The Cardinals didn’t wait until the start of the new league year to make a big score in free agency.
J.J. Watt signed with the team this week and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said that Watt has already “raised the energy” around the team. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Bidwill said he saw an opportunity to add a “culture changer” when Watt was released by the Texans last month and he expects other teams to have the same chance in the near future.
Bidwill noted the position some teams are in with a shrinking salary cap and joined others who are predicting a lot more big names hitting the market as teams release them to maximize their cap room for 2021. He added that he believes that will lead to a change in where talent is centered around the league.
“I think there’s going to be a seismic shift in talent across the NFL,” Bidwill said. “You’ve got teams that are projected to be well over the cap. You’ve got teams that are projected to be well under. I know every free agent or potential free agent out there is thinking, ‘Well, they’re not going to get released.’ But there are going to be a bunch of surprises for people here in a few weeks when everybody has to get under the cap and free agency starts. And, my guess is, like I said, I see a big shift, seismic shift, in terms of the talent moving around.”
The Cardinals got out ahead of some of their peers with the Watt move, but that’s certainly not going to be the last splash move made this month.
