Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

AFC East Notes: Ramsey, Patriots, Hardman

A year after acquiring Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb via trade, the Dolphins added another standout in Jalen Ramsey. Miami became a destination for Ramsey, whom Albert Breer of SI.com notes had zeroed in on landing with the AFC East club. Sean McVay met with Ramsey in January and informed him the Rams would explore trade options, mentioning the team would explore a deal as a way to restock its draft capital and reduce costs. Rams GM Les Snead called teams two weeks before the Combine to gauge interest, and after Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed his team might be, Vic Fangio provided a positive opinion of Ramsey’s place in his defense.

After Ramsey’s agent informed him about a Miami deal, the All-Pro cornerback instructed his representative to make sure he ended up there. The Rams may not have traded Ramsey to the Dolphins just because he wanted to be there, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets, but they did want him out of the NFC. Snead’s price point was initially too high for the Dolphins, per Breer, but the sides settled on a package of a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long. A far cry from what the Rams sent the Jaguars for Ramsey in 2019 — two first-round picks and a fourth — but the Dolphins now have the eighth-year veteran on the roster and have since adjusted his contract.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Patriots discussed DeAndre Hopkins with the Cardinals early this offseason, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, but they backed off due to Arizona’s ask (subscription required). The Cardinals are rumored to be seeking a second-round pick and change here. The NFC West team is not expected to land that, as Howe adds other teams believe the Cards want to dump Hopkins’ salary ($19.45MM in 2023). The Bills and Chiefs are now the closest links to the former All-Pro wideout.
  • Mecole Hardman committed to the Jets after Aaron Rodgers indicated he wanted to be traded to New York, but the ex-Chiefs wideout said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) the four-time MVP’s intentions did not affect his decision. While it would seem that would have at least moved the needle a bit — compared to a world in which Zach Wilson was on track for a third QB1 Jets season, at least — Hardman said he was excited to play with Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. Hardman added (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets showed interest throughout his free agency, which ended with a one-year deal worth up to $6.5MM. Hardman did not elaborate on a Chiefs offer to bring him back, but he seemed to confirm the defending champions’ previously reported plan to move on.
  • A faction of the Patriots‘ locker room voiced support for Bailey Zappe during last season’s brief QB controversy, Devin McCourty confirmed during a WEEI interview (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “It was just a back and forth, which to me, spoke more about what we had on offense than the quarterback,” McCourty said. “We never were solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing. There was never true hope.” The Pats, who regressed on offense in 2022, have since rehired Bill O’Brien as OC. While Mac Jones won his job back amid a dysfunctional season, the Pats will give Zappe a chance to push him this year.
  • The incentives in Mike Gesicki‘s one-year, $4.5MM Patriots contract include $300K bumps starting at the 40-reception mark, Doug Kyed of AtoZSports.com tweets. Gesicki could collect $1.2MM if he reaches 70 catches in 2023. There are also up to $1.2MM in available yardage incentives, with that escalator package starting at 450 yards and ending at 750. Playing-time incentives are also included in the package.
  • Up to $4MM in incentives are present in Riley Reiff‘s one-year, $5MM deal. He will earn $800K by playing 53% of the Pats’ offensive snaps, per Kyed (on Twitter). These figures decrease the higher the snap rate goes, but Reiff can earn all $4.5MM by reaching an 80% snap rate.

Bills Interested In DeAndre Hopkins

Entering free agency with rumored receiver interest, the Bills have added two depth pieces (Deonte Harty, Trent Sherfield) to their pass-catching equation. They appear to be considering a much bigger swing.

The Bills are interested in trading for DeAndre Hopkins, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports (on Twitter). Buffalo joins Kansas City as teams believed to be in on the Arizona wideout, but Wilson adds Baltimore is not part of this pursuit. Hopkins appears to have heard Bills rumors as well (audio link). Extensive Hopkins interest exists, but his contract is an obvious impediment.

[RELATED: Hopkins Trade Market Accelerating?]

The Cardinals are believed to want a second-round pick and an additional asset for the 11th-year veteran, but Albert Breer of SI.com hears that type of return is not expected to be in the cards. No contract adjustment has occurred, though it should be expected. Hopkins is open to that. As of now, however, Hopkins is tied to a $19.45MM base salary ahead of his age-31 season. While Breer adds Hopkins should fetch the Cardinals more than the Texans obtained in their Brandin Cooks pick-swap deal with the Cowboys — one that sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth to Houston — he expects the return to be closer to the Cooks price than what the Cardinals are seeking.

