Arizona Cardinals Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Weddle Returns To Rams For Playoff Run

January 12th, 2022 at 10:18am CST by Ely Allen

The Beard is returning to the playoffs. Eric Weddle has agreed to a deal returning to the Los Angeles Rams for a playoff run. The two-time All-Pro is coming out of retirement for one more attempt at a Super Bowl ring.

Weddle announced his retirement shortly after the 2019 NFL season and did not see any time on an NFL field last year. In his lone year on the Rams, Weddle was a team captain and defensive signal-caller.

The new comes shortly after hearing that starting safety Jordan Fuller would require ankle surgery that will hold him out for the remainder of the season. The Rams’ other starter in the defensive backfield, Taylor Rapp, is also in concussion protocol.

Weddle, despite continuing to be a leader on the defense, saw his impact change a bit in his last two years of football. The 37-year old hasn’t forced a turnover in a little over four years, but his last season on the Rams saw him finish second on the team in tackles.

Los Angeles will take whatever version of Weddle they can get as their secondary limps into the playoffs. They face their division rivals Monday night as they host the Cardinals for Super Wild Card Weekend.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/11/22

January 11th, 2022 at 8:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Released: DL Matt Dickerson, LB Tahir Whitehead

Detroit Lions

WR Geronimo Allison, G Parker Ehinger, TE Nick Eubanks, OT Darrin Paulo, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, TE Ross Travis

Houston Texans

Released: DB Cre’von LeBlanc

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed: DL Isaiah Buggs, TE Daniel Helm, LB Justin March-Lillard
Released: LB Asmar Bilal, LB Will Compton, WR Javon Wims

Los Angeles Rams

Released: K Ryan Santoso, LS Carson Tinker

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: WR John Hurst

Tennessee Titans

Signed: RB Jeremy McNichols

Giants Request Interviews With Quentin Harris, Joe Hortiz For GM Vacancy

January 11th, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Two more names have entered the race to be the next Giants GM. Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports (on Twitter), the organization requested permission to interview Cardinals vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris.

Meanwhile, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweets that the Giants also requested permission to interview Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz. Harris will interview for this post Thursday, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

Harris stuck around the NFL for more than half a decade as a player before transitioning to scouting in 2008. He eventually worked his way up to the Cardinals director of pro scouting, then to director of player personnel, and then his current role of vice president of player personnel, a role he took on this past offseason. The Giants are also planning to interview Cardinals vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson.

Hortiz joined the Ravens organization way back in 1998, and his time with Baltimore included a stint as the director of college scouting. He was promoted to director of player personnel when Eric DeCosta took Baltimore’s GM gig in 2019.

Harris and Hortiz join a list of candidates that includes Wilson, Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, Chiefs Executive Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles, Titans VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden, Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort, 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters, and 49ers Director of Player Personnel Ran Carthon.

Dolphins Request HC Interviews With Cardinals’ Vance Joseph, Cowboys’ Kellen Moore

January 11th, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Vance Joseph has enjoyed some eventful years since leaving Miami in 2017. The Dolphins, however, are interested in bringing the veteran defensive coach back to south Florida.

The Dolphins requested a head-coaching interview with Joseph, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. This follows the team’s interview summons for Brian Daboll, Mike McDaniel, and Dan Quinn. Joseph, however, has more familiarity with the franchise. This marks Joseph’s first connection to an opening this year.

In addition to the Joseph inclusion, the Dolphins sent out a request to meet with Cowboys OC Kellen Moore, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Prior to taking the Broncos HC job, Joseph spent the 2016 season as the Dolphins DC. That did not go particularly well, with Miami ranking 29th in total defense that year. Nevertheless, Joseph impressed enough to beat out Kyle Shanahan to become Denver’s HC. The Broncos fired him after two years, however. Joseph went 11-21 in Denver, starting the franchise’s run of sub-.500 seasons. Joseph, 49, has run the Cardinals’ defense since 2019. Following two relatively mediocre seasons, Arizona’s defense has turned it around in 2021, including them ranking seventh in passing yards allowed.

