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Time for Arizona Cardinals to add finishing touches

By Jim Koch

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Bashaud Breeland #26 of the Washington Redskins defends a pass to Terrance Williams #83 of the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter of their game at AT&T Stadium on November 24, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Bashaud Breeland #26 of the Washington Redskins defends a pass to Terrance Williams #83 of the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter of their game at AT&T Stadium on November 24, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Cardinals’ late-offseason acquisitions have been downright impressive since Steve Keim became general manager

If you think that the Arizona Cardinals’ 2018 roster is complete, it may be a good idea to think again. In fact, Steve Keim has excelled at finding gems late in the offseason. The Cardinals’ general manager may be gearing up to add a few more of those impressive signings to his resume.

Since becoming Arizona’s top personnel guy in 2013, Keim has just about perfected the art of the late-offseason acquisition. When most NFL franchises are just looking to add “bodies” for training camp, the Cards’ front office has shown an ability to do so much more.

Starting components like John Abraham (2013), Eric Winston (2013) and Jermaine Gresham (2015) came aboard during the month of July. August brought Tommy Kelly (2014), Chris Johnson (2015) and Josh Bynes (2017) to the squad. Marcus Cooper (2014), Andy Lee (2017) and Alex Boone (2017) became Cardinals in September, while Dwight Freeney was acquired in October of ’15.

All of those listed above helped mightily after arriving in the desert. Glaring holes in the lineup were filled. The fact that none of the players ate up much of the team’s salary cap made the transactions even more sweeter.

The current configuration of the Cards could certainly use some reinforcements. According to Spotrac.com, the organization has roughly $13 million in cap space to work with at the moment. Enough for Keim to address a problem area, or two.

Rumor has it that cornerback Bashaud Breeland remains on Arizona’s radar. Management brought Tre Boston in for a visit back in May, so safety is a position that could also be in the mix. Antonio Gates or Julius Thomas would provide insurance at tight end, with Gresham still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered this past December.

Next: Arizona Cardinals training camp: 5 things to know

Keim’s time to shine is here. The Cardinals’ executive has done some of his finest work during the late-summer and early-fall. Perhaps he can work some magic again.

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