Connected in trade rumors since before the 2022 deadline, Hopkins now no longer has a no-trade clause. Due to language in the former All-Pro’s contract, his 2022 PED suspension voided it. The Bills would seemingly appeal to veteran wide receivers, given the presences of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Hopkins and Diggs were traded on the same day in March 2020. Hopkins has not been viewed as a No. 2 wideout since his early days with Andre Johnson in Houston; he would certainly be classified as such in Buffalo.

It would undoubtedly take a contract adjustment for Hopkins to land on the Bills’ cap sheet. Diggs is tied to a $24MM-per-year deal. Only the Chargers have two receivers earning at least $20MM per year, and each is tied to $20MM-AAV deals. Buffalo’s No. 1 target is tied to a long-term extension; Hopkins’ 2020 Cardinals re-up runs through 2024. His $27MM-per-year contract calls for $19.4 and $14.9MM base salaries over the next two years. The Bills have more than $9MM in cap space, though the team did add guard David Edwards earlier today.

Buffalo rosters Gabe Davis as well, but the former fourth-round pick is going into a contract year. Davis and the since-released Isaiah McKenzie battled inconsistency last season. Hopkins’ PED suspension and his injuries over the past two years have injected unreliability into his career path, one that previously had the contested-catch maven entrenched as one of the NFL’s steadiest stars. Hopkins ripped off three straight first-team All-Pro seasons (2017-19) and topped 1,000 receiving yards six times in seven years. He has not surpassed 800 in a season since 2020; the ban and injury trouble limited him to nine games in 2022.

The Ravens are not in too much worse cap shape than the Bills are, sitting at just more than $7MM. But they also must factor in the chance of needing to match a monster Lamar Jackson offer sheet, which could feature the second-most fully guaranteed money in NFL history. Baltimore does need receiving help far more than Buffalo or Kansas City do, seeing Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay each go down with injuries.

Kansas City has been connected to both Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. The Bills hosted Beckham on a visit in December but have not been linked to him this offseason. The Chiefs have lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, seeing each head to the AFC East (Patriots, Jets). The Bills hold one draft choice in each of the first five rounds and carry two in the fifth. They obtained a fifth from the Cardinals in last summer’s Cody Ford swap and sent their own to the Colts for Nyheim Hines. The Chiefs are in slightly better shape, holding an extra fourth-round pick due to their Tyreek Hill trade.

While Diggs and Davis’ presences would make Hopkins a bit of a luxury item for the Bills, they have seen the Chiefs impede their Super Bowl pursuits. Hopkins as an additional weapon would add more intrigue to this rivalry. The Bengals have now leapfrogged the Bills in the AFC hierarchy as well, and the AFC East figures to be stronger in 2023 thanks to Jalen Ramsey and, most likely, Aaron Rodgers entering the mix. As the competition intensifies, the Bills are seeing what it will take to add a proven pass catcher.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/23

Thursday’s minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

Woods and Cole both served as special teams contributors to start their careers. The former is making his first move outside the NFC North, having previously played for the Bears and Lions. Likewise, the latter is set for his first stint with a non-AFC South squad, after beginning his career with the Texans and Titans. They each bring considerable third phase experience to their new teams.

Sweeny, 27, is making the New York-to-Buffalo trek several have made before him recently. He will reunite with Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who served as the Bills’ offensive coordinator during their time together in Buffalo. Sweeny served in a backup role during each of his three heathy seasons to start his career, making a total of 18 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. He will look to continue operating as a secondary option at the position in New York under Daboll as the Giants incorporate Pro Bowler Darren Waller into their new-look offense.

Cardinals Sign OL Dennis Daley

New Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort has brought along an offensive lineman from Tennessee. The Cardinals announced that they’ve signed Dennis Daley to a two-year pact.

Ossenfort was the Titans director of player personnel when the team brought in Daley last offseason. The lineman ended up starting a career-high 15 games for Tennessee while filling in for Taylor Lewan at left tackle. Pro Football Focus didn’t paint a pretty picture when it came to Daley’s production, ranking him 78th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles.

