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The Arizona Cardinals are bring back Robert Alford on a one-year deal according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#AZCardinals CB Robert Alford is heading back to Arizona on a 1-year deal, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2021
Alford was released by the Cardinals this past Wednesday that created an additional $7.5 million in cap space.
He joined the team in 2019 on a three-year $22 million deal but missed the first two seasons due to season-ending injuries. He was arguably the best cornerback during the two training camps he participated in with the Cardinals.
With Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick scheduled to be unrestricted free agents on March 17th, that left the Cardinals with only one experienced cornerback on the roster in Byron Murphy.
Alford’s return gives the Cardinals another experienced cornerback to work with that knows Vance Joseph’s defense.
The 32-year-old will join Murphy, Jace Whittaker, and Picasso Nelson as the only cornerbacks on the roster with the Cardinals expected to add another player or two to this position via free agency and the draft.
This time around, Alford’s spot on the roster is far from guaranteed. He will have to compete for a final roster spot and will need to prove that he can stay healthy while playing at a high level.
The terms of his one-year deal have not been disclosed.