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Latest On Cardinals, Kenyan Drake

February 26th, 2021 at 7:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Cardinals all-time greats — Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson — are unsigned for 2021. Arizona’s breakout pass rusher, Haason Reddick, is weeks from free agency as well.

The player that received Arizona’s tag last year, Kenyan Drake, joins them in being without a 2021 contract. He would be interested in staying in Arizona but sounds eager to see what his options are. The Cardinals have until March 15, when the legal tampering period opens, to negotiate exclusively with Drake.

“I would love the opportunity to come back to Arizona but also do want to get the most of what I feel I deserve, so we’ll see,” Drake said during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show (via the Arizona Republic).

However, Drake said during an interview on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football there has not been much dialogue between he and the team. After trading for Drake at the 2019 deadline, the Cardinals transition-tagged him last year. Drake, 27, has never been a free agent.

“It hasn’t really been too much dialogue right now. I know the league and the teams are trying to figure out the cap room,” Drake said during the NFL Network appearance. “So like I said, once we cross that bridge, we’ll get there.

“… There are gonna be several different circumstances that I guess I’ll come together with my team to kind of deliberate with exactly who we feel will be the best fit. But right now, I feel like anything is up in the air. I would just appreciate a team coming in and allowing me to continue playing my game, help the team win games, be a versatile playmaker out the backfield.”

Drake totaled 955 rushing yards (4.0 per tote) and 10 touchdowns last season. The Cardinals have Chase Edmonds under contract for 2021, though he is going into a contract year. Edmonds averaged 4.6 yards per carry and operated as Arizona’s primary receiving back. Drake amassed just 137 receiving yards in his first full Cardinals slate.

As of now, the 2016 Dolphins third-round pick stands to join 2017 draftees Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, James Conner and Marlon Mack as first-time free agent backs. Leonard Fournette may also hit the market, and 2018 UDFA Phillip Lindsay is set for restricted free agency. Jones profiles as the top target, but the Packers could keep him off the market via the franchise tag — which is expected to be cheaper than it was last year. Drake made $8.5MM on the transition tag.

Keim: Cards Will Not Cut Chandler Jones

February 19th, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • A more proven pass rusher does not have to worry about any release. Asked about an NFL.com list of prospective cap casualties that included Chandler Jones, Cardinals GM Steve Keim rejected the notion that is on the table during an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (via the Arizona Republic). Jones is due to count $20.8MM against Arizona’s 2021 cap. The two-time All-Pro is entering the final season of a $16.5MM-per-year deal that has fallen to 13th among edge rushers, pointing to a potential extension that would lower his cap hit.

Latest On Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson

February 19th, 2021 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the best players in Cardinals history are set for free agency in March. While the Cardinals do not have to worry about Larry Fitzgerald defecting to another team, with the future Hall of Famer indicating he would only play for the Cards, Patrick Peterson could leave after 10 seasons in Arizona.

After Michael Bidwill indicated the Cardinals would like to bring back Peterson, GM Steve Keim confirmed he has spoken with the eight-time Pro Bowler this offseason, according to the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManamon.

Keim stopped short of saying he would like to extend Peterson before he hits the market, citing the salary cap uncertainty as a key reason he did not have a clear idea of the All-Decade defender’s place with the 2021 Cardinals.

Peterson’s play over the past two years has not measured up to his Pro Bowl-level work, and he will turn 31 this year. The Cardinals, however, also have Dre Kirkpatrick set for free agency and have seen Robert Alford miss two full seasons since he signed with Arizona in 2019. The team has a considerable need at cornerback.

The Cardinals are respecting Fitzgerald’s timeline. Keim has not spoken to Fitz this offseason, per McManamon. Like he has for the past few seasons, Fitzgerald is taking time to determine whether he wants to return. The 37-year-old wideout has indicated only a championship will matter for him going forward.

Fitz saw his production tumble in 2020. Although the 17-year veteran missed three games, his 31.5 yards per game represented a career-low figure — by a wide margin. After making $11MM last year, Fitz would almost certainly need to agree to a lower-cost deal if he were to return for an 18th season. Arizona has DeAndre Hopkins signed long-term, but Christian Kirk is going into a contract year after an inconsistent three-season run.

Browns Lead NFL In Salary Cap Carryover

February 18th, 2021 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, the NFL Players Association announced (via Twitter) the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2021 season. Effectively, teams are able to rollover their unused cap from the previous season. So, when the 2021 salary cap numbers become official, they can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that individual club’s official cap for 2021.

