Dre Kirkpatrick # 27 of the Cincinnati Bengals and BW Webb # 23 celebrate a defensive stop during the fourth quarter of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Arizona defeated Cincinnati 26-23. (Photo by Kirk Irwin / Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals add another player to the cornerback depth after the loss of Robert Alford to an injury.
Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick has signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals at the veteran minimum, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
He visited the team Friday. Shortly after ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Cardinals were hosting him, Gambadoro tweeted that Kirkpatrick “is definitely the man who wants the cards.”
Drawn from Alabama in the first round of the 2012 draft, Kirkpatrick played for the last eight seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals.
He was most productive from the 2015 to 2017 seasons. In those three years, Kirkpatrick had defended 40 passes, 171 total tackles, four interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one sec.
He played in just six games last year before going over to IR with a hyperextended knee.
Cardinal defense coordinator Vance Joseph has experience working with Kirkpatrick since Joseph was the Bengals’ defensive backs coach in 2014 and 2015.
Kirkpatrick will be among those fighting for Alford’s playing time at a cornerback position.
In a corresponding move, the team announced that they had released cornerback Duke Thomas.
Alford is expected to miss most of the entire 2020 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Since the injury, Cardinals cornerbacks Ken Crawley and BW Webb have signed.
Alford missed all of last season with a leg injury. The new guys apart, Arizona also has Chris Jones and Kevin Peterson as depth to play corner against Patrick Peterson. Byron Murphy, sophomore, could also get in line there, or play in the slot if the Cardinals find a suitable option on the perimeter.
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