Category: Arizona Cardinals offseason

Should the Cardinals re-sign TE Zach Ertz?

Tight end Zach Ertz is set to become a free agent. He’s one the Cardinals cannot afford to lose.

The Cardinals were riding an undefeated high when they opted to double down in a trade that sent Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz to Phoenix. The team had lost the emerging Maxx Williams to a torn ACL in Week 5 and had a large void at the position.

While the loss of Williams was still felt in both the locker room and rushing attack, the arrival of Ertz took the passing game to new heights. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the core of quarterback Kyler Murray, receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and Ertz were hardly together on the field all at once.

In only eleven games played with the team, Ertz tied the franchise record for receptions by a tight end, cementing his name with the great Jackie Smith back in 1967. He also had 574 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

Ertz quickly became close with Kyler Murray and didn’t take long to thrive in the offense. He was instrumental when Colt McCoy had to step in without DeAndre Hopkins at his disposal. Quite frankly, the Cardinals have never had a tight end as good as Ertz since moving to Arizona.

The Cardinals sent a fifth-round pick and rookie cornerback Tay Gowan in exchange for Ertz, who was on an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in about two weeks’ time. With that in mind, should the Cardinals extend Ertz, even with many other pressing needs at hand?

The short, and only answer, is yes.

The tight end position has been neglected by the organization for a very long time. When Hopkins went down, Ertz was the only skill player to maintain his high level of play. Others faded while Ertz remained consistent.

Spotrac has Ertz’s estimated annual salary at $7.6 million. A few similar contracts are that of Kyle Rudolph (two years, $12 million) and Rob Gronkowski (one year, $8 million). His contract would be very affordable for the Cardinals and his impact goes far beyond the statistics he puts up on the field. He is a safety net for Kyler Murray when plays break down. There is no reason for the Cardinals to let him walk.

It’s worth noting that following the midseason trade for Markus Golden in 2020, Steve Keim opted to re-sign him just prior to the start of free agency. The Cardinals also placed the transition tag on 2019 midseason acquisition Kenyan Drake. Historically, Keim and company have been in the business of extending players they acquire in trades.

Ertz himself has been very adamant that he would like to remain in Arizona.  Cameron Cox of 12 News recently caught up with him, and the answer remained the same.

“I think I’ve made it very clear that I would like to be back in Arizona,” he said. “But at the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that are out of my control.”

Especially with incoming re-shuffle of the Cardinals’ skill position players, some stability would be very welcome for the 2022 season.

Re-sign Zach Ertz.

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CB J.C. Jackson must be the Cardinals’ top target in free agency

Impending Patriots free agent star J.C. Jackson has felt disrespected by the team in recent weeks. Could the Cardinals make a home run addition in the coming weeks?

Part of the Arizona Cardinals’ late-season collapse in the 2021 season came due to injuries in the defensive backfield. Cornerbacks Robert Alford and Marco Wilson missed significant time down the stretch, which tested an already thin room.

Cornerback was arguably the biggest concern for the team entering 2021, given the uncertainty in starting Wilson in his rookie year and the reliance on Byron Murphy to fill the No. 1 role.

Murphy had an up-and-down season as the team’s heir to Patrick Peterson. He allowed 731 yards receiving and five touchdowns, but did manage to snag four interceptions. Overall, it was a solid season given it was his first year moving to outside cornerback full time.

The Cardinals are almost certainly going to look to add a piece to the cornerback room in two weeks time. They should look no further than New England’s J.C. Jackson.

The Patriots’ hesitancy to pay Jackson two weeks out from him becoming an unrestricted free agent is baffling. A few months prior, they traded their perennial Pro-Bowler in Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers. Gilmore and the Patriots were having contract disputes, and it was assumed the move was made with sights set on an impending lucrative deal for their younger star corner in Jackson.

Jackson appeared on NBC Sports Boston and expressed his frustrations with the team’s lack of communication on his short and long term future. The Patriots have apparently not reached out regarding a contract extension. It also appears, at this time, he will not be receiving the franchise tag after playing last season on a second-round tender.

