On paper, the Arizona Cardinals got better this offseason behind a number of free agent moves led by pass rusher Josh Sweat and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson.
But just how good was the haul compared to the rest of the NFL?
In the eyes of ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, Arizona’s outside additions and re-signings ranked 13th in the league.
As for the move he loved the most?
The Sweat signing. … He’s a high-ceiling pass rusher who can win as the primary sack artist or as the pocket-pushing complement on the opposite side of a blitz or stunt.
Sweat’s familiarity with coach (and former Eagles DC) Jonathon Gannon … should help smooth the onboarding process. He might not be a yearly 12-plus-sack player, but it’s hard to imagine this contract utterly failing given his fit and familiarity.
The Cardinals undoubtedly got their guy this offseason, rejoining Sweat with Gannon after spending two years together in Philadelphia (2021-22).
With Gannon calling the shots as Eagles defensive coordinator, Sweat turned in his best season as a pro behind 11 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 23 QB hits across 16 starts in 2022.
The year prior, Sweat’s first season under Gannon, the pass rusher earned his first and only Pro Bowl nod.
Sweat now joins an outside linebackers room that includes Zaven Collins, who paced the Cardinals with five sacks, BJ Ojulari, Browning and second-year pro Xavier Thomas.
What didn’t ESPN’s Benjamin Solak like about the Cardinals’ free agency class?
While Solak was on board with the inking of Sweat and Tomlinson in addition to the re-signings of Browning and offensive lineman Evan Brown, he wasn’t a fan of Arizona’s defensive tackle departures.
As Roy Lopez, Khyiris Tonga and Naquan Jones all signed elsewhere, the Cardinals lost 467, 261 and 229 snaps from last season, respectively. Dante Stills and Darius Robinson are the remaining incumbent tackles, and the signing of Tomlinson was smart. But their depth along the defensive line will now be tested, as both Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones are returning from injury.
Arizona underwent plenty of change within the DL room this offseason. In addition to Lopez, Tonga and Jones, the Cardinals also moved on from coach Derrick LeBlanc. In his place now sits Winston DeLattiboudere.
Regardless of where the changes happened within the room, they were needed given the Cardinals’ 28th ranked pass-rush win rate (33%) and 20th ranked run-stop win rate (30%) from 2024.
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Taking the top spot in the division was the Los Angeles Rams and their additions of wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive tackle Poona Ford. The return of quarterback Matthew Stafford was another big move.
The Rams landed at No. 2 on Solak’s list behind only the Buffalo Bills.
The feelings weren’t similar for the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
Solak had them ranked 30th and 31st, respectively.
That’ll happen when the 49ers’ biggest move was blocking tight end Luke Farrell, while the Seahawks did little in shoring up their offensive line.
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