Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson will be sitting out the first six games of the 2019 season
The Arizona Cardinals have spent years trying to find a starter opposite Patrick Peterson at cornerback. They’ve had some guys who have done alright, some others became failure’s in progress.
Now, after Thursday’s suspension of Peterson for the first six games of the 2019 regular season, they are back at square one, for at least awhile. Not to start along side but to start in place of Peterson.
None of us saw this coming I’m sure. Certainly many felt he had one foot out the door for his behavior since last October when he demanded a traded. Not this way however.
So, now they have to find his replacement starter. The prime candidate seems to be Robert Alford. He was claimed off waivers the moment the Atlanta Falcons released him in February.
Did the Cardinals know then? Maybe but it seems a little far-fetched to be keeping news like this under wraps for three months.
The thought was Alford would finally be the starter opposite Peterson the Cardinals were looking for. So, who starts alongside Alford?
Second round draft pick Byron Murphy seems to be a candidate. Did the Cardinals know then? It’s a decent bet they did. Tramaine Brock Sr. also seems like a viable candidate.
Maybe the candidate isn’t even currently on the roster. That is very possible. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has been known to find some gems during the summer and well after the team has gathered for training camp.
The suspension might also mean a stay of execution if you will for guys like Brandon Williams or Deatrick Nichols. One of those bubble guys could still be around come September.
For now we wait and see. Six games is an eternity in the NFL, especially for a team trying to regain an identity.