3 Players Cardinals Still Need to Bring Back

Several Arizona Cardinals hit free agency this offseason. Many have found new homes, while others continue looking for work.

But the longer they wait, the less picky they can be. It makes staying home and re-signing with your team much more likely.

On the other foot, an NFL team may struggle to find an upgrade at a position in free agency and could defer to bringing back someone they’re familiar with.

Perfectly balanced — as all things should be.

A slew of Cardinals free agents remain unsigned, and there are three in particular who stand out to me as guys who should be reunited with the franchise. This group includes a starter, a potential starter or back up, and a depth/rotational player.

Kyzir White

I will not be silent anytime soon on my “Re-Sign Kyzir White” agenda, especially as he continues to sit in the free agency pool. It’a simply mind-boggling to me that not only have the Cards not re-signed him, but 31 other teams have inked him to a contract.

It’s far time that changes, and the Cardinals need to be the ones to sign him.

There’s so much that he brings to the table between his game intelligence and flat out being good at football. He’s smart, productive, and has become one of the most integral pieces of the defense since Jonathan Gannon arrived in the desert.

Arizona has made two additions to their linebacker room already, Akeem Davis-Gaither and Mykal Walker, but both of them are much better suited for rotating in the lineup. Arizona loves to rotate their front seven, but they still need a legitimate starter; right now he’s not on the roster.

Stop overthinking the decision and bring White back. He makes your team better and that should be all I need to say.

Will Hernandez

What makes bringing Hernandez back such a difficult decision is that he is recovering from a season ending knee injury. As he nears the (likely) twilight of his career, it makes signing him back a bit of a risk for anyone.

There is an inherit risk with potentially starting as soon to be 30-year-old offensive lineman coming off of a major knee injury, which is likely the reason why he remains unsigned by anyone.

But with that being said, beggars can’t be choosers and Arizona needs someone to play right guard. Hernandez showed his worth as a starter at the slot in his three seasons with the team. There were a few question marks about whether he was worth being a starter, even if he wasn’t some All-Pro-caliber guy.

He was simply a good player who did his job.

If nothing else, Hernandez can provide depth to the interior of the offensive line, which remains one of the biggest holes on this roster. There’s nothing wrong with adding depth, especially when said depth is familiar with the team.

Dennis Gardeck

Gardeck has become a fan favorite player since making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He’s found a significant role over the last handful of seasons as their lone consistent pass rusher off the edge. His season was cut short due to an ACL tear; the likely reason he remains unsigned.

Not only will he be recovering from a major injury, but he’ll be turning 31 in August. The two don’t mix well together and leaves his professional future uncertain for him.

Still, I believe the Cardinals should bring him back.

The job is not done adding edge rushers to this group and Gardeck is someone who is familiar with the system. As a low cost player, Arizona can add depth to their room with a player. They know better than anyone else.

The bar should be low in terms of what he can contribute, but he’s good depth, and an even better veteran presence for this retooled defense.