Five free agents that make sense for the Arizona Cardinals

Lawrence Guy, defensive end

Baltimore Ravens free agent defensive end Lawrence Guy is not a household name – though many Cardinals fans may recognize him from his collegiate career at Arizona State. Selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft, Guy spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers, before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014.

Guy’s stint with Indianapolis included the 2012 season, during which Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was the Colts’ offensive coordinator and interim head coach. Only the Cardinals’ brass knows whether that familiarity will enhance or diminish the Cardinals interest in Guy – it all depends on the impression he left with Arians.

Regardless, with Calais Campbell probably on his way out, and Frostee Rucker mulling retirement, the Cardinals will likely need to add one or more “5-technique” defensive ends for their 3-4 scheme – a position that Guy has played.

Although he has been a rotational player through most of his career, Guy started six games in 2015, and 10 games in 2016. According to Pro Football Focus, Guy had a respectable overall grade of 76.0 in 2015, and 76.2 in 2016.

Coming out of college, Guy was viewed as more of a run stopper than a pass rusher. His 2016 Pro Football Focus grades seem to support this perception, as he boasted a grade of 78.1 in run defense, and a paltry 50.9 in pass rushing. Despite these facts, Next Gen Stats suggest that Guy is a disruptive presence as an interior pass rusher.

Though he would not be a “splash” signing, Guy is a veteran 3-4 end, who can be a productive part of the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation. With Arizona preparing to allocate a large portion of their available cap space to Chandler Jones, Guy is the kind of affordable option that the Cardinals will probably utilize to fill the void left by Campbell’s likely departure.