Could Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie return to the desert?

The NFL’s legal tampering period has officially opened. The Cardinals will begin making their pitches to eligible Free Agents, with Kirk Cousins being the big name floating around. Currently the team sits at $19-million in available spending money, but there are still some names that could be cut or traded.

While everyone is focusing on Kirk Cousins, there is one name that draws my interest, and will be a familiar name to Cardinal fans. Dominique Rodgers-Comartie. DRC last played for the Cardinals in 2010, before being a part of the infamous Kevin Kolb trade in 2011. (I still stand by my support for Kolb)

Since departing the team, DRC has been a good cover corner in the NFL. He had his struggles in Philadelphia, before turning it around in Denver in 2013, and ultimately landing with the Giants in 2014. During his tenure in New York he posted 11 INT’s and PFF grades of 82.6, 82.8, and 89.9.

This past week he was released by the Giants after not taking a pay cut to bring his cap hit down from $6-million. There was also talk of moving him to Safety, a sign that a Corner is losing a step.

The connections are there to be made about Rodgers-Cromartie. He was drafted by the team in 2008, same time Steve Keim was promoted to Director of Player Personnel. Now Keim is the GM, so the connection between the two is there.

The biggest one, is David Merritt. Merritt coached the Giants secondary, helping Rodgers-Cromartie develop as a player. Merritt has a history of success coaching the defensive backfield, with Antrel Rolle and Landon Collins being the biggest names he’s helped teach.

Lastly, it’s a position of need. Currently it’s Patrick Peterson and a whole bunch of questions. Adding Rodgers-Cromartie to the defensive backfield would give Arizona options moving forward. Do they trust their two starters to take a second or third day defensive back in April’s draft? Allowing the young defensive back time to learn under two of the NFL’s better corners.

At 31, he’s younger than Tramon Williams, who many want to return. But his price tag was an issue in New York, which is what lead to him being cut after refusing to take a pay cut. That could still be an issue as he treads the Free Agent waters.

Would you be opposed to the return of DRC? Or should Arizona look elsewhere to fill a need?

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