Now that the Arizona Cardinals have more or less settled in after free agency, we have noticed one very noticeable absence of a move. They have not added anyone at cornerback. There was supposed interest in Prince Amukamara and a reported visit by Leon Hall, but nothing happened.
It would seem that the team is reasonably content with the state of the position. They didn't even make a contract offer to Jerraud Powers, a player head coach Bruce Arians seemingly loved, as he would never say a negative thing about him.
What does this mean?
It means they believe in Justin Bethel and will give him a chance to show he can do what the coaching staff has been saying for two years he can do.
Bethel, for lack of a better word, struggled in his stint of extended playing time late in the season. When Tyrann Mathieu tore his ACL, it meant Jerraud Powers slod over to the slot in nickel sets and Bethel played outside. He made a few plays, but really got picked on, especially by Aaron Rodgers.
Because of those results, many felt the Cardinals needed to go after a cornerback in free agency. The problem? The Cardinals already have committed a chunk of money to Bethel, signing him to a three-year $15 million contract extension. His cap hit in 2016 is only $3.25 million, so it is reasonable, but they didn't pay him to be a special teams stud. They paid him to also be a starting cornerback.
You don't pay a guy $15 million to sit the bench and give up on after a few weeks.
So what's next?
Arians has always said that you use the offseason to let the young players show you if they can handle the job and then you add a veteran later when they show they can't.
That appears to be the plan. It is believed they will draft a cornerback, but it is unknown if any guy the Cardinals draft would be better in 2016 than Bethel or understand the defense.
If the Cardinals are going to sign a free agent corner, it won't be a clear-cut starter. It will be a guy who has started and has been reliable. He would be a guy who would be comfortable playing as a nickel or a dime player and is versatile.
It doesn't appear the Cardinals are bailing on Bethel already. They have talked a big talk about him. Now they are backing it up with their actions. Bethel is going to be given every chance to be the starter. They might bring in competition. They might draft a corner, but while many of us might not trust Bethel after his play, the team clearly does, and they should.