Heading into free agency, the Arizona Cardinals needed to inject youth into its roster. were a team that needed a lot more youth. Arizona fans are unsure whether their franchise quarterback is going to be Josh Rosen, Kyler Murray or somebody else in 2020. With that in mind and despite all the talent on the roster, the Cardinals are likely a few seasons away from a Super Bowl. Bringing in young and talented players is exactly what the Cardinals needed to address this offseason, and that’s exactly what they did by signing linebacker Jordan Hicks.
It has been reported the Cardinals will sign Hicks, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles to a four-year, $36 million dollar contract. Arizona gets an absolute steal with this signing. Some players like Za’Darius Smith who is going to receive around $16.5 million per year. Don’t get me wrong, Za’Darius Smith is a decent player, but Jordan Hicks is a better player and the Cardinals were able to steal him for nearly half the price. Not to mention, another linebacker in Kwon Alexander is going to get paid $13 million per season, but might not even be as good as Jordan Hicks. According to Pro Football Focus, Jordan Hicks received an 80.7 overall grade last season, which ended up being good enough to be the 10th-highest graded linebacker. Getting a top linebacker for $9 million per year, compared to some of these other contracts, is a phenomenal find for general manager Steve Keim and the Arizona Cardinals.
Jordan Hicks is still only 26 years old and will be a great player on the Cardinals defense for the next four seasons. If the Cardinals find their franchise quarterback soon, Hicks could help elevate Arizona to a Super Bowl. If not, then the Cardinals can either resign him or move on from him after his contract expires. He won’t be a problem to Arizona’s salary cap for only $9 million per season, so the Cardinals signing this low-risk, high-reward player was the perfect signing.
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