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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Patrick Peterson Wants To Be With Cardinals “For Life”

July 12th, 2019 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

It has been a strange saga between the Cardinals and Patrick Peterson, but the star now says that he wants to stay with the team “for life.” In an interview with SiriusXM, Peterson said he was willing to bury the hatchet with the club and remain for years to come. 

“Yeah, I would love to be a Cardinal for life, but things happen,” he said. “Hell, something could change next month. The things happen not only in football, but in the world in general. So, I would love to be a Cardinal for life. I would love to be one of those guys to bring this organization its first championship.”

Things, in fact, have changed frequently with Peterson. P2 demanded a trade in 2018, though he apologized for his outspokenness in January and said he’s in Arizona “to stay.” But, tensions resurfaced in April amidst speculation that the cornerback wanted out yet again. Then, in May, he was slapped with a six-game suspension for PEDs.

Peterson says much of his dissatisfaction came from the arrival of Steve Wilks and the major overhaul made to the defense. Now, with Kliff Kingsbury in charge, he seems happier.

“So it was just a lot of whirlwind going on last year,” Peterson said. “And I was just frustrated. I love Arizona. I definitely want to be there. Just that time of the year, last year, like I said, it was just very, very tough to deal with. But as being one of the leaders, I definitely felt it shouldn’t have gone that way. But people upstairs can trade players and try to shop players around whenever they need to. So I didn’t see what was wrong with me asking for a trade at the time. So it kind of works both ways.

“But right now I’m in a very, very happy place with the team. All of this is behind us right now, obviously. And something new just came up with me being suspended the first six games. But you know, I’m a man. I have to lick my wounds and be able to move forward from all of this. I have moved forward, and I’m ready to see what the future has for me.”

 

Cardinals Select Jalen Thompson In Supplemental Draft

July 10th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have selected Washington State defensive back Jalen Thompson in the fifth round of the NFL’s Supplemental Draft, according to multiple reports. By doing so, the Cardinals will give up their fifth round pick in the 2020 draft. 

Thompson was one of five entrants in this year’s second-chance draft and was universally regarded as the best prospect of the bunch. The Packers and Texans also showed interest in the youngster, but the Cardinals won out. It’s not yet known if the Packers or Texans placed bids on Thompson, but we do know that their draft priority (Nos. 10 and 26, respectively) was behind the Cardinals’ (No. 4).

Thompson attained freshman All-America status in 2016, was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a sophomore, and wrapped up his Cougars career with six INTs. In 2018, he picked off two passes, made 66 tackles and forced a fumble.

Thompson lost his final year of NCAA eligibility when he reportedly purchased an over-the-counter supplement at a local nutrition store. A source told Theo Lawson of The Spokesman-Review that the supplement in question was not a steroid, but it was enough to bring the defensive back’s collegiate career to an end. If not for that, Thompson might have been a fourth or fifth-round talent in the 2020 class.

Some in the Cardinals organization believe that Jalen Thompson is a better safety prospect than Deionte Thompson, the club’s fifth-round pick in April. If J. Thompson can impress this summer, there could be big things in store for him in Arizona.

NFL Supplemental Draft Order

July 10th, 2019 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL’s Supplemental Draft order does not go by the inverted win/loss records of clubs. Instead, the order is dictated by a weighted lottery that uses a team’s win percentage as just part of the equation. Here, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) is the complete order of the supplemental draft:

1. Lions
2. Broncos
3. Jets
4. Cardinals
5. Giants
6. Bills
7. Raiders
8. 49ers
9. Jaguars
10. Packers
11. Bengals
12. Bucs
13. Falcons
14. Vikings
15. Redskins
16. Titans
17. Dolphins
18. Steelers
19. Panthers
20. Browns
21. Ravens
22. Patriots
23.Cowboys
24. Seahawks
25. Eagles
26. Texans
27. Bears
28. Colts
29. Saints
30. Chiefs
31. Chargers
32. Rams

The supplemental draft is conducted via email. If multiple teams submit a pick for the same player in the same round, this order dictates which club gets the player. Of course, any team picking a player in the supplemental draft will sacrifice the corresponding pick in the 2020 draft.

