Cardinals ‘won’t shy away from striking’ if right trade, free agent move present themselves

Given where the Arizona Cardinals sit after two years under the current regime and coming off an 8-9 mark, this offseason marks a big one for the franchise.

Progress has been made across the past two seasons, with Arizona doubling its win total in 2024. The realistic next step is a playoff push.

The best way to do that? Add some premium talent to the holes on the roster.

Whatever the avenue — whether it be free agency or via trade — supplementing new veteran faces with those on the roster is a must, especially given the projected $72.9 million in active cap spending.

“We have cap space, and we had some cap space (in 2024), but it didn’t make sense with the players who were out there last year that Monti wanted to focus on,” owner Michael Bidwill told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “But we think there’s going to be some real opportunity this year. We’re going to see who’s out there and what we can get done.

“We want to build through the draft. Free agency is sort of a supplement (to that) and that’s going to continue to be the plan. There are going to be some opportunities in free agency and I’m hopeful in the next 2-3 weeks, we’re talking about those additions.”

But with many perspective free agent moves, the biggest caveat comes down to price. There’s nothing free about them.

If you’re about to go wade in the free-agent pool, financial floaties are required for GMs to avoid overpaying more than they already are.

Even if the price fits, there’s always the potential the signing doesn’t pan out as expected for other reasons. We saw that last year with 2024 free agency signings Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols going down with season-ending injuries after consistently staying healthy in prior seasons.

For Ossenfort, the keyword to free agency is “smart.”

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort hit on several big-picture questions when he joined @Bickley_Marotta this morning:

– Does it make sense for the Cardinals to use draft picks to acquire a superstar?

– Will they try to retain some key free agents like linebacker Kyzir White?

– Did… pic.twitter.com/3W9ALPX4hA

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 21, 2025

“I think with everything, it has to be done with the right judgment,” Ossenfort told Bickley & Marotta. “Free agency is an overpay, it’s a market. … It’s tough because we can’t pick up the phone and call Team X and say, ‘Hey, tell me about this guy,’ because we don’t know if that team want to keep him or how they value him. There’s a lot of challenges that come with free agency. We’re going to be active in free agency — we absolutely are — but we’re going to be smart about it.

“We’re going to look at every avenue to improve the team, but we have to be smart about not only this year’s team as we build for the future and our own players that we’ve talked about that we want to extend. That all goes into it. It’s not as simple as saying, ‘Hey, let’s going on a shopping spree.’ It’s gotta be measured, it’s gotta be the right decision, it’s gotta be right for the team now and into the future.”

While there’s plenty of emphasis on which outside additions Arizona could swing this offseason, don’t forget about the number of in-house options heading toward free agency. We saw some deals get done last year, with Zaven Collins, Hjalte Froholdt and Budda Baker inking extensions and avoiding free agency altogether and more re-signings should be on the way.

Of the names testing the waters include MIKE linebacker Kyzir White, swing tackle Kelvin Beachum and guard Evan Brown, a trio of starters from this past season.

But no matter the player or their status on the roster in recent years, the price has to be right.

Ossenfort: Cardinals won’t shy away from the right trade scenario

Free agency is a big piece of every NFL team’s offseason. It’s also not the only non-draft avenue when it comes to adding talent.

Trades serve as another path. And you don’t have to look hard to find the top target this offseason in Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett.

He would fill a massive need on the roster but would cost some serious draft capital and require an extension upon arrival.

“I think that really depends on the situation. It depends on the player, it depends on the cost,” Ossenfort said.

“We’ll look into every avenue that makes sense and helps to improve our team and then you just have to make that decision. … If the right situation presents itself, we won’t shy away from striking.”

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