prorated depending on when he was acquired. That number drops to $11.8 million in 2019 and jumps back up to $13 million in 2020. Peterson is the sort of talent that's worth the investment, and he's not even 30 yet. Plus, if anyone knows how to renegotiate a deal to make it viable under the cap, its' Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman.

4. Compensation: The Eagles are projected to have 12 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, and that includes two second-round picks. Even if the Cardinals demanded a first-round pick, the Eagles could counter with two second-round picks and/or talent, including the likes of Darby or Mills. The Eagles have a lot of talent, but clearly not enough to run away with the NFC East. Peterson wouldn't fix all of the Eagles' problem, but the defense would immediately improve and become a force to be reckoned with.

Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZackBlatt. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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