Arizona Cardinals free-agency: Who should be signed at receiver and tight end?
The Arizona Cardinals are locked in with Kyler Murray at quarterback, but it will take more than him to make the passing game successful.
As the NFL begins free agency and then the draft, the Cardinals will be looking for some key pieces to surround Murray.
Tuesday: Wide receivers/tight ends
Previously: Quarterbacks/running backs
Wednesday: Offensive line
Wide receivers
Who’s under contract (with 2024 salary cap hit for each): Zach Pascal ($2,670,000), Rondale Moore ($2,203,168), Michael Wilson ($1,213,514), Jeff Smith ($1,855,000), Andre Baccellia ($985,000), Dan Chisena (unavailable), Daniel Arias ($795,000), Kaden Davis ($795,000).
Who’s set to become a free agent: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Greg Dortch (exclusive rights free agent).
Priority level: High
Evaluation: There’s a real need to add a playmaking No. 1 receiver and the best way to go about that will be through the draft come April. Selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State with the fourth overall pick in the first round would be the ideal approach, but if he’s taken with one of the first three picks, Arizona could turn to Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers.
Wilson, a third-round pick a year ago, will take on a much heavier load next season. He’s got all the tools to be the Cardinals’ No. 2 wideout — if he can stay healthy. Moore’s situation is interesting in that he’s never been fully utilized in the offense. It’s been more gadget plays, third-down situations, and designed runs. That’s not the ideal plan for a No. 3 wide receiver — if that’s even what Moore is.
Pascal contributed nicely on special teams but wasn’t a part of the regular offense at all. It’s doubtful that will change moving forward, assuming he remains on the roster. Dortch, meanwhile, has always delivered when his number gets called. The Cardinals have just refused to call his number enough. It will be interesting to see if he gets more snaps as a receiver or whether he will get most of his opportunities as the club’s primary kick and punt returner.
So, what about Hollywood Brown? Well, head coach Jonathon Gannon has said the Cardinals “want him back,” adding, “I know there’s an economic side to the NFL, too, and he knows that as well, but I know that he can be a premier player for us. I’m excited about what the future holds for him.”
If Brown were to agree to a one-year, prove-it deal, a return to the Cardinals seems doable. He does have special talents; he just couldn’t stay on the field. Arizona could also end up simply moving from him and dipping into free agency for a replacement.
Could they make a splash on a big-name signing? They could, but the draft is a more cost-friendly option to continue the rebuild, especially when targeting a No. 1 wideout. If General Manager Monti Ossenfort prioritizes the receiver position this offseason, however, he might be willing to pay some serious money on a legitimate No. 2, which would allow the team to bring Wilson along a little more slowly.
Tee Higgins of the Bengals is a prime candidate to get the franchise tag, but Michael Pittman Jr. of the Colts could be an ideal option. Like Higgins, he’s also 6-foot-4 and the Cardinals need a big wideout. Arizona could also make an A.J. Green-type push for a veteran on a short-term deal such as the Buccaneers’ Mike Evans or the Jaguars’ Calvin Ridley.
If they get Harrison with the No. 4 pick in the draft, all will be well.
Notable free agents that could be available (2023 in parenthesis): Other names include Odell Beckham Jr. (Ravens), Curtis Samuel (Commanders), Tyler Boyd (Bengals), Cedrick Wilson (Dolphins), Josh Reynolds (Lions), DJ Chark (Panthers), Parris Campbell (Giants), Mecole Hardman Jr. (Chiefs), Chase Claypool (Dolphins), Gabe Davis (Bills), K.J. Osborn (Vikings).
Tight ends
Who’s under contract (with 2024 salary cap hit for each): Trey McBride ($1,718,000), Elijah Higgins ($915,000), Travis Vokolek ($915,000), Blake Whiteheart ($915,000). Bernhard Seikovitz ($795,000).
Who’s set to become a free agent: Geoff Swaim.
Priority level: Moderate
Evaluation: The decision to grant veteran Zach Ertz his release on Nov. 30 further swung the door open for second-year pro Trey McBride to shine and nail down the team’s No. 1 tight end spot. McBride was spectacular, setting a single-season franchise record for most receptions by a tight end with 81 for 825 yards, the second-most ever by a Cardinals’ tight end.
“I call him the sheriff now, there’s kind of a new sheriff in town,” Gannon said of McBride. “He needs to step up and be a premier playmaker and player for us, which he did a lot. I don’t think he’s touched his level, I really haven’t. At times he has, but I think he can take his game to another level.”
Even if he does that next season, the Cardinals would be wise to bring in an established veteran tight end who can step into a starting role as a primary blocker opposite McBride. The 30-year-old Swaim, whose season ended on injured reserve with a calf issue, is willing to return if the team will have him and the Cardinals should make him an offer.
There’s a lot to like, meanwhile, in Higgins, 23. A sixth-round pick by the Dolphins in 2023 out of Stanford, the Cardinals snatched him up the day after he was released by Miami last August. It took a while to get him involved in the offense, but he responded well the more he was used (14 receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown) and made two starts down the stretch.
There’s other youth behind him as well in Whiteheart and Vokolek. Seikovitz, part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, has never appeared in a game for the Cardinals despite being on their roster for the past three seasons.
Notable free agents that could be available (2023 club in parenthesis): Hunter Henry (Patriots), Dalton Schultz (Texans), Gerald Everett (Chargers), Irv Smith (Bengals), Noah Fant (Seahawks), Mike Gesicki (Patriots), Austin Hooper (Raiders), Robert Tonyan Jr. (Bears), Adam Trautman (Broncos), Pharaoh Brown (Patriots), Colby Parkinson (Seahawks), Brock Wright (Lions).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals likely to add a receiver, tight end during free agency
