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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Contract Details: Patriots, Moseley, Golden, Bills, Hyde

March 16th, 2021 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted contract details from around the NFL:

  • LB Matt Judon, Patriots: $18MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021), $11MM (2022), $11MM (2023), $9.5MM (2024). Up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses, $500K All-Pro incentive between 2022 and 2024. Via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter.
  • TE Jonnu Smith, Patriots: $15MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021), $9MM (2022), $10MM (2023), $11MM (2024). Up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. Via Yates on Twitter.
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley, 49ers: $500K per-game active roster bonus in 2022. Up to $750K play-time base salary escalator in 2022. Via Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter.
  • LB Markus Golden, Cardinals: two years, $5MM, $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021, guaranteed), $2MM (2022). Up to $250K in annual per-game roster bonuses, up to $2MM in annual sack incentives. Via Wilson on Twitter.
  • OT Daryl Williams, Bills: $13.75MM guaranteed, $5.4MM signing bonus. Salaries: $1MM (2021), $6.725MM (2022), $5.475MM (2023). $3MM roster bonus in 2021, $1.25MM roster bonus in 2023. Per-game roster bonuses: $250K (2021), $300K (2022-2023). $100K annual workout bonuses. $2.2MM in additional annual incentives. Via Yates on Twitter.
  • RB Carlos Hyde, Jaguars: Two years, $4.5MM. $1.25MM base salary in 2021 is fully guaranteed. $900K signing bonus. Via TheMMQB’s Albert Breer on Twitter.

Cardinals Re-Sign OL Kelvin Beachum

March 16th, 2021 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Kelvin Beachum is sticking around Arizona. The Cardinals announced that they’ve re-signed the offensive lineman to a two-year deal.

The 2012 seventh-round pick has put together a solid nine-year career with four different organizations. Following a three-year stint with the Jets, Beachum joined the Cardinals last offseason on a one-year deal. He ultimately started all 16 games for the Cardinals at right tackle, allowing only three sacks.

Beachum could have some competition for the starting gig in 2021. 2020 third-round pick Josh Jones figures to be in the mix, although the youngster has the ability to play both guard and tackle. The Cardinals will also welcome back Marcus Gilbert, whose decision to opt out of the 2020 season necessitated the Beachum signing in the first place.

Either way, the Cardinals are clearly looking to add as much offensive line depth as possible as they look to protect franchise quarterback Kyler Murray.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/21

March 15th, 2021 at 7:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s “minor” moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Minnesota Vikings

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/21

March 15th, 2021 at 7:36pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve compiled a handful of tender decisions below:

  • The Cardinals are tendering linebacker Dennis Gardeck at a second-round value, which is worth around $3.38MM. The former undrafted free agent has spent his entire three-year career with Arizona, primarily appearing on special teams. However, the 26-year-old took on a bigger defensive role in 2020, finished with seven sacks in only 93 snaps. Gardeck tore his ACL late in the season, so his status for 2021 is in doubt.
  • The Chargers won’t be tendering defensive end Isaac Rochell, which comes as a bit of a surprise. The 25-year-old had a solid season for Los Angeles, starting six games while compiling 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Rochell has 9.5 career sacks and 12 QB hits in 51 career games.
  • The Packers have tendered wideout Malik Taylor, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). After spending much of his rookie season on Green Bay’s practice squad, Taylor managed to appear in 15 games for the Packers this past season. He ultimately hauled in five receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown. He also returned a pair of kicks and compiled three tackles.
  • The Bills won’t be tendering cornerback Levi Wallace, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). However, there’s still a chance the 25-year-old lands back in Buffalo. The cornerback has started 28 games for Buffalo over the past two years, compiling four interceptions and 17 passes defended.
  • The Cowboys are tendering wideout Cedrick Wilson and nose tackle Antwaun Woods. Wilson has appeared in 22 games over the past two years, compiling 25 touches for 223 yards from scrimmage. Woods has started 32 of his 39 games for Dallas over the past three years, compiling 80, four tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.

Cardinals Re-Sign Markus Golden

March 15th, 2021 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have re-upped Markus Golden. The edge rusher will return on a two-year, $9MM deal, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Golden started out with the Cardinals as a second-round pick before moving on to the Giants in 2019. His first Cardinals run was fairly productive and included a 12.5-sack season in 2016. Then, he was hampered by injuries. In his first year with the Giants , he managed 72 tackles and ten sacks, but teams saw that as a fluke — he generated just 26 pressures, so evaluators didn’t think he’d keep it up. Midway through the year, the Cardinals brought him back via trade.

