The beginning of the free agency period is as close to Transfer Deadline Day as we get in the NFL. From Wednesday, all pending free agents are able to sign with teams to coincide with the start of the new league year, although agents and teams are allowed to negotiate deals from Monday – known as the legal tampering period.

The opening week of the free agency window, often referred to as the “first wave” of free agency, is the first real chance that clubs get to recruit and shape their teams for the upcoming season before the lottery of the NFL Draft commences in April.

This period of signing and re-signing players sees teams juggle their cap space (the remaining amount of money each team has available to spend on player contracts) with the various needs of improving their rosters. While all teams have the same total cap to spend (this year’s figure is $208.2m), past roster decisions and current contracts can have a major impact on the available money teams have to use.

The Indianapolis Colts currently lead the league with $69.8m of available cap space according to Overthecap.com, while the same site has the Buffalo Bills with only $855,821 to spare on improving their team. We won’t get into teams that are technically above the cap yet…

Of course, teams are able to manipulate the cap space available to them by restructuring current contracts, releasing players or through trades to free up more cash which has given life to “the cap is a myth” speculation with teams like Tampa Bay, the LA Rams and the Saints being able to meet the cap each year despite creating star-studded squads.

While teams do eventually have to pay the piper in some regard, the expected increase in the overall cap as TV deals skyrocket in years to come and the ability to “kick the can down the road” through restructures means teams can be flexible when it comes to free agency.

The Arizona Cardinals, for example, entered last week with a reported $2800 in available cap. Through restructuring Devon Kennard’s contract and releasing captain Jordan Hicks they have freed up a supposed $12m in space, although some of that will be deducted as “dead cap” following Hicks’s release.

Further restructures or releases, with OT DJ Humphries, DT Jordan Phillips and guard Justin Pugh prime candidates to have their current situations altered, could lead to as much as $40m becoming available for GM Steve Keim to play with. There’s also a nuclear option that would free up as much as $80m but that’d truly create a Super Bowl winners or bust scenario.

With Russell Wilson’s departure from the Seahawks sending shockwaves through the NFL and the uncertainty around San Francisco’s QB situation, the Cardinals need to take advantage and cement themselves as major players in the NFC West after last season’s collapse.

The Cards could find themselves in a situation where two of their rivals start the season with untested QBs leading the offence should the Seahawks decide to draft Wilson’s replacement and Trey Lance being unable to displace Jimmy G in San Fran last year. There’s also the unlikely but very, very funny possibility of Drew Lock or Geno Smith leading the ‘Hawks.

However, now that they have a bounty of picks from the Wilson trade to offer up, the Seahawks could just as easily find themselves welcoming DeShaun Watson to Lumen Field with the Texans QB no longer facing criminal charges. Yet, that scenario would arguably intensify the Cardinals’ need to strengthen the roster around Kyler Murray (and sort out their franchise QB’s future).

So who can the Cardinals look to target this week and what positions in particular need to be addressed?

Interior Defensive Line

The Arizona Cardinals could not stop the run last season, ranking 21st in total rush yards allowed per game with 116.2, while only 5 defences allowed more yards per carry than the Cardinals 4.6.

A true, run-stuffing nose tackle that can swallow up space and allow the likes of Zach Allen and JJ Watt more freedom to collapse the pocket would be an incredibly valuable piece in Vance Josheph’s defence.

Folorunso “Foley” Fatukasi – He’s 6 foot four, weighs 318 lbs and is slyly ome of the league’s best run defenders. While playing in a weak Jets team that regularly loses games hasn’t seen the former Conneticut Huskie showered with praise on a national level, the 27-year-old Dlinemen has been one of the most effective run-stoppers in the league since being drafted in 2018.

In 2019 and 2020, Fatukasi posted PFF run defence grades of 87.6 and 86.2 respectively, with his 2020 grade against the run only coming behind Aaron Donald out of all linemen. That took a hit this year, as new Jets HC Robert Saleh changed to a 4-3 defence, with Fatukasi dropping to a 57.3 run defence grade. Despite this Fatukasi actually recorded a career-high 46 tackles and ranked fourth among defensive tackles in ESPN’s run stop metric.

