MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 15: Jamie Collins #58 of the New England Patriots celebrates after a defensive stop against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter in the game at Hard Rock Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Ideally, every one of the 32 NFL clubs will strike gold during free agency. Which veteran player would be the ideal offseason addition for each franchise?
It’s less than 10 days before the start of the National Football League’s 2020 fiscal year. On March 18 at 4:00 pm ET, free agency officially begins and the list of talent (via Spotrac) is impressive. So which player would be the ideal signing for each of the 32 franchises? There are salary cap considerations (via Spotrac) for every team, with some having more flexibility than others. It’s worth mentioning that the list also omits a few prominent players (A.J. Green, Yannick Ngakoue, Chris Jones, etc.) that have been mentioned in regards to getting the franchise tag.
Arizona Cardinals: LB Jamie Collins (New England Patriots)
Under first-time NFL head coach Kliff Kingsbury, the Arizona Cardinals were an improved team this past season. Much of that came on the offensive side of the football, a unit that couldn’t go much lower in 2018. And when it was all said and done, rookie quarterback Kyle Murray NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and the ‘19 Cards scored 136 more points than they did the previous season.
The news on the other side of scrimmage wasn’t nearly as encouraging. No team in the league allowed more total yards per game and only the Detroit Lions surrendered more yards through the air. Arizona allowed an NFL-high 38 touchdown passes and were exploited by opposing tight ends and wide receivers throughout the year – surrendering 16 scores to each of those positions. All this with a pass rush highlighted by Chandler Jones and his 19 sacks.
Speaking of one-time members of the Patriots, linebacker Jamie Collins returned to Foxborough in ‘19 after a few years with the Cleveland Browns and put up big numbers. He led the club with 80 tackles, to go along with seven sacks. He also totaled three interceptions and seven passes defensed and is a complete linebacker that could improve the Cardinals’ defense in a big way.