The Arizona Cardinals have refocused their attention on a new-look offense next season under first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Arizona selected quarterback Kyler Murray first overall in April’s draft and have since worked to bolster the group of weapons he has around him.
Even after their selection of Murray, the Cards added receivers Andy Isabella, Keesean Johnson and Hakeem Butler in later rounds. Now, they’ve gone into what’s left of the free agency market to add another capable pass-catcher. The team announced Wednesday that they have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with free-agent wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Crabtree, 31, had worked out for the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium two weeks ago, but the two sides did not come to an agreement. As the regular season approaches, talks ramped up. General Manager Steve Keim swapped out veterans, releasing Kevin White earlier Wednesday before bringing Crabtree aboard.
Even with the Cardinals releasing Kevin White to bring Michael Crabtree aboard, there’s still no guarantee the veteran wideout makes the final roster. While there’s not much top-end talent outside the aging Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona features a deep receiving corps with plenty of competition. Still, keeping someone like Crabtree around could be invaluable to that offense.
Crabtree played last season with the Baltimore Ravens and proved he was still capable of holding down a serviceable role within a team’s offense. Crabtree tallied 54 receptions for 607 yards and three touchdowns last season before he was cut by the Ravens in February.
Even though he’s now on the wrong side of 30, Crabtree has shown in the past he can make some big plays when called upon. Though his best season with the 49ers is now seven years in the rearview, Crabtree put together another 1,000-yard campaign as a member of the Oakland Raiders just three seasons ago in 2016. The Cardinals are hoping the veteran can add value to what many expect to be a prolific offense next season under a couple of new faces in Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury.
