Cutting Corners and the Reality of the Arizona Cardinals

It’s been a somewhat eventful offseason for the Arizona Cardinal cornerback room.

Following a 2020 season in which the large majority of the position group underachieved, it was evident wholesale changes were needed in order to improve a talented but inconsistent Cardinal defense.

So when the Arizona front office opted to let defensive staple Patrick Peterson walk at the start of free agency, the large majority of the fan base seemingly understood the decision.

Peterson, an eventual Cardinal Ring of Honor inductee, had experienced a rapid decline in play over the past half decade. 

What was once perhaps the best pure cover man in all of pro football had quickly become just another guy at the position. Peterson himself wasn’t a complete liability in coverage but lacked the elite athleticism that once aided him in racking up eight straight Pro Bowls (2011-2018).

It also didn’t help that Peterson had previously demanded a trade while the team was in the midst of their worst season (2018) in nearly two decades. 

Needless to say, the request didn’t sit well amongst Cardinal execs and fans alike.

Fast-forward six months and the former LSU great would again find himself under fire as he was hit with a six game PED suspension to begin the 2019 season.

Peterson’s reputation as a supreme cornerback talent had fallen so far from grace that he began 2021 free agency campaigning for a mere one year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Given all of this, no matter how this year unfolds, the decision to move off of the now 31-year-old Peterson was probably for the best.

Patrick Peterson is an all time Cardinal great and legend. Ring of Honor lock who should garner Hall of Fame consideration.

Changing of the guard for the Arizona Cardinal secondary.#azcardinals

— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) March 18, 2021

Especially when you consider, just two years ago, the organization invested the 33rd overall pick on cornerback Byron Murphy. Murphy, who is entering a pivotal season with the club, recently transformed his body in an attempt to transition from slot defender to outside corner.

It should be noted that Murphy is the lone top 50 investment at the cornerback position since Peterson himself was drafted fifth overall by the club back in 2011.

So with Peterson officially gone and Murphy primed for a breakout season, who else would make up the revamped Cardinal secondary?

First up would be the release/restructure of the polarizing Robert Alford.  The former Falcon had previously signed a three-year deal back in 2019 that many described as bloated but subsequently suffered back-to-back season ending injuries during training camp.

He’ll play all of 2021 on what equates to a vet minimum contract.

Next was what many considered the most notable addition at the position, with GM Steve Keim opting to essentially replace Peterson with fellow 31-year-old veteran Malcolm Butler. 

The former Tennessee Titan and his aggressive style of play were thought of as an overall better scheme fit for Vance Joseph especially when compared to Peterson’s increasingly “finesse” approach to the position.

Butler would sign what we assumed at the time was a “risk free” one year deal.

Turning their attention to this year’s NFL Draft, and it’s no secret the team was infatuated with top cornerback prospects Patrick Surtain and Jaycee Horn.

However, as draft weekend inched closer, it became more and more apparent neither player would reach the redbirds at pick 16. 

Sure enough, both SEC standouts were plucked inside the top 10 leaving no realistic option at the position for the Cardinals in round one.

Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr. was also thought to be someone of interest by the organization, yet he went a mere two picks before Arizona’s second round selection (49).

It wasn’t until day three that Arizona netted their first DB. That’s when Steve Keim began to work the phones in an attempt to secure former Florida standout Marco Wilson. Wilson, a talented but sometimes undisciplined prospect, would come to the desert in exchange for a 5th round pick along with a future 4th.

Throw in sixth round selection Tay Gowan out of University of Central Florida and the 2021 cornerback room was finally starting to take shape.

Or so we all thought.

Even with question marks surrounding the position group, the Cardinals remained staunchly committed to their acquisitions. This despite their name continually being linked with the likes of All Pros Stephon Gilmore and Xavien Howard.

Yet after a promising training camp for a large majority of the players listed above, the team suffered their first real defeat of the year.

On August 29th, it was reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that Malcolm Butler was strongly considering retirement while dealing with an undisclosed personal situation.

Sure enough, a mere 24 hours later, Arizona’s prized free agent addition had not only retired but had also removed all Cardinal themed posts from his social media.

This came just days after the team was forced to place summer standout Darqueze Dennard on injured reserve. Dennard was previously added into the CB mix and had a fine showing in camp that was highlighted by pulling off a pick-six off Kyler Murray during the team’s “Red and White” practice.

Alas, with Julio Jones and A.J. Brown on the horizon come September 12th, the Cardinals have made their bed at the position and are forced to adjust accordingly.

The problem of course being there are no real options for a club looking for significant help with the season less than a week away. Perhaps Keim and company can swing a mid-season trade (ala Markus Golden, Kenyan Drake) when a number of clubs find themselves out of the playoff mix.

But for week one, it’s ride or die with the likes of Alford, Murphy and Wilson.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, they aren’t too hard to find. Murphy has looked exceptional at times during the preseason and showed out on a national stage in the team’s exhibition game against Kansas City.

Robert Alford (KNOCKS ON THE BIGGEST PIECE OF WOOD IMAGINABLE) has put together his third consecutive quality showing in training camp and is actually healthy to begin the season.

Meanwhile, Marco Wilson might be the biggest surprise on the entire Cardinal roster. Even with the presence of Butler, Wilson was increasingly pushing for playing time with the first team defense. His athleticism in camp has been apparent from day one and should only get better with more snaps.

Marco Wilson is gonna play a lot this year for the Cardinals.

— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) August 6, 2021

Lastly, and I may be reaching here, perhaps Malcolm Butler will opt to return at some point this year. 

In a perfect scenario, when looking ahead, you’d love to have both Murphy and Wilson take hold of those starting outside cornerback gigs and never look back.

While that may be an option, the sad reality of the present is that Marco Wilson will undoubtedly have rookie growing pains that are likely to begin against perhaps the best receiving duo in football.

Even with all of this, the Cardinals and DC Vance Joseph are banking on having one of (if not the best) pass rush in all of football. Their continued investments along the front seven (J.J. Watt, Markus Golden, Zaven Collins) support that, while the neglect of the cornerback position will likely serve as a quality case study down the line.

Which is why, as the Red Sea continues to stress over an increasingly vulnerable secondary, Keim and company remain confident in an age-old football adage.

Pressure always wins.