Three Dream Free Agency Signings for the Cardinals

Free Agency will be the first big step in fixing the Arizona Cardinals. Here are three dream free agents to target.

Author:
Richie Bradshaw
Publish date:
Jan 29, 2023 11:50 AM EST

In this story:

It's no secret the Arizona Cardinals are dying for some upgrades on this roster. The team will have the third overall selection in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft to help that, but before then we will have the always wonderful free agency frenzy to begin roster building.

While the Cardinals aren't cap-rich like the Chicago Bears or other teams, they have a few easy cuts to make to get some extra cap room to make waves in Free Agency.

Besides, the salary cap is a myth that a good general manager can manipulate.

Here, I lay out three free agents that would be dream gets for the Cardinals. Keep in mind landing all three is likely unrealistic, but any of these three would be more than welcome additions to this rebuilding roster.

Javon Hargrave

Hargrave will be one of the biggest names on the free agency market and rightfully so. The 29-year-old is coming off an 11-sack season with the Philadelphia Eagles and was a Pro Bowler in 2021. Hargrave has been one of the best parts of an elite Eagles defense that made history in 2022 as one of the few teams in league history to record 70 team sacks.

Simply put, Hargrave is a disruptor on the defensive line and has become a borderline elite pass rusher from the inside. He may not be the youngest guy in the world and turns 30 in February, but I feel confident that he will remain disruptive for a few more years yet. Like a fine wine, Hargrave has gotten better with age.

Bringing in Hargrave would give the Cardinals a viable pass rusher on the defensive line to help ease the loss of J.J. Watt and potentially Zach Allen. This also frees up the Cardinals to focus on an edge rusher with the third pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, although pairing Hargrave and Jalen Carter sounds enticing.

All in all, signing Hargrave is a massive upgrade for the defense and is a bidding war the Cardinals should be all in on.

Jamel Dean

Dean is the best cornerback in the NFL that no one is talking about and he's about to make someone a very happy team in free agency. Hopefully, that team will be the Cardinals.

Physically, Dean looks the part of a number one corner at 6'1" 206lbs. Play-wise, Dean is able to manage his assignments and play well above whatever expectations are placed on him. It's truly a shame that Dean doesn't get talked about enough when discussing some of the better corners in the league, as he truly is one of the best-kept secrets for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even if the Cardinals bring back Byron Murphy, the team still needs to add to their cornerback room and Dean would be a terrific bargain option who can be the team's top cornerback and provide them with above-average play.

Mike McGlinchey

To be honest, I am not sure how realistic McGlinchey is simply because I don't think the San Francisco 49ers will be interested in letting him walk. But let me tell you, if he does hit Free Agency then the Cardinals need to be one of the highest bidders for his services.

McGlinchey may not be elite, but he's one of the finest right tackles in football and is one of the cornerstones of a great offensive line. With McGlinchey, the 49ers' offense has been provided with quality protection for all three of their quarterbacks and even with the rotating signal callers the offense never slowed down. McGlinchey is a massive reason for its success.

This is simply an easy plug-and-play option for the Cardinals, who need offensive line upgrades at virtually every spot. Having D.J. Humphries back healthy in 2023 will help one side of the offensive line, but adding McGlinchey will give the team bookend tackles and make massive strides toward having a good offensive line.