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The Arizona Cardinals made a move today, which will please many Arizona Cardinals fans. After many days of waiting, the team signed cornerback Antonio Cromartie to a one-year contract on Thursday.
Cromartie visited the team last week but didn't agree to a deal. However, he adds experience to a fairly young cornerback group that includes Patrick Peterson, Jerraud Powers, Justin Bethel and Bryan McCann.
As things now stand, Cromartie and Peterson would be the starters and now Powers and McCann will battle for the slot position until Tyrann Mathieu is completely healed. It creates nice depth.
Cromartie (6-2, 210) has appeared in the Pro Bowl three times in his career including each of the last two seasons (2007, 2012-13) and comes to the Cardinals after playing the past four seasons with the New York Jets. In 2013 he earned his third Pro Bowl selection after starting all 16 games for the third consecutive season and tied for the team lead with three interceptions to go along with 37 tackles (35 solo), eight passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Cromartie began his career with San Diego as a first-round selection (19th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Florida State. He spent four seasons with the Chargers where he appeared in all 64 games (39 starts), including in 2007 where he was named first-team All-Pro after setting a career high and leading the NFL with 10 interceptions. Cromartie was traded to the Jets in 2010 and has only missed one game over the past four seasons. He has scored five touchdowns in his career, including a 109-yard missed field goal return that is tied for the longest play in NFL history and is one of three players in the NFL (Terrence Newman, Charles Tillman) with multiple interceptions in each of the past seven seasons.
For his career, the 29-year old Cromartie has 316 tackles (274 solo), 28 interceptions, 97 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 127 games (102 starts). He has also played in 10 postseason games (nine starts) with 32 tackles and two interceptions. Cromartie was released by the Jets on March 9.
