Having a Ball: Arizona Cardinals sign cornerback
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals are adding another cornerback
As mentioned numerous times over the course of the last several months, the Cardinals would likely be looking to find the right pieces at cornerback ahead of the 2016 regular season. On Thursday, the Cardinals continued that quest.
Reported by arizonasports.com, Ball was confirmed by the Cardinals to have signed a contract after working out for them. Ball last played for the Chicago Bears.
The move was necessitated because last week newly acquired cornerback Michael Jenkins broke his hand and is likely out for the next three weeks. Also Justin Bethel is out for likely the same amount of time.
More from Raising Zona
- Arizona Cardinals: Could Eric Bieniemy come to the desert?
- Would Jonathan Gannon be a good fit for the Arizona Cardinals?
- Arizona Cardinals: Budda Baker right in his take regarding the next coach
- Arizona Cardinals: 3 reasons new coach should want to work with Murray
- Arizona Cardinals special teams could be completely revamped in 2023
The Cardinals have made no bones about wanting to get stronger and better in the secondary after being exposed in the playoffs last season. Whether Ball will eventually fit that bill remains to be seen.
Ball last season had just 20 tackles and no interceptions. He has played for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. His career-high in interceptions is two.
How long Ball remains in camp with the Cardinals will all depend on how he does on the field in the preseason. He is going to likely get three shots to show he is the better choice than Jenkins.
The Cardinals won’t end up keeping both Ball and Jenkins if Bethel is healthy. For now then, that means Ball gets his chance to show what he can contribute. As unfortunate as it is, a broken hand may end up sealing the fate of Jenkins and his time with the Cardinals.
The corner position could end up being troublesome if Jenkins and Bethel stay out longer than three more weeks and Ball doesn’t work out. There aren’t a lot of great options left for the Cardinals in a position that seemingly needed the most help going into training camp.