The Arizona Cardinals weren’t expected to post many victories during the 2023 NFL season, so their 4-13 mark wasn’t necessarily a surprise.
Jonathan Gannon’s club showed flashes, claiming surprising wins over the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadlephia Eagles. Meanwhile, quarterback Kyler Murray returned from ACL surgery in Week 10 and produced in first-year play-caller Drew Petzing’s offense.
The Cardinals will have roughly $40 million in cap space to work with this offseason. Will they re-sign any of their critical internal free agents?
Who Are the Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 Free Agents?
WR Marquise Brown
Marquise Brown was the only pending Cardinals free agent to play more than 60% of the club’s snaps in 2023, and he might be Arizona’s only FA who could earn more than $5 million annually on the open market.
The Cardinals acquired Brown from the Baltimore Ravens during the 2022 NFL Draft, picking up the speed merchant and a third-round pick in exchange for a first-rounder. He’s been banged up over the past two seasons and played inside an Arizona offense that struggled to maintain consistency.
Brown averaged just a 59-642-4 line from 2022 to 2023 but crossed the 1,000-yard threshold as recently as 2021. NFL teams are constantly searching for explosive plays on the offensive side of the ball, and Brown has proven he can take the top off a defense.
Will the Cardinals try to re-sign Brown? Maybe, but Arizona is still rebuilding and may want to target younger options while allowing incumbents like Michael Wilson to earn more targets. Brown’s best route may be a one-year, prove-it deal that will allow him to re-establish his value.
CB Antonio Hamilton
After serving primarily as a special teamer to begin his NFL career, Antonio Hamilton found a home in Arizona over the past three years. He started 16 gamers from 2021 to 2023, playing at least 300 defensive snaps in each campaign.
While Hamilton has been serviceable, his regular action says more about the Cardinals’ lack of CB depth than Hamilton’s ability. Arizona is authoring a youth movement, so re-signing a defensive back who turned 31 years old last month probably isn’t in the cards.
LB Josh Woods
Like Hamilton, Woods also played far more defensive snaps (569) in 2023 than ever in his NFL career. Woods made seven starts, racking up 61 tackles, a half-sack, and a forced fumble before being placed on injured reserve in December.
MORE: 2024 NFL Free Agent Rankings
Woods won’t turn 28 until the summer, so he still has relative youth on his side. Arizona might want to let 2023 fifth-round linebacker Owen Pappoe start next to veteran Kyzir White in 2024. But if the Cardinals don’t think Pappoe is ready, Woods could return on a modest deal.
Other Cardinals 2024 Free Agents
- RB Marlon Mack
- TE Geoff Swaim
- G Trystan Colon
- G Elijah Wilkinson
- C Pat Elflein
- C Keith Ishmael (restricted free agent)
- EDGE L.J. Collier
- DT Leki Fotu
- DT Jonathan Ledbetter (RFA)
- DT Carlos Watkins
- LB Krys Barnes
- LB Zeke Turner
- CB Rashad Fenton
- CB Bobby Price
- P Blake Gillikin
- LS Aaron Brewer
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