"On his first trip to his new home, Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes had no problem reading his keys.

"On the plane coming in, I was looking out the window and I said, 'I am not in New York any more,' " Rhodes said Monday. "I saw the desert, never seen that before."

After last season with the Jets, Rhodes needed a change. It came Saturday when the Cardinals traded a fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a seventh in next year's for Rhodes, who started for five years for the Jets.

The fifth year, however, was not a happy one. In the view of new coach Rex Ryan and his staff, Rhodes didn't play well and was benched in late November. Rhodes was out of the starting lineup for just two games, but it wasn't a surprise that the Jets dealt him after the season.

"Down the stretch with the Jets, it was a little rocky, so I knew the opportunity was probably going to be there," Rhodes said.

Wearing a new Cardinals-red sweater, Rhodes fielded several questions Monday about his relationship with the Jets, including one about how the coaches there viewed his interest in an acting career.

"Just get into it, then," a smiling Rhodes said in response to one question.

After the trade, Rhodes said he received a text message from Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson and later had messages from defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"Me and him together is going to be a nice, little thing," Rhodes said of Wilson.

A fourth-round pick out of Louisville, Rhodes entered the NFL in 2005 with the Jets, where he played for Donnie Henderson, then the defensive coordinator. The Cardinals hired Henderson as secondary coach last month.

"He has a great track record of being a good DB guy," Rhodes said. "It's going to fun to be with him and not be in a situation where I don't know anybody."

Rhodes is the first addition the Cardinals have made this off-season. They lost three starters Friday, trading receiver Anquan Boldin to the Ravens and losing linebacker Karlos Dansby (Dolphins) and safety Antrel Rolle (Giants). "