The Arizona Cardinals may look at a Larry Fitzgerald trade or release of the wide receiver after the season, as the star is set to have a huge cap number and if he is moved, teams like the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions could be interested in acquiring him.
The Cardinals are more likely to release than trade Fitzgerald, as ESPN.com reporter Jon Weinfuss writes that his contract is nearly untradeable with the salary numbers left on it over the next few years. Pro Football Talk and Fox Sports Arizona reported after the season that sources said that Fitzgerald expected to "move on" from the Cardinals and it comes after he has spent his entire professional career with the franchise. Fitzgerald is a Hall of fame talent, but his production has dropped off over the past couple years.
According to Fox Sports Arizona, the team is planning to ask Fitzgerald to restructure his contract again and it comes after the team did that last season, saving $10 million. The report says that Fitzgerald does not want to restructure again and that could lead to his departure. GM Steve Keim has spoken about Fitzgerald and his contract situation, but he did not say what the team plans on doing and he did not get into specifics after the season.
Fitzgerald has a $23.6M cap number for next year and Weinfuss writes that the number is "unworkable" for the Cardinals. That number takes up about 15 percent of the salary cap and that is simply too much for a player at 31 that is getting marginalized in the offense. If Fitzgerald is released or traded, it's likely he will find a new home quickly, as he still has plenty of skill left in his body. Fitzgerald is owed $16.25 million in salary next season and he is reportedly "unhappy" with his role in the offense.
Bruce Arians has used Fitzgerald as more of a slot option with the emergence of Michael Floyd and John Brown over the past couple seasons and that has led to a down tick in his numbers. Fitzgerald was consistently over 1000 yards in his career, but over the last three seasons he has been below that mark. Fitzgerald was one of the team leaders this season, but he had just 63 catches for 784 yards, his lowest totals since the first few years of his career. Fitzgerald has been under 90 catches in each of the last four seasons after doing it four years in a row and his two touchdowns this year were a career low.
According to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss, the Patriots will have interest in Fitzgerald if he is released, as the team expects to get rid of Danny Amendola this offseason. The team needs more playmakers alongside Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell and Fitzgerald could fit in with Bill Belichick's coaching style. The Eagles are an interesting option as well, as Jeremy Maclin is a free agent and the team missed DeSean Jackson a bit last season at times. Fitzgerald could step in for a number of teams and be a solid upgrade over other WRs.