The Cardinals announced that they have released cornerback David Amerson. It’s a surprising move considering that star Patrick Peterson will be suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season.
The Cardinals project to start free agent addition Robert Alford at one cornerback spot, opposite of Peterson when his suspension is over. While Peterson is sidelined, the club figures to place either second-round pick Byron Murphy or Tramaine Brock in the starting lineup. The other cornerbacks on the roster include Chris Jones, Deatrick Nichols, rookie Nate Brooks and Brandon Williams.
Amerson joined the Cardinals last November and appeared in six games with the club. The 27-year-old will now look to hook on elsewhere.
Former Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch will visit the Cardinals on Thursday, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Cardinals have been working hard to find help in the late stages of free agency and Branch could provide veteran support for the team’s pass rush unit.
We haven’t heard much about Branch since he was released by the Dolphins in March, but he offers an impressive resume and could be a nice value addition in the later stages of free agency. Over the last three seasons with the ‘Fins, Branch recorded 55 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Branch didn’t make sense for Miami with nearly $7MM owed to him for 2019, but he would be a solid pickup on a lesser deal for Arizona.
Armed with the top waiver priority in the NFL, the Cardinals pounced on former Browns tackleDesmond Harrison earlier this month. You can expect them to continue to use their No. 1 slot to land other worthwhile castaways while exploring low-cost vets like Branch between now and September.
Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals signed Terrell Suggs to bolster the pass rush opposite Chandler Jones. That should help the cause, but they’ll need additional firepower after shifting Haason Reddick to an off-ball role.
The NFL Draft is just barely in the rear view mirror, which means that teams are full of hope for their young rookies. But, of course, the NFL Draft is largely a crapshoot, and not every player will realize their full potential.
This year’s draft had talent, but lacked a true consensus on the top player. Many evaluators pegged defensive end Nick Bosa as the player with the highest ceiling in the 2019 class, but other saw Alabama’s Quinnen Williams as the “safest bet.” The 49ers pounced on Bosa with the No. 2 pick while the Jets (and former GM Mike Maccagnan) were delighted to land Williams at No. 3 overall.
Leading up to the draft, much of the attention was on Oklahoma quarterback (and one-time MLB hopeful) Kyler Murray. When Murray announced that he would ditch the Oakland A’s, his stock exploded – Murray was considered a borderline first-round prospect in the winter, but wound up as the Cardinals’ choice at No. 1 overall. Murray has the speed that teams crave at the QB position, but questions persist about his size and overall lack of experience as a full-time starter.
The Cardinals’ long flirtation with Murray brought us the expected result, but the Raiders gave us the real first shock of the draft when they tapped Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. Not to be outdone, the Giants snagged Duke’s Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall. Heading into the draft, neither player was thought to be anywhere near Top 10 consideration, but Mike Mayock and Dave Gettleman were unwilling to trade down and risk losing out on their guys.
The domino effect created by those picks allowed the Bucs to grab inside linebacker Devin White (No. 5 overall), the Jaguars to land outside linebacker Josh Allen (No. 6), the Lions to snag top tight end T.J. Hockenson, the Bills to draft defensive tackle Ed Oliver (No. 9 overall), and the Steelers to finish out the Top 10 with linebacker Devin Bush. Most of those picks were warmly received, but nothing is certain in the draft.
Which Top 10 pick do you think has the highest bust potential? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.
Cardinals center A.Q. Shipley missed the entire 2018 season after suffering a torn ACL, allowing rookie MasonCole to start all 16 games. Now, heading into 2019, both players are vying for that starting spot, and the veteran player isn’t willing to concede to his younger teammate. “Competition? Is there a competition?” Shipley asked Katherine Fitzgerald of the Arizona Republic. “I don’t know, you guys tell me. That’s what you keep saying. I’m going in as I’ve got over 100 games played in the NFL, so if they want to give it to someone else, that’s cool, that’s up to them, but I’m going in as the guy. That’s the way I operate.”
Arthur Moats is calling it a career. On Monday, the former Bills, Steelers, and Cardinals linebacker announced that he is walking away from the NFL.
“I have to give a big thanks to the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me this opportunity to play nine seasons in the NFL,” Moats wrote on social media. “Last but certainly not least, I have to give a big shoutout to #BillsMafia & #SteelersNation for all the support!”
Moats entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Bills out of James Madison in 2010. After four years with the team, he hooked on with the Steelers where he spent the next four seasons. Last year, he joined the Cardinals, but landed on injured reserve before the start of the season.
Moats leaves the game with 228 career tackles, 16.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. His most productive seasons came in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back four-sack campaigns in 2014 and 2015.
The Redskins placed a claim on tackle Desmond Harrison, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ultimately, Harrison went to the Cardinals, who had top priority when the Browns cut him loose.
It’s potentially a sign that the Redskins are concerned about Trent Williams‘ holdout and also an indication that they are eager to bolster their offensive line depth. For example, the Redskins want to use former Giants first round pick Ereck Flowers at left guard, but he has been practicing mostly at tackle due to Williams’ absence and a lack of other available options.
Harrison started in the first eight games of the season for the Browns before losing his gig to Greg Robinson, so it was widely expected that several teams would try and grab the 25-year-old. It’s possible that other clubs were warded off by Harrison’s reported absence and tardiness to team functions this offseason, but there could have also been issues with his game tape. Despite being a first-stringer in the first half of the 2018 campaign, Harrison graded out as just the No. 67 ranked tackle in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus.
It might not be a great idea for late-round fliers on Cardinals tight ends in fantasy drafts. The Kliff Kingsbury-designed offense will use “a ton” of 10 personnel — four wide receivers, one running back — this season, Bob McManamon of the Arizona Republic notes. Texas Tech tight ends caught just four passes in 2018. The Cards still have Ricky Seals-Jones and added both Charles Clay and Maxx Williams this offseason. Arizona drafted three wide receivers, and if this is to be a modern-day version of some of the NFL’s early-1990s run-and-shoot teams, it will be interesting to see if they keep three tight ends on their active roster.
The Cardinals have claimed offensive tackle Desmond Harrison, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Browns released Harrison on Wednesday, leaving him up for grabs.
Having the league’s worst record has its advantages, including top waiver priority. The Cardinals were able to snag Harrison ahead of the other 30 potential competitors, and there were surely multiple teams hoping to land the 25-year-old.
Harrison, 25, opened the 2018 season as the starter at left tackle before Greg Robinson took over in the second half of the season. This year, Harrison was expected to be a key sub in Cleveland and that will probably be his floor in Arizona.
The Browns reportedly released Harrison due to chronic lateness and outright no-shows for team appointments, but the Cardinals are willing to roll the dice to see what he can bring to the table.
