Cardinals' Free Agency Day One grade

[Chopper0080]

Will Monti go after Anfernee Jennings? Seems like a guy who fits the same criteria as some of these other signings.

 

[ajcardfan]

I'll go with the old Parcell's NFL adage, "you are what your record says you are". The Cards were a 4 win team last year with Kyler only playing 8 games. I just don't think it is realistic to say that the Cards will have trouble winning 5 games next year.

I'm guessing that the Cards will make that huge jump into middling status next season, and hopefully progress to a solid playoff team in 2025. Yep, it's a 3 year rebuild.

If you picked by hand the Cards home schedule, you could hardly pick a more favorable one. Damn right we should be middling, which in the NFL is playoff contention until week 17, next season. Four or five wins would be unacceptable.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

If you picked by hand the Cards home schedule, you could hardly pick a more favorable one. Damn right we should be middling, which in the NFL is playoff contention until week 17, next season. Four or five wins would be unacceptable.

Feeling so psyched about this team right now!

If we draft MJH and few more talented defensive players, we're going to run some teams off the field in 2024!

 

[Mulli]

Feeling so psyched about this team right now!

If we draft MJH and few more talented defensive players, we're going to run some teams off the field in 2024!

Giddy up!

 

[Chopper0080]

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

 

[Chopper0080]

Weinfuss states they wanted to add ay least 1 pass rusher and 1 CB but ideally two of each.

 

[Chopper0080]

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

 

[outcent13]

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.

 

[Mulli]

I feel like last year was purging. The salary cap, this year is developing the underbelly of a team moving forward and hopefully hitting on some superstars in the draft and next year we will go after the big ticket free agents 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.

Powder. Dry.

 

[kerouac9]

I feel like last year was purging. The salary cap, this year is developing the underbelly of a team moving forward and hopefully hitting on some superstars in the draft and next year we will go after the big ticket free agents 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.

These guys just don't exist. Not really. Not anymore. Maybe you can invest in higher-value guys with a higher ceiling, but there's almost always something wrong with free agents coming out or they're foolishly overvalued.

 

[Mulli]

These guys just don't exist. Not really. Not anymore. Maybe you can invest in higher-value guys with a higher ceiling, but there's almost always something wrong with free agents coming out or they're foolishly overvalued.

Franchises really have to guard against signing those offensive deals.

 

[football karma]

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

ugh

i think in the coming week there will be players released that could both really help and wouldnt cost too much

the team still has major holes at LT, LG, WR, and Edge

the draft can plug 2 of those holes, but thinking that all four get solved via draft alone isnt realistic

 

[Totally_Red]

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

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

 

[kerouac9]

the team still has major holes at LT, LG, WR, and Edge

FWIW, I think LT is filled by PJJ, and WR and Edge are best addressed through the draft -- or at least most efficiently.

Who's the upgrade that you see out there at LG? John Simpson (BAL)? Ben Bredeson (NYG)? Saahdiq Charles (WAS)? There was always a good possibility that the Cards were going to let Dennis Daley, Carter O'Donnell, Jon Gaines, and the rest of the Suicide Squad compete for that spot.

 

[cardncubfan]

Yeah I’m going B. I like how quickly they are moving and the direction. If they can move from the bottle in defensive statistics to somewhere in the middle of the pack this team can make a playoff run.

Keim is no longer GM.

 

[Card'em]

We can play this out. The Cardinals will be worse without DJ Humphries. The Cardinals best WR is Michael Wilson. The Cardinals are very dependent on James Conner and have no viable backup. The Cardinals still have zero pass rush. Their best CB is a bottom level NFL starter. Kyler Murray hasn't played more than 14 games in the past three seasons.

Some of these things may still change. But in terms of what happened yesterday, nothing really moves the needle.

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.

 

[kerouac9]

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.

Progress from the 2023 rookie class was already baked in to the 2024 potential. It's reasonable to say that none of the upgrades at DL will offset the gaping hole currently at one of the tackle positions.

Yes, you can address that in the draft, but there's risk the prospect won't work out and opportunity cost to tactically seizing a different position because you need a body.

 

[Mulli]

Okay, who was the tactical seizure not made that most concerns you?

 

[kerouac9]

Okay, who was the tactical seizure not made that most concerns you?

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

 

[Mulli]

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

TacSeiz is a cool "Handle"

 

[Fitz4Ever]

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

well seeing as though we didnt make any major additions....that is disappointing. If we consider Murphy-Bunting a MAJOR addition, I wonder what we will call the remaining guys we sign.

I would make a push at Danielle Hunter. He will turn 30 during the season. He is not washed up, and has put together back to back 17 game season after an injury in 2021. I would offer him 4 years, 90 million...with 60 guaranteed. He becomes the leader of the defense, I think its not crazy at all to expect we get 40+ sacks out of him over that 4 year deal, and I dont see a massive, fall off a cliff type drop off happening with him.

We could/should/probably trade Budda at some point this offseason. Hunter would have about the same cap hit as Budda next year...and I think has a MUCH bigger impact on the defense.

 

[kerouac9]

TacSeiz is a cool "Handle"

A tactical seizure is like a normal seizure, but in camo and with a 15% markup.

 

[Krangodnzr]

These guys just don't exist. Not really. Not anymore. Maybe you can invest in higher-value guys with a higher ceiling, but there's almost always something wrong with free agents coming out or they're foolishly overvalued.

They do exist, but with serious financial risk attached.

As much as some of us view FA as a panacea, the historic averages demonstrate that the vast majority of FAs never replicate the success they had with their prior team.

I remember five years ago or so when the Panthers did the exact same thing they did with the Robert Hunt signing when they signed Andrew Norwell (guard) to a huge contract. That contract was quickly an albatross and I would bet the Hunt contract becomes one as well.

What's the best way to attack FA? Young players that are ascending or cheaper veterans to augment players already on the roster.

 

[kerouac9]

What's the best way to attack FA? Young players that are ascending or cheaper veterans to augment players already on the roster.

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.

 

[football karma]

FWIW, I think LT is filled by PJJ, and WR and Edge are best addressed through the draft -- or at least most efficiently.

Who's the upgrade that you see out there at LG? John Simpson (BAL)? Ben Bredeson (NYG)? Saahdiq Charles (WAS)? There was always a good possibility that the Cards were going to let Dennis Daley, Carter O'Donnell, Jon Gaines, and the rest of the Suicide Squad compete for that spot. I prefer Beach as a depth swing guy

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)