No. 1 Free Agent Considered 'High' Priority for Cardinals
ARIZONA -- With free agency roughly 24 hours away, the Arizona Cardinals may or may not land a splash signing in Miami Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins.
Wilkins - set to hit the open market as one of the top free agents this offseason - is reportedly a high priority for the Cardinals, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.
"Former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins is considered a 'high' priority for Arizona, a source told ESPN, but he may command more than the Cardinals are willing to spend. Defensive lineman like Leonard Williams, DJ Reader, Grover Stewart or even Sheldon Rankins could be possibilities for Arizona." - Josh Weinfuss
Wilkins is considered to be one of the top free agents in the class - and certainly the number one at his position - thanks to his ability to wreck havoc on the defensive interior.
The 28-year-old is coming off a nine-sack season that also included 23 quarterback hits, numbers that would immediately bolster a Cardinals defense that reached the passer a mere 33 times last season.
Wilkins isn't expected to come cheap, however. Recent signings for big names such as Justin Madubuike and Chris Jones have now set the bar even higher for teams bidding for Wilkins:
The Cardinals - per Over The Cap - are projected to have over $50 million in cap space and would benefit greatly from Wilkins' presence on the defensive front.
Arizona has already made a handful of moves in bringing back their own free agents, re-signing L.J. Collier this week while also tendering WR Greg Dortch.
