In a day filled with news about free-agents-to-be that, now that they have the freedom to talk to other teams, are agreeing to deals with new homes, the Cardinals were mentioned as the suitor of a familiar name. Terrell Suggs, the man who once was a potential draft pick of the Cardinals way back in 2003, is reportedly going to sign with the Cardinals when such things can become official later this week.
Suggs, who will turn 37 in October, is winding down his career but he has still been productive -- since tearing his Achilles in 2015, he has posted sack totals of 8, 11 and 7 over the last three years. His potential arrival might mean free-agent-to-be Markus Golden could end up elsewhere, although with Suggs' age the Cardinals still need to think about the future, whether it is bringing Golden back or taking a pass rusher in the draft (so no, if Suggs comes I don't think that rules out a Nick Bosa or Josh Allen.) Suggs can still work -- he played 72 percent of the Ravens' defensive snaps last season.
It's not lost on longtime fans that the Cardinals could finally get Suggs. Back in 2003, after Suggs had a dominating 24-sack season for Arizona State (Suggs also grew up and went to high school in the nearby Tempe/Chandler area), the Cardinals were in need of a pass rusher and were picking sixth overall. The story is well-known -- the Cardinals decided to flip the sixth pick overall with the Saints for their 17th- and 18th-overall selections. Suggs was ultimately taken 10th by the Ravens, with whom he has played his entire 16-year career. The Saints took defensive tackle Jonathan Sullivan. The Cardinals took wide receiver Bryant Johnson and defensive end Calvin Pace, neither of whom were able to totally shake the Suggs' shadow in their careers. (The Cards had hoped to draft defensive tackle Jerome McDougle with one of the picks but the Eagles grabbed McDougle with No. 15.)
There will undoubtedly be more free-agent news coming over the next 45 hours before the new league year starts at 1 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday. But if Suggs is part of that news when it becomes official later in the week, it would make for a good story and a helpful piece on defense.
