Cardinals nab free agent safety Holt

[RamsFan4ever]

Tempe, AZ -- The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has signed free agent safety Terrence Holt to a five-year contract. In accordance with club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Holt (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) started 15 games last season for the Detroit Lions at free safety and collected a career-high 76 tackles (51 solos), three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The younger brother of St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt, Terrence started 10 games in 2005, his first season as the full-time starter at free safety, until an elbow injury forced him to injured reserve. In those 10 starts, Holt collected 44 tackles (34 solos), two interceptions and six passes defensed.

Originally a fifth-round selection by the Lions in the 2003 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State (No. 137 overall), Holt has appeared in 53 games with 27 starts in his career, collecting 170 tackles (117 solos), 12 passes defensed, eight interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The 27-year-old Gibsonville, N.C., native is a former teammate of Cardinals Pro Bowl strong safety Adrian Wilson at N.C. State.

"When we did our free-agency ratings we had him rated as the best safety," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We never thought we had an opportunity to get him, so we feel very fortunate we got this deal worked out.

"To have an opportunity to get him is something we feel very good about. He's a proven starter in the league so you know you're getting quality from that standpoint. The thing I like about him is that he's big and physical. He fits in to the mentality we want to establish."

[Revelstoke]

Adds a little more spice to the rivalry with the brothers facing off twice a year.

If nothing else, it'll make for good story lines!

[laram0]

Adds a little more spice to the rivalry with the brothers facing off twice a year.

If nothing else, it'll make for good story lines!

Surprised Torry didn't campaign to get him over to us. We just signed a safety. I guess a player has to know Linehan.

[Nick]

Surprised Torry didn't campaign to get him over to us. We just signed a safety. I guess a player has to know Linehan.

...except to my knowledge Johnson has no connection to Linehan.

Holt probably wanted to remain a starter, which we weren't looking for in free agency.

[laram0]

...except to my knowledge Johnson has no connection to Linehan.

Holt probably wanted to remain a starter, which we weren't looking for in free agency.

Allright, so you blew a hole in my theory. Hope you're happy now.

I won't cry though. There's no crying in football!

[JRoc]

Holt is a decent but not great safety. Who else do the Cards have at the position? Is he an upgrade on what's already there?