Eric Winston would ‘love’ to re-sign with Arizona Cardinals, looking for deal before draft
Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Eric Winston against the St. Louis Rams. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona Cardinals free agent offensive tackle Eric Winston was named the new president of the NFLPA in mid-March after being elected to the position, and it’s a job he definitely deserves. The well-spoken right tackle has been a solid player in this league for quite some time, and the 30-year-old veteran is generally regarded as a very intelligent person. Winston is an excellent NFLPA president, and he hasn’t shied away from speaking his mind in the past, as Kansas City Chiefs fans all remember his tirade against those booing for Matt Cassel (his comments created some controversy).
Winston was signed by the Cardinals last offseason, and he’s received very limited interest this offseason after a surprisingly subpar 2013 season.
According to the Arizona Republic’s Dan Bickley, Winston stated that he prefers to stay with the Cardinals and is hoping to find a team before draft day, “It doesn’t seem like anything is being done. I’d still love to come back to Arizona. I love the guys in the locker room, love the city, and I think the team will be really good with or without me. They’re ready to have a special run out there.
“At the same time, it is what it is. I’m looking to get on a team as soon as possible, hopefully before the draft.”
It will be interesting to see if Winston gets his wish, but I wouldn’t bet on it at this point. I would be shocked if there aren’t a few teams with interest, but he isn’t exactly a hot commodity right now in late March. He’ll likely get a modest, one-year deal with some incentives, and he should bounce back and be a quality starter in 2014. But will the Cardinals keep him around? I don’t see that happening after the Jared Veldheer signing, as the Cards aren’t going to give up on Bobby Massie at RT, especially after he outplayed Winston last year.