Following a sold-out Red & White Practice that approximately 18,000 fans attended, the Arizona Cardinals have a deficiency at two key defensive positions.
While there is plenty to be excited about, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, two of the team’s biggest positional question marks from the beginning of the offseason have been left unanswered. Those, of course, are the edge rusher and cornerback spots. With the home opener against the Chiefs just over a month away, time is running short.
The Cardinals opted not to make a big-ticket free agent or trade acquisition following the loss of Pro Bowl pass rusher Chandler Jones to the Raiders. Instead, they opted to draft two third-round rookies at the position in Myjai Sanders and Cameron Thomas.
While the two have made promising strides and figure to have bright futures, the Cardinals would benefit greatly from having a veteran presence similar to that of Jones, particularly in the tough NFC West.
Veterans Markus Golden has a toe injury and Devon Kennard left Saturday’s practice early. It is a reminder of how thin the position is for the Cardinals.
Similarly, the team has yet to address the outside cornerback position. With last year’s CB1 Byron Murphy set to play in the slot this year, the outside position is questionable.
Cornerback Marco Wilson is a player the team desperately needs to take another step forward. He would be a returning starter from last year but the Cardinals don’t have much else at the position. They recently added former Packers cornerback Josh Jackson, who has flashed, but haven’t done anything else.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has even stated that the team likes and will be in the market for a free agent cornerback. It doesn’t get much more obvious of a need than when it is publicly called for by the head coach.
There are ways to fill these position gaps before the regular season beyond a plug-and-play band-aid. The likes of Chicago’s Pro Bowler Robert Quinn could be available for trade. Veteran corners like Joe Haden and Robert Alford would be immediate starters for this team.
The Cardinals have made a commitment to winning following the lucrative extension for Kyler Murray. Adding veterans at the edge rusher and cornerback positions would do wonders for a team that figures to have an electric offense.
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