Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson will still be asked to shadow receivers at times
By Mike Dyce
The Arizona Cardinals signed former New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie giving themselves a pair of towering cornerbacks along with Patrick Peterson. In 2013 Peterson spent most of the season shadowing opponent’s best wide receiver. With Cromartie on board, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles might change things up.
“It depends,” Bowles said Tuesday, via the team’s website. “Some people have two good receivers. Some people have a tight end. Cromartie gives you the flexibility to go inside on a tight end or stay outside on a receiver. It won’t influence what Pat does. They both match up well. Some games Pat will be matching up, some games Cromartie will be matching up, depending on the receiver.”
“If (Cromartie) is healthy to play, it does allow you to be more flexible and gives you a taller guy, as well as a guy who has done it for a long time and still strikes fear into people,” Bowles said. “Not that [5-foot-10 Jerraud] Powers was bad, but if you can get two 6-foot-plus-sized guys who can run and compete for the ball, that cuts off parts of the field.”