Arizona Cardinals: D.J. Swearinger signs with Washington

D.J. Swearinger is leaving Arizona to join Washington.

The free agent feeding frenzy has begun, and another Cardinals’ defender will have a new address in 2017. Ian Rapoport has reported that former Arizona Cardinals safety D.J. Swearinger will join Washington on a three year deal, worth $4.5 million per year. According to Rapoport, the deal is front-loaded, with $6 million in compensation in the first year.

There had long been speculation that Arizona Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson would not return to Arizona in 2017, and when reports confirmed this suspicion, many believed the Cardinals would turn their attention to Swearinger. Instead, the Cardinals opted to sign veteran safety Antoine Bethea to a three-year deal.

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It’s not yet known how close the Cardinals came to retaining Swearinger. With the Cardinals’ long list of free agents and limited cap space, however, it seems unlikely that the Cardinals were willing to tie up $6 million in cap space in 2017 for Swearinger.

Swearinger joined the Cardinals midway through the 2015 season after spending two seasons with the Houston Texans, and seven games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half of 2015. Though he was a second round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, character concerns led to an early career characterized by transience.

Two seasons with the Cardinals has done wonders to revive Swearinger’s career – a fact that was not lost on Swearinger when he publicly thanked the Cardinals for giving him his third chance. Swearinger took advantage of his opportunity. He played particularly well in 2016, when he earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 86.1, which was good enough for ninth among all safeties.

With Jefferson and Swearinger heading east, the Cardinals look to newly-signed safety Antoine Bethea, second year defensive back Harlan Miller, and two safeties who have struggled to stay health, in Tyrann Mathieu and Tyvon Branch. While there is talent in this group, questions marks abound. Don’t be surprised if the Cardinals look to add another safety to the mix.

Next: Likelihood that Cardinals free agents return

Nonetheless, under Coach Bruce Arians, the Cardinals have demonstrated an ability to coax competent play out of whomever they have roaming the field at safety.