Cardinals' Free Agency Day One grade

[kerouac9]

It comes down to money of course. If I am looking at that group, I have to consider Fro, Hern, Conner, and White. Conner can probably wait until FA due to his age and position. There is a lot of time left, but I personally feel Monti better get moving a bit faster because his slow play isn't fast enough.

If you're willing to pay someone in-season (like by week 8 or 10) and it's a fair deal, a midrange guy is going to take that deal, I think. They don't want to deal with free agency, anyway.

Yeah, if you're calling the agent for the first time in Week 12, you're going to have a harder time.

 

[Mulli]

If you're willing to pay someone in-season (like by week 8 or 10) and it's a fair deal, a midrange guy is going to take that deal, I think. They don't want to deal with free agency, anyway.

Yeah, if you're calling the agent for the first time in Week 12, you're going to have a harder time.

WHY ISN'T MONTI CALLING THEM DURING THE SEASON!

 

[Chopper0080]

If the Cardinals had signed say Zach Allen last season, he would cost the Cardinals $19M in cap space this season. That’s way more than the 2024 cap hit of the players that signed so far this FA period. So yes it would have hindered their ability to go after players in FA. It would have cut a third of the available 2024 cap space for an average at best DT.

Contract structure is kinda team driven. Allen didn't ask for 19 mil to be his hit this year. He wanted a total for his first two years. The broncos chose to have 19 mil hit in year 2 and the Cardinals could have chosen differently.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Why would you make them last year and burn a year of their deal knowing your playing most of the season with a backup QB?

It would be peak Cardinals for the team to have spent that cap and then ended up at pick 10.

Would you take out a loan on a car you couldn't drive for a year and waste a year of payments?

I didn't care last season for the above reason. Without Murray, we knew the Cardinals were going to be bad.

And even this off-season, the Cardinals are still undoing the mess that Keim made.

 

[Shane]

Day 2 grades Ya’all let’s have em

Sighhhhh…. Still waiting

 

[ajcardfan]

The Broncos had to restructure Allen to create cap space. Granted we have cap space. Seeing NFL pundits say he wasn't worth the contract he got, plus now he has THREE Void years at the end of his contract with the Broncos as they kick the can down the road. Hopefully the Cards do not do THAT!

The mistake this franchise has continually made throughout it's history is they let good players get to the last year of their deal. It expires, and then they say "Too expensive!"

What should be done, IMO is offer after year 3 in a four year deal, after year 4 in a five year. They did do that with Kyler. But guys like Kirk, Allen and Murphy would not have been so expensive if you made the move a year earlier

 

[kerouac9]

It would be peak Cardinals for the team to have spent that cap and then ended up at pick 10.

Bro. It's okay to say that Monti screwed up the tank (or Gannon and Kyler did). The point of the tank was to be in a position to replace Kyler with a top QB prospect or trade out for "a haul."

At four, we are not getting a haul, in all likelihood. Maybe we get a deal like we got last year from Houston, which turned out to be pretty mediocre. We're positioned to get our choice of a group of similarly rated skill position players. If we'd decided to be more competitive and ended up at pick 10, we'd get our choice of the remaining three or four similarly rated skill position players.

I'd have rather not wet the bed against Washington and NYG. YMMV.

 

[Yuma]

The mistake this franchise has continually made throughout it's history is they let good players get to the last year of their deal. It expires, and then they say "Too expensive!"

What should be done, IMO is offer after year 3 in a four year deal, after year 4 in a five year. They did do that with Kyler. But guys like Kirk, Allen and Murphy would not have been so expensive if you made the move a year earlier

True. Murphy the Cards KNEW they couldn't afford him at that point. They have their sources and know what guys are worth. Allen was closer to affordable, but that may have been they didn't feel he was progressing enough, or that he couldn't sustain that last year of play for them. I like the way this crew is building prudently with the amount of holes we have to fill.

 

[TigToad]

Oh, we were awful… but we played hard almost all the the time. I expected them to quit.

The Cardinals were 31st in points allowed and 25th in yards allowed. How much worse did you expect them to be?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Oh, we were awful… but we played hard almost all the the time. I expected them to quit.

The bar here is underground.

 

[Mulli]

The bar here is underground.

Ur Underground!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Ur Underground!

Cards Underground!

