Personnel kept Drew Stanton with Arizona Cardinals

It’s no secret — quarterback is a very in-demand position in the National Football League.

It’s the most important job in the sport, but there is a dearth of star-level talent, meaning a good number of the league’s 32 teams are still searching for a long-term option to run their offenses.

That fact might have created an opportunity for Drew Stanton. The career backup, who has started only 12 games in his eight-year pro career, instead opted to sign back with the Arizona Cardinals, inking a two-year deal in March, even though other teams did express interest.

“I think there are so many positives with this organization and the direction that it’s headed. I wanted to be a part of it,” Stanton told Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday. “There was other opportunities, but this felt like a good place and a place I wanted to continue my career for a multitude of reasons, outside of football and inside of football.

“My family loves it here. We love being part of this community that has embraced us. And really the team has had a successful season each and every year, kind of getting to that next level. And obviously we’re all aware of what that next level would be this year if we can attain that.”

The 2016 Cardinals are rare in the fact that every player who gained a yard on offense last season is back. And considering Arizona had the top-ranked offense in the league, that’s a very attractive lure for a quarterback, even one who is in a backup role.

Personnel was the biggest reason Stanton is back in the desert.

“We can multiple, we can be whatever we want to be, that’s why it’s so exciting,” he said. “And (Coach Bruce Arians) isn’t going to handcuff himself. He’s going to look at a weekly report of what teams are going to do. I remember a couple of times last year we went into games and teams didn’t even get into dime package, they wouldn’t get enough corners on the field, so we were like ‘You know what, we’re going with five wide receivers.’

“We have that luxury of having such great personnel in and out that we can do these things that most teams don’t have the ability to do.”

Veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald is coming off a season in which he had a career-high in receptions. Michael Floyd was one of the league’s most productive receivers in the second half of 2015, amassing 636 yards over his last eight games. The speedy John Brown and J.J. Nelson should take big steps forward this year. And the Cardinals boast the best crop of running backs they’ve had since moving to the Valley in 1988 with David Johnson, Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington.

“That was the biggest deciding factor. You look at who’s around you, and that’s exciting,” Stanton said. “Then you look at the offensive line that we’ve put together during (GM Steve Keim’s) tenure here.”

Follow @Vincemarotta