Cardinals Had One of Free Agency's Best Deals

"The Cardinals signed a win rate star at a value price. Seumalo recorded pass block win rate and run block win rates in the 98th and 95th percentiles at his position, respectively, last season as a Steeler. And it was not a unique year. In 2024, he was in the 89th percentile and 90th percentile in the two metrics, and was in the top quartile in 2023, too," said Seth Walder.

"Now, I will say that when I called around for thoughts on my top 100 MVP list this year, the feedback I got on Seumalo was not as strong as the numbers indicated. Part of that was due to missed time; Seumalo missed three games with pectoral and triceps injuries, and he missed four games with a pectoral injury at the start of the 2024 season. He's also 32 years old, though I do think offensive linemen can often be a market inefficiency. They tend to still play well at this age, but teams are more hesitant to pay them."

Seumalo was pretty open and honest with reporters when asked why he landed with Arizona:

"I mean, the money is good," Seumalo said. "I won't pretend that's not a part of it. Also living out here was a factor. But the biggest part is I want to win, and I want to win with a team that wants me."

Seumalo will start at left guard immediately after the Cardinals parted ways with Evan Brown this offseason. Seumalo, though a bit on the older side, is an upgrade to an Arizona offensive line that desperately needed it.

The Cardinals didn't come close to overpaying for an immediate starter. While it's not a home run play that will sell jerseys or fill seats at State Farm Stadium, Arizona still did great on the open market with Seumalo's deal.