The Cardinals believe they've gradually bolstered their secondary over the past couple years, so it seems doubtful they will use another high draft pick on a cornerback or safety. All but one of the starting four spots in the secondary is set, and the team has plenty of candidates for the one that's open: left cornerback.
Strong safety Adrian Wilson and free safety Kerry Rhodes are entrenched as starters. Patrick Peterson is solid at the right cornerback spot, although that's really only a job title. Over the course of the season, Peterson increasingly lined up wherever the other team's best receiver was. Peterson struggled at cornerback through the first half of the season but gradually improved, and the coaches are confident he will emerge as one of the better cover men in the NFL.
It's the other cornerback position that's open. The favorite entering the offseason is Greg Toler, who missed all of last season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the preseason.
Toler's rehabilitation is progressing normally, and he expects to be able to participate in offseason drills on at least a part-time basis. The expectation is that he will be 100 percent by the start of training camp in July.
The coaches think Toler has similar athletic ability to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was traded away last year. That's high praise, as Rodgers-Cromartie is among the faster players in the league. Toler might be better, however, because he is willing to tackle, unlike Rodgers-Cromartie.
While the favorite, Toler won't be handed the job. A.J. Jefferson, who started the first seven games last season, also returns. Jefferson has good size (6-1, 190) and the physical skills to be a starter.
What the coaches think he needs, however, is increased awareness that he doesn't know everything about the position. That means preparing diligently, both on the practice field and off.
Jefferson lost his starting job last season to Richard Marshall even though Jefferson has more physical gifts. No one is ready to give up on Jefferson, though. Last year was the first time he had played regularly in the NFL, so the Cardinals will give him time.
The team also made a move in free agency, signing former Steelers cornerback William Gay, who will compete with Toler and Jefferson for the job. Gay started the last two seasons with the Steelers, who play the same defensive schemes as the Cardinals.
Coordinator Ray Horton came from Pittsburgh, so he knows Gay and vice versa. Gay has just three interceptions in five seasons, but he's a solid pro. He's also physical, which is key in Horton's system, which emphasizes cornerbacks' ability to play the run.
The club has additional depth at corner with Michael Adams, Crezdon Butler, Korey Lindsay and Marshay Green, and the safety position was bolstered this offseason with the signing of veteran James Sanders from New England.
The biggest challenge this secondary faces is replacing Marshall, who played key roles both as a starter, nickel corner and backup safety. His versatility was valuable down the stretch when the team had to scramble to compensate for losing Rhodes to a foot injury. Marshall played safety in many passing situations and did an admirable job.
Sanders might not be able to do all that, but he and the other backup defensive backs give the team some options.
NOTES, QUOTES
-- Defensive coordinator Ray Horton has spent part of the last few years getting his pilot's license. Horton is hooked on flying and spends a considerable amount of his spare time on the hobby.
-- Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson has a tie to the Cardinals, who drafted him in the seventh round in 1979. A receiver for Michigan State, Gibson had already committed to baseball and made it clear to NFL teams that he was giving up football.
Said Gibson, "St. Louis drafted me and said if I came out, they would fight my legal battle. But I was kind of a man of my word, and I just decided baseball was a better career than football for me. Injury, length of career, knowing the way I played the game of football, I was either going to outrun you or (hit you). I had neck surgery because I used to use my head as a weapon.
"I was always watching NFL games and thinking, 'Why is that guy running out of bounds?' So I made the right decision. Baseball was very, very, very hard for me ... and football was very easy for me. So mentally, it was very tough. But I was kind of determined to prove I made the right decision."
-- That draft was one of the few of that era that turned out well for the Cardinals. They selected running back Ottis Anderson, offensive lineman Joe Bostic and receiver Roy Green. All had long, productive careers.
-- The Cardinals open their offseason workouts on April 16. They have five preseason games for the first time since 1986. This is also the first time since 1986 that they will play in the Hall of Fame Game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "That's what scares me a little bit, because obviously he's smarter than I am. Maybe he can teach me a few things, I don't know." -- Offensive line coach Russ Grimm to azcardinals.com on guard Chris Stewart, who attended a year of law school while at Notre Dame.
