Arizona Cardinals free agency series: Examining special teams
They might have only won four games in their first season under new management and practically brand-new coaching staff, but the Cardinals made enough strides and showed enough determination and grit to expect much more in 2024.
They were in almost every single game, save for one or two, and should position themselves to at least be able to double their win total and be in contention for a playoff spot with a productive and efficient maneuvering of the roster this offseason.
In the NFL, that begins with the start of the free agency signing period.
Arizona only has 15 players on the roster set to become unrestricted free agents and six others who are under controllable rights, but changes are coming, nonetheless. There’s also the NFL draft, where General Manager Monto Ossenfort presently has 11 picks at his disposal, including two in the first round and six within the first 90 selections overall. After that, there will be plenty of more tinkering and roster reshuffling before the team reports to training camp at State Farm Stadium in late July.
“Monti has done a fantastic job of the acquisition periods this last year in 2023 and bringing in guys that we see fit to be Cardinals,” coach Jonathan Gannon said after his first season, adding, “Not to say you don’t make mistakes, but we hit on a lot of those guys. That’s what we told the rookies, too, because there’s going to be another group that’s injected into this team that now they kind of have to lead the way.”
It continued with some solid signings throughout the year, Gannon said, noting, “When you do that and continually add those pieces and the coaches improve and the players improve, you’ve got a chance.”
As for free agency, teams can begin negotiating with players and their representatives on March 11 with the signing period beginning in earnest on March 13. Between now and then, we’re providing a daily, position-by-position breakdown of where the Cardinals stand and examine some of their options ahead of next month’s NFL draft.
In this the last of a series of primers looking at the Arizona Cardinals roster this NFL offseason, we look at the team's situation on special teams.
Sunday: Special teams
Previously: Quarterback/running back; wide receiver/tight end; offensive line; defensive line; linebackers; secondary
Special teams
Who’s under contract (with 2024 salary cap hit for each): Kicker Matt Prater ($4,750,000), long snapper Matt Hembrough ($797,333).
Who’s set to become a free agent: Long snapper Aaron Brewer, punter Blake Gillikin (restricted free agent), kick returner Greg Dortch (exclusive rights free agent).
Priority level: Low
Evaluation: Prater turns 40 in August and is in the last year of his contract and with all signs pointing to him as being the Cardinals’ kicker for a fourth straight season, it would only make sense to bring back his trusted long snapper, Brewer, on a one-year deal and retain their holder and punter, Gillikin, who is expected to easily be re-signed.
At some point, Arizona will have to identify a new kicker for the future, but it appears the team is ready to run it back with what has worked well.
Prater finished with 106 points (28 FGs, 22 PATs), the 12th time he’s reached the 100-point milestone. Only six kickers in NFL history have had more such seasons. He also established a franchise single-season record with nine field goals of 50 yards or longer, including an NFL single-season record six field goals from 55 yards or longer.
He also was successful on a 62-yard field goal in Week 3 against Dallas, trying his own franchise record.
Gillikin, 26, took over the punting duties for Nolan Cooney in Week 5 and was sensational. He punted 51 times for 2,580 yards, setting a new franchise, single-season record with a 50.6-yard average, which ranked third overall in the league.
He had nine games last season where he averaged 50.0-plus yards per plus, second most in the league.
Brewer is 33 and has been playing on one-year deals for a while now, so he almost certainly will be back if he wants to keep playing and stay in Arizona. The Cardinals would be foolish not to re-sign him. He’s automatic with his snaps on punts, field goals and extra points and the chemistry and timing he’s built with Prater and Gillikin can’t be ignored.
With Hembrough under contract, Arizona has insurance either way.
Jeff Rodgers, the Cardinals’ assistant head coach/special teams coordinator, will have plenty of options from which to build his core units beyond the three specialists. If there’s an area where the franchise might go in a different direction, it’s in the return game where the club has lacked a premier punt or kickoff returner for years.
Wide receiver Greg Dortch carried the load last season in both departments and was serviceable at both spots, averaging 21.2 yards per kickoff return and 9.5 yards per punt return. Although he became a more integral part of the regular offense down the stretch, it’s difficult to see him getting so many snaps on offense that it lessens his role on special teams.
If the Cardinals are in the market for a new return man, one name to keep in mind is cornerback Keisean Nixon, an unrestricted free agent for the Packers. He had a league-leading 30 kickoff returns for a league-leading 782 yards in 2023 for a 26.1-yard average. He turns 27 in June and is a player who could help Arizona on multiple fronts.
Notable free agents that could become available (2023 club in parenthesis): Kicker Ka’i Fairbairn (Texans), punter Tommy Townsend (Chiefs), long snapper James Winchester (Chiefs), kicker Wil Lutz (Broncos), punter Jake Bailey (Dolphins), long snapper Trent Sieg (Cowboys), kicker Greg Joseph (Vikings), punter Rigoberto Sanchez (Colts), long snapper Casey Kreiter (Giants), kicker Brandon McManus (Jaguars), punter Braden Mann (Eagles), long snapper Zach Triner (Buccaneers).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals' free agency: What to do on special teams?
