Should Cardinals Target Pro Bowl OL?

The Arizona Cardinals have seen strong seasons out of their big men up front for each of the past three years. Generally speaking, consistency amongst personnel is a big factor.

The Cardinals have maintained some of that consistency already this offseason, re-signing interior OL Evan Brown and T Kelvin Beachum to team-friendly return deals.

There's also hope that young OL Isaiah Adams will begin to develop into more of a franchise stalwart. But with that in mind, the interior portion of the Cardinals' OL is of the utmost importance.

QBs on the smaller end tend to suffer more from interior pressure than pressure off the edge, and Arizona's right guard spot is flux for the time being. While a reunion with Will Hernandez could be in the stars, it doesn't seem particularly likely, especially considering Hernandez is still rehabbing from a torn ACL.

But with that in mind, there happens to be an All-Pro interior OL available on the free agent market: OL Brandon Scherff.

Scherff's 33 years of age might stand out, but he's remained in top shape in recent years, despite playing for a Jaguars offense that has struggled to protect Trevor Lawrence.

Regardless, Scherff has started and played in all 17 games for the past three seasons with Jacksonville. He graded out as an above-average pass blocker all three of those seasons, and was among the NFL's elites back in 2020 and prior.

Still, it doesn't appear that he's slowed down much. Notably, Scherff is a pass protector. While he's proficient enough in the run, he grades out significantly higher in pass protection. While the Cardinals do value their run blocking, perhaps more than the average team, Scherff's disparity could play into their favor.

Adams is a plus run-blocker, but hasn't developed sufficient pass blocking skills to be considered an every-down starter. The same could be argued for C Hjalte Froholdt, and even Hernandez at times.

The point is, the Cardinals need solid pass protection on the interior, and it would likely be unwise to make either of their recent OL depth signings take on that responsibility for the time being. Adding someone like Scherff would fill a need, and perhaps platooning him alongside Adams might help keep the unit fresh.

Scherff brings five Pro Bowls with him, a reputation of consistency and dominance. In 2024, he played 1,013 snaps and didn't allow a sack. He was penalized just twice, and allowed just 17 pressures.

PFF projects a mere one-year, $6 million deal for the veteran. Perhaps that's a bit of an undersell, but he'd still likely be a player that wouldn't break the bank for Arizona.