Two premium safeties who the Arizona Cardinals can pursue

Two outstanding safeties who are scheduled to hit free agency in March would greatly enhance the Arizona Cardinals secondary

Heading into the 2019 campaign, the Arizona Cardinals appeared to have assembled one heck of a safety tandem. Budda Baker, a second-round draft pick of the club back in 2017, had put together two impressive campaigns. The other half of the duo, D.J. Swearinger, had returned to the Cards after two productive years with the Washington Redskins.

Four weeks into last season, Arizona’s talented twosome lost one of it’s components. Much to the team’s surprise, Swearinger’s play had diminished severely. The Cardinals handed the defender his walking papers on September 30th, quickly putting an end to the veteran’s second stint with the organization.

Rookies Jalen and Deionte Thompson were pressed into action, and did their best to pick up the slack. The Cards could elect to move forward with one of the youngsters in 2020, but there are certainly other options they can pursue as well. In fact, there are two extremely attractive free agent safeties who the front office would be smart to take a run at when the signing period commences in March.

Justin Simmons, who has been a member of the Denver Broncos since 2016, would be an excellent addition to the Arizona secondary. The former Boston College Eagle racked up 93 tackles, four interceptions and 15 passes defensed in 16 starts for Denver this past fall. Simmons’ sensational performance earned him Second team All-Pro honors, and the 26-year old will be looking to cash in when he’s inked to a new deal in the coming months.

Another candidate for the gig has spent the past five campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings. In 14 starts, Anthony Harris registered 60 tackles, six picks and 11 pass breakups for the Vikings in ’19. The 28-year old also intercepted a Drew Brees pass during a playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints on January 5th.

Pairing either of the two players mentioned in this article with Baker is an exciting proposition. After finishing 31st-overall in the NFL against the pass in ’19, coordinator Vance Joseph‘s group can use an infusion of talent. Adding Simmons or Harris to the roster would be a fantastic step towards getting the Cardinals defensive unit back on track.