Should the Arizona Cardinals sign O-tackle Eugene Monroe?

The former first round draft pick out of Virginia would provide quality depth or possibly start for the Arizona Cardinals

Every NFL team has weaknesses. In the age of the salary cap lacking quality in some areas is almost a certainty.

The Arizona Cardinals are no different. It would be unfair to call projected starting right tackle D.J. Humphries a weakness though. The fact is that Humphries has never started an NFL game so no one really knows what kind of player he will be now that he’s a pro.

Which leads us to recently released OT Eugene Monroe. The Baltimore Ravens deemed him expendable when they decided to draft OT Ronnie Stanley with the sixth overall pick this past April.

There’s also the issue of Monroe campaigning to get the NFL to remove medical marijuana from it’s banned substances list. His argument is that “weed” is a viable option for pain management.  Whether this stance had anything to do with Monroe’s release is anyone’s guess, although the Ravens contend that the parting of the ways was strictly a football decision.

Monroe would certainly look good in a Cardinal uniform. Although Humphries was a first round pick in last year’s draft it’s a bit risky to have him starting on a team that’s so close to winning a Super Bowl. Having a talented veteran like Monroe in the fold would provide excellent insurance in case Humphries isn’t able to do the job.

The question is what kind of situation is Monroe looking for? His more natural position is left tackle but his best chance of starting with the Cardinals would be on the right side in place of Humphries. There’s also a question of whether he would be willing to come in and compete for a job in training camp. (He has started 90 games in his career).

There’s been talk that general manager Steve Keim could be willing to bring in a veteran tackle. Of course the Cards don’t have alot of money to spend under the salary cap. If Keim were to sign Monroe, or anyone else for that matter, it would most likely have to be a  one year “prove-it ” contract.

So will Monroe land in the desert? There’s talk that the New York Giants have strong interest. And he likely wouldn’t have to compete for a starting job in New York.

Monroe has only been on one winning team in the NFL. The 2014 Ravens went 10 and 6. While the Giants have the makings of an improved team the Cardinals are without a doubt a Super Bowl contender. Perhaps Keim can use that as a selling point.

Anyway you look at it signing Monroe would be an extremely solid addition for a championship-seeking team like the Cardinals. We can only hope it happens.