Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/21

Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: OL Zack Johnson

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: DB Bryan Mills

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Released: T Jonathan Hubbard

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Promoted: OL Sua Opeta

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/28/21

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Cardinals, CB Quinton Dunbar Agree To Deal

Quinton Dunbar will land in Arizona. The veteran cornerback reached an agreement Tuesday to sign with the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Cardinals, who were interested in Dunbar this offseason, brought him in for a workout today. He will join the team’s Byron Murphy-headed cornerback corps. This is a practice squad agreement, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets.

Dunbar scheduled a visit with the Cards this offseason but ended up signing with the Lions. The rebuilding squad ended up releasing Dunbar ahead of the season, leading the veteran starter to the in-season workout circuit. Dunbar, 29, auditioned for the Bills last week but will circle back to the Cardinals, who have experienced some cornerback turnover this year.

Ten-year starter Patrick Peterson bolted in free agency, and replacement Malcolm Butler landed on the Cards’ reserve/retired list just before the season. The Cards also placed Darqueze Dennard on IR and then released him with an injury settlement. Although DC Vance Joseph indicated Butler could return at some point, the team has played its first three games without him. Murphy and fourth-round rookie Marco Wilson have operated as Arizona’s starting corners, with Robert Alford — who missed all of the 2019 and ’20 seasons — mixing in heavily.

Two years ago, Dunbar broke out with Washington via a four-interception season that ended with the former UDFA allowing just a 61.2 passer rating while targeted. Washington’s new regime traded Dunbar to Seattle in 2020, and an injury ended a less successful season after six games. The six-year veteran will have a chance to bounce back in Arizona.

Cardinals Release G Brian Winters

In finalizing their Week 3 roster, the Cardinals moved Brian Winters off the squad. They released the veteran guard Saturday.

Winters agreed to terms with the Cards this offseason, heading to the desert after a lengthy New York tenure. The Jets released Winters last year, leading him to the Bills on a one-year contract. Winters signed with the Cardinals on a one-year veteran-minimum deal.

A longtime Jets starter, Winters worked as a part-time starter with the Bills last year. In two Cardinals contests, however, he has not seen much action. Arizona has used Justin Pugh and 2020 draftee Josh Jones as its starting guards. Winters has totaled 16 offensive snaps in the Cards’ two games.

Winters, 30, could potentially stick around with the team on a practice squad agreement, with up to six vested veterans eligible for taxi squads. But he is back in free agency for the time being.

The Cardinals also promoted two offensive linemen — Sean Harlow and Koda Martin — from their practice squad. They cleared the other roster spot by placing offensive lineman Josh Miles on IR. Arizona elevated safety Chris Banjo and cornerback Antonio Hamilton to its active roster as well.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/21

Keeping tabs on today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys 

Denver Broncos 

New England Patriots

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/21

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Released: K Matt McCrane

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/21

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: T Jackson Barton (off Giants’ practice squad)

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Cardinals, Chandler Jones Have Not Talked Extension Since July

In Week 1 of the 2021 season, Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones did everything in his power to prove to the world that he still has plenty of gas left in the thank. The 31-year-old battered the Titans’ O-line for a whopping five sacks and two forced fumbles, thereby announcing a full and triumphant return from a biceps tear that ended his 2020 campaign prematurely.

Of course, 2021 is the final year of Jones’ current contract, and Arizona’s apparent unwillingness to give him a new deal has been bothering him since at least the 2020 offseason. He skipped minicamp and even requested a trade this year in an effort to force the issue, but the Cardinals (understandably) did not want to grant his trade request. GM Steve Keim did indicate earlier this month that he would continue discussing the matter with Jones’ agent and that he would like Jones to finish his career in the desert.

However, it does not sound like Keim is willing to make anything close to the type of commitment that Jones wants. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Cardinals have only offered a one-year extension at this point, and that proposal included a $14MM base salary for 2022, plus $1.5MM in incentives. It included a meager $4.5MM in fully-guaranteed money, and given that Jones’ 2021 pay of $15.5MM is already a below-market rate, Jones was quick to reject the offer.

Jones’ agent, Ethan Lock, went on to say that the Cardinals’ proposal was made in July, and that there have been no talks since.

“The July 21 offer, the only one [the Cardinals] have made to date, was rejected without hesitation,” Lock said. “Since then, I have read that the parties are continuing to talk about an extension – that is incorrect. There have been no talks. None. In fact, the Cardinals have not engaged in any meaningful negotiations about extending Chandler during this entire period.”

Obviously, Jones is not going to post five sacks every game. But if he continues performing at close to his usual Pro Bowl level, Keim will have a tough decision to make, and he can expect plenty of phone calls from rival clubs as we get closer to the trade deadline.