Getty Josh Jacobs #28 of the Las Vegas Raiders rushes with the ball against Darqueze Dennard #34 of the Atlanta Falcons.
Former Atlanta Falcons veteran cornerback, Darqueze Dennard, agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, June 3, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Cardinals signed veteran CB Darqueze Dennard to a one-year deal.
The Falcons snagged Dennard from the Jaguars last offseason after he originally agreed to a three-year, $13.5 million contract that would pay him $6 million guaranteed. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, the two parties couldn’t come to a contract agreement.
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Dennard is a Former First-Round Pick
Dennard was originally drafted by the Bengals in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
He started 24 games in Cincy where he recorded 3 interceptions, 22 pass deflections, and 3 sacks over the course of his career. In a total of 77 games as a Bengal, Dennard had 274 combine tackles.
Through eight games last season, Dennard recorded 36 tackles (28 solo), five passes defended and one interception. Dennard looked promising, but a hamstring injury kept him sidelined during Weeks 4-8. He was then deactivated for the final three games of the season.
In seven years of the NFL and 85 games, Dennard has recorded 310 tackles, four interceptions, three sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception return for a touchdown.
Dennard is joined by 2021 fourth-rounder Marco Wilson and sixth-rounder Tay Gowan, free agent Malcolm Butler, Byron Murphy, and Robert Alford on the Cardinals’ CB depth chart.
With his strong intelligence and quick speed, Dennard can play inside or outside. To make up for his loss on the roster, the Atlanta Falcons signed cornerback Fabian Moreau in free agency and two more in the draft.
The Falcons Cornerback Depth Outlook
The Falcons’ mandatory minicamp kicks off next week, along with the player competitions for starting roles.
As far as cornerbacks go, the Falcons are likely looking at A.J. Terrell (starter) and Isaiah Oliver on the inside again while Kendall Sheffield (starter) and Moreau are set to battle it out on the opposite side. The Falcons also drafted two corners this year in fourth-round Darren Hall and fifth-rounder Avery Williams.
The only stable CB the Falcons have right now is in Terrell. Sheffield is coming off an injury-plagued season and Moreau is coming off a career-low in Washington.
Depending on how everything plays out during camp, we could see Oliver shifting to the other side of Terrell, which pushes Sheffield and everyone back down the chart. New Falcons
secondary coach Jon Hoke has been asking Oliver to “do multiple things” during OTAs (organized team activities) this week.
As for Oliver, he doesn’t have a preference on which side he ends up with but believes he will be ready for both.
“I like both,” Oliver said via the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “So, kind of whatever fits best within the team I’m all for it. Whether that be inside or outside. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter to me.”
Coach Hoke and company will face a tough task this offseason getting the secondary back on track after the Falcons gave up 293.6 yards passing per game last season, which ranked last in the league.
And if the entire defense can turn around in one season, this Falcons team could be en route to being a playoff contender.
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