Cardinals Free Agents: Predicting Who Stays, Goes
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals' roster is in need of a complete overhaul.
With 13 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and plenty of cap space to work with, there's a likelier chance than not we see a great deal of turnover on both sides of the ball, save for a few key pieces and some rookies with promise.
The Cardinals do benefit from the fact that most of their pending free agents are ones who won't command a huge salary, so a re-sign for most would be a low-risk depth move.
That being said, adding pieces in the draft or from outside free agent signings will push some of these players out, and some performances are best left in 2023. Here is the comprehensive list of all of Arizona's 18 free agents, and whether a reunion makes sense for the Cardinals:
1: WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown
Marquise Brown had a rough 2023.
Yes, he dealt with injury, and clearly the Cardinals had faith in him, but for the salary the undersized WR is likely to command, it doesn't make a ton of sense to bring him back on anything more than a couple million.
He played in 14 games, and was generally a non-factor, picking up just 574 yards and 4 touchdowns. While he was expected to take a jump when Kyler Murray returned, he became even less of a factor in those games.
Granted, his heel injury flared up down the stretch, but outside of an 88-yard showing in garbage time of a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he only posted 46 yards in three other games with Kyler Murray.
Spotrac's projected salary shows about $14.8 million for the 26-year old. It's clear Jonathan Gannon and the Cardinals team and coaching staff loves Brown, but unless he's willing to take a significant pay cut, he's a prime candidate to let walk, especially with how much receiver talent is in the draft.
2: LB Ezekiel Turner
Turner primarily is a special teams player, and a solid one at that. A good work ethic and attitude, and a veteran who's been with the team since 2018, Turner seems like the sort of player Gannon would want to keep around, even if it's only in a special teams role. At a likely cost of somewhere around just $2 million, re-sign.
3: TE Geoff Swaim
Swaim was an excellent member of the run-blocking unit with the Cardinals in 2023. He caught a maximum of two passes in a game, and had only 94 yards on the year prior to his calf injury in week 15. He's not an asset through the air like Trey McBride or Elijah Higgins, although he does provide some value in the run game. At age 30, he might not be a priority to bring back, although his low salary could warrant a 1-year deal.
4: DE Carlos Watkins
Watkins wasn't a strong presence on the defense in 2023. He only appeared in two games due to a bicep injury, picking up seven total tackles and four solo tackles. He is a decent enough depth option, but it's an absolute necessity for Arizona to bolster their D-line, both interior and EDGE. Watkins likely won't have a notable role in 2024, even with a rotating defensive front. Let walk.
5: OL Trystan Colon
The LG spot was a big weakness of Arizona's surprisingly solid offensive line in 2023. Colon, along with Dennis Daley, Carter O'Donnell and Elijah Wilkinson all filled in at times, and it wasn't exactly a solid spot. Colon, however, is only 26, and posted a higher PFF grade in pass blocking than one might expect (69.2).
The Cardinals need to add a solid LG and find a LT to replace D.J. Humphries, but at a sub-$2 million price tag, Colon could be the best option to serve as interior OL depth, for now. Re-sign for cheap.
6: OL Elijah Wilkinson
On the other hand, Wilkinson had a rough year as a platoon LG. He posted a 46.2 overall PFF grade, 40.2 in pass protection, and had a bit of a penalty issue as well. Offensive line depth is always needed, but Wilkinson is nearing 30 and was more of a hindrance than a help. Let walk.
7: CB Antonio Hamilton
The Cardinals very much need help in the secondary, and need to add a veteran CB to the room. That being said, Hamilton has been a solid piece for Arizona, earning a 69.1 coverage grade in 2023 and allowing only a 59.2% completion rate last season. He had one interception and allowed just three touchdowns on the year.
He's 31, but has been playing his best football with the Cardinals, and considering he only made $1.5 million in 2023, he's a guy that could play another decent season in Gannon's system. Re-sign for good value.
