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Zach Ertz Zach Ertz No return timeline yet
Mon, Jun 12, 2023, 1:17 PM
Coach Jonathan Gannon recently declined to elaborate on when Ertz (knee) might return, only saying that the tight end is "chomping at the bit" and will play once he's "physically and mentally" ready, Yahoo's Jess Root reports.
Analysis: Gannon essentially said the same thing about QB Kyler Murray, who is also rehabbing from a season-ending ACL tear. Murray, of course, will take all the snaps once he's healthy, while Ertz faces competition at tight end from 2022 second-round pick Trey McBride. The Cardinals have incentive to keep both tight ends involved in the offense, given McBride's draft capital and the $8.5 million in guaranteed compensation they're paying Ertz this year. Ertz had surgery in late November to repair ACL and MCL damage in his left knee. |
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Rondale Moore Rondale Moore Higher expectations in store
Thu, May 5, 2022, 9:33 PM
Moore's prospects have risen since Monday's announcement that DeAndre Hopkins faces a six-game suspension to kick off the 2022 season, Jess Root of USA Today reports.
Analysis: The ban regards performance-enhancing substances, and in Hopkins' absence, newly acquired Marquise Brown, A.J. Green, Moore and even Antoine Wesley stand to benefit at wide receiver. Considering Hopkins works mostly on the outside, Brown likely will join Green there on the majority of snaps, leaving the slot open for the likes of Moore and veteran tight end Zach Ertz. Moore, a 2021 second-round pick, fared modestly as a rookie last season, recording 54 catches (on 64 targets) for 435 yards and one touchdown while taking 18 carries for 76 yards in 14 contests. |
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Hollywood Brown Marquise Brown On pace for volume sans Hopkins
Thu, May 5, 2022, 9:14 PM
Brown may need to take on a larger role in the Cardinals offense to begin the upcoming season after DeAndre Hopkins was suspended six games Monday for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, Lindsay Jones of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Arizona made a splash on Day 1 of the 2022 Draft when it acquired Brown and a third-round pick for the team's first-rounder. He was slated to operate with Hopkins and A.J. Green at wide receiver in the base offense, but Brown now should assume No. 1 duties as of Week 1 of the campaign. Brown is coming off the first 1,000-yard season of his pro career in 2021 and previously worked with quarterback Kyler Murray at Oklahoma in 2018, compiling a 75-1,318-10 line in a high-powered scheme. With Hopkins out of the picture for six contests, Brown's primary competition for targets will be Green, Rondale Moore and Antoine Wesley at wide receiver, tight ends Zach Ertz and rookie second-round selection Trey McBride and top running back James Conner. |
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Kyler Murray Kyler Murray Impacted by Hopkins suspension
Wed, May 4, 2022, 10:49 PM
Murray will be without DeAndre Hopkins to start the 2022 season after the NFL handed the wide receiver a six-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Murray's offseason so far hasn't been without drama, as the quarterback displayed dissatisfaction with the Cardinals and his contract. The team picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal on April 27 and then appeased him by acquiring wide receiver and college teammate Marquise Brown from the Ravens during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Brown was set to join Hopkins at the top of the wide receiver pecking order, but the former now should serve as Murray's No. 1 option for the first six contests of the upcoming campaign. Aside from Brown, Murray will have WR A.J. Green, TE Zach Ertz, RB James Conner, WR Rondale Moore, rookie TE Trey McBride and WR Antoine Wesley to work with once Week 1 arrives. Whether Murray can fare better sans Hopkins this year versus 2021 remains to be seen, but according to ESPN, the signal-caller's completion percentage dropped seven points (72 to 65), while his yards per attempt went down 2.2 YPA (8.8 to 6.6) when the wideout wasn't on the field last season. |
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DeAndre Hopkins DeAndre Hopkins Won't appeal suspension
Mon, May 2, 2022, 4:10 PM
Hopkins withdrew the appeal of the six-game suspension he received from the NFL on Monday for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: With the news that he won't seek a reduction in the suspension, Hopkins will end up missing 11 straight contests, as he was sidelined for the final four games of the 2021 regular season in addition to the Cardinals' wild-card round loss to the Rams due to a torn MCL in his knee. Per the terms of his suspension, Hopkins remains eligible to participate in all offseason practices and preseason games, so he'll at least be a part of the team environment over the next several months. While Hopkins is out, the newly acquired Marquise Brown is expected to operate as the Cardinals' No. 1 receiver, with A.J. Green, Rondale Moore and Antoine Wesley profiling as the top options behind him on the depth chart. |
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DeAndre Hopkins DeAndre Hopkins Handed six-game suspension
Mon, May 2, 2022, 3:11 PM
The NFL issued a six-game suspension to Hopkins on Monday for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Hopkins could choose to appeal the suspension, but if the six-game ban stands, he would appear in 11 games or fewer for the second season in a row. The Cardinals may have been aware of a possible suspension for Hopkins, given their surprise acquisition of Marquise Brown from the Ravens on Thursday. If Hopkins does in fact miss time early on in the 2022 season, Brown, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore would likely operate as the primary wideouts for quarterback Kyler Murray. |
