Tony Jefferson not necessary for Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
The former undrafted free agent has transformed into a nice player but the Arizona Cardinals may need to move on from him
Back in 2013, the brand new General Manager of the Arizona Cardinals was busy putting his stamp on the team. Steve Keim was giving the roster an old-fashioned overhaul, filling up the transaction wire on an almost daily basis. It was during this time that an undrafted free agent safety named Tony Jefferson was signed.
It’s now four years later, and Jefferson is on the verge of a big payday. He becomes an unrestricted free agent in March, and there’s a decent chance he’s not back in the desert this upcoming season. In a contract year, he tallied 96 tackles, two sacks and five passes defensed.
Though he’s considered one of this offseason’s top prizes, losing him would not be the end of the world for Arizona. While he’s a sure tackler, Jefferson’s coverage skills leave something to be desired. He has just two picks in four years with the Cards, quite a low total for a safety.
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It’s not that bringing him back to the nest would be a terrible thing. But with the Cards’ inordinate amount of players scheduled for free agency, the money involved with re-signing the 25-year old will be a factor. He may receive better offers elsewhere, numbers Arizona may not be able to contend with.
Another Cards’ safety, D.J.Swearinger, will also be testing the free agent waters in a couple of weeks. Like Jefferson, Swearinger is also coming off of a fine campaign, when he accounted for 66 tackles, two sacks, eight pass breakups and three picks. He may be a better option salary-wise for Arizona’s budget.
Keim should certainly make an attempt to retain Jefferson, but the offer will obviously have to be within the club’s salary cap restraints. Given a choice, outside linebacker Chandler Jones and defensive end Calais Campbell would probably be better investments. Whether Cardinals’ management will agree with that or not will be known soon enough.