Three free agents the Arizona Cardinals must stay away from
By Sion Fawkes
Player #1: JuJu Smith-Schuster
Yes, on paper pairing Smith-Schuster with DeAndre Hopkins signifies a dream team scenario. Especially with Kyler Murray throwing the football. Plus, Smith-Schuster put together a magical season in 2020, with 97 receptions and 9 touchdowns. A comeback season, when you compare his 2020 campaign to 2019. He also caught a career-high 75.8 percent of his targets.
What’s there not to like? Based on-field performance, Smith-Schuster is a slam dunk.
But his extracurricular antics aren’t worth bringing aboard. The guy is no different than Chad Johnson (also known as Chad Ochocinco) and Terrell Owens. In other words, he is a potential distraction to a classy locker room.
When you think of cornerstone players on the Cardinals like Chandler Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, and Kyler Murray, you think class acts. Sure, they’ll have fun and celebrate. But they’re not dancing on other teams’ logos, speaking their mind about opponents on social media, and bringing a me-first attitude to the table.
Hopkins got testy regarding the Houston Texans and the Deshaun Watson situation. But he’s not finding ways to fuel opponents the week before he plays them in a playoff game.
Smith-Schuster is a great player. But he’s immature. Until then, the Cardinals would be better off signing a cheaper, lower-risk option as a potential WR2. While they don’t carry the flashiest statistics, guys like Corey Davis or Allen Robinson would be safer bets.