Kent Somers

azcentral sports

The Cardinals have ample salary-cap space to address their needs when free agency begins on Wednesday, although it’s not been their style lately to sign multiple players to lucrative deals.

The NFL’s salary cap is set at $155 million, and the Cardinals carried over about $3 million from 2015. On Wednesday, when teams have to be under the salary cap, the Cardinals are expected to have about $19 million of space, according to various sources, including overthecap.com and spotrac.com.

Here are the team’s three greatest needs:

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Pass rusher

Overview: The Cardinals had 36 sacks last year, which ranked in the middle of the pack in the NFL. But they had to manufacture a rush with blitzing and could have been in dire straights if they had not signed Dwight Freeney (eight sacks) after five games.

Freeney is an unrestricted free agent and might retire. Outside linebacker Alex Okafor had a disappointing season, finishing with two sacks and a toe injury suffered in a swimming-pool accident.

Outside rushers are similar to quarterbacks and left tackles. They are hard to find. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim was willing to spend two years ago to find a left tackle. It would not be surprising to see him do the same for a rusher.

The problem with that? There aren’t many quality ones on the market.

Possible additions: Olivier Vernon (Dolphins), Bruce Irvin (Seahawks), Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants), Mario Williams (Bills), Robert Ayers (Giants).

The Dolphins put the transition tag on Vernon, meaning they have the right to match an offer. It will take some hefty money, and possibly some creativity, to get him. Pierre-Paul, Williams and Ayers have played defensive end in a 4-3. The question is whether any of them fits in the Cardinals 3-4 base.

MORE: Center Alex Mack too expensive | Cards will evaluate DE Mario Williams

Defensive back

Overview: Starting cornerback Jerraud Powers and safety Rashad Johnson are unrestricted free agents. The Cardinals have interest in re-signing both, but at what they view as reasonable prices.

Both Keim and coach Bruce Arians have talked about the need to find a bigger, more athletic safety. That doesn’t seem to bode well for Johnson’s future in Arizona. His departure would be significant, however, because teammates talk about his football acumen in reverential tones.

Possible additions: Safety Eric Weddle (Chargers), safety Reggie Nelson (Bengals), safety George Iloka (Bengals), cornerback Sean Smith (Chiefs), cornerback Prince Amukamara (Giants),

Iloka (6-feet-4, 225 pounds) has the size the Cardinals desire. And he will be only 26 when the season starts. Weddle is a proven commodity and is a playmaker. The Cardinals aren’t going to break the bank at corner, not after paying Patrick Peterson and Justin Bethel. They would be willing to go $5 million to $6 million a year, which probably won't be enough to get Smith, if they are indeed interested. Maybe they can re-sign Powers for that, or pick up someone such as Amukamara, from Glendale Apollo High.

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Offensive line

Overview: It appears the Cardinals will move on from Lyle Sendlein, the starter for the past eight seasons. They will take a look at moving Jonathan Cooper from guard to center. But that would leave an opening at right guard. That could be filled by Earl Watford, but that’s far from a sure thing. Ideally, D.J. Humphries, last year’s first-round pick, becomes the starting right tackle. But ideally, Cooper, another first-round pick, would have proved himself at guard by now. The Cardinals won’t spend big money on the line after investing heavily in free agents the past two years (Jared Veldheer, Mike Iupati).

Possible additions: C Stefen Wisniewski (Jaguars), G Brandon Brooks (Texans), G Evan Mathis (Broncos), T Mitchell Schwartz (Browns). The Cardinals didn’t show interest in Wisniewski when he was on the market a year ago. Brooks and Schwartz likely will be too expensive, and might not be going anywhere. Mathis, 34, might be worth a short-term deal, just to have some experience playing next to Cooper at center and Humphries at tackle.

Cardinals unrestricted free agents

OLB Jason Babin

DT Red Bryant

CB Chris Clemons

OLB Dwight Freeney

TE Jermaine Gresham

RB Chris Johnson

S Rashad Johnson

G Ted Larsen

T Bobby Massie

CB Jerraud Powers

C Lyle Sendlein

T Bradley Sowell

QB Drew Stanton

LB Sean Weatherspoon

CB Corey White