The Cardinals needed to upgrade their defensive line, and when Dalvin Tomlinson came available officially on Wednesday after being released by the Browns, GM Monti Ossenfort made his push.
By Wednesday evening, the Cardinals and Tomlinson had come to an agreement on a two-year contract, bolstering a defensive line that needed another veteran piece.
The deal, which has yet to be officially announced by the team but was tweeted by his agents, is worth a reported $16 million guaranteed and a maximum $29M.
Tomlinson, 31, is a one-time second-round pick of the Giants in 2017 and played for the Vikings before signing a big free-agent contract with the Browns in 2023. Needing cap space -- in part after making defensive lineman Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL -- the Browns moved on from Tomlinson despite solid play.
The last two seasons in Cleveland, he started all 32 games in which he played, with six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 30 quarterback hits and good run-defense grades from Pro Football Focus. Tomlinson has started all 125 games he has played in his career, playing 16 games every season but one (in which he played 13.)
The Cardinals have lost Roy Lopez and Khyiris Tonga from the defensive line in free agency, but re-signed L.J. Collier and have Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones coming back from injury. They also expect big things from 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson, who played in only six games and was never healthy when he did play because of a preseason calf injury.
Tomlinson is part of a free agent class that has included outside linebacker Josh Sweat, inside linebackers Akeem Davis-Gaither and Mykal Walker, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
