Arizona Cardinals: Plan past the 2017 season
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals should look to free agency and the draft with an eye past 2017
There are going to be a lot of stories about what the Arizona Cardinals should do with free agency and the draft in the coming weeks. They have many of their own free agents they need to look at possibly returning.
The Cardinals had 2017 in mind when they were looking to quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Larry Fitzgerald announce their return. They are coming back for another Super Bowl run.
Win or lose however, both may end up retiring after the upcoming season. That leaves the Cardinals planning for the future and it needs to start now.
The Cardinals have indicated they are looking for their future quarterback. They’ve made very little noise about any specific plans. Fans and media have brought up guys like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and most recently Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler as possible replacements for Palmer.
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Cutler buys you a couple of more years than Romo does but neither fit in Arizona. The Cardinals need to draft their future quarterback in April.
As for Fitzgerald, the Cardinals also should look to the future. That could come via free agency or the draft. There are options with both that keep the receiving core completely young.
The Cardinals also have the secondary to worry about. They need to add at safety, build around Tyrann Mathieu and find a starter opposite Patrick Peterson at cornerback.
This is just one person’s opinion though. There isn’t a straight out right or wrong answer to going about planing out the 2018 and beyond Cardinals roster.
There is however a better way to get it done and that is don’t overspend to win now so that it jeopardizes any chance of winning in the near future beyond 2017. The Cardinals front office has a plan. I look forward to seeing what it is and for it to come to fruition.