The Arizona Cardinals agreed to a new contract agreement with Larry Fitzgerald on Wednesday to keep the receiver with the team for the next two years and the move helped free up salary cap space this offseason and the team may target players like CJ Spiller, Mark Ingram, Ben Tate or Adrian Peterson if he is released by the Minnesota Vikings.
The Cardinals and Fitzgerald came into the offseason expecting to negotiate a new deal and the two sides were able to agree ahead of free agency. According to ESPN.com, the Cardinals and Fitzgerald have agreed on a two year deal worth $22 million through the 2016 season and that will lower his cap number quite a bit heading into 2015. Fitzgerald has played his entire career for the Cardinals and had the sides not reached a new deal, it was likely the receiver would have been released or traded.
Fitzgerald was set to be worth $23 million on the salary cap and that was just an unmanageable number for general manager Steve Keim to work with in 2015. The team now clears at least $13 million from the cap in the new deal and the contract gives Fitzgerald $11 million over the next two seasons, which will take him through the age of 33. The team previously was projected to be $10 million over the cap before reaching the deal and now they may get the chance to push things down more.
Fitzgerald led the team in receiving last season, but put up some of the worst numbers of his career. Part of that was due to injuries at the quarterback position to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, leaving the team to rely on Ryan Lindley by the end. Fitzgerald had 63 catches for 784 yards and two touchdowns, which was his lowest scoring total in his distinguished career. Fitzgerald has had at least 10 touchdowns five times in his career and he had a stretch of five seasons with at least 1000 yards.
Vince Verhei at ESPN Insider put together some "bold moves" for the NFC West and for the Cardinals he suggested snagging Adrian Peterson. The team would need the Vikings to release him and to clear some extra cap space, but if that happens, he suggests Arizona could be a fit. The Cardinals come into the offseason after ranking second to last in the league in rushing yards per game.
The Cardinals dealt with injuries to Andre Ellington and they are expecting him to come back strong along with Stepfan Taylor, but they could use some veteran depth. The Cardinals could be well served by Peterson's presence if he is released by the Vikings, as he could provide the team with strong running up the middle to compliment Ellington's explosiveness. Getting Palmer back could get the Cardinals to where they were before he was injured, which was in position to win the NFC West division.