Minnesota DE Danielle Hunter is rumored to be on the move in the coming days. The Cardinals should absolutely be interested.
On the first official day of the new league year, the Arizona Cardinals had to say goodbye to their all-time leader in sacks, Chandler Jones. The four-time Pro Bowler signed a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, averaging about $17 million per season. The Cardinals were never going to pay that salary.
With the loss of Jones, the Cardinals have a massive hole on defense. While he wasn’t putting up the numbers he typically did, opposing offenses still had to gameplan around him. As the roster stands now, Vance Joseph’s defense is severely lacking in pass rush. How can the Cardinals solve that issue?
Danielle Hunter, currently of the Minnesota Vikings, is the subject of trade talks as he carries a $26 million cap hit this season. He has an $18 million roster bonus coming due this coming Sunday, so there’s certainly a deadline for the Vikings to either move him or restructure his contract.
It’s been a frustrating couple of seasons for Hunter. He has played in just seven games since 2019, missing the entire 2020 season and the second half of last season. Perhaps that’s why he’s potentially on the move, but his talent still warrants a phone call from the Cardinals. Prior to the past two seasons, Hunter has been reliable, playing at least 14 games in each year since 2015. Despite the concerns, Hunter is still just 27 years old and could be a long term answer at the position, similar to the acquisition of Chandler Jones back in 2016.
When he’s healthy, Hunter’s ability is without question. In 2018 and 2019, he registered 14.5 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl. In the seven games he played last season, he registered six sacks.
General manager Steve Keim has not shied away from making blockbuster trades at positions of need, particularly for players around the age range of Hunter. DeAndre Hopkins and Chandler Jones were both in their late 20s when they were traded to Arizona. Given the vast need at the position, could we see Keim pull the trigger again?
It certainly doesn’t help the Cardinals’ case that they play in the NFC. The Vikings would certainly prefer to send Hunter out of the conference, as both Minnesota and Arizona have the potential to face one another in the postseason and will face each other in 2022 in the regular season. Keim and company may have to be the highest bidder.
It’s been quiet for the Cardinals so far this offseason, despite their pressing needs at edge rusher and wide receiver. Adding Hunter to pair with J.J. Watt and Markus Golden would give the Cardinals their best pass rush in years.
Projected Trade:
The Cardinals receive: DE Danielle Hunter
The Vikings receive: 2022 second-round pick
The Cardinals restructure Hunter’s contract to reduce what would be a $19.4 million cap hit in 2022.
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 case you ever feel sorry for yourself, here's a list of Allen Robinson's No. 1 QBs since his sophomore breakout at Penn State.
– 2012: Matt McGloin – 2013: Christian Hackenburg – 2014-16: Blake Bortles – 2017: Torn ACL – 2018-19: Mitchell Trubisky – 2020: Nick Foles (so far)
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?
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.
With the Cardinals needing another receiving threat, Kenny Golladay is the perfect fit.
With the Super Bowl behind us, the offseason rumor mill is back in business. For the Arizona Cardinals, the next month is quite possibly the most important for the immediate future of the franchise.
It is all but written that the Cardinals front office will go all-out this offseason. General manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury find themselves in a make or break year. Whether the moves are smart or not, we’ll likely see the Cards go for it all in attempts to become a contender in 2021.
Going into last season, many argued the Cardinals had the best wide receiver corps in the NFL. What a valid argument it appeared to be, given the arrival of superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins to complement Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk. Now, it can be argued that wide receiver is one of the team’s most pressing needs.
Regardless of the imminent decision of Larry Fitzgerald’s future, the Cards need another star at receiver. Luckily for Keim and the front office, this free agent class is one of the best in recent memory.
Enter Kenny Golladay of the Detroit Lions.
Golladay has quietly put on a fantastic resumé with the Lions, one that has gone under the radar with Detroit’s lack of success. In 2019, he appeared to blossom into a true No. 1 receiver, with nearly 1,200 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. This year, however, he hardly played due to injury(it remains to be seen whether or not this was a business decision with the Lions being out of playoff contention early). When he did play, however, it truly made a difference for the Lions. Ironically, one of his only games played was against the Cardinals, which resulted in a win for Detroit.
In a 5-10 season for the Lions, they were 3-1 in games Kenny Golladay played.
Golladay would give Kyler Murray and the Cardinals another tall, dominant outside receiver, making it extraordinarily difficult on opposing defenses. Last season, the reality surrounding the Cardinals offense is they were only great when DeAndre Hopkins was great. Hopkins can’t always do it all; opposing defenses eventually have enough and create an entire gameplan around him. Defenses in 2020 did not have much else to worry about in terms of Arizona’s receivers, putting all their chips into stopping Hopkins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NybpuRUMLq4
Kenny Golladay would give the Cardinals another receiving threat and draw away some attention from Nuk, making him even more dangerous. It would also move Christian Kirk down a spot in the depth chart, potentially allowing him to have a breakout season. Larry Fitzgerald, should he return, would still have playing time against team’s fourth defensive backs. The Cardinals will still, at his age, will take that matchup.
The Lions’ standout receiver has expressed his desire to stay in Michigan, but nothing is set in stone, particularly with the new regime and an apparent rebuild forthcoming.
“I want to be here,” Golladay told ABC Detroit.