This follows news from earlier today that the NFL has raised its salary cap floor to $180MM for 2021. This total could clue us in to the salary cap maximum, which could end up landing north of $190MM. The salary cap was $198.2MM for the 2020 campaign.

As the NFLPA detailed, the league will rollover $315.1MM from the 2020 season, an average of $9.8MM per team. The Browns lead the league with a whopping $30.4MM, and they’re the only team in the top-five to make the playoffs. The NFC East ($68.8MM) and AFC East ($65.3MM) are the two divisions will the largest carryover amounts.

The full list is below:

  • Cleveland Browns: $30.4MM
  • New York Jets: $26.7MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $25.4MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $23.5MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $22.8MM
  • New England Patriots: $19.6MM
  • Denver Broncos: $17.8MM
  • Washington Football Team: $15.8MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $15.2MM
  • Detroit Lions: $12.8MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $10.8MM
  • Houston Texans: $9.2MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $8.3MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $8.1MM
  • Chicago Bears: $7MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $5.7MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $5.1MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $5MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $5MM
  • New York Giants: $4.8MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.6MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $4.5MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $4.3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $4.1MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $3.8MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $3.7MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $3.6MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $2.3MM
  • San Francisco 49ers: $1.9MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $1.8MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $956K
  • Baltimore Ravens: $587K

Cardinals Hope To Re-Sign Patrick Peterson

February 18th, 2021 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals hope to retain Patrick Peterson, owner Michael Bidwill says (via the team website). The cornerback has spent his entire ten-year career in Arizona, but he’ll be eligible for free agency in March. 

“Pat and I have had a number of conversations. I’ve been very clear that we want to have him back,” Bidwill said. “We all know that the salary cap is going to go down. I think a lot of these veteran players need to work with us, and they need to understand that while their salary expectations and their compensation expectations may be one thing, we’ve got to look at it from the reality that the salary cap is going down. It’s our hope we can work something out that works for both the club and for Pat to keep him in a Cardinals uniform. He’s been an important part of what we’ve done in the past, and hope to keep him in the future.”

Bidwill’s comments regarding the salary cap decrease are accurate, though the drop might not be all that severe. Earlier today, we learned that the league’s salary cap floor will be set at $180MM, rather than $175MM. That bodes well for the max, which was once projected to be $180MM-$181MM for 2021.

Peterson, meanwhile, is one of the most accomplished defenders in franchise history. Of courses, things have been bumpy in recent years. P2’s performance has slipped a bit over the past two seasons, and his 2019 PED suspension didn’t help his case much. Coincidentally, Peterson backed down from his trade demand right around the same time. In 2020, Pro Football Focus ranked Peterson as just the No. 83 CB in the NFL. In 2018, he placed fifth.

The Cardinals have a leg up on other teams, with Kyler Murray having multiple years to go on his rookie deal. However, they’ll have to balance their affinity for Peterson against other needs. They’ll also look to re-sign Larry Fitzgerald, if he ultimately decides to return for another season.

Cardinals Sign OL Branden Bowen

February 17th, 2021 at 5:10pm CST by Ben Levine

There’s a bit of uncertainty on the Cardinals offensive line, so the team has decided to bring in some additional depth. The team announced today that they’ve signed Branden Bowen.

The Ohio State product showed versatility during his collegiate career, playing both offensive guard and offensive tackle. However, he also dealt with a broken fibula (and three subsequent surgeries) that forced him to miss half of the 2017 campaign and all of the 2018 season. He managed to return to the lineup in 2019, and he was picked up by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent last summer. He was ultimately cut by the team at the end of camp.

With an actual preseason and more years removed from his injury, Bowen may have an opportunity to stick around Arizona. Right tackle Kelvin Beachum could leave via free agency, leaving the organization with 2020 opt-out Marcus Gilbert and 2020 third-rounder Josh Jones as their only fallback options. Guards Max Garcia and J.R. Sweezy are also set to hit free agency, meaning Bowen could have options to compete at multiple spots.

As Darren Urban of the team website points out, this signing gives the Cardinals 56 players on their 90-man offseason roster.

Haason Reddick Wants To Stay With Cards

February 17th, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After bouncing between positions for three different coaching staffs in Arizona, Haason Reddick broke through as a pass rusher in his contract year. Now, the former first-round pick is on track to be a sought-after free agent.

Reddick recorded 12.5 sacks, after the Cards turned to him as an edge rusher following Chandler Jones‘ injury, and profiles as an intriguing free agent target. Despite the Cardinals not picking up his fifth-year option and having benched him in the past, Reddick is open to re-signing to stay in Arizona.

