By all accounts, aside from the failed attempt to land Peyton Manning, the Arizona Cardinals have had a very quiet offseason. They released and re-signed tackle Levi Brown, they signed guard Adam Snyder and fortified their defensive secondary with safety James Sanders and cornerback William Gay.
You wouldn't call that a stellar free agent class.
It does what the team needs, and they did not expect to make wholesale changes after a very busy offseason before the 2011 season with free agency.
SB Nation NFL reviewed the Cardinals offseason so far and looked at the free agent acquisitions of Arizona. According to the review, William Gay has been the biggest addition to the team.
Their best move was a under-the-radar deal with Steelers cornerback William Gay. He gives a young group of cornerbacks some experience, and he has a shot to start opposite Peterson.
Most do not believe that he will start and that his best work comes playing inside as a nickel corner. However, with the loss of Richard Marshall to the Miami Dolphins, Gay also provides some flexibility because he has the ability to play some safety.
When all is said and done after the 2012 season, while Gay's signing will have an impact on the defense because of his experience, not only in the league, but also playing in the same defensive scheme in Pittsburgh. However, at the end of the day, the return of tackle Levi Brown will, if he is as effective as he was in the second half of the 2011 season, prove to have been the most important move in free agency.
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