The Arizona Cardinals' signing of veteran safety Andrew Wingard was recently named one of the top five free agency steals based on how they've looked in training camp by Bleacher Report's Alex Kay.
Others on the list include the Ravens' signing of Calais Campbell, the Commanders adding tight end Chig Okonkwo, the Giants attempting to fill the Dexter Lawrence void with D.J. Reader, and a Deebo Samuel reunion in San Francisco.
Andrew Wingard is an underrated pickup for the Cardinals
Wingard is more of a hidden gem than some of these big-name signings, which is reflected in his one-year, $3 million contract. But Kay does have a point; that's incredibly team-friendly for someone who projects to fill the Cardinals' free safety role. That's how you afford Budda Baker: pair him with a budget safety who can still hold his own.
Kay also highlights Wingard's versatility in the secondary, which should give defensive coordinator Nick Rallis a lot of room to be creative. Rallis has already even praised Wingard's ability to make an immediate impact, adding that it's "clear this guy is a football player and stands for what we're about."
Hopefully this short-term bargain leads to a longer-term position in the secondary, which continues to grow into a strength of this Cardinals defense thanks to wins on the margins, like the one they appear to have made by bringing in Wingard.
Arizona quietly has a few individual defensive playmakers and could become a formidable defense, but it ultimately comes down to the uncertainty of the defensive line.
Andrew Billings stood out in their Hall of Fame Game loss to the Carolina Panthers as he absolutely imposed his dominance, preventing the run by clogging the interior gaps.
And at least GM Monti Ossenfort made it clear that the Cardinals are not trading Josh Sweat anytime soon, directly stating, "We have no interest in trading Josh" during Monday's press conference.
The two other X-Factors are former first-round investments, Walter Nolen III and Darius Robinson. Both have shown promise but dealt with injuries.
There's a path to fixing a defense that surrendered 28.7 points per game last season, which ranked fourth-most, with only the Cowboys, Jets, and Bengals giving up more. And if the rebuilding Cardinals are ever going to establish even a semblance of a defensive identity, cheap but impactful additions like Wingard will be key to that transformation.
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