If the tenure of pass rusher Chandler Jones has reached the end with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, who are some players the team could sign to replace him?
It’s very possible that the Arizona Cardinals could return to the field next season without linebacker Chandler Jones on their roster for the first time since 2015.
Jones is currently scheduled to become a free agent in March and he could potentially land a lucrative contract before the 2022 campaign. However, that contract probably isn’t going to come from the Cardinals.
Arizona is currently projected to begin the new league year with a little under $1 million over the salary cap. So the Cardinals aren’t even really in a position to get into a bidding war for Jones this offseason.
If Jones does ultimately end up walking out the door for good in a few weeks, who are some of the free-agent pass rushers Arizona could bring in to replace him this year?
Replacement No. 1
Harold Landry
- Age:
- 25-years-old
- 2021 Stats (with Tennessee Titans):
- 17 games
- 75 tackles (14 for a loss)
- 43 pressures, 22 QB hits, 12 sacks
- 1 forced fumble
If the Cardinals end up moving on from Jones more because of his age and not his expected price tag, then Harold Landry could be someone the team considers adding in 2022.
Landry is coming off a career season in 2021 that resulted in his first selection to the Pro Bowl. He has the potential to produce at a very high level for the next handful of seasons.
Spotrac does project Landry’s market value in free agency to be worth a contract that pays him around $17 million. With Arizona not expected to have a ton of spending money this year, they would need to probably part with some notable names (possibly Justin Pugh, Jordan Hicks, and Rodney Hudson) in order to create enough cap space to sign Landry.