“I guess they feel like they don’t need me,” he told Phil Berry. “I guess I can’t be that important to them. I know I am, but they’re not showing me.”

Jackson has emerged as one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. He was selected to both the Pro-Bowl and AP second-team All-Pro in 2021. With eight interceptions last season and 25 in his career (only four seasons!), Jackson will rightfully be paid handsomely by someone, if not the Patriots.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson graded as the seventh-ranked cornerback among 116 qualified grades. He posted a 78.9 rating, a career-high.

The Patriots have historically been very cautious in giving out lucrative multi-year contracts, so it is certainly possible Jackson at least tests the open market. Is this something the Cardinals should consider, given the hefty price tag?

Steve Keim and the Cardinals executives must now navigate free agency with the inevitable extension for Kyler Murray. Handing out long-term deals to free agents is only going to get more difficult. Jackson, however, is an exception.

Free agency has been labeled fools gold by Keim in the past. This is certainly true in some cases, however there is very rarely a player of Jackson’s caliber that reaches the open market, particularly at his age.

This would get tricky, but it could be done. Spotrac has his market value at nearly $21 million per year, which would eclipse Jalen Ramsey as the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. That wouldn’t be shocking, given the high-bidding nature of the free agency. At the very least, the Cardinals should anticipate having to pay at least $17 million per year, similar to the contracts of Marshon Lattimore (19.5) and Tre’Davious White (17.2).

On top of the Murray extension, the Cardinals have a very long list of free agents to tend to. Paying Jackson his market salary would likely spell the end for the majority of the Cardinals’ free agents time with the team. With the impending loss of Chandler Jones, however, the Cardinals may find themselves able to pay another star defender $20 million per year, as they did with their franchise all-time sack leader for a time.

Adding a 26-year-old cornerback in his prime gives the Cardinals a young, elite secondary for the next few seasons. Pairing Jackson with Budda Baker, Byron Murphy and Jalen Thompson would be extraordinary.

The Super Bowl champions and NFC runner-ups are both in your division, each with elite wide receivers. Pay J.C. Jackson.

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Kyler Murray, agent put pressure on Cardinals for contract extension with statement

“Actions speak much louder than words in this volatile business.”

If you thought the drama with the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray was over, think again. Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, just ratcheted things up with a lengthy statement in which he put pressure on the Cardinals to get Murray signed to a long-term deal this offseason.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the statement on Twitter.

Through Burkhardt, Murray wishes to clearly communicate two things — one, that he wants to be the Cardinals’ long-term starting quarterback and, two, that he “desperately wants to win a Super Bowl.”

Burkhardt highlights Murray’s achievements and then emphasizes the need for the organization to commit to Murray for their long-term success and indicated the team was presented with a contract offer that lowered his cap hit for the next two seasons and still paid him commensurate to the quarterback market.

He paints the picture that there are two options — prioritize Murray or prioritize other areas while talking about wanting Murray long-term — and points out that promises about future contracts are often broken.

This is clearly a posturing move by Murray and Burkhardt. Quarterback contract extensions off of rookie deals almost always happen later in the offseason after free agency and the draft.

Between the early offseason “odd vibe” and now public pressure for a contract extension, this is panning out to be a very tough offseason for the Cardinals.

The contract issue will loom large until it happens, whether it is this year or next.

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Cardinals free agency countdown: WR Allen Robinson

The Cardinals are in need of help at wide receiver with the expected departure of A.J. Green and Christian Kirk. Could former Bears standout Allen Robinson fill the void?

Beginning on March 14th, NFL teams are permitted to speak to unrestricted free agents, with free agency officially beginning on the 16th. The Arizona Cardinals, coming off a disappointing playoff loss, have some work to do on the open market as well as internally.

General manager Steve Keim took a swing on former Cincinnati Bengals superstar A.J. Green in 2021. While Green flashed at times, particularly when utilized as the No. 2 receiver, it appears as if both parties will be moving on.

That, once again, leaves a hole at outside receiver for the Cardinals. It’s a position they’ve struggled to fill for years, so the team would be wise to search for a younger option that can provide stability for at least a couple of seasons.

