Losing Allen, Murphy isn’t disaster for Cards
The last time we saw Jonathan Gannon’s defense, it was getting shredded by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 last month at State Farm Stadium. That’s when the Philadelphia Eagles, with Gannon serving as defensive coordinator, allowed 24 second-half points in a 38-35 loss.
Since then, Gannon was hired as the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and he’s inheriting a defense that not only allowed the second-most points in the NFL a year ago (26.7 per game), but also tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (29) and ranked 28th in third-down percentage, allowing teams to convert at a 42.9 clip.
And now, Gannon and the Cardinals are without three of their best defenders from last season. Defensive end J.J. Watt decided to retire. Defensive end Zach Allen left via free agency to sign with the Broncos. And cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., another unrestricted free agent, is signing with the Vikings.
Arizona did reach a two-year agreement with Eagles free-agent linebacker Kyzir White in a deal that could become official on Wednesday, pending a physical. Free agency remains fluid, but there clearly are some major holes to fill on defense and the Cardinals know they can’t rely on next month’s draft to fill them all.
If they keep the No. 3 overall pick, they can solve a big part of their problem by adding edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama. Twice the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, Anderson projects as an immediate double-digit sack machine who should only get better and better.
As a rookie, could he possibly equal the team-leading 12 1⁄2 sacks Watt finished with this past season? Maybe. And it’s a chance worth taking considering there’s no guarantee Arizona will hit a jackpot on a player like him by trading down to acquire more draft capital. That probably only happens if the Cardinals drop one spot and trade with the Colts, who are in search of their next franchise quarterback.
Allen had his best season as a pro in 2022, finishing with 51⁄2 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits and eight passes defensed. With Allen having learned the ropes under Watt for the past two years and knowing Watt was stepping away from the game, it was assumed the Cardinals would do everything they could to try and re-sign him.
They might not have felt they could compete with the $45.75 million deal over three years the Broncos are giving him. Allen’s contract included a $15 million signing bonus and according to ESPN, his base salary jumps from $2.25 million this year to $15.25 million in 2024. Denver has the option, however, to pick up or opt out of the final year of the contract.
There’s no guarantee Allen, a thirdround pick out of Boston College in 2019, would have become a real difference maker up front had he stayed with the Cardinals. He’s 25 and certainly is trending up, but he’s not playing at a Pro Bowl level yet and he might never get to that point.
The same can be said for Murphy, the former local standout from Scottsdale Saguaro High who was a second-round pick out of Washington in 2019. Murphy, 25, showed excellent versatility in that he could flourish both inside as a slot cornerback and outside as a manon-man defender.
He had a very productive season in 2021, finishing with 64 tackles, 12 passes defensed and four interceptions with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. But a chronic back issue limited him to just nine games in 2022 and aware of that, the Vikings added some injury precaution language into his new contract.
Overall, it’s a two-year deal for $17.5 million with $12.6 million guaranteed and includes $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses and incentives worth up to $2 million per year based on playing time and Pro Bowl and All-Pro designations.
Like Allen, it remains to be seen if Murphy will play that well to win those types of honors. If they don’t, then losing both of them to free agency probably won’t be difficult for the Cardinals to digest. That being said, Arizona still has to find a way to replace them.
Arizona is also in the market for an extra backup quarterback to compete with veteran Colt McCoy until starter Kyler Murray is able to return from ACL surgery. One of the free agents they were targeting, Jacoby Brissett, who started 11 games last season for the Browns when offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was Cleveland’s quarterbacks coach, agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Arizona officially announced White’s signing on Wednesday as well as the signing of guard/center Hjalte Froholdt to a two-year deal and defensive end Kevin Strong to a one-year deal.
Froholdt, a native of Svendborg, Denmark, appeared in 17 games last season for the Browns and made six starts (four at center, two at right guard). He was part of an offense that ranked sixth in the league in rushing yards (146.5) and rushing touchdowns (19). The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Froholdt was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2019 out of Arkansas.
The 6-4, 295-pound Strong appeared in 16 games last season for the Titans, finishing with 23 tackles, 12 quarterback pressures and two passes defensed. He joined the Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent out of the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2019 and has played in 36 career games overall.
The Cardinals also officially announced the re-signing of guard Will Hernandez to a two-year contract and that they’ve re-signed linebacker/special teams performer Ezekiel Turner to a one-year deal.
Hernandez, 27, joined the Cardinals last season after spending his first four years in the NFL with the Giants. He started all 13 games he played for Arizona.