Arizona Cardinals facing tough offseason decisions in 2019
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals front office will have some crucial personnel decisions to make when the 2019 offseason rolls around
Perhaps it’s a tad too early to begin worrying about the Arizona Cardinals 2019 free agent list. After all, general manager Steve Keim and his management team are still shaping the roster for the upcoming season. Still, in the age of the NFL salary cap, it may benefit the organization to start planning ahead a bit.
Take one look at some of the significant names who’ll be seeking new contracts in ’19, and you see the reason for the concern. There’s only so much money to go around, so Keim may struggle to retain everyone he’d like to. The quicker that the Cards can start prioritizing the members of that group, the better.
What would an offseason be without a discussion about whether Larry Fitzgerald is going to continue his career, or not? The wide receiver has shown no signs of slowing down, so it’s quite possible that Arizona will be waiting on a decision from the legend again at the end of 2018. Fitzgerald will eventually call it quits, but predicting whether that will happen in ’19 or not is almost impossible.
The Cardinals would be smart to start working on an extension for David Johnson as soon as possible. The running back, who’s nearing the end of his rookie deal, may be the squad’s most valuable player. Johnson would certainly be a candidate for the franchise tag if the front office fails to extend him by March of next year.
Markus Golden, yet another important cog who’s entering a contract-year, has reportedly recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in ’17. The outside linebacker turned defensive end will be looking to mimic his 2016 performance, when he registered 12.5 quarterback sacks. Big bucks should be in Golden’s future if he can continue that fabulous play.
Deone Bucannon has been a tackling machine since the Cards made him their first-round draft pick in 2014. New head coach Steve Wilks has designated the linebacker the leader of his defense, and has handed the 25-year old playcalling duties. It will be interesting to see how “Buc’s” upcoming contract negotiations with the franchise are handled by both the team and his agent.
Decisions will need to be made on a host of other prospective free agents, as well. Mike Iupati, Phil Dawson, A.Q. Shipley and Andy Lee are some of the more veteran members of that contingent. Others who will be looking to cash in include J.J. Nelson, Rodney Gunter and John Wetzel.
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Arizona obviously won’t be able to re-sign everyone mentioned in this article. Keeping talented contributors from leaving the nest can be a tough task. One thing’s for sure, Keim and his crew will certainly be earning their paychecks when the 2019 free agent signing period rolls around.