Arizona Cardinals bolster depth at guard with latest signing

The Arizona Cardinals continued the offseason transformation of their offensive line with the acquisition of Parker Ehinger

For the past seven years, the general manager of the Arizona Cardinals has been on a mission. Try as he may, Steve Keim has been unable to achieve continuity on the squad’s offensive line. Now, with a flurry of acquisitions this offseason, Arizona’s top executive is trying to right that ship once again.

This past Friday, Keim added former Kansas City Chiefs draft pick Parker Ehinger to the blocking unit mix. The 26-year old, who was a fourth-round selection back in 2016, has struggled to remain on the field during his time in the league. Knee injuries have been an issue for Ehinger, but the Cards are obviously hopeful that the guard will achieve good health going forward.

Ehinger is the third veteran guard to sign with the Cardinals this year. Back in March, J.R. Sweezy was signed to a two-year contract, and is penciled in to be the starter at right guard. Around the same time, Arizona acquired depth for the position by inking Max Garcia to a one-year deal.

Things began to go sour for Ehinger during his rookie campaign with the Chiefs. In week eight, the first-year player tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee. Ehinger was placed on the injured reserve list in November, and missed the remainder of the 2016 season.

The 6’6, 310 pounder started the opening game of 2017 for Kansas City, but was deactivated for every other contest on the schedule. After being traded to the Dallas Cowboys last year, Ehinger injured a knee during practice. The third-year pro was once again placed on injured reserve, and failed to dress for any matchup in 2018.

After being waived by the Cowboys this past April, Ehinger was claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The University of Cincinnati product’s stint in Florida lasted for a month. The Jaguars made room for an undrafted free agent they coveted by giving Ehinger his walking papers in May.

Now, three months later, Ehinger has been given another opportunity with the Cards. Keim is keeping his fingers crossed, hoping that the blockers the team has acquired in 2019 will bring stability to the offensive line. With a little luck, they will.