Now that the Cardinals offseason work has concluded, the players are out of the facility. Many have stated that these next few weeks aren’t time off from football, but time away from the facility, hoping players remain locked in and prepared to report to Glendale for training camp on July 23. In the meantime, azcardinals.com will take a look and evaluate each position group prior to camp.
When the Cardinals announced the signing of Sean Murphy-Bunting, it was a given that he would be in the conversation as the starting outside cornerback. Going into camp, it’s his spot to lose. Being one of two players on the roster with a Super Bowl ring, Murphy-Bunting knows what it takes to take part in meaningful competition once the calendar flips. He expects to be “the guy (the Cardinals) have been waiting for.”
Garrett Williams did not have the chance to take part in training camp last season while rehabbing from his ACL injury. This offseason, Williams said he feels comfortable with the defense. The Cardinals primarily used the Syracuse product as their nickel cornerback. Coach Jonathan Gannon has been pleased with Williams’ progress during his first full offseason, praising the competition between him and wide receiver Greg Dortch in the slot.
The second day of the draft featured the Cardinals adding tons of depth to their position rooms. No exception with the selections of Max Melton and Elijah Jones, two cornerbacks that will fight for starting reps heading into camp. Williams complimented his new teammates, saying “you saw very quickly why they got brought here.” Jones and Melton provide a lot of versatility to the room.
Gaining experience by being thrown directly into the fire, Starling Thomas V and Kei’Trel Clark saw the field a lot during their rookie season. Thomas, acquired off the waiver wire prior to the season opener, was on the field for 474 snaps. He did not miss a single defensive snap in the final four games of the 2023 season.
Clark’s first season in the league was a roller coaster. He saw the field a ton in the early portion of the season, but did not take a defensive snap in ten of the Cardinals outings. Rallis said Clark has the mindset of an assassin and is intrigued to see how the second-year cornerback steps up in training camp.
With their final pick in the draft, the Cardinals selected Jaden Davis. The Cardinals utilized a lot of day three selections last season, so Davis shouldn’t be counted out in the jam packed cornerback room.
It’s no secret that the Cardinals spent the offseason heavily upgrading the cornerback position. While they signed Murphy-Bunting and used early draft picks on Melton and Jones, the cornerback room lacks experience. Murphy-Bunting, 27, is the “young old guy.” The depth is there, but if there’s an opportunity to add more experience to one of the league’s youngest rooms, the Cardinals might consider it.