Latest On Jalen Thompson, Supplemental Draft

July 10th, 2019 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

There are five known entrants for the NFL’s Supplemental Draft on Wednesday afternoon, but Jalen Thompson of Washington State is expected to be the only player selected, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com hears. 

The defensive back has impressed on both a football level and personal level, making him a strong candidate to be picked. Based on Pauline’s conversations over the last two days, teams seem to view him as a fourth or fifth-round talent who will likely be swiped off the board in the sixth or seventh round.

So far, the Packers, Texans, and Arizona have shown the most interest in Thompson, Pauline hears. As previously reported, the Packers watched Thompson work out and flew him to Green Bay afterwards. The Texans, meanwhile, could use some safety help after failing to address the need in April’s draft. The Cardinals could also use some reinforcements in that area, but it’s not clear if they’ll add another prospect after tapping Deionte Thompson in the fifth round.

For what it’s worth, some in Arizona’s front office see Jalen Thompson as a better prospect than Deionte Thompson, Pauline hears. If J. Thompson is on the board after the fifth round, Pauline expects the Cardinals to place a bid.

The supplemental draft will take place at 1pm ET/noon CT on Wednesday.

Predicting The Cardinals Offense

July 1st, 2019 at 9:52pm CST by Ben Levine
  • The Cardinals offense under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury continues to be a mystery, although rookie quarterback Kyler Murray referred to the scheme as “explosive.” ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss tried to predict what’s in store in Arizona, opining that the offense will use the shotgun, will be fast, and will spread the field, all while being balanced. Weinfuss also notes that running back David Johnson is expected to play a major role.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Cap Implications For Cardinals Cutting Nkemdiche

June 30th, 2019 at 2:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • Recently, we heard that the Cardinals were likely to cut former first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche. Former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry tweeted that the Cardinals could save $1.522MM if they cut him before the fifth day of training camp when he’s due a roster bonus, but he also noted that it’s more likely to be $961K in cap savings if Nkemdiche qualifies for the CBA’s injury protection. In a separate tweet, Corry explains that “since there’s remaining time on Robert Nkemdichie’s contract & he was injured last season where he may not be able to play this season, he has a potential injury protection claim for 50% of his 2019 base salary.” Nkemdiche tore his ACL toward the end of last season, and is unlikely to be able to pass a physical by the start of training camp. The 29th overall pick of the 2016 draft is also likely facing a suspension from the league for his arrest earlier this month.

Caleb Wilson Impressing Early

June 27th, 2019 at 8:50pm CST by Rory Parks
  • Cardinals tight end Caleb Wilson, whom the club selected in the seventh round of this year’s draft, actually committed to play quarterback at Old Dominion. But he knew that his path to a pro career would not be as a QB, so he walked on as a tight end at USC and eventually transferred to UCLA. As a late-round draft choice, he needs to impress right away, and Kyle Odegard of the team’s official website says that Wilson is doing just that. New HC Kliff Kingsbury‘s spread offense emphasizes a TE’s receiving ability, and Kingsbury has praised Wilson’s route-running and hands. Wilson may be the fourth tight end on the depth chart right now, but it’s a fairly thin group, so he should have a chance to stick.

How The Cardinals Have Used Their No. 1 Waiver Priority

June 26th, 2019 at 5:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Since late December, when the Cardinals took over the top spot on the NFL’s waiver priority list due to their league-worst record, Arizona has had its pick of the NFL’s freely available talent. In that time, general manager Steve Keim has acquired five players via the waiver wire, many of whom have significant NFL experience.

