ESPN.com: Cardinals expected to be active but not aggressive in free agency
Mar 3, 2017, 5:30 AM | Updated: 9:17 am
NFL free agency starts next week with the three biggest names expected to find new homes are Adrian Peterson, left, Tony Romo center and Terrelle Pryor right. However, the Cardinals are not expected to sign any of the three.
As NFL free agency gets started next week, the Arizona Cardinals are expected to be somewhat active, according to ESPN, while the division-rival San Francisco 49ers are likely to be aggressive.
ESPN.com recently categorized every team into these categories: aggressive, active but not breaking the bank, not as active as fans might hope and standing pat.
When it comes to the Cardinals, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss said the team is expected to be a player free agency but won’t be breaking the bank.
The Cardinals have 18 unrestricted free agents to potentially start replacing when the calendar flips to March 9. Arizona has shown during the Steve Keim era that it isn’t afraid to spend money in free agency on a specific need (tackle Jared Veldheer and guard Mike Iupati are examples), but the Cardinals have used free agency since 2013 mainly as a way to stock their roster with proven veterans who fill specific needs and aren’t expensive, while using the draft to build the roster for the future. This year should be no different. The Cardinals should be active in signing veterans who can play right away in positions of need: cornerback, inside linebacker and backup safety.
When it comes to the other NFC West teams, the 49ers could be aggressive simply because they have more salary cap space than almost every other team in the league.
Meanwhile, the Rams are expected to be like the Cardinals. ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez said because of competition in the L.A. market from the relocating Chargers, plus the opening of the new Rams stadium, Los Angeles doesn’t want to extend the rebuilding window. Instead, the Rams want to be competitive as quickly as possible.
The Seattle Seahawks will probably act as they have in the past. According to ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia, while there will be calls for the Seahawks to spend big on the offensive line, that seems like a long shot if recent history is any indication. They will probably identify and target free agent willing to sign short-term contracts with little to no guaranteed money and compete for playing time.
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