It was reported early Tuesday that Greg Toler, a restricted free agent for the Arizona Cardinals, had agreed to stay with the team through at least next season by signing his tender offer. The offer was worth approximately $1.26 million.
You may recall that Toler was out for the entire 2011 season due to a torn ACL that he sustained during a preseason game against the Chargers, but from the sound of things, he appears ready to come back and make an impact for the team.
Toler sent out a text message to Darren Urban, the official writer for the Cardinals, saying that he has, "been waiting to put back on some cleats and just unleash the beast which path I was on coming into last season."
Accomplishing this lofty goal will not be an easy task, though. Coming back from an ACL injury takes time and the Cardinals are starting to build some depth at the cornerback position. As Urban stated in his article, Patrick Peterson is the clear #1 for the club and after that, there will be some heavy competition. Guys like William Gay and A.J. Jefferson will be battling for the #2 spot, while some lesser known players such as Korey Lindsay and Crezdon Butler fight for positions that are a bit lower on the depth chart.
Where Toler fits into the scheme of things as of now is unknown, but to me, it truly does not make a difference. I do expect to see him as a starter across from Peterson at some point during 2012, but if that doesn't happen, then he will still be able to provide some talented veteran depth.
Expect to see Toler back by training camp. That is when the war truly begins.
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