Johnathan Joseph Solidifying Cornerback Depth For Cardinals

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As a 15-year veteran, Johnathan Joseph has personally witnessed the ever-increasing reliance on cornerbacks in the NFL.


The 36-year-old was signed to be the Cardinals' fourth cornerback in mid-November, which used to mean a spot on the bench unless someone got hurt. But in the pass-happy nature of the present-day NFL, even dime cornerbacks can have a regular role depending on the opponent.


"If you look at my first game here with the Cardinals (against the Bills), I can sum it up that way," Joseph said. "I was the fourth cornerback and I probably got around 15 snaps in that game, maybe. (Actually 22). When I first got drafted in 2006 (by the Bengals), I was the nickelback. If you were a nickelback back then, you were only getting about 15-to-20 snaps as a third corner in a full game. Nowadays, if you're the nickelback, on most teams you're considered the starter because you're playing 85 to 90% of the game."


Cornerback depth is one of the most important facets on defense, because a weak link can easily be exposed by opposing quarterbacks. The Cardinals felt it against the Dolphins, when starters Byron Murphy Jr. and Dre Kirkpatrick were out.


After cycling through several other options, General Manager Steve Keim seems to have found a dependable reserve in Joseph, who was released by the Titans after Week 8.


In 40 snaps over three games, Joseph has only allowed one catch for one yard on three targets, according to Pro Football Focus. He also made a nice tackle on a 3rd-and-3 jet sweep by the Patriots near the goal-line on Sunday, forcing a fourth down.


"He has such wisdom, and he's played at a high level for so long," coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "You saw the impact he had in the game. When he's in there, he tends to make plays. That was a great addition."


While Murphy, Kirkpatrick and Patrick Peterson are the starters on defense, Kingsbury appreciates the depth Joseph provides in the secondary.


"It's more of an '11' personnel game these days, so you've got to be able to cover three really good players each and every play," Kingsbury said. "You can never have enough good corners out there, that's for sure."

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