A team captain at the Jets, a commendation that Steve Keim holds in high regard during recruitment, Fatukasi will be testing free agency with Mike Garafolo quoted last week as considering the run-stopper as an “eight figure guy” which would mean a minimum of $10m per year, though he’d be a boon for any team looking to run a 3-4 defence to suit his strengths.

Eddie Goldman – The Chicago Bears cut NT Eddie Goldman on Friday after failing to trade him, as part of their own attempts to free up cap space. The 28-year-old experienced his worst season in the NFL last year, after sitting out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, totalling just 22 tackles, 0.5 sacks and one quarterback hit.

However, Goldman was long the anchor of the Bears’ formidable defence and has stood up against the run incredibly well in previous years in a division that features star backs like Aaron Jones and Dalvin Cook. A change of scenery into a 3-4 system designed to get the best out of his talents and an incentive-laden “prove it” contract could see Goldman return to his best.

Cornerback

The Cardinals lack of depth and experience at the cornerback position came back to bite them in the second half of the season as Byron Murphy Jr. and Marco Wilson saw their form slide following the injury to Robert Alford. However, the young pair did show enough in the first half of the season to suggest they could mature into valuable pieces in the secondary, with Murphy especially developing at a promising rate.

While plenty of the Red Sea want to see the front office make a major move for the Patriot’s JC Jackson, last season’s play from Murphy, Wilson, Alford and Antonio Hamilton and needs in other departments may see Keim and co. again roll into Week 1 without a true CB1, instead hoping the collective can be stronger than the sum of its parts.

Chavarius Ward – The Kansas City Chiefs corner has quietly developed into a capable defender and is arguably the best of this year’s free agent corners when it comes to playing in man coverage. Starting 43 games in 4 seasons for the Chiefs, Ward got better and better in Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. Per PFF, opposition QBs completed just 38.3% of their passes when targeting Ward in man coverage, which was the best mark for any CB that played at least half of their teams snaps last year.

That level of play has come when being asked to play in a division that features the likes of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Hunter Renfrow so Ward would have no apprehension if he was asked to cover Cooper Kupp or DK Metcalf next season. Spotrac value Ward worthy of a $9.9m yearly salary, although the CB market is difficult to predict given that it’s a premium position.

Steven Nelson – Nelson, the 29-year-old former Steeler, was coveted by Cardinals fans last offseason before he joined the Philadelphia Eagles and he performed well enough for Philly to warrant an increased, longer-term deal than his 1 year, $4m deal last time out.

A combative, aggressive outside corner, Nelson would be a good fit for a Vance Joseph defence that values “getting stuck in” just as much as it does big-time plays.

Pass Rusher

With franchise legend and record sack leader Chandler Jones being allowed to walk in free agency, with the $24m+ franchise tag price being deemed much too high, the Cardinals must find someone to effectively get after the QB and take some of the pressure off Markus Golden

Haason Reddick – Picture it. Steve Keim outside of Reddick’s house as the rain pours down, boombox above his head, as Take That’s Back For Good blares out into the night. Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn’t mean it, I JUST WANT YOU BACK FOR GOOD.

The decision to let Reddick leave the franchise last offseason looked worse as the season wore on, with the former 1st round pick racking up 11 sacks and putting the league on notice that his breakout season with the Cardinals wasn’t a fluke.

The linebacker is now expected to command around $17m per season as one of the younger premium pass rushers available and a reunion in the desert would be ideal for both Vance Joseph and the Red Sea. Reddick’s athleticism and ability to get after the quarterback makes him a perfect fit for VJ’s aggressive scheme, that also needs its OLB’s to drop into coverage.

Anthony Barr – The Viking’s linebacker has taken a lot of heat from Minnesota fans over the last couple of seasons after signing a huge contract valued at $67.5m in 2019. Injuries that have limited the 30-year-old to just 13 games in the past two seasons and diminishing returns have seen the 4 time Pro Bowler being allowed to test the open market this month, with Overthecap estimating that Barr will be able to command around $6-7m per year.

