Will Antonio Cromartie re-sign with Arizona Cardinals?

This past season, the Arizona Cardinals looked to have a real shot at being a team to not only host the Super Bowl, but to also play in it. Injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton ultimately kept them from reaching the big game, but a strong defense was a major contributor to keeping them competitive without a quarterback.

Now with the offseason beginning the Cardinals do have a few things to address. One of those issues is trying to re-sign cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who was an important part of the Cardinals’ defense.

Cromartie was brought in as a free agent last season from the New York Jets on a reasonable one-year deal worth $3.5 million as a hip injury made him a bit of a question mark heading into the 2014 season. Cromartie earned every penny of that with the Cardinals. He totaled 40 tackles, three interceptions, 12 passes defended, and one fumble recovery.

All told, 2014 was certainly a good one for Cromartie. He ranked as the Cardinals’ best cornerback by Pro Football Focus, which is saying a lot on a team that has Patrick Peterson, one of the top corners in the NFL (and certainly paid like it). Cromartie was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time and during his time in Glendale he was asked about his possible return to the Cardinals.

“I would like to, but like I’ve said before, I’m always going to keep the door open,” he said. “And that’s just me. I’m going into my 10th year, coming up this year, and I want to make sure I keep my options open not only for me, but also for my family and make sure that it’s understandable for them and it’s reasonable for the family.”

The Cardinals’ defense has already suffered one big hit this offseason. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was hired by the New York Jets to become their head coach next season after turning the Cardinals into one of the best defenses in the NFL.

Cromartie was a far better cornerback under Bowles than in 2013, which was a year that he was also hampered by a hip injury. Under Bowles, Cromartie allowed five less touchdown passes and almost 200 less yards through the air. He was a nice fit with the Cardinals.

The Jets will once again have a lot of cap space this offseason, and they will also need to get some cornerback to help their secondary that was one of the worst in football. With a new regime leading New York, Bowles could very well be reuniting with Bowles and the Jets in 2015.

There is a very real possibility that Cromartie could be heading elsewhere. As we documented, 2014 was a good year for him and one that should be able to land him a multi-year deal. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has done a good job with finding players like Cromartie at low prices and taking a shot with them.

He very well may be doing that to replace Cromartie if the Cardinals opt not to bring back the veteran defender.

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