Arizona Cardinals free agency 2020: Top 5 targets

Jamie Collins

There were parts of this past season where Jamie Collins was legitimately in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year. Through the first five games, he had 27 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three interceptions and four pass deflections. He was doing just about everything. His teammate Stephon Gilmore ended up winning the award, as he was by far the best cornerback in the league last season.

Collins was a bust signing for the Cleveland Browns before returning to the New England Patriots to resurrect his career. He ended the season with 83 total tackles, those three interceptions, seven deflections and seven sacks. Collins went from top linebacker in the league, to well above average. That’s actually good for the Cardinals.

They could use a hybrid player like Collins, who can reunite with Chandler Jones, both of whom were young stars with New England. That will help him keep the motivation that seemed fleeting when he was in Cleveland. Teams are going to come in with short-term deals for Collins after he clearly needed the Patriots to keep his motivation up.

This is definitely worth the risk. He might be one of the most talented linebackers in the game. It’s a position of need and one where it’s hard to find the right fits. Collins’ combination of pass defense and rushing ability makes him worth the price he’s going to get.