According to Pro Football Focus, the Arizona Cardinals signed two of the most player-friendly contracts in free agency.
The Arizona Cardinals, who appear to be starting the second year of their reconstruction, had salary cap cash to spend this offseason, and they didn’t hold back.
No, the Cardinals didn’t sign any of the biggest free agents available, but they did devote a lot of money to early-round picks at defensive line and cornerback.
As the major acquisitions come to a conclusion and the league’s second wave of additions proceeds, Pro Football Focus looked at some of the player-friendly contracts that were given out during the process.
Brad Spielberger: “After a one-year contract he signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 to be their starting cornerback, a role he filled admirably in a defense that had him taking on difficult assignments almost exclusively out wide and playing up in press coverage at a decent clip, Murphy-Bunting’s timing could not have been better.”
“Even better for Murphy-Bunting was the fact that the Chicago Bears franchise-tagged Jaylon Johnson and the Kansas City Chiefs franchise-tagged L’Jarius Sneed, so he became the top free-agent outside cornerback under the age of 27 by a fairly wide margin. We truly just failed to appreciate that.
“Murphy-Bunting also deserves credit for how he performed in 2023; we’re not saying he didn’t earn this contract on his own merit. Playing for a Tennessee Titans defense that featured one of the least talented secondaries in the NFL — especially once safety Kevin Byard was traded at the deadline — the former second-round pick tallied two interceptions and five more pass breakups. Murphy-Bunting also provided solid run support with 14 defensive stops and 50 total tackles, both good numbers for an outside cornerback.”
Spielberger: “Jones has a lot of elite flashes on film, including quick cuts upfield and big plays involving tackles for loss or the quarterback. Over the previous two seasons, he has accumulated 50 total defensive stops, 22 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Nevertheless, this contract figure was a little unexpected given his up-and-down and game-to-game fluctuations. Jones certainly played to the terms of his two-year, $12 million contract that he signed with the Bears in 2022; we simply didn’t anticipate a sizable increase off that sum for his third contract.
It’s also important to note that in this league, having a strong locker room presence and being involved in the community may and should earn you extra money. According to all accounts, Jones was one of the Chicago Bears’ most popular players the previous two seasons, and in 2023, he was nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year.
“The Cardinals needed to make a few moves before the draft to fill a vacuum at the interior defender position, and Jones is a terrific match to serve as Jonathan Gannon’s unit’s core piece and culture builder going forward. Having said that, this is a fantastic opportunity for Jones.”
