Matt Paradis is a potential free agent fit for the Cardinals

With the possible retirement of Rodney Hudson, the Cardinals could look to the former Panthers center Matt Paradis.

The Arizona Cardinals’ offseason continues as the team is potentially going to lose three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson to retirement.

It’s a tough loss at this point in the offseason, but it seems as if the team knew about the potential retirement months ago. Had the Cardinals not traded the No. 23 overall pick in the trade for Hollywood Brown, they reportedly would have drafted center Tyler Linderbaum and also targeted center Cam Jurgens in the second round.

A potential option for the team is free agent center Matt Paradis, who was a splash free agent signing for the Carolina Panthers a few seasons ago.

The 32-year-old was an integral part of the 2015 Denver Broncos Super Bowl championship and spent four years with the team. He then signed a three-year, $29 million deal with Carolina.

Paradis posted a 66.9 PFF rating last season but suffered a torn ACL in week nine. He’s likely still on the market due to the recovery process from the injury but it’s plausible for him to return for Week 1.

Offensive line coach Sean Kugler coached Paradis when they were both with the Denver Broncos. Should he be healthy enough to play in the near future, bringing in a good veteran player with familiarity could help ease the loss of Hudson.

Left guard Justin Pugh took reps at center during minicamp, but moving him over would only create another hole. Bringing in a veteran center like Paradis would allow Pugh to remain in his natural position and solidify the left guard role.

The Cardinals cannot afford to not properly address the offensive line, particularly with the massive investment they are about to make in Kyler Murray. The division rival 49ers and Rams both have two of the league’s most dominant defensive lines, so keeping Murray clean will be crucial for their success.

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Cardinals, free agent center J.C. Tretter a perfect match

With the pending retirement of Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson, the Cardinals should pick up the phone and dial J.C. Tretter’s number.

The Arizona Cardinals are on their way to having another glaring hole on the roster.

Three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson could be set to retire, as he has not reported for any offseason activities, voluntary or mandatory. It would be a massive blow to the team. Not only are the Cardinals potentially losing a Pro Bowl talent and the anchor of their offensive line, but they’re doing so in June. It’s much harder to replace losses at this point in the offseason than in the spring.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, there is an option that could bail them out of this surprising an unfortunate situation. Former Browns and Packers center J.C. Tretter is one of the top free agents available and was an integral part of a dominant offensive line in Cleveland.

Tretter has dealt with various knee and ankle injuries that kept him out of practice, but was readily available for the Browns on game day. There are some concerns about his injuries contributing to him still being on the market, but if healthy, he is by far the best option.

During his time with both the Packers and Browns, Tretter was consistently available. He has started 16 games in every season since 2017. The Cardinals could use that reliability.

The 31-year-old posted a 78.7 overall PFF grade, meanwhile Rodney Hudson only had a 60.9. He signed a three-year deal with the Browns in 2019 with an average annual salary of just under $11 million. Hudson’s extension with the Cardinals last offseason was for approximately ten million.

Should Hudson retire, the Cardinals are expected to receive a decent amount of cap space depending on the manner of his departure. 

The Cardinals have nearly no long term money tied up. The extension for Murray will add to that, of course, but the team has the money to afford a proven, veteran center should they need to.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury recently said the team is about to make Kyler Murray the highest paid player in franchise history. That’s a foolish investment if he does not have a proper offensive line to keep him upright.

J.C. Tretter, should he be healthy, is a good veteran player who can mitigate the damage from Hudson’s potential retirement.

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Cardinals must make another splash move to mitigate offseason woes

The Arizona Cardinals have holes at a few key positions and have yet to address them.

The Arizona Cardinals and their fans were rightfully disappointed in how the 2021 season finished. A team that held the No. 1 seed in the NFL for the majority of the season collapsed against their division rival Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.

Fans were then hoping for another great offseason to put the team over the edge and take another step forward in 2022. The past two offseasons have been full of big-ticket moves and acquisitions that has turned the team into a playoff contender, with all credit due to general manager Steve Keim.

However, fans became frustrated and rather confused when the Cardinals were dead silent for the first week of free agency. There weren’t even any reports of the team having interest in any of the elite free agents, and one by one each found new teams.

Instead, fans were ‘treated’ to the absolute media disaster that was the Kyler Murray contract rumors. It seemed like Murray being traded was the primary topic of every sports talk show for a month.

The Cardinals then lost Pro Bowl pass rusher Chandler Jones in free agency. While many were in favor of parting ways, the team has since done nothing to replace him.

The main addition this offseason was adding former Ravens wideout Marquise Brown, which is lining up to be an excellent pairing with Kyler Murray. Kudos to the front office for making that move, especially with how the board was turning out in the first round.

Then, as things were finally looking up, they came crashing down about four days later following the news that DeAndre Hopkins would miss the first six games of the season following a PED suspension.

