5 Intriguing players remain free-agent options for the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
There are several unemployed veterans who could make the Arizona Cardinals much more competitive in 2023.
Following an uneventful beginning to the free-agency signing period, the Arizona Cardinals have finally begun to fill out the roster. Most of the individuals who've been acquired by general manager Monti Ossenfort are far from household names, even to those of us who are avid followers of the National Football League.
Many of the top-ranked targets have already found new homes, but a bevy of productive veterans still need to sign contracts. If the Cards front office would only act, there are several individuals who could make the squad a whole lot more respectable next season.
One thing that is still a mystery in Arizona is the new regime's exact intentions at the present time. Are Ossenfort and company really trying to win games in year one? If they are, the following are five of the remaining free agents who could help the Cardinals be much more competitive than expected in 2023.
5 remaining free agent options for the Arizona Cardinals
EDGE - Yannick Ngakoue
Ossenfort needs to realize that the Redbirds defense possesses a miniscule amount of pass-rushing ability at the moment. A total of 18 sacks have been extracted with J.J. Watt and Zach Allen no longer around, so management needs to quickly acquire someone who can put fear into opposing quarterbacks.
Yannick Ngakoue, a journeyman defensive end, is still there for the taking. The 27-year-old has spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts during his seven-year pro career. Ngakoue, a 6 foot 2, 246 pounder, has applied an ample amount of pressure to the opposition's signal-callers at every stop along the way.
Last fall, Ngakoue racked up 9.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 15 starts for the Colts. In 2021, the former University of Maryland product registered 10 sacks and 23 QB hits in 17 starts for the Raiders. Based off of that production, Ossenfort should inguire immediately about what it would take for Ngakoue to do the same for the Cards defensive unit next fall.