Cardinals sign free agent DE Chike Okeafor

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, March 10, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Arizona Cardinals
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TEMPE, AZ - Arizona signed defensive end Chike Okeafor to a 5 year, $25 million contract, the Cardinals' third big free agent addition in 5 days. Okeafor follows offensive tackle Oliver Ross and quarterback Kurt Warner. "I've been a big believer since the day I got here that Arizona has all the ingredients to attract the top NFL free agents, and our three signees are a great indication of that," 2nd year coach Dennis Green said.

Like the others, Okeafor provides a strong upgrade at his position. He was Seattle's left DE last season and - despite not playing much with the Miami Dolphins before joining the Seahawks later in 2004 - had a career high 8.5 sacks after recording 8 the previous season.

He also had 2 sacks and 4 tackles in the Seahawks' 27-20 loss to St. Louis in an NFC wild card game Jan. 8. Okeafor, who also visited Denver, said during his visit to Arizona headquarters on Saturday that it was obvious Green is serious about shaking the Cardinals' doormat image. "From playing against them and watching on film, there is some heart there," he said.

Okeafor, 28, was interested in the Cardinals in 2003, when he became a free agent after four years with San Francisco. But they were put off by a neck injury, and he signed with the Seahawks instead. "He's been a productive player, especially over the last two years," Arizona football operations vice president Rod Graves said. "He's young and getting better all the time, and the thing that impressed us most about him is his effort on the field. He's a continual, high-effort player, and that's the kind of attitude we're building this defense with."

Okeafor will play opposite right DE Bertrand Berry, who had 14.5 sacks last season and was a Pro Bowl starter. The team should have a formidable pass rush in 2005. The Cardinals had 38 sacks last season after 3 years when they totaled an NFL-low 61.
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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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