Cardinals' Free Agency Day One grade

[ASUCHRIS]

Okay...Michael Wilson, PJJ, Ojulari, and Dante Stills will be second year players with reasonable expectations to improve.

I hope you're right. I think many people were banking on the same logic that Marco Wilson/Cam Thomas/Myjai Sanders and Marquis Hayes would make the jump, and not one of them did.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

I'm most concerned about tactically seizing while walking the dog. No one out there but the buzzards.

Oh wow! Our resident Poet Laureate deserves a better fate than that! Please be careful then K9!

 

[Krangodnzr]

I don't know how you can feel good about this free agency class, if that's what you're looking at/for.

"Young players that are ascending" -- what does "young" mean here? I categorize this as players who completed their rookie contract, but you might mean something else.

"Cheaper veterans to augment players already on your roster" -- Cheaper comes in both salary and years (commitment) for me. The ideal examples of this are Corey Peters and and first Jermaine Gresham contracts.

The Cardinals didn't attack FA with ascending veterans per se. Mack Wilson might fit this category.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

you are probably right

Of the holes, i think 2 of WR, OT and Edge are the ones you can look to the draft for. Maybe the team draws an inside straight and someone like Chris Braswell or Darius Robinson at #35 turns out to be a player.

as for LG, Andrus Peat is still out there and went to pro bowls as a LG. He is 31, but at a position where thats not so old. Played Tackle last year for the Saints, so maybe he wants tackle money (which, might be the same as guard money these days)

It isn't. Not even close.

 

[Mulli]

It isn't. Not even close.

yet

 

[Chopper0080]

Okay...Michael Wilson, PJJ, Ojulari, and Dante Stills will be second year players with reasonable expectations to improve. Last year's defense had such notables as Starling Thomas V and Antonio Hamilton at CB, and soon to be forgotten Roy Lopez, Naquan Jones, Phil Hoskins and Ben Stille playing on our D-Line.

With yesterday's defensive adds, I think we've already moved the needle.

What sort of improvement are you expecting? Wilson is not close to a #1 WR and is a questionable #2. And I like Michael Wilson. PJJ can't play both OT spots no matter how much better he gets. Ojulari played 37% of snaps. Increases to 65%? He probably won't get more than 8 sacks. Maybe he doubles his pressures to 16. Stills is going to be a rotation player.

If all of these picks progress forward and double their production from 2023, the only one who has a chance to be a pro bowler is Wilson. And all of these players doubling their production is not realistic.

 

[kerouac9]

you are probably right

Of the holes, i think 2 of WR, OT and Edge are the ones you can look to the draft for. Maybe the team draws an inside straight and someone like Chris Braswell or Darius Robinson at #35 turns out to be a player.

as for LG, Andrus Peat is still out there and went to pro bowls as a LG. He is 31, but at a position where thats not so old. Played Tackle last year for the Saints, so maybe he wants tackle money (which, might be the same as guard money these days)

I'm certain the team feels better about Ojulari than I do. Also, you look at that OLB room and you have BJ, Collins, Gardeck, and maybe Cam Thomas (if they believe in him still). I don't know if adding a mid-priced veteran there moves the needle much. I think you keep rolling the dice on second-year edges and hope someone pops.

Throwing money at a veteran over 30 doesn't make sense to me considering the Cards' timeline.

 

[ajcardfan]

That deal that Carolina gave Hunt is crazy. 20 million per for a guard^$#!

My theory that it is smarter to sign a OG in free agency, and use high draft picks on marquee positions like WR and EDGE, was blown up yesterday. This contract, and the one the Rams did, are crazy IMO.

 

[Chopper0080]

I'm certain the team feels better about Ojulari than I do. Also, you look at that OLB room and you have BJ, Collins, Gardeck, and maybe Cam Thomas (if they believe in him still). I don't know if adding a mid-priced veteran there moves the needle much. I think you keep rolling the dice on second-year edges and hope someone pops.

Throwing money at a veteran over 30 doesn't make sense to me considering the Cards' timeline.

Not big money for sure. I could see them bringing in a guy like Charles Harris or Romeo Okwara or Derek Barnett tho.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

yet

I don't think it ever will be.

 

[kerouac9]

Not big money for sure. I could see them bringing in a guy like Charles Harris or Romeo Okwara or Derek Barnett tho.

Yeah but these guys are basically "what if we had Victor Dimukege but he just was different?"

 

[Mulli]

Yeah but these guys are basically "what if we had Victor Dimukege but he just was different?"

Not even Howie Roseman knows who that is

 

[Chopper0080]

Yeah but these guys are basically "what if we had Victor Dimukege but he just was different?"

Slightly better than Vic

 

[Harry]

They obviously didn’t like my idea of getting a couple of big impact players/leaders. Still gave them a B. I like Jones a lot. He’s still got upside and fits this defensive philosophy well. I like the CB acquisition. I think he has some ballhawk potential. Wilson is an excellent cover LB who could help control TEs. I would like to see them grab a remaining Edge or G. They’ve got money. The draft seems clear to go WR (not specifically Harrison), though the odds of re-signing Brown has increased. If nothing changes OL seems likely as well. Still time to get a couple of useful players.

 

[kerouac9]

Slightly better than Vic

Maybe, but they've all played like three times longer than Vic. He had 4 sacks last season with nothing around him.

 

[BritCard]

i think 15-20 mil

Can free up another $9m from Hump too

 

[BritCard]

I think would be smart of the Cards to hold some money back until after the draft. There are always some decent players cut post draft and the market is smaller and they come cheaper.

 

[Dback Jon]

There’s always one

On this board there is more than one...

 

[Shane]

On this board there is more than one...

True

 

[oaken1]

I think would be smart of the Cards to hold some money back until after the draft. There are always some decent players cut post draft and the market is smaller and they come cheaper.

agree. Honestly thats when I thought we would grab our DT's... usually those decent 34 year old guys get cut in summer... may also be when we look at offensive line or another corner

 

[Stout]

Cards probably win 7-8 games with Kyler healthy all year.

If you think this, you must be 100 percent certain we're making the playoffs next year.

 

[Stout]

I gave a B because you don't build teams through FA, you build through the draft.

For me these are the kind of solid roster additions that are more important to sign. There were some absolute NUTS deals by desperate teams yesterday.

We have a lot of draft capital and these were solid vets for them to work with.

And nobody can complain they are short term deals.

So why couldn't we make those signings last year? You told me those players didn't exist.

 

[Stout]

Gambo tweeting out that the Cardinals are done with major additions in FA. Now looking at depth players.

So, without a historical home run draft, we're not going to the playoffs. 3-year rebuild it is, then.

 

[Stout]

and to balance out my being critical of the Cardinals moves, I am happy they stayed away from these top end OG contracts.

We're left with significant holes on the OL, and a lot on the defense, and added no Big Johns. We went for depth/JAG starters only. Ugh.

 

[Stout]

I feel like last year was purging the salary cap, this year is developing the underbelly of the team moving forward and hopefully hitting on some superstars in the draft, and next year we will go after the big ticket free agents or trade options that may or may not get us over the top.

Should have plenty of cap space next year as well and that’s when I can see them making a big ticket purchase or Brian Burns type trade.

Hearing a lot of "next year" in this plan. With this team, it's always "next year."