The Cardinals have already signed a former Bengals cornerback, agreeing to terms with B.W. Webb. They are now going back to Vance Joseph‘s days in Cincinnati to explore another addition to their secondary.
Longtime Bengals corner Dre Kirkpatrick is visiting the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bengals drafted Kirkpatrick in the first round in 2012, and his eight-year Ohio stay overlapped with Joseph’s two-year stint (2014-15) as Bengals secondary coach.
Arizona again lost Robert Alford for the season, again leaving the team shorthanded opposite Patrick Peterson. Although the Cards feature 2019 second-rounder Byron Murphy, they have added Webb and ex-Saints starter Ken Crawley this week. Kirkpatrick would continue the veteran-heavy approach the team is now taking at this position.
Interestingly, Kirkpatrick’s free agency rumors have centered around his former coaches. Both the Vikings and Raiders, whose defenses are respectively run by ex-Bengals DCs Mike Zimmer and Paul Guenther, showed interest earlier this year. But each team moved in another direction. Kirkpatrick moved into a full-time starting role under Joseph in 2015, helping the Bengals to their best season in decades.
A knee injury ended up ending Kirkpatrick’s Bengals run. He played just six games last season and became a cap casualty this year. But the former Alabama standout, now 30, brings 67 starts’ worth of experience.
Freakin sign him!!!
Not a distinguished talent by any means, but could serve as a veteran holdover in an inexperienced and inconsistent secondary
Kirkpatrick has been decidedly solid. Nothing terrible, nothing spectacular, and never an issue off the field. I will say that he has given a solid return to the Bengals for a first round pick. Eight years and 67 starts is more than most players can boast.
67 out of 128 for a first rounder?
Starts. He played in 99 games overall. Many first rounders don’t even get that, or to their second contract. They obviously do better than players from later rounds, but yeah, it’s notable how many draftees don’t even finish their rookie deals. I think that if you told a GM that he’d get eight years out of a player he picks in the first, he’d be happy.
And certainly a better player than Rob Alford, as well. Though he is strictly a zone corner.