Cardinals Potential Free Agent Target: Cody Latimer

Larry Fitzgerald announced that he will be returning to the Arizona Cardinals for the 2018 season.

The return of the ageless wonder gives the Cardinals a sigh of relief.

But...What’s next?

Even with Fitzgerald’s return, the Cardinals remain very thin at the wide receiver position.

John Brown, Jaron Brown, and Brittan Golden are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March. That leaves the Cardinals with J.J. Nelson and Chad Williams, both have struggled with inconsistent production this past season. The team signed Carlton Agudosi and Rashad Ross to “future” contracts, but they’ll have an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster.

With the lack of a reliable wide receiver beyond Fitzgerald, the Cardinals could look to Cody Latimer for help.

Latimer (6-2, 215lbs) is a big-bodied wide receiver with tremendous speed, entering his fifth season in the NFL. He played behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, resulting to his limited snaps on offense.

The Broncos former second round pick was considered to be a bust due to his lack of production in the first three years in the NFL. He struggled to gain the trust of his coaches, battling injuries and inconsistent performances. He just wasn’t a big part of the offense.

He caught 16 of 30 targets for 158 yards and one touchdown during that span.

Things changed this past season, after he was targeted a career high 31 times.

2017 Statistics: 19 receptions, 287 yards, two touchdowns (11 games, one start)

Although he still wasn’t heavily involved in the offense, Latimer established himself as the primary slot receiver, in addition to being an important blocker on offense and special teams.

His improved play and increased snaps allowed him to set career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in a single season. He has the size and the physical talent to be successful on the outside, but needs to be given more opportunities to grow into that role.

This team is in need of receiver opposite Fitzgerald that can be productive on a consistent basis and be his eventual successor.

Is Latimer up for the task? Should the Cardinals look for a more proven veteran? Will Steve Keim look to the draft to find Fitzgerald’s successor?

With Latimer’s familiarity with Mike McCoy’s playbook and desire for more snaps, the Cardinals would be an ideal destination for the fifth-year wideout.