Category: Arizona Cardinals offseason

Answering the top offseason questions for the Cardinals

Cards Wire staff gives their takes on the biggest questions of the offseason.

The Arizona Cardinals have an extraordinarily important offseason ahead of them. They have a large chunk of salary cap space for the first time in a few years. They’ll have to capitalize on the right free agents and how to handle allocating those resources.

Today we will be answering some of the burning questions surrounding the Arizona Cardinals.

What position is the most important for the Cardinals to target in free agency?

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Alex Sutton:

Outside of an incredible Defensive Player of the Year campaign by OLB Chandler Jones, the Cardinals defense just didn’t have the personnel to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. Getting someone to line up opposite Jones is paramount for the Cardinals. Finding another top-tier edge rusher would take pressure off Jones, potentially allowing him to be even more dominant. More consistent pressure would also help the young Cardinals secondary as they look to take the next step in year two. Options there include Markus Golden (NYG), Bud Dupree (PIT), and Matthew Judon (BAL).

Jess Root:

While another edge rusher would be good and I expect the, to address outside linebacker, they absolutely have to add another inside linebacker. The defensive line issues they had were mostly the result of injuries. They need to add talent there, but the most important position is next to Jordan Hicks. It won’t come cheaply, though. Corey Littleton and Joe Schobert are possibilities.

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RB Kenyan Drake appears set on testing free agent waters

GM Steve Keim spoke about not knowing what the market will be for Drake.

The Arizona Cardinals’ biggest free agent next month will be running back Kenyan Drake. They already re-signed receiver Larry Fitzgerald and left tackle D.J. Humphries.

The Cardinals would like to bring him back and have not been shy about it.

However, Drake doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to re-sign.

General manager Steve Keim said at the NFL combine that Drake is “certainly a guy we’d like to have back, but (we’re) not sure what the market is going to do.”

The Cardinals can re-sign Drake before teams can begin to contact him on March 16, but seems unlikely to happen.

Keim would not speak about the market if Drake wasn’t set on seeing what sort of offer he can command in free agency once he is able to negotiate with any team.

There is a rumor he is seeking big money — $8-$10 million per year. The Cardinals almost certainly won’t pay him that much, especially with David Johnson still on the roster.

Of course, this could work out for the Cardinals. Drake and his representation likely already know the contract number the Cardinals are willing to pay or wish to pay him. If Drake doesn’t get a significantly better offer, he very well could return.

However, it seems clear that there won’t be anything new to know until after free agency begins.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 259

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Ep. 258

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Dolphins, Lions off list of possible Cardinals opponents in Mexico City game

The Dolphins host a game in London and the Lions are simply not on the table, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.

The Arizona Cardinals announced they will be the home team in a game in Mexico City this coming season. The date of the game and the team’s opponent was not announced.

However, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss, two teams will not be options.

One is the Detroit Lions and the other is the Miami Dolphins.

Miami will play in London, eliminating them as a potential opponent in Mexico. Detroit, according to Weinfuss, is not that team.

That leaves the Cardinals’ three NFC West rivals — the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks — and then the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills as possible opponents.

Considering the geography, one of the two California teams makes sense, and the fact that the Cardinals and 49ers already played there once and were just in the Super Bowl, it would make the logical choice.

The NFL will release its full 2020 schedule sometime in April.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 259

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Ep. 258

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Cardinals announce 2020 home game in Mexico City

The previously reported story was confirmed by the team and the league on Friday.

The Arizona Cardinals and National Football League announced something previously reported. The Cardinals will play one of their home games in 2020 in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

The announcement confirms an earlier report from ESPN nearly a month ago.

Because Glendale will host the Super Bowl in three years, one of the new requirements is that the team whose city hosts a Super Bowl must give up a home game to host an international game.

“Two years ago when the NFL awarded Super Bowl LVII to Arizona and State Farm Stadium, we understood the requirement of hosting an international game before 2023,” said Cardinals Chairman and President Michael Bidwill in the team’s press release. “We are thrilled to learn that this game will take place at Estadio Azteca where we received such an enthusiastic reception in 2005. We are extremely grateful for the support we receive from fans in Mexico and look forward to an incredible experience.”

