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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals To Sign WR Chris Moore

March 14th, 2024 at 9:21pm CST by Ben Levine

After swapping Rondale Moore for Desmond Ridder, the Cardinals are quickly adding some receiver depth. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Cardinals are signing wideout Chris Moore to a one-year deal.

[RELATED: Cardinals, Falcons Finalizing Desmond Ridder Trade]

The former fourth-round pick spent five forgettable seasons in Baltimore before catching on with Houston in 2021. After hauling in 21 receptions during his first season with the Texans, Moore saw a much larger offensive role in 2022. He finished that season with 48 catches for 548 yards, earning him a contract with the Titans last offseason.

The 30-year-old started five of his 17 appearances for Tennessee, snagging 22 receptions for 424 yards. He also returned a handful of kickoffs for the first time since 2019. Adding to Moore’s intrigue is his blocking ability; Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-20 pass-blocking WR in 2023.

With Marquise Brown still unsigned, the Cardinals could be eyeing a new receivers corps in 2024. The team’s depth chart is currently topped by Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch, but the Cardinals should be in prime position to select the draft’s top receiver prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr., with the fourth-overall pick.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/24

March 13th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Cardinals To Sign OT Jonah Williams

March 13th, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals have already found a replacement for D.J. Humphries. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals are expected to sign offensive tackle Jonah Williams.

[RELATED: Cardinals Release OT D.J. Humphries]

Williams is inking a two-year deal worth $30MM. According to Rapoport, Arizona was the free agent’s preferred landing spot.

Williams returned from his 2022 postseason knee injury to start all 17 Bengals games this past season. Pro Football Focus graded him only 59th among offensive tackles, although the lineman could get some benefit of the doubt thanks to an unexpected position change.

The Bengals blindsided Williams last year by signing Orlando Brown Jr. to a $16MM-per-year deal, pushing the former first-round pick from left tackle to right tackle. Williams wasn’t happy with the move ahead of his impending free agency and requested a trade. He ended up sticking in Cincy for the 2023 campaign, but it seemed likely that Williams would be looking for a new home in free agency.

The Alabama product’s first two seasons were highlighted by injuries. He missed his entire rookie campaign thanks to a torn labrum, and he was limited to only 10 games in 2020. Williams has bounced back over the past few years, however, missing only a pair of regular season games since 2021.

It’s unlikely he gets his desired LT role in Arizona, as the Cardinals will likely turn to 2023 first-round pick Paris Johnson Jr. to replace Humphries, who was cut by the organization earlier this evening. Williams will slide to the right side of the offensive line for a second-straight season, with veteran Kelvin Beachum providing some veteran depth behind the starting duo.

 

Cardinals Release OT D.J. Humphries

March 13th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Ben Levine

D.J. Humphries‘ stint in Arizona has come to an end. The Cardinals are releasing the veteran left tackle, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The 30-year-old lineman was still playing on a three-year, $66MM extension he signed with the organization back in 2022. He was set to earn $16MM next season and was accompanied by a $22MM cap hit. The Cardinals will be hit with a $13.8MM dead cap hit in 2024 and a $6.9MM dead cap hit in 2025.

The 2015 first-round pick has spent his entire career with the Cardinals, starting all 98 of his appearances. The lineman has missed large chunks of three different seasons due to injuries, although he did appear in 16 games for three-straight years between 2019 and 2021.

After missing the second half of the 2022 campaign, the veteran bounced back and started all 15 of his appearances this past year. Pro Football Focus only ranked him 51st among 81 qualifying offensive tackles, but the site did still give him solid grades for his pass-blocking ability. PFF ranked Humphries as a top-five OT as recently as 2020.

The Cardinals used a 2023 first-round pick on Paris Johnson Jr., so the organization is likely counting on the sophomore to switch over to LT in 2024. The team is also still rostering Kelvin Beachum, although there’s a good chance the team looks to add some more youth to the position via the draft.

Cardinals To Sign RB DeeJay Dallas

March 12th, 2024 at 10:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals are making moves on offense. The team agreed to a deal with free agent running back DeeJay Dallas today, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The Cardinals have also re-signed offensive lineman Keith Ismael to a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Dallas was a fourth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2020 and played out his entire rookie contract in Seattle. While the Seahawks experienced plenty of injuries in their running backs room over the past four years, Dallas only garnered a pair of starts over that time.

Still, the RB managed to get into 61 regular season games for the Seahawks, collecting 864 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. After topping 50 touches in each of his first three seasons, Dallas was limited to only 16 touches in 2023, finishing with a career-low 62 yards from scrimmage. The 25-year-old did emerge as the team’s full-time punt returner, though, finishing the season with 25 punt returns (plus 17 kick returns).

Dallas will be joining a running backs room in Arizona that features plenty of intriguing depth behind James Conner. The Cardinals are also rostering Emari Demercado, Michael Carter, and Tony Jones, so Dallas may have to show off his special teams prowess to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

After bouncing between Washington and San Francisco to begin his career, Ismael joined the Cardinals last August. He got into 13 games with his new squad, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.

Broncos To Add DT Malcolm Roach

March 12th, 2024 at 12:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints-Broncos pipeline remains active, as Sean Payton prepares for his second season in Denver. The longtime New Orleans HC will bring in one of his former defensive linemen.

Malcolm Roach is heading to Denver on a two-year deal worth up to $8MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Broncos have two eight-figure-per-year contracts on their defensive line, but the team has some depth questions behind the Zach Allen–D.J. Jones duo. Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette notes Roach drew interest from the Rams, Cardinals, Bills and Bengals. Instead, he will continue playing under Payton.