“I don’t really know all the ins and outs of what’s to happen as far as negotiations and what I’m able to do but hopefully I’ll get to stay here,” Reddick said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “I would like to stay here, but we’ll see what happens when the time comes.”

Slotted at multiple off-ball linebacker positions in the past, Reddick moved to the edge — his college role — full time in 2019 and became a starter at that spot after Jones went down with a biceps tear last season. The Cardinals, however, have Jones under contract for 2021 and signed Devon Kennard as an edge player last year. Arizona has Reddick and Markus Golden due for free agency next month. Golden, who would be a cheaper alternative to Reddick at this point, would like to stay with the team that drafted him.

Reddick profiles as an interesting franchise tag candidate, given his lack of production until last season. The Steelers and Buccaneers slapped tags on contract-year edge producers Bud Dupree and Shaquil Barrett last year. The linebacker tag is expected to come in around $14.6MM, which is down from the 2020 tag price. Jones going into a contract year, after having thrived since signing a deal worth just $16.5MM annually, complicates a potential Reddick return.

The Cardinals have until March 9 to determine if they will tag Reddick and have exclusive negotiating rights with him until the legal tampering period begins March 15.

Cardinals To Let Patrick Peterson Walk?

February 17th, 2021 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top defenders in Cardinals history may be on the move next month. The Cardinals bringing Patrick Peterson back on a third contract stands as an unlikely scenario, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.

The former top-five pick was linked to trades in 2018 and ’19 and a possible Cardinals extension last year, but he remained with the Cardinals on a contract he signed way back in 2014. Peterson played out that deal last year and is one month from unrestricted free agency for the first time.

However, Peterson has seen his play slip a bit over the past two seasons. The All-Decade performer made eight Pro Bowls to start his career but was slapped with a six-game PED suspension to start the 2019 season. After Pro Football Focus graded Peterson fifth among corners in 2018, he slipped to 41st in ’19 and 83rd in ’20. Quarterbacks throwing in Peterson’s direction last season collectively completed passes at a 67% clip — nearly 10 points higher than they did in 2018.

The Cards’ extension talks with Peterson stalled in May of last year and did not regain steam ahead of his age-30 season. Peterson, who will turn 31 in June, said last week no final decision has been made between he and the Cardinals about a separation. Were Peterson to leave, the Cardinals would need immediate help at corner. They also have Dre Kirkpatrick bound for free agency and have seen 2019 acquisition Robert Alford miss two full seasons. Byron Murphy‘s rookie deal runs through 2022, but Arizona may need multiple new cogs to join him soon.

Peterson hitting the market would mean two members of the 2010s All-Decade corner contingent would be free agents, with fellow 2011 draftee Richard Sherman on track for free agency.

Gardeck Had Torn ACL

February 15th, 2021 at 10:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck had a breakout 2020 season when he recorded seven sacks, but unfortunately it ended in injury. He was placed on injured reserve with a couple of games left to go, but we didn’t know at the time how severe it was. In an Instagram post last month, Gardeck revealed it was a torn ACL that he suffered. An UDFA in 2018 out of D2 school Sioux Falls, he was just a special teamer his first two years. He still was only getting limited snaps this past year but made the most of them, racking up the seven sacks despite playing less than ten percent of the defensive snaps. He had three multi-sack games. Unfortunately due to how late his ACL tear came, he should be considered questionable for Week 1 right now.

Kyler Murray Still Wants To Play Baseball

February 9th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Before he was the first overall pick of the Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft, Kyler Murray was the ninth overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s. Then he went on to win the Heisman Trophy, causing him to rocket up NFL draft boards. Even after winning the Heisman Murray initially was reported to be pursuing baseball over football, but obviously that changed when it became clear just how high he’d be drafted. We haven’t heard a ton about his baseball passions since, but he made it clear he isn’t over the game in interviews this past week. “I would love to” play baseball again one day Murray said on The Pat McAfee Show, via Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic. “I think it’s still there because I’ve been doing it my whole life. It wasn’t like I have to turn this off to be elite at football.”

When asked if he could see himself playing football and baseball at the same time one day soon, Murray said “I hope so. I hope so. I mean, I would love to. I think that would be good for everybody … I think it is tough because I play quarterback.” He also added that walking away from Oakland was “definitely the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.” The Cardinals likely aren’t as enthused about the possibility, and it’s specifically in his contract that he’s not allowed to play baseball. Maybe when it comes time for Murray to get a contract extension from Arizona, he’ll look to negotiate a clause that allows him to try his hand at baseball? It’s certainly fun to think about, and I think every fan would be hoping he can become the next Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders.

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