Cardinals' Best Offseason Move Revealed

The Arizona Cardinals' offseason has consistently been heralded as one of the best around the league after spending hefty amounts of money in free agency and nearly every one of their 2025 NFL Draft selections to upgrade the defensive side of the ball.

After their late-season collapse saw Arizona miss the postseason entirely, the Cardinals made a clear and concise effort to improve what they believed was a weak spot for the team.

The Athletic's Mike Sando went through each team's offseason and picked the best move for each squad. For Arizona, it was the signing of OLB Josh Sweat.

Josh Sweat = Best Cardinals Offseason Move?

"Adding Josh Sweat in free agency addressed Arizona’s massive need for proven pass-rush help. Sweat’s 43 sacks for Philadelphia since 2019 dwarf the totals for any Cardinal over that span," said Sando.

"Arizona’s most productive pass rushers since then — Chandler Jones (30.5 sacks), Dennis Gardeck (17), Markus Golden (16.5), Haason Reddick (13.5) and J.J. Watt (13.5) are long gone from the roster, save for Gardeck. Sweat carries risk with a knee that requires management, but his history with the Cardinals’ coaches assures a solid fit."

Sweat had his best years under Jonathan Gannon while the two were in Philadelphia, and there's hope he can replicate that success here in the desert.

The Cardinals - after missing on fellow Eagles player and DL Milton Williams - inked Sweat to a four-year, $76.4 million contract in free agency - by far the largest signing of the Monti Ossenfort era.

“I want to be seen as the guy who's going to make a difference. I really haven’t had - I’m not going to say the opportunity - but we’ve been very talented over there (in Philadelphia),” Sweat said at his introductory press conference.

“Here it’s like I can definitely see we’re an ascending team and we can get over the hump. I can show exactly how I’m going to help. I’m excited, dog. That’s all I can really say.”

Sweat is part of a massive influx of fresh faces in the front seven to help overhaul Arizona's defense overnight, being joined by fellow free agent signings Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson on top of top draft picks Walter Nolen III and Jordan Burch.

Sweat has dominated in big moments, and if the Cardinals wish to see themselves in the same opportunities, the big fish signing will have to make a splash on more than one occasion in 2025.