The NFL will begin free agency in a few weeks as the new league year begins in March. Before then, we will see many player rankings and team needs.
Pro Football Network put together its top 100 free agent list for this offseason and two Arizona Cardinals players make the cut. But one player in particularly is surprisingly high.
Tackle Kelvin Beachum comes in at No. 20 overall.
After a year as a backup, Kelvin Beachum started 12 games for the Cardinals in 2024, mostly at right tackle. That’s where the majority of his experience has been over 13 NFL seasons.
Beachum was considerably improved from his last season as a full-time starter in 2022. Beachum cut his pressure allowed percentage from 6.3% to 4.1%, his lowest rate since 2019. He also committed only five penalties, his fewest infractions as a starter since 2017 with the New York Jets.
Beachum will turn 36 in June, so he’s likely looking at one-year deals. However, with expected starter Jonah Williams limited to six games, Beachum proved capable of holding up in an extended stretch as a starter.
Beachum was solid in 2024. After looking shaky in the season opener, coming in for Williams after he got hurt in the first quarter, Beachum was perhaps the team’s most consistent lineman all season.
He definitely has value, but is he a top-20 free agent? He is the sixth-highest-ranked offensive lineman.
The Cardinals probably would be wise to re-sign him, although he might seek a starting role somewhere. When he was a free agent two years ago, he signed a two-year deal worth a little more than $5 million. Will he be able to cash in for more than that, even at almost age 36?
We shall see.
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