PFF was a bit more fond of Daley’s performance during his time with the Panthers. The former sixth-round pick spent three years in Carolina, starting 21 of his 34 appearances.

The Cardinals will return their top three OTs in D.J. Humphries, Kelvin Beachum and Josh Jones, so Daley may have to count on an injury if he hopes to get a long long at tackle next year. However, the 26-year-old has also seen time at offensive guard, so his versatility could come in handy for Tennessee.

WR Notes: Hopkins, Cardinals, Chiefs, Ridley, Browns, Slayton, Texans, Dolphins

The Brandin Cooks trade domino dropped Sunday morning, leaving DeAndre Hopkins as the only clear-cut impact receiver trade chip available. The Cardinals continue to shop the 11th-year veteran, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes talks are ramping up (Twitter link). Hopkins is amenable to adjusting his contract to facilitate a deal, and Rapoport adds an adjusted contract is likely. As is, Hopkins’ through-2024 contract calls for a $19.45MM base salary this season. That will likely be untenable to interested teams.

As far as interested parties go, the Chiefs are viewed as a team angling to acquire a veteran. Whether it is Hopkins or Odell Beckham Jr., veteran NFL reporter Mike Jurecki adds (on Twitter) Kansas City is on the market for an addition. With JuJu Smith-Schuster signing with the Patriots, it is unsurprising the defending champions are interested in upgrading. Mecole Hardman remains a free agent, and while the Chiefs were expected to move on from the speedster, his price range may have dropped considering his extended stay in free agency. Patrick Mahomesrestructure created $9.6MM in cap space for the Chiefs, though they sit at just more than $9MM as of Tuesday.

Staying on the Hopkins front, here is the latest from the receiver scene:

  • The Browns are not believed to be interested in reuniting Hopkins with Deshaun Watson, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. Cleveland has a big contract at receiver (Amari Cooper‘s) already, though the team could benefit from a veteran presence alongside its No. 1 target. The Browns did host Marquise Goodwin on a visit that has spanned from Monday to today, Anderson adds (on Twitter). Goodwin spent last season with the Seahawks, catching 27 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns. The former Olympic long jumper is going into his age-33 season.
  • Darius Slayton is back with the Giants, re-signing on a two-year deal worth $12MM. That contract includes $4.9MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. This can be treated more like a one-year deal; the Giants can save $6MM by cutting Slayton in 2024. That said, Slayton said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he received other offers in free agency. The Giants, despite burying him on their initial 2022 depth chart and cutting his pay, reached out early and will have the former fifth-round pick back in the fold. The team’s improvement last season helped convince Slayton to stay.
  • A year after he signed for the exact terms Slayton reached (with the Jets), Braxton Berrios is now in Miami. The ex-Hurricanes receiver agreed to terms with the Dolphins on what KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes is a one-year, $3.5MM pact (Twitter link). Berrios will receive $3MM guaranteed, giving him a good chance of being part of the Dolphins’ 53-man roster. The Dolphins still have Cedrick Wilson and brought back River Cracraft and Freddie Swain last week.
  • Noah Brown‘s one-year Texans deal is worth $2.6MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The longtime Cowboys wideout received $2.25MM guaranteed and can add an additional $500K through incentives.
  • Addressing his season-long gambling suspension recently, Calvin Ridley said he deposited $1,500 into an unspecified betting app and, after making approximately $200 worth of NBA bets, he included the Falcons in a parlay. Denying he had inside information, Ridley said (via a piece on The Players’ Tribune) he had been away from the Falcons for a month, was not talking to anyone on the team and made the bet to root for his teammates. Regarding Ridley’s midseason Falcons exit in 2021, the former first-round pick said he was dealing with depression and anxiety. Ridley said he played most of the 2020 season (a career-high 1,374-yard slate) on a broken foot, but he was not informed of the break until June 2021. He underwent surgery, which was described as a minor procedure, but said he was not close to 100% by Week 1. This and Ridley’s house being robbed on that Week 1 Sunday intensified his anxiety. The NFL reinstated Ridley, now with the Jaguars, earlier this month.

Cardinals Sign DE L.J. Collier, Re-Sign CB Antonio Hamilton

Former Seahawks first-round defensive end L.J. Collier will have another chance in the NFC West. The Cardinals are bringing in the edge rusher, according to the team.

