Potential Landing Spots Revealed for Cardinals Free Agent

The Arizona Cardinals have completed the first wave of free agency, doing well to add names such as Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson to their front seven.

Questions still remain for the Cardinals on the offensive side of the ball, particularly at right guard where starter Will Hernandez is a free agent and is also in the midst of recovering from a torn ACL.

When healthy, Hernandez has been Arizona's most consistent offensive lineman - though the Cardinals could opt to go with a different option such as Isaiah Adams or a player through the 2025 NFL Draft.

As for Hernandez, ESPN outlined three teams in the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks as fits for the free agent guard.

"Before the injury, Hernandez had quietly emerged as one of the league's best guards. After an uneven four-year run with the Giants, he found a home in the Arizona desert," said Bill Barnwell.

"Between 2022 and 2023, he ranked in the top 10 among guards by ESPN's pass block win rate and run block win rate metrics. The only other guards who ranked in the top 10 across both seasons were Landon Dickerson and Zack Martin, two of the league's highest-paid players at the position.

"... His acquisition could be a bargain given what even average guards are making on the open market. As a free agent who would qualify for a compensatory pick, teams might be waiting to sign him after June 1, when his medical status should be clearer and he won't count against his new team's compensatory formula."

Hernandez recently sat down with PHNX at the Super Bowl and said he'd like to return to Arizona:

"Of course I would love to stay where I'm at, where I already built these relationships, where I already know what each person brings to the table. I'm a very loyal kind of dog. Once I connect with someone, once I play in the trenches with these guys, I'm attached," said Hernandez.

"I would definitely love to stay but at the end of the day it's not up to me. I can't make these decisions and if something happens where I can or I can't, we'll go off of that. We'll see what the next step is."

The Ravens would give Hernandez the best chance to win a Super Bowl while he simply feels like that classic Raiders/tough guy mold.

As for Seattle, Hernandez wouldn't be the first or last player to head to a division rival, though that doesn't feel like something the vet would do.