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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals Activate Rodney Hudson, Place J.J. Watt On IR

November 6th, 2021 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

SATURDAY: Hudson will indeed come off IR this week. He is back on the Cardinals’ active roster. Arizona moved J.J. Watt to IR to make room. While GM Steve Keim is hopeful the prized free agency acquisition will not miss the rest of the season with his litany of upper-body injuries, the Cards made the expected IR transaction. If Watt is to play again this season, it will not happen for a while.

TUESDAY: The Cardinals will soon have their center back. They designated Rodney Hudson for a return from IR on Tuesday, according to the team. The veteran snapper has spent the past three weeks on IR due to rib and shoulder injuries.

An on-schedule return would have the 11th-year blocker back in the Cardinals’ lineup Sunday, when they face the 49ers in the teams’ rematch. Arizona has 21 days to activate Hudson from IR.

Hudson, 32, came over in a March trade with the Raiders, who dismantled their veteran-laden O-line this offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler ranks 10th among centers in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric, though Pro Football Focus has Hudson as its 25th overall center this season. Hudson has made a difference in the Cards’ run game. Despite Kyler Murray having only rushed for 147 yards, the NFC West leaders rank seventh in rushing.

Having Hudson back would be a nice bonus for a Cardinals team that has seen several notable injuries crop up. In addition to J.J. Watt‘s potential season-ending array of upper-body injuries, Murray is not a lock to suit up Sunday due to the sprained ankle he sustained late in last week’s loss to the Packers. DeAndre Hopkins is also battling a hamstring ailment.

Latest On Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

November 6th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Ben Levine

Kyler Murray suffered an ankle injury towards the end of the Cardinals loss to the Packers last week. While there seems to be optimism that the franchise quarterback won’t be sidelined for all that long, general manager Steve Keim made it clear that the organization will be more than cautious with the young signal-caller.

“I know Kyler can play, he extremely tough, and I don’t think there are any questions in our organization internally about his mental makeup or his willingness to play through anything,” Keim said (via Darren Urban of the team’s website). “We have to be smart whether he is going to play or not and think about the big picture. We have to make sure we don’t re-aggravate something or do something that is going to hurt us later in the season. I know we will do the right thing and go through the checks and balances process and make sure the right decision is made.”

We previously heard that Murray’s sprained ankle could take anywhere from one to three weeks to get better. However, there was still optimism that the quarterback would be able to take the field for tomorrow’s game against the 49ers. It sounds like the organization will make it a true game-time decision.

If Murray is forced to miss time, Colt McCoy would likely take over as the team’s starting quarterback. Keim told reporters that he’s plenty confident in the veteran’s ability to take the field and compete.

“We really feel like he can sort of function at a high level in this offense,” Keim said. “That’s why we do what we do in the offseason. You don’t just build a team to think about the starters and the Pro Bowlers. You have to think about where your depth is going to be challenged.”

Chargers, Cardinals Tried To Claim Jonah Williams

November 4th, 2021 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

New Vikings defensive end Jonah Williams was pretty popular on the waiver wire. After he was cut by the Rams, the Chargers and Cardinals also submitted claims on him. (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 

[RELATED: Rams Have Discussed Extension With Miller’s Camp]

The Vikings won out, thanks to their 3-4 record. As a refresher, the league’s waiver priority goes by inverted current season record at this stage of the league year, rather than previous year’s record. Therefore, the Chargers (4-3) and Cardinals (7-1) were further down the list.

Williams, 26, saw time in all eight of the Rams’ games before he was cut loose. If not for the arrival of Von Miller, the Rams likely would have kept him for the year. Miller marks a significant upgrade for the Rams’ front seven and they’re already discussing his future beyond 2021.

The Vikings could still use some DL support, now that Danielle Hunter has been ruled out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle. The Cardinals — who are without J.J. Watt — will also keep an eye out for available linemen.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/21

November 3rd, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/21

November 2nd, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

  • Released: CB Rojesterman Farris

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Football Team

Injury Notes: Murray, Ravens, WFT, Rams

November 1st, 2021 at 7:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison landed on the reserve/non-football Injury list today after being shot in the leg by a stray bullet, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

The 23-year-old was shot outside of a Cleveland nightclub on Sunday night. According to the report, Harrison was struck by a stray bullet; four men were arrested following the shooting, and it sounds like Harrison was an innocent bystander. The linebacker suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a Cleveland hospital. The Ravens were on their bye week, and Harrison was scheduled to return to Baltimore today.

“I don’t think it’s severe at all,” said coach John Harbaugh. “I’m optimistic that it’s going to be OK … Happy that he’s OK and very grateful that he’s OK and not hurt worse. Anything can happen. It’s just a tough situation.”

Harrison was placed on NFI, meaning he’ll have to sit out three games before he can return to practice.

