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Arizona Cardinals could benefit from veteran Josh McCown

By Mark A. Hernandez

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 03: Josh McCown #15 of the New York Jets calls out the play in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 03, 2017 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The New York Jets defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 38-31. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 03: Josh McCown #15 of the New York Jets calls out the play in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 03, 2017 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The New York Jets defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 38-31. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Heading into free agency and the upcoming draft, the Arizona Cardinals still need a quarterback. They should look no further than former Cardinal and unrestricted free agent, Josh McCown.

Now before the hate mail pours in, Josh McCown is not by any means a definitive solution — or a long-term one. The Cardinals will still need to draft a quarterback of the future. Who better to mold the new signal-caller than veteran QB, Josh McCown?

The Cardinals failed to find an heir apparent to Carson Palmer during his tenure with the club. And that certainly has put new head coach Steve Wilks behind the 8-ball when it comes to his new team’s identity.

The good news, however, is that he has inherited one of the best defenses in the NFL and perhaps, the best running back in the league in David Johnson. With newly hired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, their offense needs a leader.

Enter: Josh McCown.

What better way to end his career than to come back to the team that drafted him in 2002 out of SMU? McCown, 38, would have quite the homecoming after a 15-year, 8-team journey in the NFL.

And with the news of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald coming back, the two can pick up where they left off. It was McCown he threw Fitzgerald his first reception and touchdown catch. They played together for four years.

It was also McCown who infamously told Hall of Famer Kurt Warner that when he doesn’t think Fitz is open, throw it to him anyways, because he’s going to go up and get it.

During his time in the desert, McCown threw for 5,431 yards, completed 57.8 percent of his passes and tossed 25 touchdowns to 29 interceptions. Not eye-popping numbers, but those were also some pretty bad Cardinal teams during that time in the early 2000’s.

Over his career, he’s amassed 17,168 passing yards, 97 touchdowns and 78 interceptions, according to Pro-Football Reference.  Yeoman’s work for someone who’s been in the league as long as he has.

With the experience and ability to new learn offenses quickly, McCown would be a great asset to a team looking to mold a new franchise quarterback of the future. I’m not a huge fan of drafting a rookie and having him start right away.

Whomever General Manager Steve Keim decides to draft in April, he should definitely consider putting him under the tutelage of a smart, veteran quarterback.

Next: Arizona Cardinals should kick tires on cornerback

The Cardinals, as of today, are working with just under $25.5 million dollars in cap space, according to sportrac.com. Signing a soon-to-be 39-year-old to a one-year deal is not a huge gamble. Not developing a young QB is.

Free agency and the draft are nearly here … and we’ll all be watching to see what direction this team will be going.

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