There is no such thing as too much pass rush talent, and the NFC West added a little more. The Arizona Cardinals have signed defensive end/outside linebacker Tristan Okpalaugo, according to his agent. The now former CFL product had also visited with the Seattle Seahawks, and reportedly had an offer from the New York Jets, but finished up a deal fairly quickly in Arizona.
I initially planned on writing this as a "maybe the 49ers will kick the tires" type of piece, but after starting it, Okpalaugo signed on the dotted line with Arizona. He had 11 sacks this past fall in Canada, and 12 the previous year. The Cardinals ranked No. 27 in Football Outsiders' Adjusted Sack Rate. Dwight Freeney surprised folks in netting eight sacks last season. They also got five from Calais Campbell and four from Markus Golden. They have some talent, but they clearly needed more, and Okpalaugo could bring it.
Okpalaugo joins new San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Eric Rogers in making the trek down from Canada to prove themselves in the NFL. Rogers had visited with the 49ers, but also been recruited by Chip Kelly while the latter was still in Philadelphia. Rogers is coming off a huge year in Canada, finishing the season with 87 receptions, 1,448 receiving yards, and ten touchdowns.