More injury notes from around the NFL:

  • Kyler Murray was seen limping after tossing a game-deciding interception late during the Cardinals loss to the Packers. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the quarterback suffered a serious injury. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Murray suffered a sprained ankle that could take one to three weeks to get better (h/t to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). However, if swelling goes down, the QB could be good to go for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.
  • Washington Football Team starting center Chase Roullier suffered a fractured left fibula during yesterday’s loss to the Broncos, reports Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Roullier is set to get a second opinion on Tuesday, but the initial diagnosis could be hinting at a season-ending injury. The 2017 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career with Washington, and he’s started all 54 of his appearances over the past three-plus seasons.
  • Rams rookie receiver Tutu Atwell will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, head coach Sean McVay told reporters (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry on Twitter). The second-round pick has seen time in seven games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. He’s returned 10 punts for 54 yards and five kicks for 87 yards.
  • The Buccaneers are getting healthier. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that wideout Antonio Brown will likely return after the team’s bye. The veteran has missed the past two games while dealing with foot and heel injuries. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting are also recovering well from their respect injuries and could be back on the field for Week 10.

NFL Practice Squad Updates:  11/1/21

November 1st, 2021 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Washington Football Team

 

Latest On Cardinals’ J.J. Watt

October 29th, 2021 at 10:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals pass rusher J.J. Watt may need season-ending shoulder surgery, but nothing has been decided just yet, according to Cardinals GM Steve Keim (via the team website).

“I know surgery is an option, but at the same time I think there are some things that are possibly put in place where we want to play this thing out with a little bit more time and see how he responds,” Keim said. “To me, if there is anybody who can bounce back and can do it, it’s J.J. Watt.”

It’s safe to say that Watt won’t be ready for the Cardinals’ Nov. 7 game against the 49ers, but there’s a chance that he could return for the playoff stretch. Keim also raises a fair point about Watt and his resilience — the veteran managed to finish out the Cards’ Week 7 win over the Texans and beat his recovery timetable in 2019 after suffering a torn pec.

Through seven games this year, Watt has tallied 16 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, five tackles for loss, and six QB hits. The Cardinals — sans the future Hall of Famer — remain tied with the Packers the NFC lead.

Packers’ Kylin Hill Done For Year

October 29th, 2021 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

Packers rookie running back Kylin Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury on Thursday night (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Hill will be placed on injured reserve, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster.

Hill suffered the injury on a third quarter kick return, when he was tackled by Cardinals running back Jonathan Ward. Both players had to be carted off of the field following the violent collision, with Ward being evaluated for a concussion.

Hill, a seventh-round rookie, has served as the Packers’ No. 3 RB behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The bulk of his work has come on special teams, with 26 snaps on offense vs. 76 ST plays. He’ll finish his season with 10 carries for 24 yards, one reception for five yards, and ten kickoff returns for 199 yards.

The Packers could use Malik Taylor as their KR going forward, but they’ll need to add a new RB. Practice squader Patrick Taylor would be next in line, but they could also audition free agents between now and their Nov. 7 game against the Chiefs.

The Packers advanced to 7-1 after beating the league’s last undefeated team. Now the owners of the NFL’s longest active winning streak, they hold a comfortable divisional lead over the 3-3 Vikings.

This Date In Transactions History: Dolphins Trade Kenyan Drake To Cardinals

October 28th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins were looking to clear their roster in 2019, and that led to one of the more notable trades that took place around that season’s deadline. On October 28, 2019, the Dolphins traded running back Kenyan Drake to the Cardinals for a conditional sixth-round pick.

Drake had spent his first three-plus seasons in Miami, including a 2018 campaign where he collected 1,012 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in a part-time role. However, the 2019 iteration of the Dolphins had no hopes of contending, and the organization traded off pieces as they looked towards 2020 and beyond. So, on this date two years ago, they sent their starting running back to Arizona.

The Cardinals didn’t give up a whole lot to acquire Drake, and they needed some reinforcement at the position with both David Johnson and Chase Edmonds struggling with injuries. Drake ended up having a solid eight-game stint for the organization, collecting 814 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Still, the move didn’t do much to help the team’s record, as Arizona finished at 5-10-1.

The organization ended up placing the transitional tag on their acquisition following the 2019 season, and Drake eventually signed a one-year, $8.48MM tender. During his lone full season in Arizona, the running back finished with a career-high 10 touchdowns to go along with 1,092 yards from scrimmage. Drake moved on to the Raiders prior to the 2021 season (via a two-year, $14.5MM deal), and the Cardinals pivoted to James Conner in a rushing attack that also includes Edmonds and quarterback Kyler Murray.

While the Dolphins did everything in their power to clear their 2019 roster of any talent, the team still only finished with the fifth-worst record in the NFL. As a result, the team missed out on LSU superstar Joe Burrow and had to settle for Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Further, the front office made a curious move with the draft pick they acquired from Arizona. That conditional sixth-rounder ended up improving to a fifth-round pick, and the Dolphins proceeded to…trade the pick for running back Matt Breida, who’s only a year younger than Drake.

Each team had different intentions when making the selection, but neither team ended up with their desired outcome. Hindsight is always 20/20, but both teams may have been better off avoiding this trade altogether (although it’s tough to be overly critical of the Cardinals for ditching a late-rounder or the Dolphins for essentially swapping Drake for Breida).

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