The changing of the guard in Arizona hasn't put an end to the Cardinals' tinkering with playmaking cornerback Patrick Peterson on offense.
Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic observed that Peterson lined up on offense for a "handful" of plays on Sunday, including a pitch, swing pass and deep route.
Peterson caught three passes for 11 yards and rushed twice for 13 yards last season. With Tyrann Mathieu around to spell Peterson on punt returns this year, new Cardinals coach Bruce Arians might be inclined to add a few offensive packages for the cornerback.
More likely, though, this is an experiment that makes waves in July and August, only to be shelved during the regular season.
While Peterson's occasional presence on offense hardly was a surprise, more than a few eyebrows were raised when Carson Palmer ran the option in both individual and team drills.
We certainly could envision athletic backup Drew Stanton as a situational option quarterback similar to Tim Tebow or Colin Kaepernick early last season. Palmer in the option just has nightmare written all over it.
The idea is to induce defensive paralysis with a dual-threat quarterback. If the defense has no reason to respect the quarterback's rushing ability, it's an injury, negative play or turnover waiting to happen. Defensive coordinators would be licking their chops if they thought there was any chance of seeing Palmer running sideways for a pitch.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
