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When the Arizona Cardinals signed veteran tackle Max Starks on Friday, it was for a number of reasons.
The first thing that probably came to mind is that it was like the Eric Winston signing last year, where he would come in and start.
That wasn't the case. "Last year we were not sold we had a right tackle," Bruce Arians said comparing the two signings. Bobby Massie has the confidence of the coaching staff and will be the starter moving forward, barring catastrophe.
After that, you naturally think that it means that the team is not happy with backups Nate Potter or Bradley Sowell. That has a little more to do with it, but Arians praised Potter's work, saying he is "having a very good camp."
Sowell did not get the same praise as Potter. Bradley "was doing okay -- not as well as he should," Arians explained.
So that was part of it. Starks gives the team a better option than Sowell, and no one would argue that.
However, there is a bigger reason about it -- it was the play of Corey Brandon on the third team and protecting Logan Thomas in the preseason.
"When you look out at who's available, you don't want to another rookie in a preseason game that doesn't know what he's doing," Arians explained. "You want an offensive lineman -- especially a tackle -- that's going to give a young quarterback a chance."
Who is the Cardinals' young quarterback? Logan Thomas.
The team was clearly unhappy with Corey Brandon and either would have cut him to bring a rookie that didn't know what he was doing, or add a veteran that moves Sowell down. That is what they chose to do.
"You want to give young players the benefit of the doubt, but when you know that they can't help you, it's time to build the depth on your roster," Arians said.
Plus, Starks is just better depth.
"We're always searching for guys who are still available who we think can add depth right now and build a roster where injuries won't matter," said Arians.
So while the signing was a little bit about Sowell's only okay camp, it is more about who is protecting Logan Thomas in the preseason, since the team really wants to see what he can do.
