Robert Quinn would put Arizona Cardinals pass rush back in business

The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher would supply the Arizona Cardinals with an ideal replacement for Chandler Jones.

The Arizona Cardinals suffered a huge loss back in March when sack-specialist Chandler Jones inked a free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Three months have now passed since that defection, and the Cards have yet to acquire a suitable replacement for the 32-year-old Jones. The club did add a trio of potential pass-rushers during this past April’s draft, but counting on rookies to pick up the slack could ultimately spell disaster for the Arizona defense.

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim’s best attribute has been his ability to strengthen the roster with trades. Would Keim be willing to orchestrate another deal for a proven veteran who can put the heat on opposing quarterbacks?

Recent scuttlebutt indicates that the Chicago Bears may listen to offers for Robert Quinn after the three-time Pro Bowler blew off last week’s mandatory minicamp.

No reason was given for the absence, but it’s quite possible that Quinn may simply want to move on from a franchise that won just six games in 2021.

Robert Quinn will provide a massive upgrade for the Arizona Cardinals’ pass rush.

The 32-year-old Quinn is no stranger to the Cards organization. The 6 foot 4, 245 pounder spent his first seven NFL campaigns with the St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams, racking up 62.5 sacks for Arizona’s most formidable rival.

Quinn was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2018, where he notched a somewhat-disappointing 6.5 sacks during his lone season with that team.

However, the former first-round draft pick rebounded nicely after being dealt to the Dallas Cowboys in 2019, registering 11.5 sacks in 14 starts for “America’s Team.”

When the following offseason arrived, Quinn cashed in by signing a five-year, $70 million deal with the Bears. It initially appeared that Chicago had made a mistake when the former University of North Carolina product was credited with just two sacks in 2020.

Any doubts concerning the pickup were put to rest in a big way, however, when Quinn racked up an eye-popping 18.5 sacks for the Bears last fall. That’s eight more sacks than Jones was credited within 2021, for those who are keeping count.

According to Spotrac.com, Quinn is scheduled to collect a base salary of $12.8 million in 2022. The Cardinals have roughly $11.5 million in salary-cap space at the present time, and there are ways (D.J. Humphries extension, for instance) for Keim to create even more.

Keim’s inability or flat-out refusal to add high-profile players through free agency is a cause for concern. But, rest assured, the “Red Sea” would feel a whole lot better if the Cards could bring Quinn to the desert.