Tag: Arizona Cardinals free agency

Cardinals could reunite with Ravens DL Calais Campbell

Could the Cardinals re-unite with one of their former icons in Calais Campbell?

There is one player remaining in the NFL from the Arizona Cardinals’ incredible Super Bowl run during the 2008 season, which feels like an eternity ago.

Calais Campbell, a rookie for that team led by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, announced he will be returning for his 15th NFL season. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

Campbell was with the Cardinals until 2017, where he was not re-signed in free agency and went to Jacksonville, where he helped create the iconic ‘Sacksonville’ defense. He has since become a favorite amongst the Baltimore Ravens, his team the past two seasons.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has spoke highly of Campbell, but with only a few days to go until free agents can negotiate with other teams, the Cardinals will likely be able to make their pitch.

The Cardinals have signed aging defensive lineman and pass rushers before. They did so with Dwight Freeney and Terrell Suggs, both of which were within a year of retirement. Campbell would be a fantastic addition for the locker room, run defense and for public relations. The fans in Glendale always loved Calais.

Two years ago, Campbell signed a two-year, $25 million dollar deal with the Ravens. It would be surprising if he inked the same annual salary this offseason, but his continued high-level play will net him a nice payday.

Rush defense, particularly during the second half of the season, was a crutch for the Cardinals. While Campbell certainly wouldn’t be a long-term solution, he is still a valuable rotational player and is worth double that as a leader.

In his career, Campbell has never played less than 12 games. He has steadily been available for each of his three teams, something the Cardinals would greatly benefit from. When healthy, however, a fully-loaded interior front would feature Campbell, J.J. Watt and Zach Allen. Perhaps the Cardinals would consider adding to that list in the first round of the draft. Keim has long sought his long-term answer at defensive tackle (most recently Derrick Brown in 2020) and having Campbell aboard would do wonders for a rookie.

Campbell is still a good player. He’s beloved by the community. He never wanted to leave the team in 2017, and would fit the model of a leader of men that the front office sought last offseason. What’s not to like?

The Cardinals should absolutely give Campbell a call.

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Best remaining players to complete Cardinals’ 2021 roster

After a solid wave of talent in the NFL Draft, the Cardinals are still looking to upgrade their roster in the league’s top division.

The highly anticipated NFL Draft is behind us with the Arizona Cardinals having added many quality players at positions of need. Still, for the team to reach their postseason goals, there are some remaining holes on the roster.

As of right now, the Cards have around $15 million in cap space to use before draft pick signings. They still have contracts to redo or terminate, such as those of receiver Andy Isabella and linebacker Devon Kennard. There is money to work with, particularly at a (hopefully) discounted free agent class this late into the offseason.

Here are some of the top options at Arizona’s on-paper positions of need that could be available this summer.


Rodney Hudson trade gives Cardinals one of the NFL’s elite O-lines

One of the biggest offseason acquisitions for the Cardinals was center Rodney Hudson, who figures to give the Cardinals one of the league’s most formidable offensive lines.

The Arizona Cardinals have had an offseason full of mixed emotions. To this point, they’ve had an excellent incoming free agent class, highlighted by J.J. Watt, A.J. Green and Matt Prater. With these exciting acquisitions, however, came the departure of franchise icon Patrick Peterson, who chose to leave Arizona in favor of the Minnesota Vikings. The team also parted ways with standout edge rusher Haason Reddick, who signed a one-year deal with Carolina.

Historically, Arizona hasn’t been one of the more talked about teams in the sports media world, but that has changed since the Cardinals’ recent bold and exciting moves since drafting quarterback Kyler Murray No. 1 overall.

The Cardinals made a trade this offseason, one that won’t be talked about and get all the media attention like some of the team’s recent moves have had. That mostly has to do with the position. Make no mistake, however, center Rodney Hudson’s arrival to the desert gives the Cardinals an elite offensive line for the first time in years.

There is a very strong argument for Rodney Hudson being the best center in the NFL. It’s hard to name someone better. At age 31, he should have quite a few years left in the most important seasons for protecting his young quarterback, Kyler Murray.

The Cardinals suffered from poor center play in 2020, which put extra stress on guards Justin Pugh and Justin Murray. The acquisition of Hudson should allow both guards to be better in 2021. Hudson will also be tasked with making calls along the offensive line, which should make everyone better.

On paper, this Cardinals offensive line looks legit. D.J. Humphries, a Pro Bowl snub last season, has quietly emerged as one of the NFL’s premier left tackles. Humphries was dominant, allowing only 12 pressures in the final 12 games and one sack on the season. He had an overall PFF grade above 90.

Justin Pugh, who has been brought up in trade/cut conversations, appears to be staying put in the valley. General Manager Steve Keim recently expressed his admiration of the 2018 big-ticket free agent acquisition, stating he believed 2020 was Pugh’s best year as a Cardinal. He struggled with penalties, but only allowed one sack on the season. Pugh’s game should take another step forward next to Rodney Hudson.

Longtime left tackle Kelvin Beachum made the switch to right tackle for offensive line coach Sean Kugler last season, surprising many with his standout performance. He was a late offseason acquisition who took over the starting job immediately. The Cardinals rewarded Beachum with a two-year contract, solidifying the right tackle position moving forward.

The point here is the Cards had solid to great contributions from their returning 2020 starters. Adding Hudson to that mix subsequently fills the team’s biggest offensive hole from last season and gives the whole group a standout veteran presence.