Moore inked a three-year extension with the Cowboys towards the close of the 2020 season, but he’s remained a hot name in coaching circles. The rival Eagles requested an interview with him in January of 2021 before ultimately going with Nick Sirianni.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/22

January 11th, 2022 at 12:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Waived: LB Joe Walker

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated to return to practice: WR Auden Tate

Detroit Lions

Claimed off waivers: S Juju Hughes (from Rams)

Houston Texans

Signed: OL Sam Cooper

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return: DE Joshua Kaindoh

Las Vegas Raiders

Designated for return: LB Nicholas Morrow

San Francisco 49ers

Activated from IR: RB Trey Sermon

Washington Football Team

Extended: CB Corn Elder, RB Jonathan Williams

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/10/22

January 10th, 2022 at 6:13pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Released: LB Nate Hall

Green Bay Packers

Released: G Ben Braden

New England Patriots

Signed: WR Jaylen Smith

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: WR Tyler Vaughns

San Francisco 49ers

Signed: TE Tanner Hudson

Tennessee Titans

Released: OL Paul Adams

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/10/22

January 10th, 2022 at 6:06pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Waived: DL Zach Kerr

Denver Broncos

Claimed off waivers (from Chargers): DB Essang Bassey

Detroit Lions

Claimed off waivers (from Rams): DB JuJu Hughes

Philadelphia Eagles

Signed to active roster: RB Jason Huntley
Placed on IR: WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, TE Tyree Jackson, OL Brett Toth

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

January 10th, 2022 at 10:41am CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL’s first ever 17-game regular season is now over, and the 14-team playoff field is set. The end of the year also confirms, of course, the draft order for the top 18 picks, allowing the non-playoff clubs to begin planning for the offseason.

Despite their upset win on Sunday, the Jaguars will have the top selection for the second year in a row; this marks the fifth time a team has had back-to-back No. 1 picks, and the first since the Browns did in 2017-18.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Here is the final draft order (for non-playoff teams) along with the current projected order for the 14 postseason clubs:

Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
Houston Texans: 4-13
New York Jets: 4-13
New York Giants: 4-13
Carolina Panthers: 5-12
New York Giants(via Bears)
Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
Denver Broncos: 7-10
New York Jets (via Seahawks)
Washington Football Team: 7-10
Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
Cleveland Browns: 8-9
Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
New Orleans Saints: 9-8
Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8*
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1*
New England Patriots: 10-7*
Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)*
Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7*
Arizona Cardinals: 11-6*
Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
Buffalo Bills: 11-6*
Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Dallas Cowboys: 12-5*
Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4*
Tennessee Titans: 12-5*
Green Bay Packers: 13-4*

* = Playoffs

Super Wild Card Weekend Set

January 9th, 2022 at 11:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL’s first ever 18-week regular season has concluded and the playoffs are set to begin next weekend. With the final spots being decided in a Sunday Night Football thriller, we now know where everyone’s going and when they’ll be playing next.

Super Wild Card Weekend starts with the lower AFC Seeds on Saturday. We begin with the 5-Seed Las Vegas Raiders (10-7) as they head to Ohio to play the AFC North Champion 4-Seed Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) at 4:30PM ET. We follow that up with the 6-Seed New England Patriots (10-7) who head to upstate New York for their third match up of the season against the AFC East Champion 3-Seed Buffalo Bills at 8:15PM ET.

On Sunday, we see some NFC teams early to start out. Sunday kicks off with the 7-Seed Philadelphia Eagles (9-8) heading to Central Florida to face off against the NFC South Champion 2-Seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4) at 1:00PM ET. After that, the 6-Seed San Francisco 49ers (10-7) go into the Lone Star State to face off against the NFC East Champion 3-Seed Dallas Cowboys (12-5) at 4:30PM ET. We finish off Sunday night with the 7-Seed Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1) traveling into Missouri to play the AFC West Champion 2-Seed Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) at 8:15PM ET.

We’ll end our Super Wild Card Weekend on Monday Night, when the 5-Seed Arizona Cardinals (11-6) head back to SoCal for their third game of the season versus the NFC West Champion 4-Seed Los Angeles Rams (12-5) at 8:15PM ET.