CARDINALS CORNER
Cardinals agree to terms with CB Antonio Hamilton, 2 more
Mar 21, 2023, 1:49 PM | Updated: 2:01 pm
Arizona Cardinals CB Antonio Hamilton (Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)
(Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)
The Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms on one-year deals with cornerback Antonio Hamilton and defensive lineman L.J. Collier, the team announced Tuesday.
Additionally, defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter signed his one-year tender to return to Arizona.
Hamilton returns to the desert after playing in 10 games last season (five starts). He recorded one interception, five passes defensed and 44 tackles.
He was projected as a starter alongside Byron Murphy ahead of the regular season, but a freak cooking accident that severely burned Hamilton’s feet led to him starting the year on injured reserve.
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The cornerback was originally signed to the Cardinals’ practice squad in 2021 before eventually getting promoted to the active roster. He ended up playing in 17 games for Arizona that season (two starts), registering four passes defensed and 38 tackles, one of which was for a loss.
Given Murphy’s departure to Minnesota on top of a thin cornerbacks room that includes Marco Wilson and Christian Matthew, Hamilton figures to at the very least be in the mix for starter reps this season.
Collier, a 2019 first-round draft pick, joins Arizona after spending the past four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
In eight games played last season, Collier recorded seven tackles, one of which was for a loss. He added two passes defensed and a QB hit.
The lineman’s one full season in 2020 was his best as a pro behind three sacks, 22 tackles, two passes defensed and seven QB hits. He also registered four tackles for loss.
Ledbetter returns to the Cardinals after appearing in 14 games (three starts) in 2022.
The lineman first joined Arizona in 2021. He spent most of his time on the practice squad but did play in one game.
Collier and Ledbetter provide more bodies to a DL room that has seen some serious change this offseason.
On top of J.J. Watt’s retirement, the Cardinals watched as Zach Allen headed to Denver this free agency.
Between the two, Watt and Allen accounted for 18 of the team’s 36 sacks in 2022.
Collier and Ledbetter join a room that includes Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence.
