Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds has received significant interest from a variety of teams heading into the start of the free agent negotiating window on Monday.
The Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos are the four teams that have the best chance to add the 25-year-old running back if he leaves Arizona, a source told Compare.bet.
A return to the Cardinals, the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2018, is also a possibility.
* 5.1 YPC last year
* No. 10 league-wide in rush yards over expectation
* Runs routes like a WR
* Elite work ethic and football IQSomeone about to land a really good football player next week. https://t.co/wcBl5N10yV
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) March 13, 2022
Edmonds carried the ball 116 times for 592 yards and two touchdowns in 2021 while adding 43 catches for 311 yards. His 5.1 yards-per-carry average was 10th-best in the NFL and seventh-best among running backs.
Edmonds averaged 0.56 more yards per carry than expected in 2021, according to NextGenStats, which was the eighth-best mark in the NFL. He is rated as the 70th-best available free agent by Pro Football Focus and No. 76 by NFL.com.
Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was in Arizona during Edmonds’ rookie season, and the team could have a vacancy at running back with Leonard Fournette hitting free agency.
The Dolphins have the most cap space among the five teams at more than $48 million. Their new head coach, Mike McDaniel, was the run-game/offensive coordinator for the 49ers from 2017 through 2021 and saw Edmonds twice a year for much of that tenure.
The Bills have Devin Singletary at running back but could look to add Edmonds to split the load. Edmonds would be joining a Super Bowl contender in Buffalo, though the salary cap situation there is tighter than most of the other options.
The Broncos have a talented young running back in Javonte Williams, and Edmonds could pair with him much like he did with James Conner in Arizona. Denver running back Melvin Gordon is set to be a free agent.
The Cardinals are making a serious effort to bring back at least one of Edmonds or Conner, per multiple sources. Conner made the Pro Bowl last season.
