Patrick Peterson's Versatility a Sign of League-Wide Trend or Aberration?

Patrick Peterson, the Arizona Cardinals cornerback, a star in the making, took a snap as the wildcat quarterback in the first quarter against the New England Patriots and ran it left for a nice 17-yard gain. 

It was the longest rush of the day for the Cardinals, a team that stunned Tom Brady and Co. at home, 20-18. 

Though it was the defender's only offensive touch, it begs the question: Was that run the dawn of a new trend in the NFL? A trend in which teams simply do whatever it takes to get their best athletes the ball in space?

In all fairness, the wrinkle was likely meant to throw off the Patriots defense and spark an Arizona offense that is far from dynamic, not necessarily start a new trend. 

But will it? 

It certainly could. 

For the offensively-anemic teams around the league like the Cardinals, moving defensive players or primary return men to the offensive side of the ball would actually make sense. 

Sure, running decisively and correctly cutting off blocks is a learned skill that sometimes takes running backs and wide receivers years to master in the NFL, but an athlete in space is an athlete in space. Right? 

Could it really hurt the Tennessee Titans to get Jason McCourty in space on a wildcat run or a quick screen? He couldn't be any worse than Chris Johnson has been to start the year. 

The Cardinals are actually in a position to be the true pioneers here. 

They are in desperate need of explosiveness on offense, and they have a truly explosive athlete in Peterson, who's a premier returner and YAC guy. 

For most teams, the speediest, most fleet-footed athletes are on offense and already receive the ball in space on occasion. 

Take the Buffalo Bills for example.

Running back C.J. Spiller's currently leading the league in yards from scrimmage and clearly flourishes in space. If they didn't have him, cornerback Leodis McKelvin would be a prime candidate for the wildcat formation. 

If Peterson gets more touches in the future and is productive, it may prompt other teams in need of an offensive spark to tinker with the idea of placing their most electric athlete, regardless of traditional position, in the wildcat formation or potentially as a bubble screen receiver. 

So, right now, Peterson's successful carry is an aberration, but it undoubtedly has potential to blossom into a trend in Arizona that may be adopted by other teams in the not-so-distant future. 

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