NFL Free Agency: 10 Free Agents The Arizona Cardinals Need To Pursue

The Arizona Cardinals had an incredibly disappointing season and need to do something this off-season to regain the promise they had in the 2008-2009 season and the 2009-2010 season. During those years, the team had a sort of swag that carried them and they went all the way to the Super Bowl in the 2008-2009 season.

There are numerous holes on the team and until aspects like the offensive line and the quarterback situation are solved then the team will continue to suffer on the field.  Whether it be signing Michael Vick or maybe even several offensive linemen, the team needs to do something. Read on to see which free agents could greatly help the Arizona Cardinals next year. 

Michael Vick- Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after their 21 to 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (

Michael Vick went from being in prison on charges of dog fighting to starting for the Philadelphia Eagles and possibly becoming this year's MVP. Big change right? Well this off-season, Vick is a free agent and should be in for a big pay day and possibly another scenery change (not as drastic as prison though). 

The Eagles should try their hardest to keep number seven in green and black but if negotiations go south, the Cards should step in and try to persuade Vick to come to the desert. The Cards still have players like Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Wilson who could talk to Vick about life in the desert during the Super Bowl run and winning the division the year after that. 

If the Cards could make some significant moves for offensive linemen to show Vick they are committed to protecting him, then maybe Vick will realize that he could help reshape a team that was very good the last two years and in a weak division, which means playoffs are always a high possibility.

Vick would be just what the Cardinals need, a versatile quarterback who can dominate a game, and he provides a wrinkle that Kurt Warner never showed, the ability to scramble. The Cardinals would be very formidable with Vick at the helm and should definitely try to win his services this off-season. 

He is definitely the main free agent the Cardinals should try to persuade to join the team.

Steve Breaston- Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals

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GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Steve Breaston #15 of the Arizona Cardinals loses a shoe as he eludes the tackle from Myron Lewis #23 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Glendale, Arizo

Steve Breaston was the Cardinals second best receiver last season (behind Larry Fitzgerald) and is a restricted free agent this off-season.

With the trading of Anquan Boldin last off-season, the Cardinals need Breaston more than ever. They need a reliable receiver to take pressure off Larry Fitzgerald and to make plays when Fitz is double covered. 

Breaston should not be extremely expensive to keep, probably not more than $3-5 million a year. For a number two wide receiver with solid talent, that is a steal. I expect the Cardinals will re-sign him when the Collective Bargaining Agreement situation is resolved. 

Matt Light- Tackle, New England Patriots

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CHICAGO - DECEMBER 12: Julius Peppers #90 of the Chicago Bears rushes against Matt Light #72 of the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on December 12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Patriots defeated the Bears 36-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Imag

Tackle Matt Light has been a constant in the New England Patriots offensive line since 2001 and is one of the best in the game at his position. He is a free agent after this year and could be on the move with the emergence of Sebastian Vollmer. 

The Pats have a tough decision on whether to keep Light or let him walk. They have solid depth so I am inclined to believe the let Light test free agency to see what other teams are willing to spend for him. At this point the Cards should offer him a solid contract and a starting role at the least. 

If the Cards could get Light, then they could then be more appealing to other offensive linemen and hopefully attract more. Light would only be the beginning. 

Ryan Kalil- Center, Carolina Panthers

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CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 21: Center Ryan Kalil #67 of the Carolina Panthers stretches before the start their preseason game against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mary Ann Chastain/Ge

Ryan Kalil is one of the best centers in the league and at age 25, he should have many more years ahead of him and because of that he should be a very hot commodity this off-season.

In my opinion, he is almost certainly going to leave the terrible Panthers and should want to go to a contender. While the Arizona Cardinals currently are not a contender, the team has the potential to get much better this off-season. They still have solid pieces such as Larry Fitzgerald, Beanie Wells, and Adrian Wilson and free agents have to see what it possible if a the team has a good quarterback.

He would be a huge upgrade over the centers from this season (Lyle Sendlein and Ben Claxton). He would be the anchor of the offensive line and a player to build around for years.

Alan Faneca- Center, Arizona Cardinals

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 02: Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth #92 of the Washington Redskins battles for position with Alan Faneca #66 of the Arizona Cardinals during preseason NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 2, 2010 in Glen

Alan Faneca has been one of the best guards in the NFL and should have a year or two left in him at least. At age 34, he is played for 13 years in the NFL and his solid play should continue until he retires. He fits in the recurring theme of offensive linemen for the Arizona Cardinals and could be one of the more likely to return.

