Robert Alford‘s second consecutive season-ending injury will move the Cardinals to add a replacement. They are expected to sign Ken Crawley, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Raiders released Crawley on Tuesday, but the torn pectoral muscle Alford suffered will open the door for the ex-Saint starter. While Crawley did not see as much time in 2019, when he played with the Saints and Dolphins, the veteran cornerback started 23 games with New Orleans from 2016-18.
Crawley, 27, was a full-time starter on the 2017 Saints squad that returned to the playoffs. He registered 54 tackles and 17 passes defensed that season. While the Saints tendered Crawley as an RFA in 2019, they waived him during the season. The Dolphins claimed him and used him as a starter in two games.
Arizona may again have a void opposite Patrick Peterson, which has been the case for most of the Pro Bowl corner’s career. The Cards drafted Byron Murphy in Round 2 last year, but he is coming off a shaky rookie season. They are thin beyond those two. More experienced than all Cardinal corners save for Peterson, Crawley stands to enter the mix for a roster spot with Arizona.
Crawley better go crawl
Crawley’s 2017 season appears to have been an aberration. The Cardinals will never find a competent corner opposite Peterson