Arizona Cardinals sign cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick to 1-year deal
Aug 23, 2020, 12:26 PM | Updated: Sep 10, 2020, 2:17 pm
Dre Kirkpatrick #27 of the Cincinnati Bengals and B.W. 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)
(Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals are adding another player to the cornerback depth after losing Robert Alford to injury.
Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick has signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals at the veteran’s minimum, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
He visited the team Friday. Shortly after ESPN’s Field Yates reported the Cardinals were hosting him, Gambadoro tweeted that Kirkpatrick “is definitely the guy the Cards want.”
Drafted out of Alabama in the first round of the 2012 draft, Kirkpatrick played for the Cincinnati Bengals for the last eight seasons.
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He was most productive from the 2015 through 2017 seasons. Over those three years, Kirkpatrick had 40 passes defended, 171 total tackles, four interceptions, one forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a sack.
He played in only six games last year before going on IR with a hyperextended knee.
Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has experience working with Kirkpatrick from when 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 they released cornerback Duke Thomas.
Alford is expected to miss most or all of the 2020 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Since the injury, the Cardinals have signed cornerbacks Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb.
Alford already missed all of last season with a leg injury. The new guys aside, Arizona also has Chris Jones and Kevin Peterson as depth to play corner opposite Patrick Peterson. Second-year pro Byron Murphy could line up there, too, or play in the slot if the Cardinals find a suitable option out on the perimeter.