Let’s take a look at the players the Cardinals have picked up on waivers over the past seven months and examine how each might contribute in 2019:

Pharoh Cooper, WR: Claimed from Rams on 12/19/18

The Cardinals may have gained some valuable intel from Cooper after claiming him in advance of their Week 16 matchup against the Rams, but Arizona also likely had Cooper’s potential 209 contributions in mind. A fourth-round pick out of South Carolina in 2016, Cooper earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 as a return man. That season, the 24-year-old handled 66 combined kick and punt returns, and led the NFL in yards per kickoff return (27.4). The Cardinals now have a bevy of wide receivers on their depth chart after adding draft picks Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler to holdovers Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, so Cooper is unlikely to see the field as an offensive player. But he’ll compete to become Arizona’s top return man, a role that he should be able to win.

D.J. Swearinger, S: Claimed from Redskins on 12/25/18

Sometimes you can go home again. The Cardinals brought in Swearinger — who previously played in Arizona from 2015-16 — via a Christmas Day waiver claim after the veteran defensive back was cut by the Redskins for criticizing Washington’s coaching staff and play-calling decisions. Still just 27 years old and due less than $4.5MM in 2019, Swearinger was unsurprisingly a popular name on the waiver wire, as both the Raiders and Packers attempted to claim him. Viewed as one of the more physically imposing defensive backs in the league, Swearinger graded out as the NFL’s No. 13 safety a year ago, per Pro Football Focus. He’ll start alongside Budda Baker in a now Patrick Peterson-less (at least, for six games) Arizona secondary.

Tanner Vallejo, LB: Claimed from Browns on 2/5/19

Like Cooper, Vallejo is likely ticketed for a special teams-only role in 2019. Over the past two seasons with the Bills and Browns, Vallejo played only 158 total defensive snaps but appeared on more than 500 special teams snaps. In both campaigns, he finished top-three on his club in special teams plays. The Cardinals were actually relatively successful on special teams last year, ranking as a top-12 unit in both kickoffs and punts, but Vallejo will give the club more depth. Speaking of depth, Arizona doesn’t have a ton of serviceable options behind projected starting ‘backers Haason Reddick and Jordan Hicks, so a scenario exists where Vallejo sees meaningful playing time on defense.

Pita Taumoepenu, LB: Claimed from 49ers on 5/9/19

A sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Taumoepenu has only played in six games (21 defensive snaps, 69 special teams snaps) over two seasons. Now 25 years old, Taumoepenu will have to compete for time on special teams, as he’s unlikely to see the field as a pass-rusher behind Terrell Suggs and Brooks Reed.

Desmond Harrison, T: Claimed from Browns on 6/6/19

The Browns cut Harrison earlier this month after he reportedly missed team meetings, but the Cardinals were willing to take a chance on his talent. Harrison joined Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and subsequently started eight games, and while his overall marks from PFF weren’t stellar, he ranked 32nd among tackles in pure pass-blocking grade (min. 50% snap percentage). He was hurt by his run-blocking limitations and his 11 penalties, the latter of which ranked ninth-most among tackles. Harrison will open the season behind starting Arizona tackles D.J. Humphries and Marcus Gilbert, but given that those two have only played a combined 26 games (out of a possible 64) over the past two seasons, Harrison stands a decent chance to make it onto the field.

Brett Hundley Eyeing Starting Gig

June 25th, 2019 at 8:51pm CST by Ben Levine

After playing behind Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, Cardinals quarterback Brett Hundley is looking forward to providing teammate Kyler Murray with some essential wisdom. However, the 26-year-old made it clear that he’s not just going to hand the starting gig to the first-overall pick.

[SOURCE LINK]

Cardinals To Cut Robert Nkemdiche?

June 20th, 2019 at 8:28pm CST by Rory Parks
  • Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic believes that the Cardinals will cut Robert Nkemdiche before he plays another snap for the club. The former first-round pick was recently arrested for driving on a suspended license, and police found a credit card case that had a white powdery residue consistent with cocaine inside. Somers says that police decided not to test the case and elected to simply destroy it instead, but it’s still not a good look for Nkemdiche. The fact that the defensive lineman is still recovering from a knee injury and is due a $400K roster bonus if he is still on the club on the fifth day of training camp could complicate matters, but Somers still expects Nkemdiche to be gone sooner rather than later.
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