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Hollywood Brown Marquise Brown To receive fifth-year option
Thu, Apr 28, 2022, 11:26 PM
GM Steve Keim said the Cardinals will exercise the fifth-year option on Brown's rookie contract after acquiring the wide receiver in a draft-day trade with the Ravens on Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: As part of the exchange, Baltimore received the 23rd overall pick in this year's draft, while Arizona gained the speedy Brown and pick No. 100 on Friday. Brown has experience playing with Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, and the former is coming off a three-year stretch in which he upped his catch and yardage totals each season, culminating with a 91-1,008-6 line on 146 targets in 2021. With the Cards, Brown joins a group of wide receivers that boasts DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore, along with tight end Zach Ertz and running back James Conner. |
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Hollywood Brown Marquise Brown Gets moved to Arizona
Thu, Apr 28, 2022, 9:01 PM
The Ravens dealt Brown and a 2022 third-round pick to the Cardinals for the 23rd overall selection in this year's draft, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The Cardinals added another big-play threat to its receiving corps, but instead of bringing in a rookie via the draft they're reuniting Brown with college teammate Kyler Murray. While working together at Oklahoma in 2018, Brown was among Murray's top wideouts en route to the latter winning the Heisman Trophy. Since then, Brown was a first-round pick of the Ravens in 2019, increasing his catch and yardage totals in each of his three pro campaigns. Last year, he wrangled 91 of 146 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games. With the move to Arizona, Brown joins a skill-position group that features DeAndre Hopkins, James Conner, Zach Ertz, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore, among others. |
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Kyler Murray Kyler Murray Has fifth-year option picked up
Wed, Apr 27, 2022, 5:57 PM
The Cardinals picked up the fifth-year option on Murray's contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: This comes as no surprise, as Murray more or less has met expectations since Arizona made him the first overall pick in the 2019 Draft. He's improved both his completion percentage and yards per attempt in each of his three seasons, topping out at 69 percent and 7.9 YPA in 2021. Murray also has combined for 70 passing touchdowns, 1,786 rushing yards and 20 more scores on the ground in 46 games. There was some added drama this offseason, with the quarterback expressing dissatisfaction with his contract and the team itself. Following Wednesday's news, though, Murray will be due roughly $30 million for the 2023 campaign, per Rapoport. Next season, Murray will have all of DeAndre Hopkins, James Conner, Zach Ertz, A.J. Green, Rondale Moore and potentially other offseason additions at his disposal. |
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Kyler Murray Kyler Murray Unlikely to be dealt
Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 4:47 PM
GM Steve Keim stated Thursday that there's "zero chance" the Cardinals trade Murray, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: The rumor mill has swirled around Murray this offseason, with multiple outlets reporting his dissatisfaction with the team and the situation with his contract. Currently, the first overall pick in the 2019 Draft is preparing for his fourth season as a pro, making him eligible for an extension on his rookie deal. Keim spoke on that topic, noting recent top-tier quarterbacks with three years under their belts (like Patrick Mahomes in 2020 and Josh Allen in 2021) were extended "in the middle of the summer or late summer." Murray himself chimed in on his personal Twitter page Thursday, writing "I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals, AZ is home." Assuming he remains in Arizona, Murray will have WR DeAndre Hopkins, RB James Conner, TE Zach Ertz, WR A.J. Green, WR Rondale Moore and whoever may join them via the draft available to him at the skill positions this fall. |
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Jonathan Ward Jonathan Ward Signs tender Monday
Mon, Apr 11, 2022, 3:18 PM
Ward signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Ward's work at running back has been limited during his first two seasons in the NFL -- nine carries for 33 yards and three catches for 34 yards -- but that could change in 2022 with the departure of Chase Edmonds. Currently, the Cardinals have James Conner, Eno Benjamin and Jaylen Samuels under contract, but they've been rumored to be interested in Darrel Williams and could possibly use the draft to bolster their backfield depth as well. |
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Stephen Anderson Stephen Anderson Signs with Arizona
Mon, Apr 4, 2022, 3:31 PM
Anderson signed a contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals official site reports.
Analysis: Anderson had 16 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown across 17 appearances for the Chargers last season and has totaled 60 catches for 706 yards and three scores since joining the league as an undrafted free agent with Houston in 2016. He's expected to offer depth behind Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams, though Anderson could garner a bigger role depending on how well Williams' ACL recovery goes during the offseason. |
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DeAndre Hopkins DeAndre Hopkins Restructures contract
Fri, Mar 18, 2022, 10:37 AM
Hopkins (knee) and the Cardinals agreed to a restructured contract earlier this week, AZ Sports 98.7 FM reports.