This will not be the Cardinals’ first trip to Mexico City. This year’s game, against a yet unknown opponent, comes 15 years after they made NFL history by playing the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL’s first regular-season game held outside the United States. In 2005, the Cards earned a 31-14 win over the 49ers at Estadio Azteca in front of a then-record crowd of 103,467.

Estadio Azteca has hosted three NFL games in the last four seasons. Last November, the Kansas City Chiefs earned a 24-17 victory over the Chargers there on Monday Night Football last season. Estadio Azteca also hosted the Patriots-Raiders in 2017 and Texans-Raiders in 2016. The Cardinals will join the Raiders as the only teams to have played multiple regular-season games at Estadio Azteca.

Who will be the Cardinals’ opponent in Mexico? They have home games against the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions.

The full NFL schedule will be announced sometime in April.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 259

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Ep. 258

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Report: Chiefs to use franchise tag on potential free agent target Chris Jones

The Cardinals will not even have the opportunity to try and sign one of the best defensive linemen in the league.

The Arizona Cardinals want to beef up their defensive line in the offseason and probably will look to free agency to do so, at least in part. The best free agent scheduled to hit the market is the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones.

He will command a huge salary but there probably isn’t a better player available.

However, it doesn’t appear he will even get to free agency. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs will use the franchise tag on Jones, which will take him off the market.

Teams can begin to use the franchise or transition tags beginning today (Thursday).

The Chiefs want to sign him to a long-term deal, but the tag will ensure he returns for at least one more season. He will be paid an estimated $15.5 million salary if he plays under the tag and doesn’t agree to a new contract before July 15.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 259

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Ep. 258

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Pending free agent Max Garcia declares knee in great shape

He is pain-free for the first time since he tore his ACL midway through the 2018 season.

One of the Arizona Cardinals’ many pending free agents is veteran offensive lineman Max Garcia. He signed with the team a year ago while rehabbing a torn ACL and didn’t even spent time on the active roster until November, when he was activated off the physically unable to perform list.

He appeared in the final seven games of the season, getting snaps only on special teams. He was the backup interior lineman for each of those games.

Now he hits free agency again and this time he is completely healthy. He declared on social media that his knee feels better than it has since he tore his ACL halfway through the 2018 season with the Denver Broncos.

He shared that he is pain-free when he walks, runs and dances.

It is unknown whether or not the Cardinals want to bring Garcia back. He has spent multiple years with Sean Kugler, Arizona’s offensive line coach, who also coached him in Denver.

The Cardinals could bring him back as a veteran backup. He can play all three interior positions on the offensive line and has been a starter over multiple seasons. He would give the Cardinals solid depth and he has the experience to step in and start if someone gets hurt.

He earned $1.5 million last year in salary and a signing bonus and another more than $218,000 in roster bonuses for the seven games he was active.

The Cardinals, if they want him back, likely could have him back at roughly the same contract unless he wants to go somewhere and start.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 259

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Ep. 258

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Kliff Kingsbury thought he would be fired after abysmal 1st half in Week 1

He called the first half of Week 1 a “complete dIsaster.”

The Arizona Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury to be their head coach in 2019 largely because he was considered an offensive genius. He was supposed to fix the historically bad offense the Cardinals had the previous season.

They had fired their previous head coach, Steve Wilks, after one season.

When the Cardinals opened the 2019 season with an awful first-half performance against the Detroit Lions, Kingsbury actually thought he wouldn’t last the first month of the season.

“I’m not exaggerating. I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe I just bought that house. I’m going to be here two games and they’re going to fire me,'” he said on the Ryen Rusillo podcast. “It was as bad as I had ever seen. We couldn’t get a yard.”

The Cardinals had only 53 yards of offense in the first half and rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, had completed only 6-of-16 passes for 41 yards and an interception.

“We couldn’t complete a pass and every pass was knocked down and I told everyone he doesn’t have passes batted down,” recalled Kingsbury, who defended Kyler Murray’s short stature by noting how he only had five balls batted down the entire season he started for Oklahoma.

“That was about the highest anxiety I’ve ever had on a sideline just because anything we tried was a complete disaster,” he said.

