Arizona Cardinals Free Agency: What Should The Cards Do With Brandon Keith?

Most recently in the free agency series, 54% of you voted that the Arizona Cardinals should keep offensive tackle D'Anthony Batiste around, as we would provide solid veteran depth on what many would call a shaky offensive line. Batiste would be re-signed at a very cheap price and has played decently during his time on the field, so I think the only issue is whether or not the Cards have a spot for him on the 53 man roster.

Today, we are going to look at another offensive tackle, but this one is much more important. Brandon Keith was drafted in the seventh round in 2008 and became the team's starting right tackle in 2010. Up to this point, his performance has been somewhat questionable and he is now set to become an unrestricted free agent. So I ask you: should the Cardinals dole out the dough to keep Keith?

Something that all Cardinals fans know is that Brandon Keith has not always been the healthiest of athletes. He was able to play in 13 games for the Cardinals in 2011, but he often left the games early with various injuries. His season ended on a low note after he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Before he went down for the year, Keith's play could definitely be compared to a roller coaster. Pro Football Focus rated him as one of the worst right tackles in the league, mainly due to his poor play in pass protection. He took 338 snaps on passing plays and allowed 5 sacks, 2 hits and 24 quarterback pressures. PFF gave him an overall grade of -8.6 in that department.

In run blocking, he really didn't fare too well, either. PFF scored him at -2.4, as he was unable to create gaps for the running backs and he really struggled holding blocks and getting to the second level of the defense.

Given all of his injuries and his subpar performance up to this point, I think that the Cardinals will definitely let him test the open market. I would expect the team to bring in at least one new offensive tackle via either the draft or free agency, so Keith may become superfluous at that point anyhow. He could be brought back into the fold as a backup, but in terms of a being a solid starter, I think Keith still has a long way to go.

What do you think? Should the Cardinals attempt to re-sign Brandon Keith? Tell us in the comments section and vote in the poll.

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