Four Free Agents Cardinals Should Let Walk

There are 31 free agents set to hit free agency for the Arizona Cardinals, but the team should let these four players walk.

Author:
Richie Bradshaw
Publish date:
Mar 12, 2023 5:20 PM EDT

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Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have some very tough decisions to make in-house with 31 players set to hit free agency this week. The team will look vastly different from its 2022 counterpart, for better or for worse, but who should the team worry about keeping versus letting walk?

We've narrowed down four players who I can say with absolute certainty the Cardinals would be best moving on from. There are some easy-to-connect players here and some guys who have built up a reputation with the organization. Either way, it's best for the team to move on from these four players.

Justin Pugh

Pugh hasn't been terrible for the Cardinals since joining the team back in 2018, but the soon-to-be 33-year-old guard is coming off an ACL injury and that could likely close the books on his 10-year NFL career. That being said, the Cardinals should let Pugh walk.

While the Cardinals cannot be picky when it comes to offensive linemen, they also certainly cannot afford to pour assets into bad fixes. Pugh is too old and coming off a major injury that makes him a liability on the offensive line. Short of a stupid cheap deal, it would be best for the Cardinals to move on.

Cody Ford

Ford was brought in via trade last offseason to see if he could turn his career around after subpar play with the Buffalo Bills. The experiment failed and to put it simply, it's time to move on.

The Ford experiment was fun in theory, but not only was he a dud with the Cardinals, but he barely played for a variety of reasons. When you can't get onto the field due to injury or poor play for the Cardinal, that should tell you all you need to know. Time to look at other options.

Billy Price

Call a spade a spade - Price was one of, if not the, worst offensive linemen in the entire NFL in 2022. Since entering the league as a first-round pick back in 2018, Price has proven to be nothing more than a liability regardless of where he lines up and who he plays for.

His stint with the Cardinals was no different and the team would be best letting him walk, washing their hands of the experiment, and moving forward. That's all I have to say about this one.

Maxx Williams

This one may hurt some fans and trust me, I'm not sure how I feel about this one either... but Williams's time in Arizona should come to an end.

Williams has become a fan favorite during his four-year stint in the desert for his persona and also his effort on the field. While Williams has never been one of the best at his position, he's been far from a liability for the Cardinals.

But all good things must come to an end and we got a preview of that last year when he was released and resigned to the practice squad. The reality with Williams is that he is an aging, oft-injured, unspectacular player that the Cardinals can't afford to bring back if they are serious about a rebuild for a better future.