“I like the city. Like what’s going on. They drafted me here, so I just want to show my loyalty. They believed in me and say, if a contract doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. I’ll go somewhere else and just ball out and play. But, like I said, I’m a loyal person. Of course I want to be here.”
Should Golladay hit the market, the Cardinals will have to open owner Michael Bidwill’s personal pocketbook for him. He’ll command top dollar despite the reduced cap situation. There’s a chance, however, that his price goes down a bit due to the number of talented receiver options this year.
The Arizona Cardinals will have many options on who to select with the eighth overall pick come April. The best pick would be CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma.
The Arizona Cardinals may not have the level of draft speculation that they had a year ago with the 2019 first overall pick, but this year’s incoming class has generated tons of hype for the fanbase.
The Cardinals, sitting at pick No. 8, have a few pressing needs to fill this offseason. Lucky for them, many of their positions of need are available to them in a loaded free agency and draft class.
As fans are aware, the team will be upgrading the following positions this offseason: outside linebacker, inside linebacker, wide receiver, interior defensive line, and right tackle.
Debates about the best use of the 8th overall pick are already running wild, despite the fact that free agency hasn’t even started.
The Cardinals have been most heavily linked to offensive talent, as the team appears motivated to surround their Offensive Rookie of the Year-winning quarterback, Kyler Murray, with as many playmakers as possible.
There are valid arguments for many of the top prospects in this year’s draft class. The team could very much use a right tackle to solidify the protection for Murray. There are two great receivers likely available to the Cardinals, so there is a large part of the fanbase advocating for one of the two. The Cardinals could also address their porous 2019 defense. While top defensive players like Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah and Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons are likely to be gone by the eighth pick, there are still others like Auburn defensive Derrick Brown.
While there are many great players that would make the Cardinals a better ball club, one stands out amongst the rest as a dream scenario for the front office, head coach, quarterback, and fanbase.
Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb is the best fit for the Arizona Cardinals organization.
A glaring need in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense:
CeeDee Lamb brings the physical presence at receiver on the outside that Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is missing. Kingsbury undoubtedly wants a star receiver this offseason, as his offense struggled at times without one.
Lamb’s incredible college football career netted 3,292 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns in three years. His 807 receiving yards as a freshman broke the University of Oklahoma record for a freshman receiver. I imagine that qualifies as a star receiver, no?
Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray are rightfully praised for their major contributions in turning the Cardinals offense into a formidable unit in 2019. However, throughout all this hype for their potential in 2020, many fans seem to forget how the team mightily struggled in the red zone at times. That is one of the areas in which CeeDee Lamb helps this team in 2020 and beyond. Having a dominant outside receiver in the red zone does wonders for an offense, and even if the ball isn’t going Lamb’s way on a particular play, his presence alone draws defenders to him, giving other players a better chance to make a play.
The Cardinals relied on a potent rushing attack in 2019, highlighted by Kenyan Drake, David Johnson and the constant threat of Kyler Murray’s running ability. At times when the running game was shut down, the rest of the offense did so as well. Take the first matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, for example. Their dominant defensive line kept the Cardinal running game contained, and the team suffered their worst loss of the season.
Perhaps the most telling need for another receiver is this: There were only four instances throughout the entire 2019 season where a Cardinals receiver eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark(Larry Fitzgerald vs DET, BAL & Christian Kirk vs BAL, TB). While Kirk is expected to take another step forward next season, the numbers illustrate a missing component to this offense. That missing link is a dominant outside receiver, which is a void that could be filled by CeeDee Lamb.
Kliff Kingsbury did the most with limited playmakers in 2019. It could be fireworks in Arizona if he is given high-level talent like CeeDee Lamb.
CeeDee Lamb’s junior year at Oklahoma was played alongside quarterback Kyler Murray. With Murray throwing him the ball, Lamb totaled 65 receptions, 1,158 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
A huge factor of Kyler Murray’s successful rookie campaign was his familiarity with the Kliff Kingsbury offense and his relationship with the first-year coach. It allowed Murray to step into the NFL and play well from the start.
The same scenario would likely be the case for CeeDee Lamb, as he played in the same offense as Kyler Murray. The two have already developed chemistry in their timing and execution during their days at Oklahoma. The familiarity of the scheme and the obvious relationship with Murray would give CeeDee Lamb the best chance to succeed early, and make an impact for 2020 and beyond.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
A chance to learn from one of the greatest
NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald committed to the team for another season. He may not put up the numbers he used to, but he still has arguably the best hands in the league and is the backbone of this organization.
With Fitzgerald nearing the end of his career, time is running short for the Cardinals to find someone to take over in his inevitable absence. By drafting CeeDee Lamb, the Cards are giving him a great opportunity to learn from one of the greatest of all time at his position. Fitzgerald was an active voice in the ear of Kyler Murray during his rookie development, and it’s safe to assume the same would be done for Lamb.
It’s a great opportunity for all parties. The Cardinals get two talented receivers in the short term, CeeDee Lamb gets to learn alongside Larry Fitzgerald, and the inevitable retirement of Fitz will be lessened by the presence of Lamb.
Final thoughts
Like I said, there are a ton of talented players available to the Cardinals in this year’s draft. There isn’t a wrong argument for who they should take with the 8th overall pick. Still, I believe the facts are evident enough to where the best player available to the Cardinals is clear.