Enter former Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson. The 28-year-old Pro Bowler had a rough season in 2021 under the crumbling Matt Nagy/Ryan Pace regime that also featured a developing rookie quarterback in Justin Fields. It’s a story that has seemingly plagued Robinson his entire career — not being able to reach his potential due to poor quarterback play questionable playcalling.

In Arizona, Robinson’s production would have the highest potential of any in his NFL career from a supporting cast standpoint. He would go from a quarterback carousel to Pro-Bowl stability in Kyler Murray, whom the Cardinals would be wise to surround with talent amidst their drama.

Robinson would face a ton of single coverage due to the threat of DeAndre Hopkins. He would likely bolster his receptions and play-making opportunities in Kliff Kingsbury’s quick passing game. Robinson’s ceiling is much higher than that of 33-year-old A.J. Green, who struggled at times last season.

Robinson has posted three 1,000-yard seasons since entering the league in 2014, with two of his years being hampered by injury. Aside from his rookie season, he has primarily operated as the No. 1 receiver.

Playing alongside former Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in two seasons, Robinson compiled 2,397 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns.

In 2021, however, the former Pro-Bowler only managed 410 receiving yards. He missed five games due to injury and was hampered in the contests he did suit up for. There was obvious discontent with the offensive gameplan coupled with the instability at quarterback, which he detailed in an interview with ESPN.

“Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, as I’m going through the season seeing some of these game plans…how I’m not really being involved and doing some of the things I’ve done in the past. For me, personally, it was very frustrating,” he said.

Could a team like the Cardinals be able to land the Pro-Bowler for below market value? His previous seasons give him credibility in contract negotiations, but his market remains unclear following the struggles surrounding him in 2021. Spotrac has his projected market value at $16 million per year, which seems unlikely at this point.

Would you like to see the Cardinals add Allen Robinson to pair with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins?

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NFL confirms Cardinals will host game in Mexico in 2022

The Cardinals will return to Mexico for the first time since 2005 for a game originally scheduled for 2020.

The Arizona Cardinals will be the host team for one of the NFL’s five international games in 2022. The league announced Monday the host teams for the three games in London, one in Munich and one in Mexico.

The Cardinals will be the home team in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. It was previously reported that the game will likely be in November.

Arizona was originally supposed to be the home team in a Mexico game in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to that being canceled. Due to continued concerns of the virus in 2021, the game was also not played there last season.

This year, everything lines up for it to happen.

State Farm Stadium will be the host site for Super Bowl LVII and, as part of getting to host the game, it required that the Cardinals give up one of their home games to be the home team in an international game.

It makes sense for the Cardinals to be the home team in Mexico, as the league has granted them home international marketing there.

The Cardinals played in Mexico in 2005 against the San Francisco 49ers, the first time the NFL had a regular-season game in the country.

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The Cardinals’ offseason needs at each position group

We run down each position group and what the Cardinals need to add this offseason.

Free agency in the NFL begins in two weeks as teams may begin to negotiate with players with expiring contracts all around the league on March 14. The Arizona Cardinals are expected to be active in free agency, trying to build a roster to compete for a title while quarterback Kyler Murray’s salary cap hit is still reasonably small.

They have a number of needs all over the roster.

Below, we will detail what specific needs they have in each position group.

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Rondale Moore’s projected use in 2022 impacts approach to WR position in free agency

The Cardinals’ free agent strategy at wide receiver will be impacted by how they intend on using Moore, their 2021 second-round draft pick.

The Arizona Cardinals are preparing for free agency, which begins March 14 with the contract negotiating window and then the league year begins March 16. The team is expected to be active in the free agent market at wide receiver because both A.J. Green and Christian Kirk will hit the open market if they are not given contract extensions before then.

If both players end up signing elsewhere, it leaves a hole on the outside at the ‘Z’ receiver position and in the slot.

But that is where second-year receiver Rondale Moore comes in.

