The Arizona Cardinals release David Amerson

The Arizona Cardinals have released cornerback David Amerson, according to Darren Urban of the Cardinals official website.

Amerson was expected to compete for the starting cornerback position opposite Robert Alford, with Patrick Peterson’s six-game suspension. He signed with the Cardinals in November of last year. He did make a Malcolm Butler-like interception in week 17 against the Seahawks last season but, beyond that, was rather inconsistent. This move was surprising to say the least, especially with his 61 career NFL starts.

With Amerson now out of the mix, second-round pick Byron Murphy and free agent acquisition Tramaine Brock are the only two cornerbacks remaining in the battle for the starting job.

Though Brock is currently in the lead to be the starter due to his experience with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, the Cardinals think very highly of Murphy. Steve Keim and the Cardinals believe he was the best cornerback of the 2019 draft and his chances to be the starter looks even better.

The other cornerbacks on the roster includes Chris Jones, Deatrick Nichols, Brandon Williams, and rookie Nate Brooks.

The Cardinals now have 89 players on their roster, meaning they will add a player via waivers or sign a free agent in the coming weeks. They did bring in free agent Andre Branch for a visit.

Some well-known free-agent cornerbacks includes Morris Claiborne, Brent Grimes, and Captain Munnerlyn. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals brought one of them in for a visit.

Byron Murphy is expected to land the starting job as the competition continues to heat up.

Best of luck to you David Amerson!