How to Fix the Arizona Cardinals?

This is the beginning of my all 32 team series on how to improve your team. The first team is the Arizona Cardinals. The cards finished the year 3-13 and will be drafting in the top 10 in consecutive years. After reviewing their cap situation, the free agent market, & draft possibilities, I have a game plan for them. Let's take a look.

Free Agency

The cardinals have the 6th most projected cap space with 55.9 million according to https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/2019/ and a new head coach. This roster has a few holes to fill this off season. Although money is not an issue, letting Mike Iupati walk in free agency will be a good start. His 8-mill price tag and his 62.9 PFF grade will be off the books. The rebuild begins in free agency and here are some potential free agents they should target.

1. Roger Saffold

Saffold is a key cog in the LA Rams offensive line and run game. With David Johnson in Arizona, Roger would be welcomed and a much-needed upgrade. Saffold ranks 8th in PFF’s graded guards. If the Rams decides to let him walk, the cards should be on the horn immediately.

2. Ramon Foster

Sticking with the theme, improving the offensive line is priority. Foster is a ten-year veteran and the 15th ranked guard by PFF. In such a pass happy offense with the Steelers, Foster’s 84.5 passing grade ranks 9th in the league. Sophomore signal caller Josh Rosen must be protected and afforded time to scan the field. Foster should be an affordable player to acquire being that he is 33 years old.

3. Jason Verrett

If you’re searching for a cheap option at cornerback, insert Jason Verrett. A torn rotator cuff, partial ACL tear, knee injury flared up, & a torn Achilles have forced him out of 55 total games in 5 seasons. The cardinals could use another talented corner opposite of Patrick Peterson. Verrett’s lengthy absentee list should keep him out of a lucrative price range. When healthy, he posted a 91.5 coverage grade in 2015. If he can finally stay remotely healthy, he can give this secondary a shot in the arm.

Trade

Antonio Brown

The saying is, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”. Antonio Brown and the Steelers have more drama than one team should be allowed. The cardinals team has the cap space to carry his 22 million dollar cap hit and have a huge need for receiver help. Although Brown epitomizes Drake’s twitter fingers line in the back to back diss record to meek mill, one can only hope a change of scenery would give the star wideout new life.

NFL Draft

The cardinals currently hold the number one overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. There are a few options with the top pick in the draft. The cards could decide to trade the pick (as they should) to a quarterback needy team and garnish more draft capital. If they decide to stand pat, Nick Bosa is the Best Player Available (BPA) for this team. Pairing him with elite pass rusher Chandler Jones would give the NFC West quarterbacks a ferocious edge duo to fear for years to come.

Conclusion

Whether they decided to sign either or both lineman I listed, I would definitely give the Antonio Brown trade a shot. Surround your young quarterback with valuable weapons to expedite his growth. This off season is important for the cardinals and I'm intrigued to see how they approach it.