5 DE for Arizona Cardinals to target in free agency

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The Arizona Cardinals are going to push hard this offseason to find their next pass rusher

The Arizona Cardinals had few deficiencies in 2015. A decent pass rush was one of those things. Their sack leader last season, Dwight Freeney, had eight sacks but didn’t even join the team until October. Freeney was the oldest of the bunch too and happens to be a linebacker.

Clearly the Cardinals need a better pass rush. They can skate by without one in the regular season but even then some close games could have been a lot less closer with a decent pass rush. Here is a look at the five defensive ends the Cardinals should target in free agency.

Oct 18, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans receiver Kendall Wright (13) carries the ball as Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Earl Mitchell (90) and defensive end Olivier Vernon (50) defend during the first half a at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

Olivier Vernon, Miami Dolphins

Vernon was on the top 10 overall free agents the Cardinals should target list last week. He will be a hot commodity and I’ve already read about several experts who think there will be a number of teams interested. The Cardinals should be one of those teams and why shouldn’t they be?

Vernon has 61 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2015. He has 29 sacks in just four seasons and the first season he didn’t start the single game and still had three sacks. At 6-2 and 25 years old, he would be a great fit for the Cardinals offense. The biggest problem will be what kind of price will he be asking for?

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