He also was worried about general manager Steve Keim, who was coming off a rough year. He hired a college coach with no NFL experience after firing a head coach after only one season and after having had off-the-field issues.

“That was a rough 30 minutes,” Kingsbury said. “I just kept thinking about poor Steve in the press box with the owner probably wanting to jump off the balcony. Luckily, it worked out.”

He worried about his job and also his home.

“I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I spent that much on a house,'” he said. “I’m screwed on this deal because this is going to be a short stay and I don’t know what we’re going to do. It was just a disaster.”

The Cardinals turned it around in the second half and rallied to tie the game, took the lead in overtime and the game ended in a tie. The Cardinals finished 5-10-1 and the offense was vastly improved.

He survived the Week 1 disaster and he proved he belongs in the league. It seems funny now, but it had to be an awful feeling to live through.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 259

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Ep. 258

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Cardinals offseason positional outlook: Safeties

A look back at 2019 and ahead at the offseason questions the Cardinals have at safety and what could be coming at the position.

We have nearly reached the end of our offseason positional reviews. Now we look at the group of safeties, which was believed to be a strength, then was a liability and then developed again into a strength.

We will go over what happened in 2019, address offseason questions and discuss what is coming at the position in 2020.

2019 review

(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

When the season began, safety was supposed to be a position of strength. With Budda Baker and veteran D.J. Swearinger, it was supposed to be enough to help weather the issues at cornerback with Patrick Peterson’s suspension and Robert Alford’s broken leg.

Swearinger’s play completely fell off. He was cut after four games it was so bad. That left rookies Deionte Thompson and Jalen Thompson to play.

They split time until Jalen eventually became an every-down player and looks like he could be a starter moving forward.

Baker earned a Pro Bowl starter berth after leading the NFL in solo tackles.

By the end of the season, it was the defense’s best position group.

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Cardinals offseason positional outlook: Cornerback

A look back at 2019 and what could happen in 2020 at the position.

Things did not go as expected for the Arizona Cardinals at cornerback. They hope things improve without a lot of change in 2020. In our offseason series looking at each position group, this is our focus today.

We will look back at 2019, see who remains on the roster and answer the offseason questions there might be.

2019 review

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerback was supposed to be a position of strength in 2019. They signed Robert Alford to pair him with Patrick Peterson. They signed a capable veteran in Tramaine Brock and drafted Byron Murphy.

Then things went wrong. Peterson was suspended for the first six games. He came back and struggled for two months. Alford broke his leg in training camp and never played. Brock and Murphy were forced into the No. 1 and No. 2 roles and did about as well as they could.

But ultimately, the Cardinals had one of the league’s worst pass defenses — they were terrifically bad.

Peterson played the worst of his career until December and then returned to be what he has normally been. Murphy struggled as a rookie. Brock was eventually released.

However, there might not be much change in 2020.

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DT Marcell Dareus expected to become free agent as Jaguars won’t pick up option

The former All-Pro could be someone the Cardinals look into as free agency begins next month.

The Arizona Cardinals are expected to be active in free agency next month and plan on adding defensive linemen to a group that underperformed and was hit by injuries. A big name is expected to become a free agent, as the Jacksonville Jaguars are not expected to pick up a contract option.

Big defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is not expected to have his contract option picked up for 2020, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins.

The report comes originally from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Jaguars have until Tuesday to pick up the option.

It is no surprise. Dareus, who will turn 30 years old in a few days, was due a $10 million roster bonus was due to make $9.5 million in salary. The move saves the Jags nearly $20 million against the salary cap.

Dareus is a former Pro Bowler and All-Pro but only played in six games in 2019 before suffering a severe core injury that landed him on injured reserve. He had only 13 tackles and half a sack in 2019.

He has had as many as 10 sacks in a season and is known as a good run defender but his age and recent injuries will likely scare some teams away.

If he is now healthy, he could become a target for the Cardinals, who could be intrigued with his high ceiling of production and leadership. He probably will not command a big contract, but because the Cardinals suffered so many injuries on the defensive line a season ago, they might want to stay away.

Either way, the move does simply add another talented interior defender to the market, which should help the Cardinals upgrade that part of the defense.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 258

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Ep. 257

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