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Insider piece from ESPN.
CARDINALS ARE EARLY FA WINNERS
Jared Veldheer will immediately upgrade Arizona's offensive line.
It took minutes, literally, for the Arizona Cardinals to strike a deal with free-agent left tackle Jared Veldheer once the 2014 NFL league year commenced on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Browns were even faster to lock up a former Cardinal, as linebacker Karlos Dansby agreed to a four-year deal to become the centerpiece of the Browns' linebacker corps. In different ways, the Cardinals were one of the biggest early winners in free agency.
Let's start with Veldheer. At age 26, he represented perhaps the best value among free-agent left tackles in this year's class. He's younger than the other available options, including Branden Albert, and the case can easily be made that he is a superior talent to any other big-name offensive tackle who signed early in free agency.
While Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was semi-dismissive of the notion that left tackle was the team's biggest area of need earlier this offseason, the signing of Veldheer slams home the fact it was, indeed, a position that needed to be addressed. Bradley Sowell, a former undrafted free agent, hit his stride down the stretch, showing well during the season's final quarter. But his athletic and strength limitations are enough that he simply doesn't project as a long-term starter.
Veldheer, conversely, has all the requisite tools to be a franchise left tackle, as he's shown in recent seasons with Oakland. He has a hulking 6-foot-8 frame with excellent foot quickness and length. He returned from a triceps tear last year to start the last five games, minimizing concerns about the long-term effect of the injury.
Financially, the deal adds up, with a reported value of $17.5 million in guaranteed money (with a maximum overall value of $35 million). Considering Veldheer's former team, the Raiders, gave Rodger Saffold an even larger deal than that, this signing looks more like a coup for the Cardinals.
With Veldheer locked up, the Cardinals' offensive line is immediately upgraded. Add 2013 first-round pick Jonathan Cooper, who missed all of his rookie season with a broken leg, and the group has a chance to dramatically improve from last season. Quarterback Carson Palmer can still pinpoint the ball with time and space, and the Cardinals are investing in assets to ensure he'll have that chance.
On the defensive side of the ball, losing Dansby hurts from an on-field production standpoint, as he was a standout performer in 2013, his second stint with the team. But free agency revolves around economics, too, and the deal that Dansby earned with the Browns simply didn't add up for Arizona. With a reported $14 million in guaranteed money and an overall value of $24 million, the Cardinals were wise to exercise discipline.
The pipeline of talent to replace Dansby is far from dry in Arizona, as it was just last year that the team added former LSU standout Kevin Minter in the second round. While Minter is more compact than a conventional inside linebacker (he's just 6-foot), he packs a heavy punch as a run-game thumper and can hold his own in coverage, as well. The Cardinals brought pressure from all levels of their defense last season, with Minter expected to do the same as the early leader to start in Dansby's place this season. That may sound like a lot to ask for a virtual non-factor on defense last season, but teams must put faith in their young investments as they plan ahead for the future.
In free agency, it's our tendency to focus solely on the decisions to sign players. After all, the cycle of transactions is rapid moving. But there are many cases where it's the moves that are not made that add up, and in the case of Dansby and the Cardinals, this fits the bill. They'll miss his impact, but retaining a 32-year-old on a four-year deal isn't always best for business. There have been other, more aggressive teams during the infant stages of 2014 free agency, but the Cardinals earn high marks for their start.
For a team that came within a fingernail of the playoffs last season, Day 1 of the 2014 league year has been a good one. And with a division that features the most ferocious, pressure-heavy defensive front seven in the NFL (Seattle) and another with elite edge rushers (San Francisco), locking up capable offensive tackles is a must. Defensively, the money saved by not signing Dansby gives the Cardinals the chance to reallocate those resources for their own future free agents, specifically cornerback Patrick Peterson, set to be a free agent next offseason.
With young, franchise quarterbacks on their roster, Seattle and San Francisco have a chance to remain elite for seasons to come. Arizona doesn't have its quarterback of the future yet, but the Cardinals have the short-term answer in Palmer and have started free agency by following the blueprint to help the team now while also planning ahead. The margin for error is thinner in the NFC West than in any other division in football, but the Cardinals have closed the gap with the Seahawks and Niners and are putting themselves in position to break through. They'll be in the hunt for the postseason again in 2014.
