Week 1 of NFL free agency is almost in the books and the Arizona Cardinals made multiple moves to become competitive in the NFC West. The Cardinals showed they can compete with anyone once quarterback Kyler Murray is in the lineup. During Murray’s return, Arizona beat both the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers (two playoff teams) on the road. General Manager Monti Ossenfort and Head Coach Jonathan Gannon will look to capitalize on that positive momentum heading into the off-season.
Arizona Cardinals Sign Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting
Grade: B
The Arizona Cardinals officially signed former Tennessee Titans cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to a 3-year deal worth $25.5 million, ($17.4 million guaranteed). With this move, the Cardinals added much-needed experience and physicality to their secondary. While Murphy-Bunting had a down-year in 2023, we’ve seen signs of elite play, in 2022 he posted an 80.9 coverage grade per PFF player grades. In his short time with Arizona Jonathan Gannon has proven to be able to get the best out of his players so we should expect a bounce-back year from Murphy-Bunting.
Arizona Cardinals Sign Defensive Tackle Bilal Nichols
Grade: C+
The Arizona Cardinals officially signed former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Bilal Nichols to a 3-year deal worth $21 million, ($14.4 million guaranteed). This isn’t the home run move many expected from the Cardinals to address their defensive line, but this does fill a need. Compared to what this defensive line unit looked like a season ago, adding more size and experience is hard to look at as a negative.
Arizona Cardinals Sign Linebacker Mack Wilson
Grade: A
The Arizona Cardinals officially signed former New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson to a 3-year deal worth $15 million, ($12.75 million guaranteed). Mack Wilson had a quiet yet productive season a year ago in New England and could be in store for a breakout year in the desert. He wasn’t an every-snap player for the Patriots, but when he was out there he made an immediate impact, recording an elite 86.9 grade, per PFF player grades. This move will provide the Cardinals with a lot of versatility in their front seven, and on special teams.
Arizona Cardinals Sign Defensive Tackle Justin Jones
Grade: C
The Arizona Cardinals officially signed former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones to a 3-year deal worth $30 million, ($19.75 million guaranteed). Shortly after bringing in Bilal Nichols the Cardinals brought in Jones to continue adding to their interior defensive line, which needed a lot of work. At $30 million annually, this feels a bit expensive for a guy who will likely be a rotational player up front.
Arizona Cardinals Sign Offensive Tackle Jonah Williams
Grade: B-
The Arizona Cardinals officially signed former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Williams to a 2-year deal worth $30 million, ($19.75 million guaranteed). After the release of longtime tackle DJ Humphries, it was only a matter of time before the Cardinals found his replacement. Williams has only missed two games in the past three seasons which will give the Cardinals stability at the tackle spot. Williams has struggled at times with giving up sacks in the past couple of seasons, but a change of scenery and play style should benefit the 26-year-old tackle.
Arizona Cardinals Trade for Quarterback Desmond Ridder
Grade: B+
The Arizona Cardinals traded wide receiver Rondale Moore for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder. The Cardinals desperately needed a backup quarterback due to Clayton Tune’s inexperience, and instead of following market demands and paying upwards of $10 million for their backup, the Cardinals made this trade. Ridder has a similar game to starter Kyler Murray which will give the Cardinals a seamless transition should Murray go down. Also, the Cardinals love to run quarterback sneaks and don’t want to risk injury with Murray’s frame, Ridder has demonstrated a great ability to perform QB sneaks and we can expect to see more of it next year in the desert.
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