The Arizona Cardinals search for a defensive coordinator will have affect if Antonio Cromartie returns.
After Todd Bowles left Arizona to become head coach of the New York Jets, the Cardinals have been in search of a new defensive coordinator. That search for a new defensive coordinator could determine whether or not cornerback Antonio Cromartie returns to the desert next year.
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Cromartie had a fantastic year for the Cardinals and earned his way to a Pro Bowl appearance. The strength of the Cardinals was their defense and Cromartie helped further solidify thier secondary alongside star CB Patrick Peterson.
Cromartie signed a 1-year $3,50o,000 contract last offseason with the Cardinals and his performance this past season will certainly lead to the four-time Pro Bowler getting paid much like former Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby who got paid big time by the Cleveland Browns after a successful one-year contract with Arizona.
The Cardinals search for a defensive coordinator will play a role in Cromartie’s decision on returning to a Cardinals team who went a team best 11-5 since moving to Arizona this season.
“Honestly, I think it’ll play a role,” Cromartie said at a Pro Bowl community event.
The Cardinals have been linked to names such as Dick LeBeau, who some are reporting will be heading to Arizona in some capacity. They have also been linked to former Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, and in-house guys Nick Rapone and James Bettcher.
Cromartie wants to play in a scheme that can put his best abilities on display, even if it’s a reunion with Todd Bowles in New York or former coach Rex Ryan in Buffalo.
“It’s just a point of understanding what kind of defensive scheme it will be,” Cromartie said. “If it’s the same scheme as Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles, when you’re playing a lot of man-to-man and you’re putting your corners out on an island, that’s something that every defensive back thrives on.”
If the Cardinals go with the in-house option such as Rapone or Bettcher, they would likely have a similar scheme to the one they ran under Bowles. They ran a blitz-heavy scheme that put corners on an island allowed them to play man-on-man against the receiver.
Cromartie throughout his career has shown his ability to ball hawk and read the opposing quarterback’s eyes and pick off passes. He used those skills this year when he picked off Eagles’ quarterback Nick Foles twice en route to a big Arizona victory that propelled their playoff push.
A big factor that could also prevent the Cardinals from bringing back Cromartie is money. The team has a lot of pressing issues to deal with in regards to the cap. They have to figure out how they are going to address the Larry Fitzgerald contract that is eating up a good chunk of their cap space and also the cap numbers on guys like Darnell Dockett.
They also will have to determine what to do with troubled linebacker Daryl Washington, who is a dynamic player on defense but was suspended all of last season after a failed drug test and has shown no signs that he can be trusted.
Last season the Browns offered a contract to Dansby that would have crippled the Cardinals cap situation and they wisely moved on even though Dansby was missed and a big part of what they do. General manager Steve Keim who is one of the top executives in the league knows that while Cromartie is valuable to the secondary, he can’t break the bank to bring him back.
The team has shown they can fine good depth via free agency and the draft and have young players like Pro Bowl special teams player and growing cornerback Justin Bethel who could step in to fill the void.
The Cardinals would definitely welcome a Cromartie return if the price is right. However, it sounds like Cromartie wants to see what Arizona does in their defensive coordinator search first before deciding what the next step in his career will be.
[H/T: ESPN]
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