Now, the Cardinals and their fans are unsure if center Rodney Hudson will play another down for the team. Outside of the Hollywood Brown trade, it feels as if there haven’t been any positives for this Cardinals offseason.

The team must make another splash acquisition prior to the start of the regular season.

Perhaps it’s an edge rusher like Robert Quinn, who had 18.5 sacks last season and is rumored to be on the move from Chicago. Maybe it’s a player we haven’t even considered to be an option, but they need to be something.

Fans are frustrated, particularly given how the season ended and how other teams have continued to be aggressive in the offseason while the Cardinals have sat back.

The Cardinals did nothing in free agency. They’ve insisted they are looking to remain aggressive throughout the entirety of the offseason, but have yet to act on that statement.

Adding another premier player would do wonders for the team and their commitment to win towards both the players and the fans.

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Free agent DT Ndamukong Suh to continue playing, rules out return to Buccaneers

With Ndamukong Suh set to move on from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, should the Cardinals be interested?

Free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is still a free agent after spending the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Suh was an integral part of the team’s success and particularly their Super Bowl run in 2020, but it does not appear he will be returning to South Florida.

The 35-year-old appeared on ESPN Monday morning to discuss his future, where he spoke of his desire to continue playing with someone else.

“It looks like the Bucs are out of the picture,” he said, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Cardinals are a team that should be interested in Suh’s services, even at his age. Vance Joseph’s defense has struggled against the run in recent years and Suh could only help. It remains unclear what sort of contract he would demand at this point in his career.

General manager Steve Keim has made a number of late offseason additions that ended up being key contributors. Suh is a player that could add to that list, as he was still impactful with the Bucs last year.

Suh played under Vance Joseph in 2016 when he was the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. There should be a level of familiarity there where Suh can come in and have an immediate impact.

Last season, Suh played in all 17 games for the Bucs and accumulated 6 sacks and 13 QB hits. He also had seven tackles for loss. It’s quite evident he can still play and perhaps the best attribute is his consistent availability, something the Cardinals have struggled with along the defensive line.

Could Ndamukong Suh be another patented “Keim Time” signing?

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5 offseason winners for the Cardinals

Who are some of the winners of this offseason based on the moves the Cardinals made?

It has been an up-and-down offseason for the Arizona Cardinals to this point. They made a splash move by acquiring former Ravens receiver Marquise Brown to pair with the already explosive passing offense. Outside of that, however, the team has done little to replace the free agents that departed.

There are always winners and losers of every offseason. Front office moves can directly help or hinder a player on the roster.

Let’s take a look at the winners of this offseason for Arizona.

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Cardinals DC Vance Joseph not mentioned in PFF’s top defensive playcallers list

Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was left out of PFF’s list of top defensive playcallers.

Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was initially scrutinized by fans after the team had an abysmal defense in 2019. Part of this was due to scheme issues, but more so a lack of talent on that side of the ball.

Since then, Joseph’s defense has continuously improved until at one point last season, they were easily a top-five unit in the league. When the Cardinals had a healthy J.J. Watt paired with Chandler Jones up front, the team was elite at taking the ball away.

Pro Football Focus released their top defensive playcallers in the NFL and Joseph did not make the cut.

Joseph is highly regarded in the league circles as he received serious head coach considerations by the Miami Dolphins prior to hiring Mike McDaniel. When healthy last season, his defense was one of the best. Still, he did not make the list.

Those included in this list included Leslie Frazier, Dan Quinn, Dennis Allen, Raheem Morris, Josh Boyer and Joe Berry.

Part of the defensive improvement since Joseph’s hiring is certainly the improved personnel. This year, however, the defense lost a few key pieces and the front office has yet to replace them. Joseph’s ability to maintain continuity without the likes of Chandler Jones, Jordan Hicks and potentially Robert Alford.

Joseph’s main criticism from some fans has been his lack of using the team’s previous two first-round selections during their rookie years, those being linebackers Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons. In last year’s playoff game against the Rams, both were seemingly limited in playing time.

The Cardinals are going to need Joseph to help replicate the successes from last season, possibly without a No. 1 edge rusher and other question marks on the roster.

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RB David Johnson appears open to returning to the Cardinals

Former Cardinals All-Pro running back David Johnson alluded to being open to rejoining the team.

David Johnson was once the star of the Arizona Cardinals offense and one of the most electrifying players in the NFL. Currently unsigned, Johnson appears to be open to returning to Arizona.

Johnson spent time at New Orleans Saints minicamp this week on a tryout but ultimately did not reach an agreement on a deal. He took to Twitter to announce the news and suggested that he may be open to returning to the Cardinals.

Johnson emerged in 2015 as a rookie when the team’s starting backs suffered injuries. He never gave the starting role back and helped the team hit a franchise record 13 wins and a trip to the NFC Championship. In that infamous blowout loss to the Panthers, Johnson was the only player who had a playoff-worthy performance.

