The Cardinals have claimed Alfonzo Dennard off waivers from the Patriots, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The cornerback was let go by New England on Tuesday.
Dennard, 25, was limited to just six games in 2014, having been plagued by shoulder and hamstring issues. He also saw his role reduced with the arrivals of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, and played in just 241 regular season snaps before landing on injured reserve. While the sample size was small, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also graded him as the Pats’ least effective coverage corner — he allowed QBs to complete 68.2% of their passes and accumulate a 111.2 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
Due to an escalator in his rookie contract, Dennard had been set to earn a base salary of $1.542MM this season after making the minimum for his first three years, so his release doesn’t come as a total surprise. Given his age and experience, it wasn’t a surprise to see a team scoop him up quickly either. The Cards have now added to their depth in the secondary while the Pats have totally overhauled the cornerback position with Dennard, Revis, and Browner playing elsewhere.