Tony Jefferson, safety, Arizona Cardinals
A tremendous in-the-box safety, Jefferson recorded 92 tackles, two forced fumbles and two sacks in what was a Pro Bowl caliber performance for Arizona this past season. Despite this, it doesn’t seem like the Cardinals have any intention of going too far out of pocket to retain the strong safety.
“Various reports – fueled by speculation while agents and teams worked the Scouting combine in Indianapolis over the last week – have Jefferson potentially getting as much as a $10-million average on a new deal. Campbell is expected to get even more money than that,” the Cardinals’ official site noted on Monday. “Those numbers figure to price the Cardinals out of a reunion with either.”
That seems to be about as clear as it gets. If Jefferson isn’t retained by the Cardinals at $10-plus million annually, there’s surely going to be a ton of interest in his services. A safety that can dominate against the run is a very underrated facet of defenses in today’s NFL.
Enter into the equation a Colts team that is going to be moving on from two-time Pro Bowl safety Mike Adams next season. Adams himself suggested as much just recently.
Indianapolis finished in the bottom eight of the NFL this past season against the run and yielded an absurd 4.7 yards per rush. While the team’s defensive front needs to improve, getting a play-making in-the-box safety would sure help out.
With a projected $56 million to spend in free agency, Jefferson himself could very well be a top-end target for new general manager Chris Ballard and Co.
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts