John Estes

Cardinals Cut Isaac Sopoaga, Marcus Benard

Two notable veterans are among the Cardinals’ latest wave of cuts, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports (Twitter links) that defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga and linebacker Marcus Benard have been released by the team. The decisions suggest that new addition Tommy Kelly has impressed the Cardinals so far at defensive tackle, and that the club doesn’t feel like Benard has earned a spot on its linebacking corps even following Daryl Washington‘s year-long suspension.

Here are all of today’s Cardinals cuts, with any additional moves inserted into the list throughout the day:

Minor Moves: Steelers, Jags, Browns, Cards, Pats

It’s been a fairly quiet day for transactions around the NFL, but a number of teams have completed minor moves, including signing mid-round draft picks. We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions right here:

  • The Steelers now have seven of their nine draftees under contract, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve officially signed fourth-round receiver Martavis Bryant. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that Pittsburgh was close to locking up Bryant, who will receive a signing bonus worth about $439K, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com,
  • The Jaguars also signed one of their draft picks today, as third-round guard Brandon Linder formally inked his rookie deal, per John Oesher of Jaguars.com (via Twitter). Jacksonville has essentially been working backward through its picks, so first-round quarterback Blake Bortles and second-round receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson remain unsigned.
  • 2013 sixth-round defensive back Jamoris Slaughter has been cut by the Browns, the team confirmed today (Twitter link). Slaughter didn’t appear in a game for Cleveland during his rookie season. Meanwhile, the Browns added a couple new players to their roster (Twitter link), signing offensive lineman Alex Parsons and kicker Jake Rogers, who was let go by the Redskins last month.
  • Veteran center John Estes, who signed with the Cardinals in March and was cut in May, is back with the team on a new contract, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Offensive lineman Christian Johnson was waived to make room.
  • The Patriots have signed former New Hampshire tight end Kyle Auffray and cut undrafted rookie receiver Derrick Johnson, according to a team release.

Cardinals Cut Ryan Williams, Three Others

The Cardinals have parted ways with 2011 second-round pick Ryan Williams, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Williams is one of four players let go today by the Cardinals, who also cut center John Estes, linebacker Kenny Rowe, and tight end Brett Brackett, according to Urban (Twitter link).

Williams, 24, was selected 38th overall in 2011, but could never get healthy enough to become a contributor for the Cardinals. After missing his rookie season, Williams accumulated 164 yards on 58 carries in 2012, then was injured for the entire 2013 season as well. Arizona creates a little over $1MM in cap savings by letting go of the young running back.

Cardinals Sign John Estes

FRIDAY, 11:58am: Estes signed a two-year contract worth the minimum salary, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The deal also has injury waivers each year.

TUESDAY, 12:46pm: The Cardinals have signed free agent center John Estes to a contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a minimum-salary pact.

Estes, who appeared briefly for the Jaguars during the 2011 regular season, underwent knee surgery in 2012 and spent the year on injured reverse. The Hawaii alum hasn’t returned to action for an NFL team since then, but should get the chance to compete for a spot on Arizona’s roster this summer.