The Arizona Cardinals will be shedding some of their roster, but there will also be a few players set to re-sign with them for 2023.
When you finish 4-13, you’re going to make a lot of changes to your roster. And if you finish 4-13, fire your coach, and watch your general manager walk away, you’re going to make even more changes to fit the image of the incoming regime.
But the Kliff/Keim regime did pick up some interesting players during their four seasons working together, and those players deserve to return to the Redbirds. Which names do they need to negotiate with once the new coach is in town? Here are five of them.
Who will re-sign with the Arizona Cardinals? Player #1 – Zach Allen
If the Arizona Cardinals chose to hold onto just one player, it needs to be Zach Allen. Allen has gotten better with each passing season, posting 5.0 sacks in 13 contests in 2022 along with 47 tackles, 10 for loss, and 19 quarterback hits. He also deflected 10 passes, second only to the emerging Marco Wilson.
While he’s not a spectacular player and will probably never be one, Allen has shown he is a long-term starter in the NFL. Of course, he has his drawbacks, as he’s yet to avoid injury for an entire season, and has played in just 45 of a possible 66 regular season contests.
Other than his injury history, Allen has also been around long enough where he can become a vocal leader on this otherwise young defense. Look for Allen and the Cardinals to begin negotiations immediately.
Player #2 – Byron Murphy
Murphy has been the Arizona Cardinals best corner since Patrick Peterson left, compiling four interceptions and 16 passes defensed in that span. While he struggled last season, he also played with injuries that ultimately sidelined him after just nine games.
To gain a more accurate picture of what Murphy represents, let’s check out his advanced statistics from 2021. That season, he logged four picks for 98 yards, including one pick six that helped the Cardinals avoid a massive upset in Jacksonville. He also allowed just an 87.3 passer rating.
His 2022 numbers, weren’t terrible either, allowing just 6.0 yards per target, and 9.4 yards per completion. He also ultimately led the Cardinals to a big win in Week 2 over the Las Vegas Raiders, returning a Hunter Refrow fumble for a the game-winning touchdown.
Player #3 – Antonio Hamilton
Hamilton will be 30 when the Arizona Cardinals take the field come September, but he would provide excellent depth at what has been a thin position group over the past three seasons. Even if the Redbirds draft a corner in April, keeping Hamilton around still makes sense to be either the nickel or if a prospective rookie is ready, a dime back.
He saw action in just 10 games this past season, recording his first career interception and deflecting five passes. Even more impressive is the fact Hamilton allowed a max of 6.3 yards per target over the past two seasons, and no more than 9.5 yards per catch.
Hamilton allowed just two touchdowns since 2021, and no higher than an 89.9 quarterback rating in that span. Overall, he may be an older player whose re-signing may look counterintuitive, but Hamilton has proven himself to be a sound puzzle piece in the desert.
Player #4 – Greg Dortch
No one on this list impressed more than Greg Dortch, and the 5’7 speedster proved his worth with 52 catches on 64 targets. He also accumulated 467 receiving yards and two touchdowns while playing in just 45% of all offensive snaps.
Had former head coach Kliff Kingsbury been a wiser man, he would have never slashed Dortch’s playing time in favor of Rondale Moore, who once again found himself in the trainer’s room more often than the field. Given his strong season and the fact DeAndre Hopkins may go elsewhere, expect the Arizona Cardinals to prioritize re-signing Dortch.
Along with Marquise Brown and Moore if he’s healthy, the Redbirds may be going into 2023 with some smallish receivers. But all three, even a healthy Moore, have shown that they can be an effective trio. Expect the Cardinals to try and keep this band together.
Player #5 – Ben Niemann
With Isaiah Simmons potentially playing multiple positions again in 2023, the Arizona Cardinals will need a third inside linebacker to rotate in alongside Zaven Collins. Niemann showed in 2022 that he can be that linebacker, compiling 70 tackles in 17 games.
Niemann isn’t a flashy player and many of his stops have come four or five yards downfield, but per Pro-Football-Reference, he had a missed tackle rate of 0.0%. A sure-tackler is something the Cardinals will need in 2023 as they seek to adopt to a potential system change, and Niemann can be that guy.
It remains to be seen whether the Arizona Cardinals retain these five individuals, though you can almost certainly assume Allen and Murphy will be two primary targets. Dortch is an exclusive-rights free agent, meaning the Redbirds only need to extend a qualifying offer and they can negotiate freely with him. Hamilton makes good depth, and Niemann, a good rotational piece.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)
Article Source: Zach Allen headlines free agents the Arizona Cardinals should re-sign in 2023 by Tyler Drake
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