CARDINALS ARE EARLY FA WINNERS
Jared Veldheer will immediately upgrade Arizona's offensive line.
It took minutes, literally, for the Arizona Cardinals to strike a deal with free-agent left tackle Jared Veldheer once the 2014 NFL league year commenced on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Browns were even faster to lock up a former Cardinal, as linebacker Karlos Dansby agreed to a four-year deal to become the centerpiece of the Browns' linebacker corps. In different ways, the Cardinals were one of the biggest early winners in free agency.
Let's start with Veldheer. At age 26, he represented perhaps the best value among free-agent left tackles in this year's class. He's younger than the other available options, including Branden Albert, and the case can easily be made that he is a superior talent to any other big-name offensive tackle who signed early in free agency.
While Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was semi-dismissive of the notion that left tackle was the team's biggest area of need earlier this offseason, the signing of Veldheer slams home the fact it was, indeed, a position that needed to be addressed. Bradley Sowell, a former undrafted free agent, hit his stride down the stretch, showing well during the season's final quarter. But his athletic and strength limitations are enough that he simply doesn't project as a long-term starter.
Veldheer, conversely, has all the requisite tools to be a franchise left tackle, as he's shown in recent seasons with Oakland. He has a hulking 6-foot-8 frame with excellent foot quickness and length. He returned from a triceps tear last year to start the last five games, minimizing concerns about the long-term effect of the injury.
Financially, the deal adds up, with a reported value of $17.5 million in guaranteed money (with a maximum overall value of $35 million). Considering Veldheer's former team, the Raiders, gave Rodger Saffold an even larger deal than that, this signing looks more like a coup for the Cardinals.
With Veldheer locked up, the Cardinals' offensive line is immediately upgraded. Add 2013 first-round pick Jonathan Cooper, who missed all of his rookie season with a broken leg, and the group has a chance to dramatically improve from last season. Quarterback Carson Palmer can still pinpoint the ball with time and space, and the Cardinals are investing in assets to ensure he'll have that chance.
On the defensive side of the ball, losing Dansby hurts from an on-field production standpoint, as he was a standout performer in 2013, his second stint with the team. But free agency revolves around economics, too, and the deal that Dansby earned with the Browns simply didn't add up for Arizona. With a reported $14 million in guaranteed money and an overall value of $24 million, the Cardinals were wise to exercise discipline.
The pipeline of talent to replace Dansby is far from dry in Arizona, as it was just last year that the team added former LSU standout Kevin Minter in the second round. While Minter is more compact than a conventional inside linebacker (he's just 6-foot), he packs a heavy punch as a run-game thumper and can hold his own in coverage, as well. The Cardinals brought pressure from all levels of their defense last season, with Minter expected to do the same as the early leader to start in Dansby's place this season. That may sound like a lot to ask for a virtual non-factor on defense last season, but teams must put faith in their young investments as they plan ahead for the future.
In free agency, it's our tendency to focus solely on the decisions to sign players. After all, the cycle of transactions is rapid moving. But there are many cases where it's the moves that are not made that add up, and in the case of Dansby and the Cardinals, this fits the bill. They'll miss his impact, but retaining a 32-year-old on a four-year deal isn't always best for business. There have been other, more aggressive teams during the infant stages of 2014 free agency, but the Cardinals earn high marks for their start.
For a team that came within a fingernail of the playoffs last season, Day 1 of the 2014 league year has been a good one. And with a division that features the most ferocious, pressure-heavy defensive front seven in the NFL (Seattle) and another with elite edge rushers (San Francisco), locking up capable offensive tackles is a must. Defensively, the money saved by not signing Dansby gives the Cardinals the chance to reallocate those resources for their own future free agents, specifically cornerback Patrick Peterson, set to be a free agent next offseason.
With young, franchise quarterbacks on their roster, Seattle and San Francisco have a chance to remain elite for seasons to come. Arizona doesn't have its quarterback of the future yet, but the Cardinals have the short-term answer in Palmer and have started free agency by following the blueprint to help the team now while also planning ahead. The margin for error is thinner in the NFC West than in any other division in football, but the Cardinals have closed the gap with the Seahawks and Niners and are putting themselves in position to break through. They'll be in the hunt for the postseason again in 2014.