The next season, Johnson had one of the best statistical seasons of anyone in franchise history. He had a whopping 2,118 yards from scrimmage and had the chance to reach 1,000 yards receiving and rushing if he didn’t suffer an injury in the final game of the season. With 16 rushing touchdowns and four receiving, Johnson was the heartbeat of the Cardinals offense.

Johnson would ultimately be traded in the blockbuster deal for DeAndre Hopkins in 2020. He spent the last two seasons on a pair of awful Texans teams and never regained his status.

The Cardinals inked their lead back in James Conner to a three-year contract extension in March. They added former Chief Darrell Williams, who figures to serve as the team’s No. 2 back and act as a receiving threat.

Prior to adding Williams, this would have seemed like a reasonable pairing with Johnson. If the team feels the need to add another back, however, why not look to the former All-Pro?

Johnson excelled as a receiving threat with the Cardinals but also displayed that ability with the Texans. In his final year with the Cards in 2019, he had plenty of highlight-worthy plays in the passing game.

Fans would certainly be thrilled to see No. 31 back in a Cardinals uniform Perhaps we could see it come true in the future.

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Cardinals have 3rd-best D-Line in the NFC West, per PFF

Pro Football Focus was not particularly kind to the Cardinals’ front seven following the loss of Chandler Jones in free agency.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive line is filled with question marks at multiple positions. Out of all 32 NFL teams, they did not grade out particularly well. They were ranked as the 27th best defensive line in the league.

Take a look at how the Cardinals’ front seven stacks up against their division rivals in the NFC West.

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Cardinals D-line has ‘question marks at multiple positions’ per PFF

Pro Football Focus ranked the Cardinals as the 27th best defensive line in the NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals’ defensive front was one of the team’s biggest strengths during the first half of the 2021 season. Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt and Markus Golden were all playing at a high level.

Flash forward to 2022. Chandler Jones is currently in Las Vegas playing for the Raiders. J.J. Watt and Markus Golden remain but the team has yet to find a veteran replacement for losing the team’s All-time leader in sacks.

In their tiers ranking all 32 defensive lines in the NFL, Pro Football Focus ranked their unit 27th in the league. They were in the tier of “question marks at multiple positions.”

The Cardinals are asking two rookies — Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders — to replace Chandler Jones‘ production on the edge. That’s no easy task. Jones recorded a PFF pass-rushing grade above 84.0 in four of his six seasons with the Cardinals. J.J. Watt is still in the fold as an impact player up front, as his 18.3% pass-rush win rate when healthy last season ranked fifth among all interior defensive linemen with at least 100 pass-rushing snaps, but staying healthy has been the issue for Watt as he enters his 12th NFL season.

They aren’t wrong that the team is asking a ton out of two third-round rookies to replicate the production from Jones. Perhaps they will make a big move at the position before the start of the regular season, but they have given no indication at doing that yet.

With an extremely young cornerback and inside linebacker room, they would greatly benefit from doing so.

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Zach Ertz says Kyler Murray is the most talented player he’s ever been around

Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz was very complimentary of his quarterback earlier this week.

When the Arizona Cardinals acquired three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz from the Philadelphia Eagles last October, they had their best offense in years. They had a complete arsenal of three wide receivers, a Pro Bowl running back, a solid offensive line and then a great tight end.

One of the reasons Ertz loved the idea of coming to Arizona was their quarterback, Kyler Murray. At the time, he was the leading MVP candidate and was playing elite football. Ertz also saw Murray have one of his better games of the 2020 season when the Eagles traveled to the desert.

Appearing on the Dave Pasch podcast, Ertz reiterated his faith in his quarterback’s ability. Pasch asked how Murray was similar and/or different to the quarterbacks Ertz has played with in the past.

“Kyler is the most talented player I’ve ever been around, period,” he said. “There is nothing he cannot do on a football field. He can be like Lamar Jackson and take off for 100-plus yards a game or, in my opinion, he can sit in the pocket and not even worry about his legs.”

One of the most encouraging aspects to Murray’s play in year three was his improvement in the passing game, particularly in the middle of the field. For the first few months, his running ability was what it should be – a luxury.

That’s exactly how Ertz described Murray’s game from last season.

“In his ideal situation, he doesn’t leave the pocket,” he said. “For me, as a pass catcher, I love playing with a quarterback like that. He just wants to play on time, in rhythm and he wants to get the ball out of his hands and to his guys.

“But he knows that he has the luxury if the play is breaking down, he can take off. For me, Kyler is the most talented player I’ve ever been around.”

He did mention Andrew Luck, his college quarterback, to be the best pure quarterback he’s ever been around in his experience, but mentioned Kyler has the potential to get to that point. Luck, who retired extraordinarily early a few seasons ago, was one of the game’s best.

The Cardinals signed Zach Ertz to a three-year extension after he tied the franchise’s record for receptions by a tight end in only 11 games. He did not play with the team until week seven.

It’s safe to say that record is in huge danger of being broken again.

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