He didn’t go for double-digit sacks in 2020, but he did manage 4.5 between both stops. For his career, Golden has 33.5 total sacks across 78 games.

With Golden back in Arizona, Haason Reddick is probably packing his bags. Meanwhile, the Cardinals project to have a front seven featuring Golden, J.J. Watt, Chandler Jones, and Jordan Phillips.

Dez Bryant Wants To Join Cardinals

March 12th, 2021 at 9:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Cowboys star Dez Bryant says he would like to join up with the Cardinals (via TMZ). It’s not clear whether the interest is mutual, however.

“I think that would be dope being next to my boy D Hop [DeAndre Hopkins], [and] Christian Kirk, [and] Kyler Murray,” Bryant said. “I think they have a dope offense. I feel like they got a dope defense. I think they got a dope coach … If I had to choose, yeah, if that opportunity presented itself, I think I would take it.”

The Cardinals offense is, in fact, dope, which means that the team doesn’t necessarily have room for Bryant. A Larry Fitzgerald retirement could open up a spot for Bryant but, even then, there’d be a drop-off in production. Bryant, who will turn 33 this year, had just six grabs in six games for 47 yards and two touchdowns. No one expected Bryant to leapfrog Marquise Brown in the Ravens’ pecking order, but Bryant was also far behind Miles Boykin and Willie Snead IV on the depth chart. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald had 54 catches, 409 yards, and one touchdown in a relative down year — and he’s about five years older than Bryant.

During his heyday with the Cowboys, Bryant totaled 7,459 receiving yards and 73 touchdowns. His best season came in 2014 when he led NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns, leading to his five-year, $70MM Dallas deal.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/21

March 12th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decision deadline is fast approaching. Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-tendered: 

ERFAs

Tendered:

Cardinals Re-Sign Robert Alford

March 12th, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals are bringing back Robert Alford (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Alford was released by the team earlier this week, but he’s agreed to return on a cheaper contract. 

Alford signed a three-year, $22.5MM deal with the Cardinals in 2019, but never suited up for them. First, he fractured a tibia in August of 2019, leaving him on injured reserve for the season. Then, in August of 2020, he suffered a season-ending pec tear. As Rapoport says, he has “unfinished business” in the desert.

Alford entered the league as a second-round pick of the Falcons in 2013 and spent his first six pro seasons with Atlanta. The 32-year-old (33 in October) is now a few years removed from his best work. Alford started 15 games in 2018 but it the worst campaign of his pro career. Pro Football Focus graded him as a bottom-10 cornerback league-wide that year. He also ranked dead last in Football Outsiders’ yards per pass allowed and success rate in 2018.

Cardinals Release CB Robert Alford

March 10th, 2021 at 4:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Robert Alford‘s Cardinals tenure has come to an unceremonious end. Arizona has released the veteran cornerback, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Alford signed a three-year, $22.5MM deal with the Cardinals in 2019, but will end his stint in the desert never having played in a game for them. He fractured a tibia in August of 2019 that cost him all of that season, and then tore a pec this past August which knocked him out for all of 2020. A second-round pick of Atlanta back in 2013, Alford spent the first six years of his career with the Falcons.

He was pretty durable during those years, playing at least 15 games in all but one season (10 in 2014). Unfortunately the injury bug has bit him hard, and he hasn’t suited up since the 2018 season when he started 15 games for the Falcons. A quality starter for a while, it’s anyone’s guess what he’ll look like now.

Alford turned 32 in November, and will likely struggle to find guaranteed money in a tough market coming off back to back season-ending injuries.

The release saves the Cardinals about $7.5MM in cap space for this season. As Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com points out in a tweet, this leaves the Cards with only one non-reserve/futures cornerback under contract for next season, 2019 second-rounder Byron Murphy.

Cardinals Re-Sign LB Tanner Vallejo

March 10th, 2021 at 4:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Ahead of the start of free agency, the Cardinals are taking care of one of their own. Arizona is re-signing linebacker Tanner Vallejo, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

It’s a two-year deal worth $4.1MM, Rapsheet reports. Vallejo had been set to hit unrestricted free agency before getting locked up. It’s a nice payday for the 2017 sixth-round pick who spent his first few years in the NFL bouncing around the league. Originally drafted by Buffalo, he spent his rookie season with the Bills, the following year with the Browns, and spent time with both the Cardinals and Washington in 2019.

He appears to have finally found a home in Arizona, playing in all 16 games in 2020. A core special teamer who played around 65 percent of the special teams snaps, Vallejo also managed to crack the field on defense a handful of times. He played almost the whole game in the Cardinals’ crucial Week 17 game against the Rams, and Rapoport writes that he’ll have a real role in Vance Joseph’s defense next year.

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