Arizona Cardinals: Antonio Cromartie moving on?

The Arizona Cardinals cornerback is a free agent after one-season with the team

Antonio Cromartie going back to New York to play?  That might be so if reports about him moving back to New York this week are true.  He is a free-agent and does have some incentive to go back to the New York Jets.

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It was fun while it lasted.  Cromartie may be looking to leave the Cardinals after just one season in Arizona.  Not that anyone could blame him though seeing as his 2014 defensive coordinator just took a head coaching position with the Jets a few weeks ago.

Todd Bowles left Arizona to be the guy for the Jets.  Cromartie was with the Jets prior to Arizona.  There is incentive for Cromartie to move back and continue playing for him.  Cromartie had a decent season and arguably had the best season of all Cardinals corners, even Patrick Peterson.

Cromartie had 49 tackles with three interceptions and 10 passes defensed in 2014.  He also had a huge interception that set up a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Wild Card game on January 3rd.

It would be tough to lose Cromartie so soon but if he does leave for New York, I’d understand it.  Now, if he leaves for any other team, you have to think he could be leaving for the money, something many thought linebacker Karlos Dansby did when he left the Cardinals for the Cleveland Browns after coming back and have a great 2013 season here.

The Cardinals are going to be left having to make some tough choices.  I’d be naive to think they’ll be able to pay everyone the money they want to stay, Cromartie included.  However if a player truly wants to win a title, he’d be crazy to think about going elsewhere unless that place was somewhere like Seattle or New England.

We’ll see how this thing plays out over the next few weeks.   Free agency doesn’t start for another month when the new league year starts.  That won’t keep us from speculating.  If I were a betting man, and I am, I’d say Cromartie is as good as gone.  I think he wants back with the Jets.  Can’t blame the guy for that.