Cardinals Should Target These LB's in Free Agency

The Arizona Cardinals might not have a great multitude of pressing holes to address in the 2025 offseason, but there's still plenty that can be upgraded.

While edge rushers and defensive linemen should certainly be the focus, Arizona will also likely look to take a step up in their off-ball linebacker group.

The Cardinals are expected to pursue re-signing LB Krys Barnes, but stalwart LB Kyzir White is not expected to return. This leaves just Mack Wilson Sr. as the headlining off-ball backer, for the time being.

While it's certainly possible (perhaps likely) that Arizona will look to upgrade their linebacker unit via trade rather than free agency, here are three free agent linebackers who would certainly be an upgrade for the Cardinals in the 2025 season:

Zack Baun - Philadelphia Eagles

Getting one of the obvious big-name candidates out of the way, Baun was one of the best defensive players in football in 2024, receiving a 90.1 overall PFF grade over 1,204 snaps.

Baun racked up 111 tackles, including four sacks despite being only sparingly used as an edge rusher. He was solid in run defense, but excellent in coverage in the middle of the field, with a 91.7 coverage grade.

Baun is familiar with Cardinals' head coach Jonathan Gannon, having played for his defense in 2022, and is still only 28 years old, while appearing to still be on an upward trajectory in his relatively young career.

The one sticking point could be cost. Baun is projected by PFF to receive at least $15 million per year. While that number would be likely worth it, it does seem as if the Eagles want to retain Baun, which could drive his price tag even higher.

The Cardinals can certainly afford it, but general manager Monti Ossenfort might prefer to spend big on other positions of need rather than an off-ball linebacker.

Ernest Jones - Seattle Seahawks

Jones didn't necessarily grade out exceptionally well in 2024, with just a 60.7 overall grade. However, there was a notable increase in Jones' performance output once he was traded from the Titans to the Seahawks.

He recorded 94 tackles, and was a plus run defender, with a 73.6 run defense grade. Jones is still only 25 years old, and with a full sustained season under a competent defensive system, might finally reach his full potential.

Similarly to Baun, however, it might be difficult to pry Jones away from Mike McDonald. PFF expects him to receive $12 million per year, and that number will definitely shoot up if the Seahawks look to retain one of their bigger defensive contributors from the 2024 season.

Jamien Sherwood - New York Jets

Sherwood is one of the more under-the-radar linebacker free agents, but he did have a very solid 2024 season, despite playing for a struggling Jets team.

He received a 73.1 overall grade, and upped that to 77.1 in run defense, with 109 solo tackles in 2024. A safety conversion project, Sherwood is a bit less beefy and more athletic, providing good versatility in coverage with plenty of speed.

He's only expected to get $7.75 million per year, so he could be a lower-cost, higher-value signing alongside Wilson, and he is also only 25 years old.

Considering Sherwood already has the skillset of a defensive back, he could unlock a much higher gear alongside Gannon, who's made his reputation on being a DB whisperer.