Cardinals sign lineman Adam Snyder
Mar 14, 2012, 8:58 PM | Updated: Mar 15, 2012, 2:35 am
The Arizona Cardinals landed their first free agent of the
offseason, agreeing on a five-year contract with lineman
Adam Snyder.
Snyder, who spent his first seven NFL seasons in San
Francisco with the 49ers, has made starts at both guard and
tackle throughout his career.
Arizona was an attractive destination for Snyder for many reasons — including the opportunity to play alongside one of the game’s most potent offensive weapons.
“Just watching from the sideline, you can’t help but see the receivers and Larry Fitzgerald,” Snyder explained. “That guy arguably is one of the greatest to have played the game and he’s only getting better. So you can’t help but notice him.”
The 30-year-old’s versatility was likely a big selling point for the Cardinals, as the team may have to replace both tackles as well as upgrade at guard.
Snyder was the division rival 49ers’ starting right guard in 2011 and credits his success to the continuity of playing one position.
“I bounced around so much in San Francisco that I never really had a place to call home,” Snyder said. “So I got to play just right guard this last season and I think it paid dividends in the end.”
Snyder knows the Cardinals defense well, after playing against them for the past 7 years. The energy stemming from the players is an intangible he feels will benefit the team next season.
“When you have a defense like that, that is fired up to play the game, that’s only going to help the entire team,” Snyder said.
