Arizona Cardinals free agency tracker: All the latest news and moves

The start of the NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday and The Arizona Republic is tracking any news surrounding the Arizona Cardinals.

Players can agree to deals with teams, but the moves won’t become official until Wednesday, which marks the start of the NFL’s new league year. Here are moves impacting the Cardinals as of late Monday afternoon:

Linebacker Krys Barnes set to return

Four-year veteran linebacker Krys Barnes announced on his own Instagram page Monday that he has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Cardinals in 2024.

Barnes got six starts and played 16 games for Arizona in his first season with the team in 2023. When Kyzir White and then Josh Woods were lost to injuries, Barnes moved into the starting lineup and did his part to help the defense. He finished with 35 solo tackles and got his first career interception off of C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans last November.

Also, ML Football reported via its X (formerly known as Twitter) account that punter Blake Gillikin has agree to return to the Cardinals on a two-year deal.

Former New England Patriot Mack Wilson to join Cardinals, per report

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort seems keen on signing players to three-year contracts as the free agency activity has picked up on Monday. The team has, according to NFL Media, reached an agreement with former New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson.

It's the fourth three-year deal the Cardinals have offered a player so far, out of four players the team will reportedly sign.

According to reports out of Boston, the Patriots were trying to re-sign Wilson, who has played all 17 games of the regular season in each of the past two. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round in 2019.

Wilson had 24 solo tackles and forced two fumbles for the Patriots in 2023. All four players the Cardinals have reached agreements with so far on Monday are on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cardinals host the Patriots this season.

NFL free agency tracker: Who is signing the top players?

Cardinals, defensive tackle Justin Jones agree to terms

While the big-splash free agents aren't part of the plan, apparently, the Cardinals are spending money they have with another three-year contract for a defensive tackle.

It's former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones, who gets three years and $30.1 million, according to FOX Sports Peter Schrager. Jones, a former third-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, had a career-high 4 ½ sacks last season.

He's played in all 17 regular season games the past two seasons and enters his seventh season in the NFL. Jones joins Bilal Nichols as the two interior linemen the Cardinals have reached agreements with on Monday, and it appears shoring up that position was a priority for the team.

Report: Cardinals to sign defensive tackle Bilal Nichols

The Cardinals have agreed to terms with former Raiders defensive lineman Bilal Nichols, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

It’s a three-year deal worth $21 million, including $14.4 million guaranteed, per Schefter.

Nichols, 27, was a fifth-round pick out of Delaware by the Bears in 2018. He’s played multiple positions during his four years with the Bears and last two seasons with the Raiders, ranging from defensive end, to nose tackle to defensive tackle.

The Cardinals have needs across their defensive line this offseason with so many of their own players set to hit free agency.

In 94 career games, including 83 starts, the 6-foot-4, 313-pound Nichols has 14 career sacks, 238 tackles, 26 for loss, with 44 quarterback hits, five fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and one interception.

Report: Cardinals agree to terms with CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Free agent cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting of the Titans has agreed to terms with the Cardinals, according to a report by NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.

Murphy-Bunting, who turns 27 in June, projects as Arizona’s immediate No.1 cornerback on a very young position group led by three returning rookies in Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas V and Kei’Trel Clark. A former second-round pick out of Central Michigan by the Buccaneers in 2019, he comes to the Cardinals with 245 career tackles in 67 games (50 starts) with eight interceptions and 29 passes defensed.

There was no immediate word on the length of the deal or how much it may be worth. Last season, Murphy-Buntin made $3.45 million with the Titans following four seasons with Tampa Bay, where he was a member of the team’s Super Bowl-winning squad during the 2020 season.

He appeared in 14 games last season and finished with 57 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes defensed in addition to forcing two fumbles and recovering a fumble. He has played inside and outside during his five NFL seasons but appears to be the outside presence Arizona has sought to flesh out its cornerback situation.

Murphy-Bunting is the first reported free agent from another team to agree to terms with the Cardinals. They have re-signed defensive end L.J. Collier and earlier on Monday, reportedly also agreed to terms with guard Trystan Colon on a one-year contract.

The Cardinals also reportedly tended a contract offer to wide receiver Greg Dortch, an exclusive rights free agent, in a deal that will keep him with the team in 2024.

Report: Cardinals to re-sign Colon

The Cardinals are re-signing offensive lineman Trystan Colón to a one-year, $1.75 million contract, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. The deal carries with it up to $2 million in incentives, Pelissero adds.

Colón started four games at left guard for the Cardinals last season. He entered the league in 2020 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Missouri, signing with the Ravens. He’s appeared in 34 career games, including 14 last season for Arizona, which claimed him off waivers from the Jets last August.

Colón told The Republic during the final week of last season that he hoped to return to the Cardinals if an agreement could be reached. He said he had "some of the most fun I've had in recent years" playing for Arizona last season.

"I've got nothing but positive things to say. I feel I grew a lot as a player," Colón said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals free agency tracker: News and moves from Monday