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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals’ Josh Rosen To Show For Workouts

April 5th, 2019 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

Despite being the subject of trade rumors, Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen is expected to report to and participate in the start of the team’s offseason workout program on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Other players rumored to be on the block have declined to report to workouts this offseason, but Rosen is apparently taking a business-as-usual approach. 

The Cardinals, armed with the No. 1 overall pick, are rumored to be smitten with Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray. However, the Cardinals are still exploring other top prospects such as Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, so nothing is set in stone. It’s also possible the Cardinals could draft Murray and keep Rosen until they find a suitable deal for the UCLA product.

Statistically, Rosen had a lousy rookie year, but the Cardinals traded up from No. 15 to land him at No. 10 for a reason. Just one year ago, Rosen was considered to be one of the best QB prospects in the country, and the Cardinals are unlikely to give him away in a trade. If the Giants or other interested teams want to acquire him, it could cost them some significant draft capital.

Cardinals Hosting Quinnen Williams

April 4th, 2019 at 9:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is meeting with the Cardinals today, and is scheduled to sit down with the Jets and Giants in two weeks, according to Ian Rapoport and Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (Twitter links). While most observers believe Arizona will ultimately use the No. 1 overall selection on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, Rapoport indicates both Williams and Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa are still in consideration for the top pick. The Jets and Giants present more realistic landing spots for Williams, who is viewed as the best interior prospect available. He’s also met with the Raiders and 49ers, each of whom hold top-five picks.

Cardinals Not In Rush To Trade Josh Rosen

April 3rd, 2019 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Some have speculated that the start of next week’s offseason conditioning program could serve as a deadline for the Cardinals to trade quarterback Josh Rosen, if their plan is indeed to draft Kyler Murray later this month. However, the Cardinals do not believe they have any sort of deadline to trade Rosen, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, and they’re not going to simply give the UCLA product away. 

There’s also a scenario in which they draft Murray and keep Rosen until they feel comfortable enough to move the rising NFL sophomore, Rapoport hears. The Cardinals’ comfort in trading Rosen, of course, would be dependent on the offers received for him, and estimations on the expected return vary wildly around the league. Coaches and executives from seven teams tell ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss that Rosen may be worth anywhere from a first- to a fifth-round pick. Arizona traded up from No. 15 in last year’s draft to draft Rosen No. 10 overall.

“If you liked him last year in the first round, I don’t know why you wouldn’t give up that this year,” one head coach said of Rosen, last year’s No. 10 overall choice.

Rosen did not impress as a rookie – he threw for 11 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and completed just 55.2% of his throws. However, his struggles could be chalked up to the team’s overall issues, which culminated in the firing of head coach Steve Wilks.

Cardinals Pursued LB Brandon Marshall

April 2nd, 2019 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Prior to the Raiders signing Brandon Marshall, the Ravens expressed interest. However, they did not want to sign the free agent linebacker until after the May 7 date when UFAs no longer factor into the compensatory formula, Marshall said during an appearance on Orange and Blue 760 (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter). The Ravens, who said they would have been interested in a multiyear Marshall pact post-draft, are one of the NFL’s premier comp pick-seeking conscious franchises. Marshall said he did not want to wait until after the draft. Both the Chargers and Cardinals also showed more initial interest than the Raiders, Marshall said (Twitter link), but those teams’ respective signings of Thomas Davis and Jordan Hicks pointed him elsewhere.

Cardinals To Host S Johnathan Abram

April 2nd, 2019 at 8:43pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • After meeting with the Cowboys, safety prospect Johnathan Abram will trek to Arizona for a Cardinals powwow, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets. Abram is this class’ top safety, per NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah. The Mississippi State alum, who began his career at Georgia, notched two interceptions and three sacks last season. He also made nine tackles for loss. The Cardinals’ second pick comes at No. 33.

Cardinals To Sign CB Tramaine Brock

April 1st, 2019 at 7:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tramaine Brock will again join a Vance Joseph-coached defense. The one-year Broncos contributor will sign with the Cardinals, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

Both Brock and Morris Claiborne visited the Cardinals Monday, and Brock will join a veteran-heavy cast of corners in Arizona.