If the Cards could sign Faneca, maybe he could persuade some of the other offensive linemen to join him in the desert. He should be familiar with Patriots Logan Mankins and Matt Light since he played with the Jets and Steelers before he signed as a free agent with the Cards last off-season .

He could be the first domino that falls and hopefully would cause all the other dominoes to fall in place. 

Logan Mankins- Guard, New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 03: Logan Mankins #70 of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the New York Giants on September 3, 2009 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Logan Mankins simply put is one of the best players at his position in the NFL. He is a huge difference maker on the left side of the line and could change the landscape of any offensive line. He will no doubt get a very nice contract this off-season but he could possibly be too expensive for the patriots to keep.

While the Cardinals are certainly not made of money, they should try to gauge the left guards interest in becoming an Arizona Cardinal. He is still young (age 28) and would be able to contribute for several years for the team.

He should resign with the Patriots barring a disagreement of some sort but if he indeed does test the market then the Cards should be one of the first teams on the phone with his agent. 

Ray Edwards- Defensive End, Minnesota Vikings

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MINNEAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Shaun Hill #14 of the Detroit Lions is pressured by Ray Edwards #91 of the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on September 26, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defe

Ray Edwards is a great defensive end and as shown in the picture, is quite the athlete. He had great year with sacks, finishing with eight. He is a good rusher off the edge and could help the Cardinals in a much needed area, sacks. 

This season, the majority of the Cardinals sacks came from their secondary. Which means they drastically need help on the defensive line. Edwards would give them a reliable pass rusher who could ope up lanes for others when the defense focuses on him.

Edwards is still young and could contribute for many years to come. He would be one of the defensive cornerstones on the team. 

Mathias Kiwanuka- Defensive End, New York Giants

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 12: Matt Moore #3 of the Carolina Panthers is sacked in the fourth quarter by Mathias Kiwanuka #94 of the New York Giants on September 12, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defe

Mathias Kiwanuka is a very tough defensive end to cover and could be on the move this off-season. Before his season ended after week 3 with a herniated cervical disk in his neck, he was having a great season with 11 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble, all in only three games. He no doubt would have had a huge season if he wouldn't have been out for the year.

The Giants are going to have some tough choices with players like Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss also being free agents and most likely will have to sacrifice players because of the cost to keep everyone. This means that maybe Kiwanuka could be on the move and if so the Cardinals should make a play for him.

He could help them drastically on the defensive line and also in the locker room. 

Pat Williams- Defensive Tackle, Minnesota Vikings

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 14: Pat Williams #94 of the Minnesota Vikings works against Brandon Manumaleuna #86 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 14, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Vikings 27-13. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty I

Pat Williams is a very big man, as shown in this picture. He is also, according to football standards, a very old man at age 38. Even more impressive than Williams still playing at the age of 38 is, that he is still one of the better defensive tackles in the game.

He has said he wishes to play for several more seasons and he would be perfect to bring to Arizona. He would be a very good mentor to young defensive tackle Dan Williams. Williams could learn from a veteran and one of the best, and I think that would really improve him.

If Williams was brought in then the Cardinals would have one of the better defensive tackle combos with Dan and Pat Williams. 

Nnamdi Asomugha- Cornerback, Oakland Raiders

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OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 28: Nnamdi Asomugha #21 of the Oakland Raiders stands on the sidelines during the closing minutes of their loss to the Miami Dolphins at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 28, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra S

Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the premier shutdown corners in the NFL and will demand a lot of attention this off-season since his contract was voided by the Oakland Raiders because of missed incentives. Asomugha is rarely thrown at and because of that, he doesn't have eye popping stats but nonetheless is a great player. 

If the Cards could sign Asomugha, they would have one of, it not, the best cornerback tandems with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha. They would be able to completely shut down the two best receivers an team had. It would allow for the linebackers to have more freedom and the other cornerbacks on the roster could focus on guarding the number three and four receivers for other team.

In Conclusion

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 02: Head coach Ken Wisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals looks on against the San Francisco 49er during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on January 2, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The 10 players I listed are just players who could help the Arizona Cardinals, I'm not saying any of these free agents are going to sign with Arizona. This is merely a wish list of players who fit into what the Cardinals needs are. 

Free agents will not even be allowed to sign contracts until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is in place and most likely next season will not even happen because of the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) situation and if it does get done it will most likely be very near to the start of the season or actually during the season, so expect lots of the free agents to be struggling to get integrated on their new teams with very little time to do so.