After visiting with the Arizona Cardinals, veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock has decided to take his talents to the desert.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Arizona Cardinals are signing Tramaine Brock after bringing in him and Morris Claiborne for a visit. The move is the second addition to the cornerback group this off-season, with the first being the early Robert Alford signing.
At the 30 years old, it’s fair to wonder what Tramaine Brock has left in the tank. But, he’s not currently expected to see a large role within the Arizona Cardinals defense after playing in just12 games for the Denver Broncos in 2018.
For the Broncos, Brock tallied 23 total tackles and six pass deflections and received five starting nods. He finished the year as Pro Football Focus‘ 98th ranked cornerback with an average 59.5 grade.
After signing Robert Alford to play opposite of Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals had a need at slot cornerback. Although Brock hasn’t played that role consistently throughout his career, he’s likely to have the first shot at the opportunity to do so due to his experience.
While Brock hasn’t been in a full-time starting role since 2016, he does bring experience to a cornerback that lacked it outside of Patrick Peterson last season. Despite his mediocre ’18 season, Brock had shown consistent play in the past. Per PFF Arizona Cardinals Twitter, the cornerback posted a good grade of 68.+ four times in his career and posted an outstanding 82.8 grade in 2013.
Currently, the numbers for the deal are still not set, so it’s hard to judge as we don’t know what they acquired him for. But, he’s likely going to be on a shorter deal with a lower salary cap hit as he simply doesn’t project as a plus full-time starter anymore.
Despite his regressing game, age, and absence of recent production, the addition is solid depth for a cornerback group that once had to trot out Brandon Williams in emergencies. he signing is a low-risk, low-reward option that shouldn’t change their future outlook. If anything, the Arizona Cardinals added some more depth to an already improved defense.
Grade: C- if the deal is pricey, C+ if it’s less than $3 million.
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