Arizona Cardinals sign Jordan Hicks: Grades, reaction, and more

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 18: Jordan Hicks #58 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after making a tackle during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 18, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Eagles 48-7. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 18: Jordan Hicks #58 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after making a tackle during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 18, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Eagles 48-7. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals have scooped up some much-needed help on the defensive side of the ball, inking former Philadelphia Eagles inside linebacker to a hefty four-year contract.

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  • Last season, the Arizona Cardinals went 3-13 and finished 26th in the league in points per game allowed, so they clearly needed to make major upgrades on the defensive side of the ball. While most of the offseason storylines will focus on the Cardinals’ rumored interest in Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, the Cardinals must build a squad that properly supports whoever is starting under center next season.

    Part of that responsibility involves making upgrades on defense, and signing Jordan Hicks, who helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl two seasons ago, certainly qualifies as a notable upgrade to an inconsistent linebacker corps.

    Contract Details

    Per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Hicks has signed a four-year deal worth $36 million, and he’ll earn $20 million in guaranteed money from the Cardinals. Of the $20 million in guarantees, $12 million will come in the form of a signing bonus.

    National Reaction

    The Cardinals’ run defense was particularly embarrassing last season, allowing a whopping 4.9 yards per carry, so if Hicks can give this team some consistency and tenacity against ground games like San Francisco’s, Los Angeles’ and Seattle’s, the $9 million per year will be well-spent from their perspective. Plus, Hicks had three sacks last season and once had five interceptions in a campaign as a linebacker — the last time he played a full 16 games, in 2016 — so there’s tantalizing upside here.