Arizona Cardinals can still add reinforcements to the roster

There are several free agent players still searching for employment who could fill various roles for the 2019 Arizona Cardinals

The 2019 Arizona Cardinals remain a work in progress. It’s true that the organization has made many additions to this season’s roster over the past few months. Not every acquisition was an impressive one, but no NFL club’s personnel department is perfect.

With roughly a month remaining until the start of the Cardinals training camp, there are improvements that can still be made. Obviously, this offseason’s free agent group has been severely watered down by this point. But if you look closely, there are still some leftovers from the pool who could provide upgrades for Arizona.

One such player is Donald Penn, an offensive tackle who has spent time with both the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cardinals two current starters at the position, D.J. Humphries and Marcus Gilbert, are incredibly injury-prone. The 36-year old Penn would provide experienced depth and knowledge for the squad’s offensive line.

The Cardinals’ defense in 2018 was particularly bad at stopping the run. Nose tackle Domata Peko, who has 13 professional campaigns under his belt, could help solve that issue. Corey Peters is currently the anchor of the defensive line, but the 34-year old Peko could certainly find a role in a rotation.

Arizona’s depth at quarterback behind rookie Kyler Murray is a major weakness of the team. Brock Osweiler has been disappointing as a pro thus far, and would most likely not be a great fit for the “Air Raid” offense. But as a pure passer, the former Arizona State Sun Devil would be a much better option than Brett Hundley.

Starting inside linebackers Jordan Hicks and Haason Reddick are both solid performers, but their backups lack experience. A lack of playing time has not been a problem for the still-available Vincent Rey. The long-time Cincinnati Bengal has appeared in 128 NFL games (50 starts), tallying 498 tackles, five interceptions and six sacks during his time in the league.

None of the free agents mentioned in this article would command a huge salary at this point in the offseason. Cards general manager Steve Keim has had success with one-year “prove-it” deals in the past. Perhaps the front office would benefit from searching through football’s bargain bin once again.