Getty The Cardinals are still trying to add talent to their defense.
The Arizona Cardinals are apparently not done adding to their roster. With the start of the regular season approaching quickly, general manager Steve Keim is still doing his best to add to the roster.
At the end of July, the Cardinals brought in two veteran defensive linemen via free agency by signing former Packers defensive tackle Christian Ringo and former Colts defensive tackle Antwaun Woods.
Usually, at this point in the season, the rosters are basically set. However, Keim must have other ideas, especially after signing those two veterans.
Cardinals Work Out a Couple of Former AFC West Defensive Players
The Cardinals don’t appear to be done fixing this roster, either. According to Field Yates of ESPN, Arizona brought in a pair of former AFC West defensive players for a workout.
The Cardinals worked out free agent CB Deandre Baker and OLB Jeremiah Attaochu.
Jeremiah Attaochu and Deandre Baker are both intriguing options for the Cardinals. Attaochu was a second-round choice by the then-San Diego Chargers in the 2014 NFL Draft.
He played four seasons with the Chargers and even started 12 games during the 2015 season, compiling a career-high six sacks. Since then, he has bounced around a lot, including pitstops with the following teams: New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears.
Attaochu fell off quickly and played just five games for Chicago in 2021, totaling only two tackles. Attaochu signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers in 2018 but didn’t make it to the regular season before catching on with the Jets. Nonetheless, Attaochu is just 29 years old and might have a bit left in the tank.
Deandre Baker is the more fascinating case for the Cardinals. He was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs on August 7 and is drawing interest from several NFL teams.
The New York Giants selected Baker at No. 30 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft after a stellar career with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Giants move up to No. 30 to select CB Deandre Baker
Unfortunately for Baker and the Giants, he was let go after starting 15 games in his rookie campaign, and the Chiefs decided to kick the tires on him.
Baker turns 25 in September, so he has plenty of miles left, and maybe a third stop in the NFL makes the difference.
The Cardinals Have Been Aggressive on the Free Agency Front
This might be a surprise, but Steve Keim has been aggressive on the free agency end of things. The defense has been the most significant focal point, which makes sense with the way the team is loaded up on offense.
But, clearly, they want to fix the defense a little bit, and one Cardinals insider even suggested DL Ndamukong Suh as a potential free agent fit. Now, Keim brings in more defensive players, and Baker alone should merit consideration from Arizona.
The secondary was a bit of a weak spot last season. While Baker comes with his own issues — he was cut by the Giants in September of 2020 after being prosecuted for robbery and gun charges — another opportunity could make a massive difference for the former Georgia star.
The Cardinals might continue to bring other players in for workouts, especially once the roster gets dwindled down closer to that 53-man number. There could still be moves made for Arizona before the regular season begins.