Desmond Trufant could help Cardinals at cornerback position

The veteran corner could help a shell-shocked Arizona Cardinals defensive unit cope with the sudden loss of Malcolm Butler.

The loss of cornerback Malcolm Butler is a devastating blow to the defensive unit of the Arizona Cardinals. If general manager Steve Keim was smart, he would quickly look to acquire a cover guy who can help offset the loss of one of the club’s most important free-agent acquisitions of 2021.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears parted ways with veteran corner Desmond Trufant. The 30-year-old was signed to a one-year contract back in March, but he will now be forced to move on from a team he never played a down for. Could Keim and the Cards have interest in the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Trufant?

At the moment, Arizona has only two cornerbacks on the roster who have participated in a regular-season matchup. Byron Murphy is entering his third NFL campaign, while ninth-year professional Robert Alford has not played in a game that counts since December of 2018.

Rookie cover guys Marco Wilson and Tay Gowan, along with second-year pro Luq Barcoo, fill out the Cardinals’ suddenly-depleted depth chart. Adding an experienced player like Trufant would be strongly recommended for a squad that hopes to contend this coming fall.

Former first-round pick could help the Arizona Cardinals in 2021

Trufant entered the league back in 2013 as a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons. The University of Washington product was the 22nd-overall selection and was a First-team All-Pac-12 performer for the Huskies back in 2012.

The Tacoma, Washington native played opposite Alford in the Falcons secondary for six consecutive seasons (2013-18). In 97 starts for Atlanta, Trufant racked up 329 tackles,13 interceptions, and 79 pass breakups. An outstanding performance in 2015 earned Trufant a trip to that year’s Pro Bowl.

Last season, Trufant started six contests for the Detroit Lions. He totaled 20 tackles, a pick, and four pass breakups during his stint in the “Motor City”. A lingering hamstring injury sidelined Trufant for a total of 10 contests in 2020, and he was ultimately released by the Lions back in March of this year.

In order to be with his ailing father (who has since passed away), Trufant missed most of Chicago’s training camp this past summer. His absence likely cost the corner a spot on the Bears roster in 2021.

(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)