Michael Bidwill surprised the NFL world when he gave Cardinals GM Steve Keim a contract extension earlier this offseason.
The Arizona owner may already be feeling buyer’s remorse.
The Cardinals have a star quarterback, Kyler Murray, on the fourth year of his rookie contract, which tends to be the crescendo of roster building for any team that nabs such a player in the draft.
Murray is nearing his physical prime, has substantial NFL experience, and his salary cap hit — $11.4 million for 2022 — is still dirt cheap compared to his true market value.
All signs pointed toward an aggressive free agency dash for Arizona to patch the numerous leaks that were evident down the stretch of 2021, when a 10-2 start turned into an 11-7 finish.
The chance to be a legitimate contender can be fleeting in the NFL, and there was no reason for the Cardinals to sit idly by and watch other top teams gobble up talent, especially in a league where salary cap constraints are more of a suggestion than a rule.
However, after a week of free agency, there has been zero urgency by Keim to field a superior product than the one that was laughed off the field in a 34-11 wild card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams in January.
The Cardinals’ inactivity in free agency has been puzzling. If you’re not going to go for it this year, then when?
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) March 18, 2022
This offseason, the Cardinals have said goodbye to edge rusher Chandler Jones, wide receiver Christian Kirk, running back Chase Edmonds, linebacker Jordan Hicks and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.
Their lone outside addition has been cornerback Jeff Gladney, who was accused by a former girlfriend of punching her, choking her, pulling her hair and slamming her face into the dashboard of a vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by USA Today. He was found not guilty.
Gladney was cut by the Vikings before the 2021 season while those charges were pending. In 16 games as a rookie in 2020, the former first-round pick allowed a passer rating of 124.7, according to Pro Football Focus.
He did have interest in the open market the Cardinals were aggressive to bring him in versatility playing inside and outside. He may have more upside than some of the guys at that position. Will see! https://t.co/NCqmjPzN7S pic.twitter.com/X0N9fgieeM
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) March 17, 2022
The Cardinals are unquestionably worse than they were at the end of the season, and that iteration of the team wasn’t a contender, anyway.
Murray has been pursuing a contract extension this offseason, and once it happens, his salary cap numbers down the road are going to spike.
This upcoming season is the final one in which the Cardinals can flank him with the same type of talent as the Chiefs did for Patrick Mahomes, as the Bills did for Josh Allen — and what the Chargers and Bengals are currently doing around Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, respectively.
The Cardinals should be the envy of so many franchises right now, with their ultra-talented signal-caller responsible for a cap hit 25% of what it will be in upcoming years.
But despite that windfall, the roster is not deep, and the glaring holes at No. 2 wide receiver, No. 1 cornerback and No. 1 edge-rusher still have not been filled.
While more team-friendly contracts will start popping up this week, are there enough game-changers left to catapult Arizona into contention?
Maybe Keim has an ace or three up his sleeve, and will skillfully maneuver through the second wave of free agency to adequately bolster the roster.
However, even his own quarterback may be having doubts, as Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, seemingly Tweeted last week about Arizona’s inactivity.
Wait, so you’re telling me teams w (already) paid QBs can also pay:
Highest paid WR, 2 highly paid DEs, one of highest paid OTs, highly paid TE, well paid RBs… and then also still REUP QB as one of the highest paid?! 🤔
It’s a CHOICE. A choice to TRY to win. Or not. #Commitment https://t.co/xmTPURqDle— Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) March 18, 2022
It’s been a busy NFL offseason.
Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Deshaun Watson and Khalil Mack have all been traded.
The Bengals have shored up their offensive line after making the Super Bowl last year, and while the defending champion Rams have lost some key pieces, they added star wideout Allen Robinson to an already-potent passing attack.
The Cardinals’ team speed and overall ability was no match for Los Angeles in the playoffs, and Arizona hasn’t done anything to close that gap.
This is the wrong offseason for the Cardinals to be patient, which will be readily apparent a few years from now when this type of roster flexibility is gone.
A star quarterback on a rookie contract is the most valuable player in sports, capable of turning teams from also-rans to contenders in the blink of an eye.
But that ultimate advantage doesn’t last forever, and as the Cardinals get set for their final season of such benefit, it’s hard to believe they will capitalize on the arrangement.
