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Recovered from injury
Mon, Jun 12, 2023, 6:41 PM
Hayes has begun participating in practice after recovering from a knee injury.
Analysis: Hayes missed the entirety of last year with a knee injury suffered in August but is now back on the field. The 2022 seventh-round pick will likely find himself competing for a spot as a depth guard throughout the rest of the summer. |
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Auden Tate Auden Tate Gets cut loose
Mon, Jun 12, 2023, 3:14 PM
Tate was released by the Cardinals on Monday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.comreports.
Analysis: Tate spent most of 2022 on the Eagles' practice squad before receiving a reserve/future deal with Arizona in January. The 26-year-old is best known for his time with the Bengals where he appeared in 35 contests over four seasons, making 61 catches on 118 targets for 799 yards and two touchdowns. He'll now work to find a new opportunity. |
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Participating this spring
Mon, Jun 12, 2023, 1:28 PM
Wilson (neck) has been participating in Arizona's offseason program.
Analysis: The 24-year-old cornerback has moved past the neck injury that bothered him last December/January and should keep his starting job for a Cardinals defense that looks rather weak at his position. Wilson has started 26 of his 28 games since Arizona made him a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, recording 106 tackles, 14 pass defenses and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). He and Rashad Fenton are the only corners on the roster that can claim double-digit starts in the NFL. |
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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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Shows up for minicamp
Mon, Jun 12, 2023, 12:35 PM
Baker is present for mandatory minicamp after requesting a trade earlier this offseason, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports.
Analysis: It's unclear if Baker has walked back his trade request or is just making sure to avoid any fines by participating in the first "mandatory" team activities of the year. He's scheduled for non-guaranteed base salaries of $13.1 and $14.2 million in the final two years of his contract, and he presumably requested a trade due to frustration with talks toward an extension. The 27-year-old safety finished last year on injured reserve with a fractured shoulder, but he should be healthy by now and still hasn't ever missed more than two games in a season. Baker is one of the top fantasy options among defensive backs, coming off five straight seasons with 98 or more tackles and three in a row with multiple interceptions. |
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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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A.J. Green A.J. Green To profit from Hopkins' ban
Thu, May 5, 2022, 9:25 PM
Green should benefit from DeAndre Hopkins' six-game suspension to begin the 2022 season, Jess Root of USA Today reports.
Analysis: Since this year's NFL Draft kicked off last Thursday, the state of the Cardinals' receiving corps has changed, with the team acquiring Marquise Brown from the Ravens and later enduring announcement of Hopkins' suspension Monday. Without Hopkins, Brown and Green should serve as Arizona's primary outside receivers, while second-year pro Rondale Moore and veteran tight end Zach Ertz man the slot. In his age-33 season last year, Green was relatively healthy for a second consecutive campaign, hauling in 54 of 92 passes for 848 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games. |
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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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Signs with Arizona as UDFA
Tue, May 3, 2022, 1:06 PM
The Cardinals signed Pierce as an undrafted free agent Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Pierce caught 57 passes for 654 yards and two touchdowns during his final campaign at Vanderbilt. The rookie joins a crowded tight end room, so he'll have an uphill battle to make the initial 53-man roster. |
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Inks deal with Arizona
Tue, May 3, 2022, 1:03 PM
The Cardinals signed Payton as an undrafted free agent Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Payton caught 18 passes for 413 yards and six touchdowns during his final year at Tennessee. The 6-foot-1 wideout was one of five undrafted receivers signed by the Cardinals in the wake of DeAndre Hopkins suspension. |
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Joins Arizona as UDFA
Tue, May 3, 2022, 1:00 PM
The Cardinals signed Kirklin as an undrafted free agent Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Kirklin caught just 19 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns across his final three years at LSU. The 5-foot-11 wideout is one of five undrafted receivers signed by the Cardinals in the wake of DeAndre Hopkins suspension. |
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Signs with Arizona
Tue, May 3, 2022, 12:11 PM
The Cardinals signed Hodge as an undrafted free agent Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Hodge was coming off an ACL injury, so he only appeared in Virginia Tech's final five games of the 2021 campaign. The 6-foot-1 wideout was one of five undrafted receivers that the Cardinals signed in the wake of DeAndre Hopkins suspension. |
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Inks deal with Arizona
Tue, May 3, 2022, 12:08 PM
The Cardinals signed Robinson as an undrafted free agent Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Analysis: Robinson caught 46 passes for 625 yards and two touchdowns during his final campaign at Northwestern. The 5-foot-10 wideout was one of five undrafted receivers that Arizona signed in the wake of the DeAndre Hopkins suspension. |
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Re-ups with Arizona
Mon, May 2, 2022, 11:04 PM
Washington agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Cardinals on Monday.
Analysis: Washington's 2021 season was impacted by a hamstring injury, appearing in seven games after playing in 15 during the 2020 campaign. He'll likely see the majority of his playing time on special teams. |
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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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Another guard for Arizona
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 5:55 PM
The Cardinals selected Hayes in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 257th overall.
Analysis: Hayes was a three-year starter at left guard for Oklahoma, providing sturdy protection in the passing game and opening big holes in the run game. It was a bit of a surprise that he fell this far, and he was the second Day 3 offensive guard that the Cardinals picked up, joining Lecitus Smith of Virginia Tech. |
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Heads to Arizona
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 5:51 PM
The Cardinals selected Luketa in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 256th overall.
Analysis: Luketa compiled just a half sack across his entire four-year collegiate career at Penn State, but that's partially because he bounced between inside linebacker and defensive end over the past two seasons. A 4.89 40-yard dash at 253 pounds isn't ideally, but Luketa always seemed to make heady plays and was a disruptive force in the backfield (8.5 tackles for a loss) when given the opportunity. Expect the 23-year-old to compete for a special teams role early on. |
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Joins Arizona
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 5:24 PM
The Cardinals selected Matthew in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 244th overall.
Analysis: Matthew played two seasons at Samford and Georgia Southern before joining Valdosta for his graduate transfer season. The big-bodied corner will likely fight to make the 53-man roster. |
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