The Official Site of the Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals Official Team Website I Arizona Cardinals – AZCardinals.com

www.azcardinals.com

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We disagree on this. My answer is yes. The goal is to build and because you can't control FA classes or draft classes year to year, IMO, it is prudent to take advantage where and when you can. especially in terms of key positions. This roster would 100% be better off with both Murphy and Allen, and neither of those players would have prohibited any move we have made. Same goes with other equivalent FAs last year.

Correct. And if, as is rumored, we are done with “bigger spending” then the narrative the whole offseason that they spend what they saved last offseason goes straight in the toilet and we could - and likely should - have more talent signed from two offseason pools.

 

[Stout]

Correct. And if, as is rumored, we are done with “bigger spending” then the narrative the whole offseason that they spend what they saved last offseason goes straight in the toilet and we could - and likely should - have more talent signed from two offseason pools.

This is a great point. So many posters want us to "keep the powder dry," and my reply is "for what?" We're just going to keep rolling cap space over year after year.

 

[Shane]

This is a great point. So many posters want us to "keep the powder dry," and my reply is "for what?" We're just going to keep rolling cap space over year after year.

So you can not look like an idiot in your “cap space” jersey

We’re concerned for you…

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It would be peak Cardinals for the team to have spent that cap and then ended up at pick 10.

I didn't care last season for the above reason. Without Murray, we knew the Cardinals were going to be bad.

And even this off-season, the Cardinals are still undoing the mess that Keim made.

Eh the type of baseline talent we could have signed wasn’t going to move the needle that much absent kyler. Just like signings this year won’t. It’s the aggregate of growing all of the talent that will move our record. Absent a stellar draft this year and significant growth from younger players from last season to this the five guys we’ve signed this offseason wouldn’t likely impact our record by themselves.

 

[Stout]

So you can not look like an idiot in your “cap space” jersey

We’re concerned for you…

Aw, that's sweet

Just let's not have Monti trade down for a haul so I don't need to get a Draft Picks jersey!

 

[Krangodnzr]

Eh the type of baseline talent we could have signed wasn’t going to move the needle that much absent kyler. Just like signings this year won’t. It’s the aggregate of growing all of the talent that will move our record. Absent a stellar draft this year and significant growth from younger players from last season to this the five guys we’ve signed this offseason wouldn’t likely impact our record by themselves.

I'd agree if the Cardinals were blown out all of the time, but they weren't. A few better defenders likely would have resulted in a win or two more.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Eh the type of baseline talent we could have signed wasn’t going to move the needle that much absent kyler. Just like signings this year won’t. It’s the aggregate of growing all of the talent that will move our record. Absent a stellar draft this year and significant growth from younger players from last season to this the five guys we’ve signed this offseason wouldn’t likely impact our record by themselves.

I don't know why this is such a difficult concept for people to grasp - you're not going to win anything without acquiring above average starters, whether that be via the draft/trade/or FA. If your only plan to do so is through the draft, you're creating an incredibly narrow path to success.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I'd agree if the Cardinals were blown out all of the time, but they weren't. A few better defenders likely would have resulted in a win or two more.

I think “likely” is too strong a word for Murphy and Allen, even together.

 

[kerouac9]

I think “likely” is too strong a word for Murphy and Allen, even together.

I go back and forth on this, but we lost @WAS, NYG, and SEA by a combined eight points. I think that having a slightly better defense probably wins one of those games.

 

[Mulli]

I go back and forth on this, but we lost @WAS, NYG, and SEA by a combined eight points. I think that having a slightly better defense probably wins one of those games.

Your darlings Houston Texans almost lost to the lowly Arizona Football Cardinals at home, IIRC.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

This is a great point. So many posters want us to "keep the powder dry," and my reply is "for what?" We're just going to keep rolling cap space over year after year.

Over a 4 year period, you have to spend at least 89% of the cap during that time. You can't roll forever.

 

[kerouac9]

Your darlings Houston Texans almost lost to the lowly Arizona Football Cardinals at home, IIRC.

I guess? Houston jumped out to a 21-10 halftime lead; the Cards scored on their first possession of the second half and didn't score in the second half despite being handed two turnovers.

The defense did their job that day. Hollywood brown was targeted five times and ended up with two receptions for 18 yards. Kind of a rough look.

Over a 4 year period, you have to spend at least 89% of the cap during that time. You can't roll forever.

The salary cap is $255 million this season. You can roll $20-25 million of cap space year after year, which makes the difference between teams that mainly want to win and teams that mainly want to be profitable.

 

[GatorAZ]

Given his durability concerns can you get Tyron Smith on a 1-year deal?