Next Big Cardinal Decision

[SECTION 11]

Right tackle

 

[vince56]

I want Malik Willis on a contract that we can get out of after year 2 if it doesn’t work out.

I want a starting RT and an OG or 2 signed.

I’m good with Love or RT or pass rusher at 3 maybe small move back but not far.

I would love to move up into the first to draft Ty Simpson.

I’ve been patient and supported this team for far too long. I need to see they are willing to do what needs to be done to compete.

Agreed on all fronts. Exactly what I would have posted. I want OL in free agency so we can snag Love in the 1st. IDK if he's going to be an AP or Marshall Faulk, but I'd like to take the chance he might be, and I'm going to be upset if we don't draft him and he is.

 

[PDXChris]

Willis is the only one that moves the needle in terms of buzz, but signing him is really, really rolling the dice.

I’m not sure what we’ve got to lose though other than a little cap space.

Honestly, I am not worried about cap space here. They can do a 2 year deal with a 3rd year for bonuses and keep year 1 low to off set Kyler's dead money.

2 years $60 million with $30 million guaranteed (Signing bonus) and a 3rd void year.
Year one - $11.5 million hit, $1.5 million base, $10 million bonus
Year two - $38.5 million hit, $28.5 million base, $10 million bonus
Year three = $10 million hit, $10 million bonus

This isa super simple high level example, but it can be done easily and if after year 1, he appears to be the guy, you extend him and fix year 2 and 3. If not, you can cut him with a $20 million hit spread over two years with a post June 1st cut.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Honestly, I am not worried about cap space here. They can do a 2 year deal with a 3rd year for bonuses and keep year 1 low to off set Kyler's dead money.

2 years $60 million with $30 million guaranteed (Signing bonus) and a 3rd void year.
Year one - $11.5 million hit, $1.5 million base, $10 million bonus
Year two - $38.5 million hit, $28.5 million base, $10 million bonus
Year three = $10 million hit, $10 million bonus

This isa super simple high level example, but it can be done easily and if after year 1, he appears to be the guy, you extend him and fix year 2 and 3. If not, you can cut him with a $20 million hit spread over two years with a post June 1st cut.

Nice.

And then maybe, just maybe, we catch lightning in a bottle and he turns out to be really good.

What have we got to lose at the 2026 QB1 position at this point?

Bring in Willis, draft love at 3, put some money in the oline and if we’re lucky we’ll have an offense capable of winning ten games.

 

[slanidrac16]

Right or wrong, signing Willis appears to be a swing for the fences.
Draft Love.
Sign a free agent RT.
It at least adds some explosive and excitement to the offense.

And if Willis flames out, oh well it won’t be the first time we screwed up.

Just don’t sign a guy like Geno Smith and tell us “ We are looking to turn this around quickly” BS.

 

[slanidrac16]

Nice.

And then maybe, just maybe, we catch lightning in a bottle and he turns out to be really good.

What have we got to lose at the 2026 QB1 position at this point?

Bring in Willis, draft love at 3, put some money in the oline and if we’re lucky we’ll have an offense capable of winning ten games.

I don’t know about winning 10 games but we might have an offense worth watching.
Gibbs and Bijon are two guys that make you hold your breath everytime they touch the ball. They MAKE defenses account for them.
I love Connor and his heart but he never struck fear in the heart of the defense. We desperately miss a home run hitting RB that can open the field and make the linebackers play a little closer to the line.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

I don’t know about winning 10 games but we might have an offense worth watching.
Gibbs and Bijon are two guys that make you hold your breath everytime they touch the ball. They MAKE defenses account for them.
I love Connor and his heart but he never struck fear in the heart of the defense. We desperately miss a home run hitting RB that can open the field and make the linebackers play a little closer to the

It has been a million years since we’ve had a superstar at RB.

Let’s change that in 2026.

 

[slanidrac16]

It has been a million years since we’ve had a superstar at RB.

Let’s change that in 2026.

Should be mentioned how he would make life a little easier for the o-linemen.

 

[Stout]

Do they need to draft for it? Or at least make it a draft priority?

They have Robinson, Nolen, and Stills. If they bring Collier back you just need a couple midrange free agents and camp fodder.

Monti is so dumb. Turns out Khyiris Tonga and Roy Lopez can play but were leveraged Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones.

Sure, if you want a crappy DL room, that could be a plan.

 

[kerouac9]

Sure, if you want a crappy DL room, that could be a plan.

I mean what is the path to a good DL room? CC comes back (probably not but maybe), maybe you get Logan Hall (probably not), but you get a couple of third contract vets.

I don’t think DL was the problem with the defense last year; it was primarily bad linebackers and edge play.

 

[Chopper0080]

I mean what is the path to a good DL room? CC comes back (probably not but maybe), maybe you get Logan Hall (probably not), but you get a couple of third contract vets.

I don’t think DL was the problem with the defense last year; it was primarily bad linebackers and edge play.

I think you could have made an argument that the DL was acceptable last year with Nolan and the idea was to just add a tweak to it. The problem is the Cardinals need to replace two 17 game vets in Campbell and Tomlinson and then still add a better body than LJ Collier to meet or exceed the quality of 2025 AND stay healthy.

 

[kerouac9]

I think you could have made an argument that the DL was acceptable last year with Nolan and the idea was to just add a tweak to it. The problem is the Cardinals need to replace two 17 game vets in Campbell and Tomlinson and then still add a better body than LJ Collier to meet or exceed the quality of 2025 AND stay healthy.

I don’t think starts is a valuable metric here. Stills played seven fewer snaps than Tomlinson. Robinson played 13 fewer snaps than Campbell.

IMO that’s Nolen coming back healthy and two mid-tier free agents to a mid-level line.

 

[Garthshort]

I think the QB decision is already made...we just don't know what it is, yet.

If true, my quess is Jimmy G. Since our HC knows him.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Yes because he’s been so bad that he’s been benched for a higher-variance option. He had 11 starts in ‘22 and went 4-7. He had five starts in ‘24 for New England and went 1-4.

He had 12 starts for us last year and went 1-11. He’s a loser.

He’s a lovable a loser tho!

 

[Denny Green Fan]

If they can fix the OL to league average or better and add Love at three I think JB can win a nice handful of games, maybe 7-8. Then draft QBOF in ‘27 draft, trading up to get who they think best.

But is an average o line gonna be enough to hold off the defenders in this division? I just don’t want to draft the stud runner then get a year like Jeanty had last year

 

[Denny Green Fan]

If true, my quess is Jimmy G. Since our HC knows him.

Then draft Simpson to sit behind him?

 

[IAcards]

I'm looking forward to the inevitable Jimmy G/Brissett QB battle this summer.

I don't think wills' potential upside based on limited snaps is worth the contract he will command.