Sean Murphy-Bunting Can Revitalize Career With Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals locked down a starting CB with an early free agency signing.

ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort needed to address the cornerback position this offseason after the secondary ended the 2023 season ranked 23rd in the league for passing yards allowed and 30th in points allowed. 

Ossenfort took a step toward solidifying the position group by signing former Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to a 3-year, $25.5 million deal with $17.39 million guaranteed. 

Solid Play in Tampa Bay

Murphy-Bunting was drafted out of Central Michigan by the Buccaneers with the 39th selection of the 2019 NFL Draft. 

He had an impactful rookie season recording 44 tackles, 1 sack, 8 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 interception return TD, and a forced fumble. 

He saw a significant snap count increase in his sophomore season and was once again a solid contributor for the Tampa Bay defense during the regular season. 

It was this season, during Tampa Bay's 2020 Super Bowl run, that Murphy-Bunting really stood out as a potential future star. 

In the Wild Card round, he intercepted Washington QB Taylor Heinicke in the Buccaneers' 31-23 win. Drew Brees gave him another pick in his squad's 30-20 win over the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round. He continued the trend with yet another interception against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a 31-26 win to advance to the Super Bowl. 

This impressive playoff run made him the first player since Hall of Fame DB Ed Reed to secure an interception in each of his first three career playoff games. 

Unfortunately, the last two seasons of Murphy-Bunting's rookie deal in Tampa Bay were marred by an elbow injury in 2021 and generally decreased usage. 

He did, however, post his best PFF ratings in 2021 with 76.6 defensive and 80.9 coverage grades. 

Murphy-Bunting let his rookie deal with the Buccaneers run out and signed with the Tennessee Titans on a 1-year, $3.5 million prove-it-deal. 

At the time, he explained that his decision to move on stemmed from his desire to play outside corner rather than in the slot. Tampa Bay had just dropped money on Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean and the writing was on the wall that he would need to find a new home to play the style of ball he felt fit him best. 

Talking to NFL Sirius XM, Murphy-Bunting explained:

“I wanted to go somewhere where I could play outside corner. Obviously, I played inside and outside in my career in Tampa, and I was doing, you know, what the team needed and what was best for what we needed as a team. But now I’m at a point where I kind of wanted to play outside and kind of make my name on the outside, and that’s what I feel like I’ve been best at my entire career.”

Time in Tennessee

It is a respectable move when a player bets on themself and Murphy-Bunting's time with the Titans was characterized by solid, if not completely inspiring play. 

The Titans secondary as a whole in 2023 was uninspiring with Murphy-Bunting's supporting cast consisting of Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary, Anthony Kendall, and Elijah Molden. 

Still, Murphy-Bunting put together a respectable stat line of 57 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, and a passer rating allowed of 91.9 in 14 starts. 

Murphy-Bunting to the Desert

A free agent yet again, Murphy-Bunting signed early in the free agency period with the Arizona Cardinals. 

As mentioned above, the Cardinals have holes to fill in the secondary and currently it seems like Murphy-Bunting will be slotted in on the outside, just like he wants, opposite either veteran Antonio Hamilton or another player not yet on the roster. 

He undoubtedly represents an upgrade at the position over what the Cardinals were working with in 2023, and he is eager to show the team, and the league at large, that he is capable of holding down one side of the field. 

Speaking to reporters at his introductory press conference, Murphy-Bunting explained he feels "comfortable on both" the slot and the outside, "but I love being on the outside." 

He continued: 

"I love being able to press a guy. I love being able to put my hands on guys, being physical, disrupting timing. I love making plays on the ball, whether that's intercepting a ball, whether that's forcing fumbles. Regardless, my job is to get the ball back to our offense. I just try to do that in every single aspect that I can regardless of if I gotta make a run fit and support the run, try to punch the ball out that way. Or if it's a pass breakup, or if it's an interception, I'm always trying to attack the ball. And that's just the kind of guy that they're bringing in."

Beyond his playing abilities, Murphy-Bunting is also confident that he bring experience and leadership to a room with a lot of young players like second-years Garrett Williams and Kei'Trel Clark. 

"Really just being a leader, right? You have to know how to lead. You can lead in many different ways and having younger guys, certain things that you can kind of tell them or talk to them about. I can talk to them about the highs and lows of my career so far. Being a starting corner, being a player that's coming off the bench, being a Super Bowl champion, being a team that's three and whatever. But it's just lessons, man.

"It's really just embracing the fact that I am the vet and embracing what I have been through. Embracing just the type of player that I am, the person that I am. And that's one thing that's never really changed about me is always attacking the days and always attacking opportunities at full throttle and just being myself. Being humble, being able to help guys and being able to pull guys along who may need it. Adjusting to how guys react to certain situations."

In a great show of his character, Murphy-Bunting also made it clear that he appreciates the show of faith from the Cardinals offering him a multi-year deal with a good amount of guaranteed money, $17.9 million, to be exact. 

"When I was upstairs talking to the coaches and everything and going over what they expect from me and what they see in me - it really just is crazy... They see something in me that I see in myself. It adds up. It resonates with me so well because everything that they preach and everything that they value - I have, and that I do.

"I'm looking forward to just being a piece that they can use and utilize in every way and really help me reach my ceiling because that's the ultimate goal. A guy that you can rely on and say, 'he's going to handle that side of the field and we're okay there'. And that's just what it's going to be. Coming in, I work hard, I show up every day."

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has a long history of working with defensive backs and getting the most out of them. Although there were several bigger names available on the free agent market, it seems that Gannon and Ossenfort are in agreement that Murphy-Bunting represents the type of player they want in the organization. 

Your effort changes your identity in everything you do.

— Sean Murphy-Bunting (@seanbunting_) March 17, 2024

It seems that Murphy-Bunting has the requisite talent level, and possibly more importantly, the high character to be a great fit with the rebuilt Cardinals. 

At the least, he represents a significant upgrade over 2023 at a premium position and he brings a veteran presence and championship mentality (don't forget he is Super Bowl champion) to a position group in desperate need of reinforcement and guidance.