The best offensive lines in the NFL all have a standout center. It just so happens the Cardinals added quite possibly the best in the game at that position. The addition of Rodney Hudson appears to be paving the way for an elite offensive line for Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury.

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Should the Cardinals reunite with WR John Brown?

The Buffalo Bills released WR John Brown on Wednesday, prompting many to wonder if he could return to the Arizona Cardinals, where he was drafted.

With the start of the legal tampering period just a few days away, teams across the NFL are making veteran cuts and contract restructures to stay under the cap. This year, there have been some big-name cuts of talented players that likely wouldn’t be happening in a regular off-season.

One of those cuts is former Arizona Cardinal wideout John Brown, who was released by the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday.

Since departing from the valley, Brown has played three seasons (one for Baltimore, two for Buffalo) and accumulated 2,233 receiving yards, 147 receptions and 14 touchdowns. His best season was in 2019 in Buffalo prior to the acquisition of Stefon Diggs, where he received a high volume of targets. That season was his second 1,000-yard season, the other being with the Cardinals in 2015.

Needless to say, Brown is still a very productive player in the league and would make Kliff Kingsbury’s offense much better.

Brown will be 31 at the start of the 2021 season after dealing with some injuries last season. He missed seven regular-season games and was hurt in his return to Arizona in the ‘Hail Murray’ thriller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1PV0xjS0gY

Cardinals fans remember the speedy wideout’s successful tenure in Arizona. With wide receiver being a position of need, could Brown return to the valley?

Adding John Brown to the existing receiving corps would give the Cards a deep threat on the perimeter, opening up more intermediate routes for DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk. He likely wouldn’t command a huge salary, which is helpful in this limited cap year for all teams.

There are some complications, however. Brown has sickle-cell trait that reportedly grew worse during his time in Arizona. He also was frustrated by how his situation was handled. Former head coach Bruce Arians first spoke of the issue during the 2016 season, and Brown didn’t quite have the same impact since. It’s possible there was some tension there, but with Arians in Tampa, perhaps Brown would consider a reunion, health permitting.

With wide receiver being a need for the team, it’s possible John Brown returns to Arizona.

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Will the Cardinals have the NFL’s best pass rush in 2021?

NFL Superstar J.J. Watt shocked the football world Monday morning with an announcement that he will be joining the Arizona Cardinals. Here’s what it means for the team.

It was always going to be this way for the Arizona Cardinals this year. The Cardinals front office was planning on a big-name acquisition in attempt to push the team over the top, and to prevent jobs from being lost.

At the closure of the 2020 NFL season in Tampa, we had no idea that would be the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, J.J. Watt.

Watt was granted a release from the Texans last month. Speculation grew rampant about his next destination- from Pittsburgh to Green Bay. None included the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, the Cardinals weren’t even available to place a bet as Watt’s next team on many gambling sites.

As the national headlines highlighted more teams like the Browns and the Bills, a very small circle became aware of Watt’s serious interest in Arizona. But, even then, almost everyone thought he’d choose elsewhere.

J.J. Watt is now an Arizona Cardinal. He is one of this generation’s best football players and role models off the field. As stated by FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd, Watt is one of the few defensive players with a brand. Everyone knows who J.J. Watt is.

Watt’s impact will go far beyond the football field for the Cardinals, but that is the focus of today. His arrival to an Arizona defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in sacks, without All-Pro Chandler Jones, poses a legitimate question.

Will the Arizona Cardinals have the NFL’s best pass rush in 2021?

The Cardinals’ sack totals without Chandler Jones were impressive, but the two largest contributors from that group will be free agents in two weeks. Haason Reddick and Markus Golden performed admirably last season, and it’s almost certain both won’t return. One, however, is very much possible.

Reddick had a fantastic season after being ridiculed for subpar play at a position that wasn’t even his own. The Cards had been playing a natural edge rusher at inside linebacker for years.

Totaling 12.5 sacks, Reddick stepped in admirably for the injured Chandler Jones. His time at inside linebacker showed when defensive coordinator Vance Joseph would drop him into coverage on exotic blitz packages. He is a candidate for the franchise tag or a long-term extension at the right number.

Golden, on the other hand, only had three sacks, but his pressures were evident. He would be cheaper than Reddick, which could be an option for the team if they fail to reach a long-term extension.

Either way, both players are held in high regards by the Cardinals and their fans. Sadly, both of them returning does not appear to be in the plans.

With that said, the Cardinals lose an edge rusher, but gain J.J. Watt. Watt only had five sacks in 2020, but was a constant force in disrupting plays and shutting down the run. ESPN stats state Watt was double-teamed on 30% of snaps last year, as he was evidently Houston’s only star on the defensive side of the ball.

If an opposing team chooses to do that in 2021, they free up arguably the NFL’s best edge rusher in Chandler Jones, either Haason Reddick or Markus Golden, and Jordan Phillips in the interior. That is less than ideal.

Well, if they double-team Jones, that frees up Watt. There is no favorable matchup for offenses here. You had just better hope your offensive line can each win 1-on-1 for 60 minutes against some of the NFL’s elite pass rushers.

J.J. Watt is a massive addition for a young Cardinals team that struggled late in 2020. He will make an immediate impact on the field in a familiar Vance Joseph scheme, and will become one of the biggest faces in Arizona sports. It could also pave the way for one of the best, if not the best, pass rushes in the NFL.

Welcome to Arizona, J.J.

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