Analysis: The restructure gives Arizona an additional $10.7 million in cap space, but WR Christian Kirk (Jaguars) and RB Chase Edmonds (Dolphins) both are headed to Florida nonetheless. The Cardinals did retain two key free agents on offense, TE Zach Ertz and RB James Conner, and they presumably expect WR Rondale Moore to have a bigger role in his second pro season. That still leaves Hopkins as an overwhelming favorite to lead the team in targets, assuming he has better luck staying on the field this year. To that end, he was expected to complete his rehab from MCL surgery at some point in February, potentially giving him enough time to gain full clearance for spring practices. Hopkins will turn 30 in June, right around the time the Cardinals meet for mandatory minicamp. |
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James Conner James Conner Stays in the desert
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 11:28 AM
Conner and the Cardinals have reached agreement on a three-year contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: The 230-pound back was a smash hit after signing a modest one-year contract last offseason, finishing 2021 with 1,127 total yards (375 receiving) and 18 touchdowns. Conner spent most of the year in a committee with Chase Edmonds, who is signing a two-year contract with the Dolphins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals sign/draft a comparable replacement for Edmonds; if not, Conner could take on a three-down role again. |
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Zach Ertz Zach Ertz Agrees to three-year contract
Sun, Mar 13, 2022, 5:13 PM
Ertz signed a three-year, $31.65 million contract with the Cardinals on Sunday.
Analysis: Ertz had a disappointing start to the 2021 campaign with the Eagles but thrived after he was traded to Arizona in mid-October. Across 11 appearances with the Cardinals, he secured 56 of 81 targets for 574 yards and three touchdowns. The 31-year-old's deal keeps him among the highest-paid tight ends in the league. |
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Jonathan Ward Jonathan Ward Contract tender extended
Wed, Mar 9, 2022, 2:46 PM
The Cardinals have extended a one-year contract tender to Ward.
Analysis: With that, Ward, who was poised to become an exclusive rights free agent, is now on track to remain a depth piece in the team's 2022 backfield. Who the 24-year-old will be working behind, however, remains to be seen, with both James Conner and Chase Edmonds both pending unrestricted free agents. |
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Andy Isabella Andy Isabella Allowed to seek trade
Wed, Mar 2, 2022, 11:21 AM
The Cardinals have granted Isabella permission to seek a trade, Marc Bertrand of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports.
Analysis: Isabella was a healthy scratch for much of his third NFL season in Arizona, and across his eight appearances in 2021 he was only targeted once. The 2019 second-round pick could certainly stand to benefit from a change of scenery, as almost anything would be an improvement in terms of involvement, but even if a trade were to occur Isabella is likely only on the fantasy radar in deeper dynasty formats at this point. Evan Lazar of the CLNS Media Network confirms that Isabella is seeking a trade, and that the former UMass standout has interest in joining the Patriots. |
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Kyler Murray Kyler Murray Seeks long-term deal
Tue, Mar 1, 2022, 11:23 AM
In a statement Monday, Murray's agent, Erik Burkhardt, relayed that the QB wishes to remain with the Cardinals long term, ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reports.
Analysis: The statement also notes that Murray -- who is slated to earn about $5.4 million in 2022 -- has sent a detailed contract proposal to the franchise that Burkhardt suggests is "in line with the current quarterback market" but lowers the 2022-23 salary-cap hit of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. For his part, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill indicated that he spoke with Murray on Thursday night, noting "we've had good conversations nonstop." While Bidwill has stated that Murray is part of the team's "long-term plan," he also hinted that addressing the signal-caller's contract situation is something that may not arrive until further down the road, indicating as NFL free agency approaches that "the structure of it, the timing of it -- it's a complicated process and it takes some time." |
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David Wells David Wells Signs new contract with Cardinals
Wed, Jan 19, 2022, 4:43 PM
The Cardinals signed Wells to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.
Analysis: The tight end appeared in three games with the Cardinals during the 2021 season and will return to the team for the 2022 campaign. Wells played 12 offensive snaps but failed to draw a target while operating as a depth option behind starter Zach Ertz. |
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Zach Ertz Zach Ertz Racks up 74 receptions in 2021
Tue, Jan 18, 2022, 10:18 PM
Ertz posted 74 catches (on 112 targets) for 763 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games between the Eagles and Cardinals during the 2021 campaign.
Analysis: One day removed from the Eagles' Week 6 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, the only team Ertz ever knew shipped him to the desert after eight-plus mostly fruitful campaigns. At the time of his arrival in Arizona, he only had an 18-189-2 line on 31 targets through six games, so his final marks are telling for his increasing importance as the months wore on. The biggest catalyst in Ertz's revival was an injured DeAndre Hopkins, who missed eight of the final 10 games (including playoffs) with hamstring and knee issues. Kyler Murray turned to Ertz often, especially during a four-game stretch Weeks 15-18, when he earned 43 targets and eventually matched the franchise record for catches by a tight end in a single season with 56. After Sunday's wild-card loss to the Rams, Ertz told Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site that he "would love to be a part" of the team moving forward, but the upcoming unrestricted free agent likely will be fielding multiple offers from other organizations as of mid-March. |
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