Crafting a Perfect Cardinals Offseason
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals have their work cut out for them.
With an array of needs to fill in both the draft and free agency, here's what a potential offseason plan would look like for the Cardinals - taking into account addressing the biggest needs within a reasonable price range.
Free Agency
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The Cardinals cannot shy away from spending big in free agency, especially with top-10 available cap space to work with. They currently sit at a Spotrac estimate of just over $41 million in cap space, but with the unfortunate injury to D.J. Humphries, releasing him would save $9 million.
Throw in a few inevitable smaller cuts, and the Cardinals could be sitting somewhere close to $55 million to spend, with an estimated $11 million in cap still needed for the Cardinals to sign their rookie class.
Although there is a solid amount of talent in the draft on both sides of the ball, here are a couple of free agents that would be ideal for the Cardinals to spend on.
1: DT Christian Wilkins
The Cardinals are in desperate need of an anchor on the defensive line. The Miami Dolphins decided to make Wilkins play his 2023 season on a 5th-year option, and contract talks appear to have been difficult for the 28-year old stud DT.
Wilkins is a big, imposing presence, measuring in at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds. He played all 17 games in 2023, missing just three games in his career, and starting all but four of his games played. The big man picked up nine sacks (a career-high by double his previous high) and 38 solo tackles last season.
Wilkins graded out at a near 75 overall PFF grade, and has been among the league's top DL for most of his career. Wilkins is experienced, but still only 28 years old, and would bring a positive energy and big personality to Arizona's locker room.
PFF projects Wilkins to make just shy of $21 million on a one-year deal, but would be well worth the dollar amount to add an everyday starter and potential game-wrecker to the lackluster D-line.
Although this contract would take a large chunk of available cap space, this would address Arizona's biggest need at a premium position.
2: CB Kendall Fuller
The Cardinals are in desperate need of a veteran cornerback presence to anchor the young guys and add a coverage boost to a weak secondary.
No, he's not the ever-desired Jaylon Johnson, but he offers a scrappy, veteran presence with experience in head coach Jonathan Gannon's former division.
While some of his numbers in the Washington Commanders' 31st-ranked scoring defense might fail to impress, Fuller finished 2023 with a very good 82.8 PFF coverage grade, part of an 83.1 overall grade. He's been highly graded consistently over the last few years, and although what PFF says might not mean everything, a stint in Gannon's scheme could be a solid fit for the veteran.
At an estimated $13.3 million a year, Fuller is a cost-effective answer to the cornerback problem, without settling for scraps and being able to add consistency and experience to the CB room.
3: WR Tyler Boyd
Tee Higgins might be the more obvious pick from the Bengals, but as far as dollar amount is concerned, Boyd could be the target for Arizona.
The veteran receiver provides a 6-foot-2, 204-pound frame, with solid speed and ability to work in all areas of the field. His numbers took a dip in 2023, but has racked up multiple 1000-yard seasons, and with the QB issues suffered by the Bengals and emergence of both Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, Boyd could be poised for higher production elsewhere.
Projected at a one-year prove it deal, coming in under $9 million, Boyd is at worst solid depth, and at best another big-bodied receiver who can support young WR Michael Wilson, regardless of whether or not the Cardinals are able to land a certain star in the draft.
Draft
The Cardinals are fitted with a slew of draft picks. While I won't (at least in this article) go into a full mock draft, here are some of the biggest names for the Cardinals to target.
These names are not necessarily in order, nor do I expect them to be able to draft all of them together, these are simply some of the best players for Arizona to target early in a loaded 2024 draft.
1: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State University
There it is.
I don't need to sell Marvin Harrison Jr. to Cardinals fans. He's a monster, a legacy, and would be a poetic, Fitzgerald-esque pick at #4, should he fall to the Cardinals.
Harrison hauled in 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023 at Ohio State, coming off back-to-back 1200 yard seasons. He averaged over 18 yards per reception, and would provide an imposing, 6-foot-4, 204-pound frame, specializing in just about everything.
Harrison would bring contested catches, speed off the release, and a great work ethic and personality in the Cardinals WR room that desperately needs bigger targets for Kyler Murray.
This is a slam-dunk pick, and a best player available situation if the three teams ahead of Arizona do all decide to draft a QB. Granted, options like Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze would not be bad alternatives, but in an ideal world, Harrison is the pick.
2: OT Jordan Morgan, University of Arizona
Despite Paris Johnson Jr. having a solid rookie season, the Cardinals find themselves in need of a tackle again. The unfortunate injury to veteran D.J. Humphries, coupled with a relative lack of o-line depth leaves a big hole on the line, and while Kelvin Beachum was good in spot starts, a full-time starter is needed there to allow for Beachum to come in as depth.
With Johnson possibly moving back to his natural LT position, the Cardinals should look for a franchise RT.
Morgan was a huge presence along the o-line at Arizona. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound mountain of a Tucson native was brilliant in 2023, coming off a torn ACL. It doesn't hurt to be a hometown hero, either.
Morgan's stock has been steadily on the rise throughout his senior year, and is now projected to go late in the first round of the draft. Although currently projected to go 24th overall, it's not out of the question to see him fall to 27, coupled with the possibility to trade up a couple spots.
3: EDGE Bralen Trice, University of Washington
Trice could be an under-the-radar pick for the Cardinals. While the monstrous d-line duo from Texas, or an EDGE like Dallas Turner from Alabama might be more desirable, the likelihood of their availability to any of Arizona's picks outside the #4 is very low.
Trice was a powerful presence at Washington in 2023 coming off the edge. While not necessarily providing a ton of speed, the 6-foot-4, 275-pound linebacker would help fit the Cardinals' need to invest in size and power at nearly every position, and an edge rusher needs to be added.
Another hometown kid, hailing from Phoenix originally (I'm not doing this on purpose, I swear), Trice racked up seven sacks and 30 solo tackles in 2023, and is a year removed from a 10-sack season in 2022.
A potential second-round pick, the Cardinals could target him to add some power and relentless stamina to their pass rush.
The Cardinals will likely make a solid amount of moves this offseason. While this road map isn't all-inclusive, these are some of the moves that could most effectively and economically address the myriad of holes on Arizona's roster.