They also announced Tuesday cornerback Antonio Hamilton is staying. Both defenders signed one-year contracts with the retooling team. Hamilton joins a few Steve KeimKliff Kingsbury-era additions in coming back. Kelvin Beachum and Matt Prater also agreed to stay in Arizona to start the Monti OssenfortJonathan Gannon regime.

One of a few off-board first-round picks the Seahawks have made in recent years, Collier represented the John SchneiderPete Carroll regime’s biggest swing and miss in the round. Collier was barely seeing playing time by the time his rookie contract ended, with healthy scratches coming at points during his rookie deal. The TCU product ended his Seattle career with just three sacks; each of those came in 2020.

This will be an uphill battle for a reclamation project, considering Collier’s scant production. The Seahawks tried him as a starter in only 2020, when he started 16 games. They moved on to other first-string options over the past two seasons. Collier, 27, maxed out at six sacks in a season in college as well. The former Horned Frogs edge player’s modest college production left him off the first-round radar, but as the Seahawks have shown with Rashaad Penny and Jordyn Brooks, they care little for consensus options in the draft. The Cards will attempt to use Collier at multiple positions up front, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

Hamilton rebounded from a late-summer kitchen accident, which resulted in serious burns on his feet and landed him on the Cardinals’ reserve/NFI list to start the season. The well-traveled cornerback re-emerged to play in 10 games and start a career-high five. The 6-foot defender notched his first interception and allowed a career-low 82.0 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage. Pro Football Focus also assessed Hamilton’s work positively, ranking him 36th at the position after his 418-snap 2022.

The Cardinals looked into ex-Gannon charge James Bradberry and were interested in re-signing Byron Murphy, but after Murphy — now a Viking — worked as Arizona’s No. 1 corner over the past two seasons, the team remains in dire need at the position. Hamilton, 30, should represent an early piece of this puzzle. The veteran will come on an affordable contract, earning $1.5MM guaranteed and a max value of $2MM, per Fowler (on Twitter). The Cards, who did not move aggressively at corner last year, will need to add multiple additional corners before the offseason ends.

DeAndre Hopkins Hires Agent, Open To Adjusting Contract

MARCH 19: In an update on Hopkins’ situation, veteran reporter Mike Jurecki notes that the five-time Pro Bowler’s willingness to adjust his contract does not necessarily guarantee that he would be open to taking a pay cut (Twitter link). Doing so would likely be needed to make an acquiring team more amenable to a trade, and could be hinted at by his reported lack of desire to reset the WR market on his next deal. With many members of this year’s free agent class having agreed to new deals, it will be interesting to monitor how much attention Hopkins and the Cardinals get on the matter of a potential trade, something which will be affected by his contract status.

MARCH 8: The Amari Cooper, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill trades occurred within two weeks of each other last March. With teams staring at a mediocre free agent wide receiver class this year, it should be expected some movement will take place as clubs prepare to make upgrades.

DeAndre Hopkins remains the top name believed to be available. Mentioned in trade rumors for several weeks, Hopkins is obviously hearing the rumblings about his Arizona departure. Jonathan Gannon stopped short of guaranteeing Hopkins would be a Cardinal in 2023, and the former All-Pro pass catcher offered a similar status update Wednesday.

I’ve been hearing a lot of trade talks, but I take things day for day,” Hopkins said during a Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link). “I don’t look forward for the future, I live in the present moment. Right now, the Arizona Cardinals is the team and roster that I’m on. I’m preparing myself for whatever the future holds.”

Some changes have occurred with Hopkins since he was last traded, and more may be coming. Shortly after being traded from the Texans to the Cardinals, Hopkins went through an agent-less negotiation. The 30-year-old standout confirmed Wednesday (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban, on Twitter) he has since hired an agent. Hopkins’ $27MM-per-year extension has two years remaining, and it might take a contract adjustment for the Cardinals to move his deal. Hopkins is set to make $19.45MM in base salary this year.

Although a trade opens the door to what would be Hopkins’ fourth NFL contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) he is not believed to be seeking a top-market price. Hopkins plans to be flexible regarding his deal’s final two years, which could open the door to more possibilities on the trade front. Hopkins’ trade value has taken a hit, given the injuries and PED suspension that took a previously durable player out of action for much of the past two seasons. Even ahead of an age-31 season, he should still generate considerable attention. A trade might not be far off.

