Phillip Lindsay rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

1. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals look smart for not buying into Kenyan Drake‘s late run after they acquired him in 2019. They transitioned-tagged him last offseason, and while he scored 10 touchdowns on the ground this season he averaged a mere 4.0 yards per carry.

Arizona had the league’s seventh-best rushing attack this year (139.8 yards per game), and they were also top-10 in yards per carry (4.7). But remove Kyler Murray‘s production as a runner (819 yards, 11 touchdowns, 6.2 yards per rush), and they would have been 31st in league. Murray accounted for nearly 37 percent of the Cardinals’ rushing yards this season, and half of their rushing scores.

Drake should be allowed to pursue other options on the open market, while the Cardinals pursue their own. The draft may bring someone notable in April, but free agency has to be on GM Steve Keim’s mind too in order to possibly find a running back.

Murray is not going away as a running threat, or as a prominent piece of Arizona’s ground game. As second-level defenders hold to see if Murray keeps the ball on RPOs, Lindsay’s speed would make them pay for their hesitation. Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was Broncos’ head coach during Lindsay’s rookie season in 2018, for whatever that might be worth as they do some due diligence.