Just under three hours into the NFL legal tampering period, the Arizona Cardinals make their first move in the secondary. According to Mike Garafolo, the Cardinals get a boost in their secondary by agreeing to terms with cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who played with the Tennessee Titans last season. Murphy-Bunting was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will now join the Cardinals' secondary that needed a vast improvement.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis get themselves a proven corner who is only 26 years old and has 8 career interceptions in 5 seasons. While Murphy-Bunting has had a tough time staying on the field due to injuries, he is an upgrade for Arizona and will be able to bring stability for a defense that had a tough time stopping opposing offenses.
Last season with the Titans, Murphy-Bunting recorded 2 interceptions, 8 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 57 total tackles. Putting up this production in 14 games is great news for the Cardinals. Murphy-Bunting will now be challenged in the NFC West against receivers like Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Deebo Samuel.
This signing of Murphy-Bunting should be the start of what Ossenfort does from here on out. With there being lots of free agent signings already on the first day of the legal tampering, the Cardinals will be looking to be smart with how they spend their money.
The deal is expected to become official this Wednesday at 4PM EST when the official new year begins. Arizona gets secondary help but they should not stop at Murphy-Bunting. It is going to take more in order to build up the defense, specifically the secondary. This is a good first start for Ossenfort, who should be active for the rest of free agency.
Update: Per Mike Garafolo, the deal for Murphy-Bunting is a 3-year deal for $25.5 million with $17.5 guarenteed.