Should Brock make the Cards’ 53-man roster, this will be his 10th NFL season. After one-season stints with the Vikings and Broncos, he will return to the NFC West. Brock spent seven seasons with the 49ers, serving as a backup and part-time starter for Jim Harbaugh‘s teams and then becoming a full-timer during the 2015-16 seasons.

Brock will turn 31 before the season starts. His arrival in Arizona will make the Cards secondary one of the most seasoned in the league. Patrick Peterson enters his ninth season, and Robert Alford and David Amerson are heading into their seventh. The Cardinals also added fifth-year veteran Josh Shaw this offseason.

With the draft coming, it is not a lock this quintet all makes the roster. But the Cardinals, who have had issues for years filling their CB2 role, are going with a volume approach to augment this position group this offseason.

A former UDFA, Brock served as the Broncos’ No. 3 corner last season. He did not fare especially well, grading as one of Pro Football Focus’ lowest-graded corners. But he will have a chance to continue in Joseph’s system. Secondary coaches Marcus Robertson and Greg Williams also worked with Denver’s DBs last season, creating more familiarity for the newest Cardinal corner.

Nick Bosa To Visit 4 Teams

April 1st, 2019 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Bosa is not expected to have to wait long to hear his name called during the first round of the upcoming draft, in the event the Cardinals indeed pass on him. Teams with a combination of a high pick and an edge-rushing need are going to bring in the Ohio State standout.

The Cardinals and Giants will bring in Bosa this week, Albert Breer of SI.com reports, adding that Bay Area trips — to meet with both the 49ers and Raiders — are on tap next week.

Bosa has already had dinner with both Cardinals and 49ers representatives, but official visits to the teams holding the top picks in this draft are on tap. Nearly all mock drafts have Bosa going to one of these two NFC West franchises, most now sending him to San Francisco given the Kyler Murray-Cardinals noise.

The Giants are not believed to be interested in packaging their two first-round picks to move up. The team operating this way would almost certainly prevent landing Bosa. The Raiders hold three first-round picks, but with teams ahead of them linked to Bosa, moving up might be difficult. Oakland finishing last season with just 13 sacks — the lowest team total since the 2008 Chiefs — may further drive the franchise toward addressing this need early in Round 1, however.

Nick Bosa did not boast Joey Bosa–caliber stats while with the Buckeyes, registering 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in his three-season run in Columbus. But he has been universally regarded as a top-tier prospect, as his brother was three years ago.

Cardinals Host CBs Morris Claiborne, Tramaine Brock

April 1st, 2019 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals entered another offseason continuing their search for a reliable complementary cornerback to Patrick Peterson. They signed Robert Alford. But the team may still want to add pieces to its secondary.

Both Morris Claiborne and Tramaine Brock are in Arizona visiting the Cards on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Each saw a one-year contract recently expire.

Claiborne spent the past two seasons with the Jets and has played on one-year deals for the past three seasons, having signed his first with the Cowboys in 2016. The Jets deployed the former top-10 pick as a starter in each season but appear set to move on.

The Broncos turned to Brock to fill out their previous cornerback trio, which lost Aqib Talib last offseason, with Brock stepping in as Denver’s nickel performer. The Brock-Chris Harris–Bradley Roby trio obviously was a step down from when Talib was in that mix, and Denver was not expected to make an effort to re-sign Brock. No such effort was made, and the Broncos have added Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan this offseason.

Brock, who graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 98 corner last season, is entering what would be his age-31 campaign. Claiborne, 29, was one of a handful of corners to surpass 1,000 snaps last season, playing 1,002. The former No. 6 overall pick graded as PFF’s No. 75 cornerback.

In addition to Peterson and Alford, Arizona employs longtime starter David Amerson and Josh Shaw, the latter a free agency addition. Should the Cardinals add either Claiborne or Brock, they will have one of the NFL’s most experienced cornerback contingents.

