TEMPE, Ariz. – Patrick Peterson has vowed to put the entire package together in his third professional season.
“I feel like I have to kind of redeem myself from last year, not having the best year of my young career at the punt-returner position,” Peterson said Monday.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, Peterson blossomed into the elite cover corner the team envisioned when it selected him fifth overall in 2011. If he can return to his 2011 form as a return man, and add a few big plays as the team’s de facto fifth receiver, that’s all well and good, but the greater concern is the guys playing opposite Peterson on defense -- and an otherwise completely rebuilt secondary.
The Cardinals have added five new faces at the cornerback position (if you count Tyrann Mathieu) in an attempt to eliminate that concern, but that group was inconsistent throughout the preseason. Also gone are safety starters Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes, along with valuable backup James Sanders.
Today, we examine the entire cast of defensive backs.
Cornerback starters: Peterson, Jerraud PowersKey reserves: Antoine Cason, Javier Arenas, Jamell Fleming, Bryan McCann, Mathieu Safety starters: Rashad Johnson, Yeremiah BellKey reserves: Mathieu, Tony Jefferson
Who's new? Powers (free agency), Cason (free agency), Arenas (trade), McCann (free agency), Mathieu (3rd round, 69th overall), Bell (free agency), Jefferson (rookie free agent).
Will the Cards really keep six cornerbacks? Coach Bruce Arians said throughout camp that he would keep the best 53 players on the roster rather than worry about filling out every position. Six corners does seem like a heavy load, particularly when you consider that Mathieu will play the slot in nickel situations, but past seasons have shown just how often the injury bug hits this position. The other reality is that none of the five guys listed at cornerback and not named Peterson has truly elevated himself above the pack. The Cardinals may yet try to trade a player at the end of this group like Jamell Fleming or Bryan McCann, but for now, there is plenty of competition.
Is Peterson really an elite cornerback? Given the way teams avoided throwing at him for the most part last season, you’d at least have to concede he is far and away the best on the roster. Every corner will give up some plays. It’s just the reality of a league where there are so many skilled receivers, a dozen quarterbacks who can fit balls into tight spaces and failed pass rushes that hang a secondary out to dry, but Pro Football Focus rated Peterson the eighth best cornerback in the league last season, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl as a corner after snaring seven interceptions, the fourth best total in the NFL.
Who will start opposite Peterson? That job falls to Jerraud Powers, who played with Arians in Indianapolis last year. Powers’ primary issue is his injury history. He’s played in just 42 of a possible 64 NFL games due to an assortment of ailments, but that didn’t stop the Cardinals from signing him to a three-year, $10.5 million deal. Arians likes the competitive fire, physical play and leadership that the cerebral Powers brings. Arians thinks Powers’ past injuries are not the type that diminish a player’s ability over time, but Powers’ size will always lead to questions about his durability over a 16-game schedule.
How about the other players’ roles? Mathieu will play the slot in nickel situations, while former University of Arizona star Antoine Cason will play outside against four-wideout sets while also spelling Powers. Javier Arenas is listed as Peterson’s primary backup and will likely see a fair amount of snaps with Peterson also playing offense and special teams. For now, McCann and Fleming are depth guys who will factor on special teams.
What about the safeties? Yeremiah Bell has the honor of replacing Wilson, a cornerstone at strong safety for 12 seasons and one of the franchise’s all-time most popular players. From a physical standpoint, Bell looks the part, even if he gives away 25 pounds to AW. Aiding Bell’s cause is the fact that he played in this defense -- the one first-year defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is employing -- for four years in Miami. But there must be reasons other than age that Bell, 35, only landed a one-year, $905,000 deal. There is much to prove. The same goes for Rashad Johnson, who replaced Wilson last season in many passing situations, but never really made a name as a playmaker. He may have his hands full fending off Mathieu, who made a ton of plays in the preseason and could be pushing for a starting slot at some point this season if he can eliminate his penchant for taking poor-percentage risks.
Who’s that guy? Tony Jefferson was supposed to be a camp body, a guy who would eventually move on because the Cards already had an experienced backup in Jonathon Amaya. But the undrafted rookie free agent just kept making plays, including five total tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack in the final preseason game in Denver. Now his roster spot seems more solid than Oklahoma teammate, Fleming, who was the Cards’ third-round pick in 2012.
Outlook: Given all the changes in the offseason, this unit is the biggest unknown on a defense that finished 12th overall and fifth against the pass last season. The Cards wanted cornerback Greg Toler and Rhodes back but lost one to free agency and the other to an issue over contract restructuring. Still, it’s instructive to note that Wilson’s career appears to be over after he placed on IR by the Patriots in what might have been a kind way of letting him fade quietly into retirement, rather than cutting him. With Peterson blossoming into an elite NFL talent and Mathieu showing some play-making skills, there are reasons for hope with this unit.
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