PFF: Cardinals Should Pursue Top Free Agent CB

The Arizona Cardinals should have their eyes on the prize this offseason.

Oct 6, 2024; Tottenham, ENG; New York Jets Defensive Back D.J. Reed (4) complains about a foul in the 2nd Quarter against Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images | Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images

It's nearly time for the Arizona Cardinals to do some shopping in the offseason, and Pro Football Focus says the organization should keep their eyes on the prize.

The Cardinals have a projected $72 million in cap space approaching the offseason, and even after the pending massive contract extension for tight end Trey McBride, Arizona will have ample opportunity to add some serious talent to potentially springboard them into the postseason.

PFF says New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed should be the Cardinals' top target:

"After finishing the regular season ranked 28th in defensive EPA per play, 31st in success rate and 17th in team coverage grade, the Cardinals will need to revamp their defense going into 2025. Garrett Williams (83.7 PFF coverage grade) was one of the more unsung cornerbacks in the league this past year, but the Cardinals could certainly use help on the outside," wrote Bradley Locker.

"With $82 million in their back pocket, why not make a splash with a long-term lockdown guy like Reed? The 28-year-old wasn’t as dynamic in 2024, recording only a 70.1 PFF coverage grade, but he’s been as effective as almost anyone over the past few years. Since he joined the Jets in 2022, Reed ranks 15th among qualified cornerbacks in PFF overall grade (80.1) and eighth in PFF coverage grade (84.4)."

Arizona is fully believed to be serious contenders for a premier edge player this offseason, though opinions on whether the Cardinals should acquire another cornerback seem to be split.

Their youthful secondary carrying names such as Garrett Williams, Max Melton and Starling Thomas seemingly took a collective step in 2024 while free agent addition Sean Murphy-Bunting didn't exactly live up to his billing as CB1 in the desert.

Some say bet on the Cardinals' youth and improvement while others will highlight you simply can't have enough talent at the position.

Arizona isn't dry in terms of resources for player acquisition, though Reed would surely raise the overall ceiling of the room.