With the thrice-traded Brandin Cooks the only other name steadily mentioned in trade rumors at receiver, Hopkins is expected to fetch the Cardinals a decent price. The team is believed to have worked out trade parameters that involve a second-round pick and change going back to Arizona. A number of teams are interested in Cooks, so it would stand to reason Hopkins is garnering similar interest. Hopkins’ 2022 PED suspension voided the no-trade clause in his contract, providing the Cardinals more flexibility as well.

Cardinals Release C Rodney Hudson, WR Chosen Anderson

MARCH 16: Arizona will use the post-June 1 designation for the Hudson release. In a procedural move, the Cardinals also released J.J. Watt using this designation. They will pick up $3.05MM in cap space this summer as a result of the Hudson move. Watt announced his retirement shortly before the Cards’ season finale.

MARCH 6: The Cardinals are partaking in some cost-cutting measures for the sake of their salary cap and are expected to part ways with center Rodney Hudson and wide receiver Chosen Anderson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The two are recent additions who were unable to contribute much of what was expected of them last season.

Hudson, we recently reported, is expected to retire this spring. He flirted with the idea in the last offseason before ultimately coming back to the team. Unfortunately, the decision didn’t amount to much for Arizona as Hudson was placed on IR and missed much of the season. Back in January, Hudson agreed to a restructured contract that dropped his 2023 base salary to $2.05MM, an amount that indicated both retirement and this eventual release. With a post-June 1 designation, cutting Hudson will result in $3.05MM in cap savings and $1.76MM in dead money, as opposed to $5.28MM in dead money pre-June 1.

Anderson’s release is a no brainer for the Cardinals. The contract they inherited for Anderson from the Panthers included a potential out in 2023, allowing them to release him with no dangers of dead money. Releasing Anderson will alleviate Arizona of his full $12MM cap hit. Anderson has fallen from the heights of his strong run from 2017-2020. In 10 games with the Cardinals after the trade, Anderson only recorded seven receptions for 76 yards, the worst ten-game stretch of his career.

It will be interesting to see what the market is for Anderson. In a relatively weak wide receiver free agent market, Anderson joins the likes of Robert Woods, DJ Chark, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Julio Jones in free agency. Woods and Smith-Schuster are perhaps the strongest of the group and should fetch decent contracts. Most other available receivers with NFL experience will likely be reliant on fit and scheme to find their homes.

Hudson’s future is still up in the air, as foregone as it may seem. Everything seems to indicate that he will hang up his cleats, but Hudson may spurn retirement again and return to play a 13th season. Rapoport indicates that Hudson will make a decision soon.

Regardless of his decision, Arizona has reportedly made theirs to move on from both Hudson and Anderson. They’ll likely be in the market to replace both players’ positions, but for now, the moves clear out at least Anderson’s $12MM and potentially a total of $15.05MM in cap space.

Cardinals Re-Sign LB Zeke Turner, Add OL Hjalte Froholdt, DL Kevin Strong

The Cardinals were busy today, adding three players to the roster. The team announced that they’ve re-signed linebacker Zeke Turner, and the team also announced that they’ve added free agent offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt and defensive lineman Kevin Strong.

Froholdt got a two-year deal from Arizona. The veteran started six of his 17 appearances for the Browns last season, spending time at both center and right guard. He’ll be reunited with new Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who served as Cleveland’s QBs coach in 2022 and their tight end coach between 2020 and 2021. Froholdt has seen time in 31 regular season games in stints with the Browns and Patriots, and his versatility (and multiyear contract) will surely earn him a spot on the 2023 roster.

Strong got a one-year deal from Arizona. The linebacker had his most productive NFL season in 2022 with the Titans, collecting 23 tackles and a pair of passes defended in 16 games (one start). He’ll be joining new Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort in Arizona; the executive previously served as Tennessee’s director of player personnel.

Turner got a one-year deal to re-sign with the Cardinals. The former undrafted free agent has spent his entire five-year career in Arizona, getting into 64 total games. The 26-year-old appeared in 15 games (one start) last season, collecting 22 tackles and three tackles for loss.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/23

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans