Cardinals Absolutely Should Sign Released Bengals LB

After one prominent defensive name hit the market for the Arizona Cardinals to potentially pursue, another (and arguably more fitting) piece emerged.

While the Cardinals' fan base will debate the presence of new free agent CB Jaire Alexander, the release of former Cincinnati Bengals LB Germaine Pratt should indeed be a move to monitor for Arizona.

From NFL insider Tom Pelissero on X:

"The #Bengals are releasing veteran LB Germaine Pratt today, per sources. Pratt ranked in the top 10 in the NFL last season in tackles and was a team captain. Now, he hits the open market."

The Cardinals should absolutely be interested.

Why Germaine Pratt Makes Sense for Cardinals

Arizona lost the talented Kyzir White this offseason, and though the veteran hasn't signed anywhere as of yet, the Cardinals did sign two free agent inside linebackers (Akeem Davis-Gaither and Mykal Walker) while also drafting fourth-round pick Cody Simon.

"He (was) a captain so that's a challenge from a leadership standpoint, and the defense," Cardinals head coach Gannon said of the loss. "But we feel really good where we are at right now. We're going to try a lot of guys out there. If they deserve a role they will have a role."

While Mack Wilson certainly has one of the two inside spots locked down, the role of running mate has yet to be determined.

Davis-Gaither has some starting experience but isn't as established as Pratt while Walker is simply a special teams piece. For what it's worth Simon is a sneaky name to see major playing time but nobody should be counting on a Day 3 pick to fill those shoes immediately.

Pratt would be ideal next to Wilson, and quite frankly would project as a close replica of White's production.

Pratt, 28, has started all 17 games for Cincinnati in each of the last two seasons. In that time, he's tallied 261 tackles, nine passes defensed, four forced fumbles, two sacks and two fumbles recovered.

In that same span, White notched 227 tackles, six passes defensed, 4.5 sacks and no forced fumbles with one fumble recovered.

It's noted that White missed six games in 2023 due to injury, so full health would put his numbers a bit closer to Pratt's.

In terms of Pro Football Focus grades, Pratt also has the upper-hand compared to White:

Kyzir White 2024 PFF Grades:

Overall: 48.8
Pass Rush: 49.4
Run Defense: 73
Coverage: 32

Germaine Pratt 2024 PFF Grades

Overall: 60.6
Pass Rush: 54.5
Run Defense: 70.1
Coverage: 53.4

Though Pratt is a slight downgrade in run support, the improvement in pass coverage from White would be notable.

Pratt is a former captain for the Bengals and very much fits what the Cardinals are looking for in football character, as well.

Despite not having any All-Pro or Pro Bowl nods to his resume, Pratt is widely viewed as a top linebacker and would immediately solidify one of the few question marks the Cardinals' roster holds.