Calais Campbell Will Probably Not Hit Open Market

Almost a month remains before free agency begins in the NFL. So much can happen by then to change the landscape of who — and who will not — be available. One of the biggest examples is with the Cards. Defensive end Calais Campbell is scheduled to hit the open market, but no one believes he will, knowing the Cards will probably franchise him if they can’t come to a contract agreement, which is why those who have put together lists of the top 50 free agents (more on those in a minute) available don’t bother with Campbell’s name. It’s moot.

This close to free agency, I don’t expect, league-wide, a ton of new deals to get done because there is usually no down side for a player to wait at this point. It’s not like they can get hurt, so why not see what’s out there on the open market (which is why I think tackle Levi Brown, while still a candidate to remain in Arizona, won’t be restructuring with the Cards without first knowing what else is available.) Unless a player is floored with an offer, he looks around.

The Cards, aside from Campbell, don’t have expiring contracts that will likely create bidding wars. In both Pete Prisco’s top 50 FA list and the one done by Pro Football Focus, no Cards are to be found, given the Campbell caveat.


(azcardinals.com)