Roach’s Saints role did not change much during his four-season Louisiana run. Starting five games in that time, Roach worked primarily as a rotational defensive lineman. Payton was in place when the Saints signed Roach as a UDFA; the Texas alum has only played for the Saints. Roach will join ex-college teammates Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones on Denver’s defense, with Payton also obviously being a familiar face.

Pro Football Focus viewed Roach as a lower-end D-tackle from 2020-22 but viewed him as an improved product last year, slotting the four-year veteran just outside the top 25 among interior D-linemen. Roach, 25, totaled a career-high 38 tackles (three for loss) last season while batting down three passes. Roach stands to help the Broncos in run defense, having logged those numbers last season despite missing five games. While skewed by a brutal start, the Broncos’ defense ranked 30th against the run last year.

Roach will join a Broncos team that saw 2022 starter Jonathan Harris hit free agency. Denver has Matt Henningsen still under contract, though 2022 fourth-rounder Eyioma Uwazurike‘s NFL future is in doubt after the gambling suspension he received last summer.

Cardinals, LB Mack Wilson Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

A busy day on the defensive side of the ball continues for Arizona. The Cardinals are set to add linebacker Mack Wilson on a three-year deal worth $12.75MM with a maximum value of $15MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The former Browns draft pick spent the past two seasons with the Patriots, getting into all 34 games. His numbers took a step forward in 2023, with Wilson setting career highs in sacks (3.5) and forced fumbles (two). He didn’t play enough snaps to earn a spot on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings, but he would have graded as a top-10 linebacker with a full workload.

Wilson was one of the lone bright spots in New England last season, and it sounded like the team made an effort to retain the linebacker. The front office was ultimately forced to pivot in a different direction, and Wilson’s departure likely contributed to the team’s agreement with free agent LB Sione Takitaki.

The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defense today. The team agreed to terms with cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting before adding defensive linemen Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols to the mix.

Cardinals To Sign DT Justin Jones

March 11th, 2024 at 4:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Continuing to add to the defensive line, the Cardinals are set to bring in Justin Jones. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a three-year, $30.1MM deal including $19.75MM guaranteed, per NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.

Jones is coming off a productive two-year stint in Chicago. The defensive tackle started all 34 games for the Bears over the past two years, collecting 7.5 sacks. While his 2023 counting stats (17 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss) were encouraging, Pro Football Focus only ranked the veteran 107th among 130 qualifying interior defenders.

Jones started his career with the Chargers. The former third-round pick started 35 of his 51 appearances in Los Angeles, collecting 4.5 total sacks. He ended up parlaying that performance into a two-year deal with Chicago, and he’ll be earning even more this time around from Arizona.

The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defensive line corps today, as they also agreed to a deal with defensive tackle Bilal Nichols. The two additions will join a defensive line rotation that also features Dante Stills and L.J. Collier.

Cardinals, DT Bilal Nichols Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Making another move on defense, the Cardinals are set to add Bilal Nichols to the fold. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a three-year, $21MM deal which includes $14.4MM in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

[RELATED: Cardinals To Sign Sean Murphy-Bunting]

Nichols joins the Cardinals after having spent the past two seasons in Las Vegas. He didn’t miss a start for the Raiders, compiling 92 tackles and three sacks in 34 games. He finished this past season ranked 97th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, the third-straight year the site graded him as an average or below-average player at his position.

Still, Nichols brings plenty of starting experience to Arizona. Prior to his stint with the Raiders, the defensive tackle spent four years in Chicago, starting 49 of his 60 appearances. The former fifth-round pick bounced around the defensive line during his time with the Bears, and his versatility could come in handy for his new squad.

The Cardinals were busy adding to their DL mix today, as the team also signed former Bears lineman Justin Jones. The new duo will join a defensive line rotation that also features Dante Stills and L.J. Collier.

Cards, Sean Murphy-Bunting Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

In need of additions in the secondary, the Cardinals will add cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. Team and player have agreed to terms on a deal, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports.

This will be a third team in three years for the former Buccaneers cog, who spent the past season with the Titans after signing a “prove it” deal. The Cardinals have steadily lost their top corners, seeing Patrick Peterson leave in 2021 and Byron Murphy two years later. Arizona has more work to do here, but Murphy-Bunting represents a start.

Despite Murphy-Bunting being benched in 2022 and submitting an inconsistent career, the Cardinals will give him a nice guarantee on a cornerback market that featured mostly older players available. It is a three-year, $25.5MM deal, with Garafolo adding $17.5MM is guaranteed at signing. Count Murphy-Bunting as one of the many players to benefit from the recent cap spike.

The Bucs demoted Murphy-Bunting during his contract year, and while Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics graded the former second-round pick well, he still took a seat behind regulars Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean. This led to a one-year, $3.5MM Titans pact for the former Super Bowl LV starter.

In Tennessee, Murphy-Bunting saw more time, playing 88% of the Titans’ defensive snaps. He allowed a 91.8 passer rating as the closest defender and saw his yards per target skyrocket to 9.3 in Tennessee’s scheme. The 91.8 rating did represent an improvement for Murphy-Bunting from his past two years as a full-timer (2020, 2021), as his rating in coverage topped 100 each year.

While Murphy-Bunting is only 26, time is running out for the Central Michigan product to establish some consistency. That said, he has already scored a nice payday despite an inconsistent past. Arizona waived three-year starter Marco Wilson late last season, and fellow starter Antonio Hamilton is out of contract. Jonathan Gannon‘s team has work to do at corner, continuing a 2020s refrain for the franchise.

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