Draft Notes: Sternberger, Jets, Thorson

March 31st, 2019 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots are on the lookout for tight end help in the wake of Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement, and the club will have a top-30 visit with Texas A&M TE Jace Sternberger, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Pats could use their No. 32 overall pick on a tight end, and while that may be a little high for Sternberger, top prospects Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson may be off the board by that point. Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. could be available, though, and there is no reason why New England, which has deployed two tight ends to great effect in the past, could not use several of its 12 picks in this year’s draft on the tight end position.

Now for more draft-related rumblings from around the league:

  • In addition to the Patriots, Wilson reports that Sternberger has visits lined up with the Chiefs, Packers, Lions, Cowboys, Vikings, and Seahawks.
  • Brian Costello of the New York Post does not believe that the Jets will invest high-end draft capital on the WR, RB, or TE positions this year in light of their free agent expenditures, but he still thinks the club could bolster those units with collegiate prospects. He suggests that Gang Green could use a middle- or late-round selection on a wideout, particularly if that player offers return ability, and he thinks a Day 3 blocking tight end and power back could also be in the cards. Of course, with only six draft picks at the moment, New York may need to focus on areas of greater need.
  • Penn State DE Shareef Miller will visit with the Ravens, Cardinals, and Jets, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Miller currently projects as a Day 3 pick, but all three clubs could use pass rushing help, and Miller has the raw ability to succeed as a 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB.
  • The Broncos may be hosting some of the top QBs in this year’s draft class, but they’re looking at more under-the-radar passers as well, as Mike Klis of 9News.com tweets that Denver will be working out Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson in early April. Thorson is expected to be a middle-round selection.
  • Valdosta State CB Stephen Denmark has top-30 visits lined up with the Browns and Saints, per Wilson (via Twitter).

Rosen Could Not Report To Workouts

March 30th, 2019 at 9:58pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It’s been a rollercoaster of an offseason for Josh Rosen. His first head coach was fired, and his new coach Kliff Kingsbury initially re-committed to him. But ever since then momentum has shifted toward the Cardinals using the first overall pick on Kyler Murray, and looking to trade Rosen. Arizona hasn’t done much to tamp down speculation, and the current conventional wisdom is that the Cards will take Murray. The draft isn’t until April 25th, but current Cardinals players are due to report for offseason workouts on April 8th. When those workouts take place, don’t be surprised if Rosen isn’t there, argues Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic.

It’s been a rollercoaster of an offseason for Josh Rosen. His first head coach was fired, and his new coach Kliff Kingsbury initially re-committed to him. But ever since then momentum has shifted toward the Cardinals using the first overall pick on Kyler Murray, and looking to trade Rosen. Arizona hasn’t done much to tamp down speculation, and the current conventional wisdom is that the Cards will take Murray. The draft isn’t until April 25th, but current Cardinals players are due to report for offseason workouts on April 8th. When those workouts take place, don’t be surprised if Rosen isn’t there, argues Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic.

McManaman writes that both Rosen and the team might not want him to report, for several reasons. McManaman notes that the Cardinals were eligible to start workouts this coming week, but pushed back the start of their offseason program by a week. Kingsbury said it was for scheduling purposes, but McManaman speculates that it could’ve been to give them more time to work out a Rosen trade. McManaman also argues that the team won’t want to have the free-speaking Rosen shoved in front of a gaggle of reporters right now, and that there’s always the risk of an injury. If Rosen does decide to no-show the workouts, it’ll add a whole lot of fuel to the rumors that he isn’t long for the desert.

  • Arizona’s division rival, the 49ers, also have an important draft ahead of them. The 49ers pick second overall, and the last we heard they were targeting Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa. But the 49ers are also looking to add pass-catchers, and will soon host a pair of wideouts for visits. San Francisco will bring in South Carolina receiver Deebo Samuel and Ole Miss receiver A.J. Brown, sources told Matt Barrows of The Athletic. It sounds like the 49ers are still leaning Bosa at number two, assuming the Cardinals pass on him, but are looking to bring in a new weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo with one of their next picks.
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