NEWSLETTER
It was a tough NFL season for the Arizona Cardinals. Franchise quarterback Kyler Murray played 11 games before tearing his ACL. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired after a 4-13 season. The offseason is now the focus as the team makes decisions in free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft. Here’s what you need to know about Arizona Cardinals free agency in 2023.
Arizona Cardinals Free Agency Overview
Defensive lineman Zach Allen had 5.5 sacks in 13 games. It was a career year despite injuries limiting his season. He is set to hit free agency. Similar to Allen, cornerback Byron Murphy was playing his best football before an injury. He had 36 tackles, four pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries in nine games. He is also a 2023 free agent.
Tackle Kelvin Beachum was the only player on offense to start all 17 games and now he finds himself among the 2023 NFL free agents. Guard Will Hernandez had a solid year on the offensive line and could end up elsewhere in the league. The offensive line will be looking for depth with several Cardinals players hitting the market.
Questions surround wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. He has one year left on his deal. There is the potential he could be moved after missing time with a suspension in 2022. He still led the team with 717 receiving yards during the 2022 season.
Unrestricted Cardinals Free Agents
To be an unrestricted free agent, there are a couple of qualifications. First, they must have four years of experience. Next, their contract has to have expired or been voided. They can negotiate with any team without any restrictions or draft-choice compensation. Here’s a list of impending free agents for the Cardinals who are unrestricted.
Quarterbacks
Trace McSorley – QB
Running Backs
Darrel Williams – RB
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Stephen Anderson – TE
Maxx Williams – TE
Centers, Guards, and Tackles
Kelvin Beachum – LT
Cody Ford – G
Max Garcia – G
Sean Harlow – G
Will Hernandez – G
Rodney Hudson – C
Billy Price – G
Justin Pugh – G
Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends, and Edge Rushers
Zach Allen – DE
Michael Dogbe – DE
Trysten Hill – DT
Linebackers
Kamu Grugier-Hill – OLB
Ben Niemann – LB
Tanner Vallejo – OLB
Nick Vigil – OLB
Ezekiel Turner – ILB
Cornerback and Safety
Chris Banjo – S
Antonio Hamilton – CB
Josh Jackson – CB
Byron Murphy – CB
Charles Washington – S
Special Teams
Aaron Brewer – LS
Andy Lee – P
Matt Prater – K
Restricted Free Agents
A restricted free agent is a player who has played for three or fewer accrued seasons and has an expiring contract. The team can assign a tender to the player, which allows them to match any offer the player receives from other teams. The team receives draft compensation if the player signs elsewhere.
2023 NFL restricted free agents for the Cardinals:
Greg Dortch – WR
Antoine Wesley – WR (exclusive rights free agent)
Salary Cap and Roster
New general manager Monti Ossenfort will have some salary cap space to work with and could make room for more with some moves. The salary cap is at $224.8 million for 2023.
A $30.7 million cap hit goes to DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals need to make a decision on him soon. DJ Humphries is the next highest at $17.8 million. The team also has the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a new head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Cardinals Free Agency 2023 FAQs
NFL free agency will commence on March 15, 2023. It begins at 4 p.m. eastern time. The date signifies the start of the new league year and the end of all player contracts. Many players are set to hit the market and gain free agency status.
An unrestricted free agent is a player whose contract has expired, and they have no ties to their former team. Starting on March 15, they are free to negotiate with any team in the league without restrictions.
A restricted free agent can be extended what is called a qualifying offer. If offered, they are still allowed to negotiate with other teams around the league. Their current team is allowed to match any offer.
There is a “legal tampering” period that begins on March 13. Teams can talk to certified agents but no signings can be made until free agency is official.
