NFL Cornerback Battle: Nnamdi Asomugha or Patrick Peterson

First off, let us assume that the Cardinals really did pick the highly touted Patrick Peterson for themselves and not with the intent on trading him for Kevin Kolb, as this is against league rules if there was a backdoor handshake.  Patrick Peterson was one of the highest rated cornerbacks in years to come out in the draft and he is a cornerback that is built like a safety.  Peterson will be 21 when the league year starts.

On the other hand, Nnamdi Asomugha is the veteran that has all the achievements someone at his position can want.  Top contracts, multiple pro-bowls, and shutdown cornerback status.  Asomugha shutdown so many players last year combined, despite missing a few games due to injuries, he did not even meet his minimal contract requirements of stats at the cornerback position.  Asomugha will be 30 when the league year starts.

So here are the factors to consider—salary, upside, age, and compensation.

Salary: Nnamdi Asomugha will command the highest free agent contract this offseason.  The franchise tag for a cornerback is roughly 10 million dollars under the old CBA.  Now this is a bit of guess work, but as one of the top two cornerbacks in the NFL, Asomugha will likely get a contract at about 15 million a year.

Patrick Peterson was the 5th overall pick this year in the draft.  The 5th overall pick last year, Eric Berry, signed a contract for five years at 60 million dollars.  That averages to 12 million dollars a year.  Now this is under the assumption that there is no rookie salary scale, which there may very well be, but for discussion purposes we will assume we are under the prior CBA's rules.

Upside: Simple. Asomugha has hit his ceiling.  His ceiling is perennial pro-bowler, that will lock down one receiver for the whole game.

I believe Peterson will be a top cornerback in this league for years to come.  The only problem with that is as athletic, intelligent, and hardworking as he may be, he has yet to perform at a level comparable to that of Asomugha or Revis, thus I cannot crown him as one of the best yet.  Besides, it's unreasonable to expect a player in his first year or two to be the top of his position when a lockout prevents training camp.

Age: This is a negative in the eyes of some for Asomugha, but we have evidence of cornerbacks being successful and playing at a high level way beyond that horrifying age of 30.  Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson are examples of this.  There is a risk here, but many would also say the Eagles have a limited window of a few years while Vick is still in his prime anyways.

Peterson is young, fit, and athletic.  We do not know how he will respond to the beating of an NFL season, but he still has a much longer career ahead of him then Nnamdi and will likely receive multiple contracts after his lucrative rookie contract expires.

Compensation:  Here's the wild card.  You know what the Eagles have to give up for Asomugha? Money. That's it.  We can still trade Kevin Kolb to another team for slightly less and build a strong future with future draft picks.

Patrick Peterson will likely cost the Eagles Kevin Kolb and then some as many agreed Kolb was not worth a top 5 pick.  I do not want to start that discussion because there's conflicting talk on both sides, but even if a player for player trade is struck, we still lose Kevin Kolb and only get a cornerback in return.  If anyone is debating his value this year, I am sure more people would agree Kolb is definitely worth a future first rounder as he was rumored as a mid first rounder this year.

Summary: Asomugha is likely to be a little more expensive and he is much older.  He also is one of the best cornerbacks in the league already and will likely continue for a few more years. By attaining his services, we can still trade Kolb for future picks.

Patrick Peterson will be slightly cheaper and he is much younger, but keep in mind future contracts will have to be signed if he plays at a high level continuing into his career.  He will hopefully reach his potential, but he is less likely to make an instant impact and it will not only cost us money but it will cost us Kevin Kolb as well.

My vote: Bring in Asomugha over Peterson hands down!