Arizona Cardinals: 3 bold offseason predictions
By Brandon Ray
2.) Cardinals sign Leonard Floyd, draft a pass rusher
Overall, the defense for Arizona was pitiful. They were near the bottom of the league in overall defense (especially with trying to stop the run). However, another weakness that they have is a lack of a consistent pass rusher. Finishing the season with only 33 sacks last year, an upgrade off the edge is well-needed. Defensive end Leonard Floyd, who is coming off his second 10+ sack season in four seasons, was a game-changer for the Buffalo Bills in 2023. In the first six weeks of last season, Floyd recorded 6.5 sacks and ultimately led the Bills in sacks to finish the season.
However, it was not just his sacks stat that showed out. The eye test and film show Floyd creating pressure and allowing other defenders on the Buffalo defensive line to step up and make a big play. At 31 years old, turning 32 years old at the start of the season, Floyd would be a fantastic edge rusher for the Cardinals as a temporary band-aid to this defense. Then to start the development of a future pass-rusher, this is where Ossenfort can draft a defensive end at some point in the first three rounds to learn from Floyd.
Getting a young guy in the rotation and having him learn from Floyd would be a key component to building up a pass rush for the future, and it would start with Floyd, who has 40 sacks in the last four seasons.