Free agency is fast-approaching the Arizona Cardinals, and like most NFL teams, they will be targeting specific players.
The Arizona Cardinals will revamp their roster into the image general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon envision. And with so many names set to hit free agency, plus ample cap space, Ossenfort and Gannon can immediately make massive strides to reset the Cardinals roster.
So maybe the predictions I’ve listed below aren’t so bold. Maybe, thanks to their generous cap space, young talent who they may end up re-signing, and potential desire to create more space, my three ultra-bold predictions are a mere blueprint they already concocted in Glendale.
Curious to see what may be in store for the Cardinals when the new league year rolls around? Keep reading.
Ultra-bold predictions for Arizona Cardinals free agency
1 - Cardinals make TWO trades
There are three trades the Arizona Cardinals should make in the offseason, and they will make two of those trades. The Cards will most likely deal Hopkins, and multiple sources have cited they’re looking for at least a second-round pick, fair enough for a player of his age and recent performances.
D.J. Humphries is the one player whose possible trade few fans may see coming. At 29, he is still in his prime, and the Redbirds could send him to a team figuring to be in contention but unwilling to sign a left tackle in free agency or to draft one.
Overall, fans may not like the implications regarding this pair of trades. But despite the possible price in dead cap, it will save the Cards money, and it will give them a chance to inject younger talent onto the roster with that money in the future.
The additional draft picks will warrant Arizona a few more rookies that will organically make the team younger. And they will also bring in an additional young free agent or two. Speaking of which…
2 - Cards sign TWO prize free agents
Without name-dropping, there are several big-time free agents the Arizona Cardinals can lure to the desert. While these prize free agents may not be the youngest, their experience will provide excellent leadership for the team if the two trades I mentioned in the previous section go through. Or perhaps, when.
Preferably, these two free agents land on the offensive and defensive lines, which will help build the Cards from the inside-out. Doing so will help establish a push on the defensive line, and better protection on the offensive line for Kyler Murray plus his potential stand-in.
If the Cardinals invest heavily in their lines, expect better overall play in the trenches, which will also lead to a better pass rush and rushing defense, two areas that cursed the Cardinals in 2022. Meanwhile, an improved offensive line should also help negate penalties that hurt the Redbirds during the entire Kliff Kingsbury era.
And finally, more money spent on the offensive line will let the Cards invest more in edge, cornerback, running back, and potentially receiver when the NFL Draft arrives in late April. So expect Ossenfort to spend big on both sides of the line.
3 - Cards retain Murphy, Allen, and Hernandez
Byron Murphy Jr, Zach Allen, and Will Hernandez are often regarded as the top three pending free agents the Arizona Cardinals MUST retain. Arizona is weak at cornerback, as Marco Wilson is the only proven player on the roster at the position, so bringing back Murphy, even if they brought him back on a one-year deal, will be huge for the Redbirds.
While I predicted the Cardinals would spend some money for prize free agents on the offensive and defensive lines, it won’t be enough to solidify the units. This is what makes Will Hernandez (OL) and Zach Allen (DL) so important.
Hernandez played well enough to warrant a return, and Allen was among the best players on the Arizona defense. Both players are also young, so they fit perfectly into what Ossenfort and Gannon are trying to do.
Overall, anything can happen when free agency rolls around. But these three bold predictions, even if you may not like some of them in foresight, will work wonders for the Arizona Cardinals in hindsight.