Defensive super start JJ Watt after being on the waiver wire for 17-days found a new home Monday, March 01, 2021, with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals will have his services for two-years at $31 million.
One of the deciding factors for Watts choosing the Cardinals could be him being familiar with the Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. His rookie year in 2011, Joseph was on staff with Houston as the defensive backs coach under then defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
Watt’s first three years in the NFL under Wade Phillip’s defense were the best three years of his career. Joseph being under Phillips for three years may put him in a position to know best how to put him in a successful position.
In Houston, Watt was double-teamed the most in the NFL. Now that he is in Arizona, he will certainly see fewer double-teams because of Chandler Jones’s presence. Jones and Watt, over the past nine years, have been the most productive in the NFL when it comes to sacks.
Watt at 32 and Jones at 31 would lead one to believe that they are running out of playing time, but they are both still very productive. With them now playing on the same defense, they may even become more productive.
Adding Watt to the roster presents a problem for the Cardinals. They will now have to decide if they want to bring back Haason Reddick. Reddick racked up 12.5 sacks last year, and it will not be cheap keeping him.
The Cardinals can use the franchise tag estimated at $15.66 million, but they only have $11 million in cap space left. If by some miracle, Reddick gets re-signed, the Cardinal’s defense would be loaded. At some point, they will have to address the holes at the corner, which the Cardinals can address in free agency or the draft.
Written by Omari Jahi
Sources:
CBS Sports: J.J. Watt shockingly signs with Cardinals: Five reasons why this move actually makes sense, John Breech
Yahoo! Sports: J.J. Watt reveals on Twitter he’s signing with Cardinals for reported $31 million, Liz Roscher
AZ Family: Chandler restaurant makes sandwich named after new Cardinal JJ Watt, DAVID CALTABIANO
Featured and Inset Image Courtesy of Karen’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