However, Barr still possesses the physical traits that would lend themselves well to VJ’s scheme and has still been effective when fit (72 tackles, three interceptions and 2.5 sacks last season), while he’s widely regarded as one of the Viking’s locker-room leaders, so would bring an additional level of leadership to the Cardinals defence to recompense for the loss of Jones and Hicks.

Wide Receiver

Should Kyler Murray’s contract talks result in an amicable and satisfactory ending, the star QB will report to training camp without two of last season’s main receiving targets with Christian Kirk and AJ Green both entering free agency. While there’s some hope that Arizona native Kirk may be persuaded to take a “hometown discount” to stay in an offence that makes the best of his ability, he’s likely to command too high of a fee to warrant Keim re-signing the former 2nd round pick.

That is in part due to a weak free agent class at the receiver position and it may be that the best port of call for the Cardinals to provide Murray with a true #2 target opposite DeAndre Hopkins will be in the draft.

D.J. Chark – If the Cardinals do dip into free agency to bolster their receiving corps, Chark will likely be their dream target. Blending size (Chark is 6ft 4 and 210lbs) with speed (he ran a 4.34 at the 2018 Combine), Chark is the type of big-bodied target that Murray needs while also providing a true vertical threat.

Despite only playing four games last season after injuring his ankle, the 25-year-old has been productive in a poor Jacksonville team and will command between $13-15m per year according to reports, due to his 1714 total yards in 2019 and 2020 and rare combination of physical traits. Those combined yards ranked 29th amongst all receivers.

Russell Gage – A more affordable solution at receiver would be Atlanta Falcon’s Russell Gage, who enters free agency after two seasons in a row where he contributed 700+ receiving yards.

A possession receiver, who would immediately give Murray a much needed target at the intermediary level of the field, Gage could be available for as little as $5m per year.

However, Gage is more of a slot receiver than a boundary threat so his signing would have to be complemented by a draftee capable of playing on the outside like Ohio State’s Chris Olave or Georgia’s George Pickens.

Guard

While Kyler Murray has improved year-upon-year since being drafted at #1 in the 2019 Draft, showcasing many talents that point to him becoming a legitimate superstar, he has one clear weakness and that is his reaction to significant interior pressure.

The Cards had huge concerns at the guard position, specifically right guard, last year and it played a part in Murray’s spiralling form. To keep their star happy and safe from harm, the club need to make a serious upgrade that may include multiple new signings to create depth and competition at a critical area.

James Daniels – The former 2nd round pick for the Chicago Bears will enter free agency for the first time after being drafted in 2018.

Having played at both left guard and center for the Bears, Daniels has shown versatility in his 31 NFL starts, which mixed with his athleticism means he will have a serious market as teams look to bolster their trenches for the upcoming season.

Turning 25 during the early stages of the season, Daniels has a lot of untapped potential and could thrive alongside an experienced stellar linemen like Rodney Hudson and under the tutelage of Cards’ coach Sean Kugler.

Ted Karras – The 29-year-old former Dolphin and Patriot also brings proven versatility having played at all positions across the interior.

Estimated to be available at around $4m a year, Karras would be a cheaper alternative for the Caridnals as they restock their offensive line, while offering good quality play – Karras ranked as the 15th best guard per PFF out of 82 eligible players last season, with an overall grade of 72.6. The Illinois alumni also recorded a PFF pass blocking grade of 76.5, the 7th best across all guards.

As seen above, the Arizona Cardinals have a number of needs to improve their roster and replace their own impending free agents, so they will need to create additional cap space over the coming months in time for the season starting.

They also have clear needs at running back and tight end, with James Conner, Chase Edmonds, Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams all able to test the market though both those positions would be much better off if the Cardinals simply re-signed a combination of those players and supplemented any remaining gaps in the draft, due to weak free agent classes this time round.

It is imperative that Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury, now both extended through 2027, make the most of the brief lull in the NFC West and turn the tide against the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers. This window of opportunity won’t be open for long.