Arizona Cardinals on the free agent cusp: RB Chase Edmonds

The Arizona Cardinals have decisions to make this offseason, especially when it comes down to free agency.

With more than a handful of key contributors’s contracts expiring, Arizona must choose whether to re-sign the guys they’ve come to know or test the waters for some new blood.

Before the offseason and free agency gets into full swing, Arizona Sports’ Cardinals reporter Tyler Drake and fellow editors Kevin Zimmerman, Kellan Olson and Jake Anderson share their thoughts on who might stay and who will go.

Next up is running back Chase Edmonds.

Basics

Edmonds is coming off his rookie contract after the Cardinals selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He recently fulfilled a four-year rookie deal that paid out $2.9 million in total. He and fellow rotation back James Conner are free agents this summer. Second-year pro Eno Benjamin remains under contract and fellow sophomore Jonathan Ward will be an exclusive rights free agent.

Pros

Edmonds continued his progression as a trusted option on the ground and through the air in 2021. When healthy, he was the de facto starting back, though Conner nearly split carries with him.

This season, Edmonds ran the rock 116 times for 592 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. The Cardinals also continued to utilize him in the pass game, with the running back catching 43 of his 53 targets for 311 yards.

And while Edmonds brought speed and elusiveness to the backfield, Conner brought the boom, a combination that proved to give opposing defenses fits with its change of pace.

In their first nine games as teammates, the duo combined for 884 yards on 191 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt, for 11 touchdowns. As pass catchers, Edmonds and Conner chipped in a combined 40 catches (47 targets) for 322 yards and a touchdown.

With the Cardinals only having former Arizona State Sun Devil Benjamin as the lone running back locked in contract-wise for next season, keeping Edmonds around would be advantageous.

Pro Football Focus projects Edmonds’ next contract to be in the two-year, $12 million range with $9 million guaranteed.

Cons

Much like his counterpart, one of Edmonds’ biggest question marks is durability after playing a career low in games this regular season with 12.

At different points of the season, Edmonds dealt with shoulder, ankle toe and ribs issues, greatly limiting his availability in the second half of the season.

After starting the first nine games, the running back appeared in just three games (Weeks 15-17) to close out the regular season.

And with Conner dealing with his own injury woes, the dynamic duo saw just one game together over the final eight contests of the regular season.

Their absence was a critical factor in the team’s second-half decline for a consecutive season.

Final thought

Drake: As we saw this past season, the pairing of Conner and Edmonds was stellar when healthy. And when the running game was effective, it opened up the playbook for head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Throw in both Edmonds and Conner possessing that coveted team-first mentality and the positives outweigh the negatives. The Cardinals have to consider the price tag and other in-house free agents but why mess with what worked?

Likelihood of returning?

Drake: High. This offense thrives on a good running game and having Edmonds to complement a bruising back was a clear advantage this season. Continuity can be a hard thing to find in the NFL.

Zimmerman: Medium. The analytics say Conner was overrated because of his touchdown totals and Edmonds was underutilized and underappreciated. There’s a chance Edmonds gets too hefty of deal from another team, but he remains a well-respected core member of the team.

Olson: Low. Edmonds is good and I think a lot of teams know that. I have a feeling his agent will have a handful of calls from squads looking for that perfect complementary No. 2 back, and given how I expect the Cardinals to bring back Conner, I don’t see them competing in the market for Edmonds.

Anderson: Medium. Surely Edmonds wants to make the most of free agency coming off of a rookie contract, especially with how short running backs’ life spans are in the NFL. Can Keim afford to pay for two free agent running backs? Edmonds’ shifty ability and pass-catching prowess make him valuable fit for not only the Cardinals’ offense, but others around the league.

Follow @AZSports