The Cardinals may have found the veteran they were looking for to replace the injured Robert Alford in the lineup as the No.2 cornerback – and allow Byron Murphy to remain as the nickel cornerback where he is most comfortable.
The team signed Dre Kirkpatrick on Sunday to a one-year contract, the third cornerback signing in three days after Alford’s loss. To make room on the roster, Cardinals cornerback Duke Thomas has released.
“(Dre) has had some really good years in this league,” said defense coordinator Vance Joseph, who coached Kirkpatrick for two seasons in Cincinnati as the Bengals defensive back. “He’s excited about being here and he’s obviously familiar with our system, but some things have changed.
“We’ll see how it shakes out.”
Kirkpatrick started all six games he played for the Bengals last season, before coming on a reserved injury with a knee injury. He has started 67 of his 99 career games, with 10 interceptions over eight seasons.
Kirkpatrick was a one-time first-round pick for the Bengals in 2012, given a choice by Cincinnati when they traded future Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer to the Raiders. The Bengals cut him in March, and now he and Joseph are reunited.
“He was a coach of a player and I feel we need to have someone relatable at this level,” Kirkpatrick said of Joseph in 2018. “I will always miss Vance.”
