BLUE 1,026 Posted July 25, 2013 Per Rotoworld.com: Profootballtalk.com reports the Cardinals are "closing in" on a one-year deal with free agent RT Eric Winston.Mike Florio adds that the deal could be completed within "the next 24 hours." The Cardinals' tackles were shoddy at best last season, and there have been recent reports that LT Levi Brown's play in the spring left a lot to be desired. Incumbent right tackle Bobby Massie has taken some reps on the left side this summer, and a Winston signing may be a way of putting Brown on notice. Jul 24 - 8:33 PM Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FartWaffles 1,857 Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) It makes sense giving the mediocrity of Arizona's o-line. Honestly I'm surprised he lasted this long in free agency. Winston is a very solid right tackle, though I'm guessing his original asking price was more than his "projected value" that GMs placed on him. He was on Sports Radio 610 this evening talking about his situation and said that he refused to play for the vet minimum, so it's going to be interesting to see if perhaps he caved in. Regardless this will be a good signing for Arizona if it goes through. I know Carson Palmer will really appreciate it! Edited July 25, 2013 by FartWaffles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KempBolt 498 Posted July 25, 2013 It makes sense giving the mediocrity of Arizona's o-line. Honestly I'm surprised he lasted this long in free agency. Winston is a very solid right tackle, though I'm guessing his original asking price was more than his "projected value" that GMs placed on him. He was on Sports Radio 610 this evening talking about his situation and said that he refused to play for the vet minimum, so it's going to be interesting to see if perhaps he caved in. Regardless this will be a good signing for Arizona if it goes through. I know Carson Palmer will really appreciate it! I'm not so sure- though Massie was a better pass protector than Winston down the stretch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FartWaffles 1,857 Posted July 25, 2013 I'm not so sure- though Massie was a better pass protector than Winston down the stretch. He may be a better pass protector, but it's about fielding the best unit as a whole for Arizona's atrocious o-line. Massie has potential to play LT or kick inside at Guard which would be good for the Cardinals, because Winston is pretty much limited to solely playing RT. Winston will give up the occasional sack that can be maddening to watch, but he's a grinder and still a very solid option at RT. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted July 25, 2013 Cardinals agreed to terms with RT Eric Winston on a one-year contract. The top offensive tackle left on the street is finally off the board. Although the 29-year-old Winston has been released in each of the last two offseasons, he brings 103 NFL starts to the table and was a top-nine right tackle in Pro Football Focus' grades last year. He'll start at right tackle, allowing Bobby Massie to move inside to right guard. Nate Potter will enter a camp duel with consistently disappointing Levi Brown for the starting left tackle job. The Cardinals' offensive line is still a bottom-five unit, but they got better by adding Winston. Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KempBolt 498 Posted July 25, 2013 He may be a better pass protector, but it's about fielding the best unit as a whole for Arizona's atrocious o-line. Massie has potential to play LT or kick inside at Guard which would be good for the Cardinals, because Winston is pretty much limited to solely playing RT. Winston will give up the occasional sack that can be maddening to watch, but he's a grinder and still a very solid option at RT. Maybe it will all be for the best moving Massie inside, but I hate to see a guy moved who played so well at his current position down the stretch. I just don't think Winston is a good fit for them. He's a better run blocker than pass protector and he's always been a predominantly zone guy. Arians is pass happy and runs the power. I can see Winston turning into a sieve if they try to have Palmer drop back 35+ times/game. But then again I have little to no confidence in anything Arians does. During the Chargers' coaching search, I would have nightmares that we hired him and wake up in cold sweats. It was awful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
East495 55 Posted July 26, 2013 This is a great pick-up for the Cards. And the thing I like about Winston is that he isn’t injury prone, has played nearly every game since entering the league...he'll provide some needed stability on that o-line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