8: LS Aaron Brewer
Great veteran long-snapper. No complaints, no issues, does an important and undervalued job very well. Re-sign.
9: LB Josh Woods
Woods was very much a failed experiment in 2023. He didn't play a ton of snaps, but was very shaky at best. While he did have a career-high in tackles, he's unlikely to have a role over Krys Barnes and Kyzir White in 2024. While there is a chance he sticks around as depth, Woods is not a priority re-sign.
10: DL L.J. Collier
Collier also suffered a bicep injury, and played just one game for the Birds. He's never been a huge presence on the field, however, and significant upgrades need to be made to the D-line. He'd be a very cheap depth option, so re-signing him wouldn't be a terrible move, but it's hard to see him land any significant playing time.
11: CB Rashad Fenton
Fenton played zero snaps on defense in 2023. He's a special teams guy, who could be worth re-signing for cheap, but wouldn't be a priority. It's not unlikely he'll be looking for a job elsewhere.
12: C Pat Elflein
Elflein appeared in zero games, and although he serves as depth for the Cardinals, starting C Hjalte Froholdt did a very solid job in 2023, and it's unlikely Elflein would receive any legitimate playing time. He's had a rough last few active years of his career, so there's little need to re-sign him.
13: RB Marlon Mack
Mack looked excellent in training camp, before suffering an unfortunate achilles tear and missing the entire season. With the emergence of Michael Carter as the RB2 behind James Conner, and the potential of Arizona taking a late-round back in the draft, it unfortunately doesn't make much sense to re-sign the 28-year-old coming off a leg injury.
14: LB Krys Barnes
Barnes was a solid piece of Gannon's unit. While he didn't have an exceptional season, he was a reliable enough presence, and picked up 55 tackles over the course of 2023. He, along with LB Kyzir White are a good bet to be the starters again in 2024, barring any big name free agent LB signing. At worst he's depth, at best he's an everyday contributor. The 26-year-old only made just over $1 million in 2023, re-sign.
15: DT Leki Fotu
Fotu only played 11 games due to a fracture in his hand. But in those 11 games, he made a decent impact, with five tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. The Cardinals will look to add a game-wrecking DT, but with Gannon's rotational D-line philosophy, and the fact that Fotu began to show some promise in his age 25 season, he's a cheap, smart re-sign for depth, with a relatively high ceiling.
16: WR Greg Dortch
Dortch is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent, meaning the Cardinals only have to give him a minimum salary Qualifying Offer in order to lock him in the desert.
Dortch was an excellent member of the Cards' lackluster WR room. He was unequivocally the best receiver on the field down the stretch, makes big plays whenever he's called upon, is developing as a punt returner and plays bigger than his small frame.
He only had 280 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 2024, but Cardinals fans know the impact he was on this offense. General Manager Monti Ossenfort has essentially confirmed that Dortch will be back making plays for the Birds next year, so an estimated $1.1 million re-sign is a no-brainer.
17: C Keith Ismael
Ismael is a Restricted Free Agent, but hasn't played a snap for the Cardinals. He hasn't seen game action since 2021. While he would be an exceptionally cheap depth re-signing, he won't be on Ossenfort's short list.
18: DE Jonathan Ledbetter
Ledbetter is another ERFA, and since he only made $870,000 in 2023, he's a prime young candidate for a cheap re-sign to help the DL rotation. Unfortunately, he did suffer a torn ACL late last season, and likely won't be ready for action at all in 2024. His numbers were modest at best, so while there is a potential there, the brutality of the NFL business says this isn't a likely re-sign.
The Cardinals won't have to worry about shelling out huge salaries to big name players in order to retain them this year, but there are plenty of guys with depth value. Thankfully, most of these players are very cheap, so re-signings are low-risk.
That being said, expect very different looking units in 2024, since many of last year's starters will be overtaken by rookies or acquisitions.
The Cardinals are in a solid spot with regards to free agency, but these names are ones to watch.
