Potential Contract of Cardinals Free Agent Target Revealed

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals could make a big splash this offseason.

The Cardinals are entering year three of their rebuild under general manager Monti Ossenfort.

After a rough 2023 that saw Arizona strip its roster down to the bare bones, the Cardinals showed strides in 2024 by doubling their win total and keeping themselves in the postseason picture until the very end.

Now - armed with $70 million in cap space and six picks in the 2025 NFL Draft - all eyes are on the Cardinals to see how they'll improve the roster moving into the offseason.

While there's a variety of needs, the Cardinals' top priority this offseason should come along the edge - where Arizona hasn't touted a top pass rusher in years.

That should change this offseason, and there's one name that's consistently connected to the Cardinals.

Josh Sweat Won't Come to Cardinals Cheap

The Cardinals have a need at edge rusher and Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat has been tied to the organization since the early stages of the offseason.

Perhaps rightfully so, as Sweat projects as one of the top players in this free agent class. The familiarity factor between he and Cardinals figures such as Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis also is a big bonus.

Bleacher Report's Alex Kay has the Cardinals as a his best fit with a projected four-year, $81 million price tag:

"Josh Sweat is another member of the Super Bowl LIX-winning Philadelphia Eagles who boosted his value with a phenomenal stretch of playoff performances. The edge-rusher was a legitimate candidate to be named Super Bowl MVP after obliterating the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line. He finished the game with two tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks," wrote Kay.

"While Sweat hasn’t been the most consistent player during his seven seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, he’s played some of his best football in recent years. He followed up a Pro Bowl 2021 season with a career-high 11 sacks in 2022. He immediately took to new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system in 2024, recording eight sacks in 16 regular-season appearances before exploding in the Super Bowl.

"That should make Sweat the most coveted edge-rusher on the open market, which could net him more than $20 million annually. The Eagles will be hard-pressed to meet that price, especially after paying him just $10 million this past season.

"A younger, up-and-coming squad that has far less defensive line depth like the Arizona Cardinals should be eager to capitalize. While he figures to be costly, Sweat will provide a massive boost to a defense that could vault into the top five next season by making this move."

A $20 million annual average would place Sweat in the top 15 of edge rushers, according to Spotrac.