Moore, who was drafted in the second round in 2021, was used as a gadget player and fourth receiver as a rookie. He had 54 receptions for 435 yards and almost all his touches right around the line of scrimmage. He has elite speed.

He is expected to see a significant increase in his usage in 2022.

The type of receiver or receivers the Cardinals end up targeting in free agency will be influenced by what role they see Moore playing.

If they project him as primarily a slot receiver, he could easily slide into the role that Kirk played, allowing Kirk to depart in free agency. They would then need to target someone who would primarily line up on the outside as the team’s ‘Z’.

That is what likely makes the most sense. Moore would then have the opportunity to run Kirk’s routes, which included many opportunities down the field. Kirk led the Cardinals with 77 catches and 982 receiving yards in 2021.

However, if the Cardinals see Moore as a player who could line up on the outside with two or three receivers on the field, then the Cardinals could try and re-sign Kirk or target another slot receiver.

With the emergence of Antoine Wesley last season, Moore could potentially be used on the outside in two and three-receiver sets and then in the slot when they go four wide, allowing Wesley to play outside opposite DeAndre Hopkins.

Once free agency begins and the Cardinals make an addition at receiver, we have a clearer picture as to how they plan on using Moore in 2022.

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Cardinals positional needs and preview: Offensive line

We take a look at the offensive line situation for the Cardinals as we look ahead to the offseason.

The Arizona Cardinals are in the offseason and are evaluating what to do to improve and address the roster in 2022 after an improved but still very disappointing 2021 season.

Over the next several days, we will look at each position group, how it did in 2021, who is on the roster moving forward and what the Cardinals need at the position moving forward.

We now look at the offensive line. We have already addressed quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end.

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Michael Bidwill would like Chandler Jones back, but ‘the devil is in the details’

The Cardinals have a big decision to make about Jones in free agency in March.

The Arizona Cardinals have a number of prominent names currently on their roster set to become free agents in March. One is outside linebacker Chandler Jones.

Jones turned 32 years old Sunday and had 10.5 sacks last season, although five came in Week 1.

He is considered one of the top defensive free agents available.

He still likely will command a large contract. It is uncertain whether the Cardinals will try to re-sign him, as they have let big-name defensive free agents walk in free agents in the past in their 30s, like Calais Campbell in 2017 and Patrick Peterson last offseason.

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said he would like Jones back but wouldn’t commit to it being a priority.

“I can tell you we love Chandler and would love to have him back,” he said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Friday. “The devil is in the details. I’ll leave that up to (general manager) Steve (Keim) and Chandler’s representative to work on, but we love Chandler, what he has done for us in the past and hopefully in the future as well.”

Jones made $15.5 million in salary last season. Top pass rushers get paid more than that. His projected market value, according to Spotrac, is $14.5 million per year.

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Cardinals anticipate increased role for WR Rondale Moore in 2nd year

Receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said on the Big Red Rage that Moore’s “route tree will grow leaps and bounds this year.”

The Arizona Cardinals were very excited when they selected wide receiver Rondale Moore in the second round of the NFL draft last year. His speed and tough running would unlock certain facets of the offense.

He looked electric early on in the season but his role became very limited as the season progressed. He got the ball behind, at or just beyond the line of scrimmage for most of the season, used as a gadget player.

As the team’s fourth wide receiver, that made sense.

However, entering his second season and with both A.J. Green and Christian Kirk are scheduled to become free agents.

Assuming they will not be able to re-sign both players, Moore becomes very important in 2022.

They expect him to be used much more next season and in a more traditional way for receivers, Cardinals wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson said on the Big Red Rage recently.

Moore should see more downfield targets.

“That’s one of things Rondale and I have discussed, growing his route tree, being able to put him outside a little bit more,” Jefferson said on the show, via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban. “His route tree will grow leaps and bounds this year.”

Many want to see him used the way the Kansas City Chiefs use dynamic receiver Tyreek Hill. Moore can do many of the things Hill does, although he might not produce at the same level.

Getting him outside from time to time opposite DeAndre Hopkins could make the offense scary next year.

In 2021, Moore finished with 54 receptions for 435 yards and a touchdown.

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