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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Brett Hundley To Sign With Cardinals

March 12th, 2019 at 6:17pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals are planning to sign quarterback Brett Hundley, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it will be a one-year, $2MM pact, with a maximum value of $3MM. Hundley will presumably operate as the backup to second-year signal-caller Josh Rosen, or, depending on how this year’s draft goes, he could be backing up Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.

As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, the Seahawks could turn to Paxton Lynch to back up Russell Wilson after Hundley served as Wilson’s clipboard holder in 2018. That would not be much comfort to Seattle fans, as Lynch, who signed with the Seahawks in January, has busted in a big way since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2016.

The Packers drafted Hundley in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He didn’t see a lot of action at first, but he was called upon in 2017 when Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. In nine starts, Hundley went 3-6 and threw for 1,836 yards with nine touchdowns against 12 interceptions. The Packers traded him to Seattle last August in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

Hundley will likely never fulfill the potential he exhibited at UCLA, but he may able to churn out a career as a serviceable backup. He did not see any action last year, as Wilson continued his record of perfect attendance.

Cardinals To Sign G J.R. Sweezy

March 12th, 2019 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.R. Sweezy will again leave Seattle, this time being set to sign a two-year deal with the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This marks another Cardinals move to bolster their offensive line. Sweezy will follow longtime Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert to Arizona. Sweezy’s last stay away from the Seahawks did not turn out well, with injuries dooming his short Buccaneers tenure. But he bounced back to recreate a market for himself.

The Seahawks reinstalled Sweezy as a full-time starter. He was a key blocker for a rejuvenated Seattle ground attack, one that morphed from one of the NFL’s worst over a three-year period to its best in 2018. Both Seahawks starting guards, Sweezy and D.J. Fluker, saw their contracts expire after the ’18 season.

Sweezy is entering his age-30 season. The Cardinals appear likely to plug him in opposite Justin Pugh, who last year suffered another season-ending injury. Arizona’s offensive line has struggled for multiple seasons now, and by the end of last season, backups were seeing almost all of the action, making it more difficult to evaluate Josh Rosen. The Cardinals finished with the No. 32 scoring offense and were the league’s worst team in total yardage.

Cardinals To Sign Jordan Hicks

March 12th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cardinals aren’t done signing linebackers. After inking outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, Arizona has agreed to terms on a contract with inside linebacker Jordan Hicks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapoport reports the deal is for four years and $36MM. Hicks will get a $12MM signing bonus, and $20MM of the deal is fully guaranteed. Hicks comes to the desert from the Eagles, after spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia. A third round pick in 2015, Hicks became a near-immediate starter in Philly.

Hicks has always been a good player when on the field, but he does have a somewhat lengthy injury history. His rookie season was cut short by a torn pectoral, and he missed the final nine games of the 2017 season after tearing his Achilles. He then missed four games last year with a calf injury. The Cardinals are signaling that they’ll be aggressive rebuilding their defense as they transition into the Kliff Kingsbury era.

It’s a lot of money to plunk down, but if Hicks can stay healthy he should be worth it. He earned great marks from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as the tenth-best linebacker in the league by PFF’s metrics. New defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will be running a 3-4 defense in Arizona, and now the Cardinals have Hicks to play alongside 2017 first round pick Haason Reddick in the middle.

Cardinals Expected To Sign Terrell Suggs

March 11th, 2019 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

This is moving fast. Mentioned as a possible landing spot for Terrell Suggs, the Cardinals are going to land the free agent pass rusher, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

An agreement will send the 16-year Ravens veteran, who told the team he will not be returning to Baltimore next season, back to Arizona. The contract for Suggs is a one-year, $7MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The somewhat hefty sum indicates the Cardinals still view Suggs as a full-time player.

Before going in the 2003 first round and becoming an all-time Ravens great, Suggs played his college ball at Arizona State. Suggs also spent his teenage years in Arizona.

One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17. The 36-year-old started all 16 games for a second-straight season in 2018, compiling 34 tackles and seven sacks.

Suggs will easily slide right into Arizona’s linebacker depth chart. The team really only has former first-rounder Haason Reddick slotted into the starting lineup, with Tanner Vallejo also projected to start.

Terrell Suggs To Depart Ravens

March 11th, 2019 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

It no longer looks like the Ravens will bring back Terrell Suggs. The decorated edge defender informed the team he will be signing elsewhere, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

This comes shortly after a La Canfora report indicated the 16-year veteran will have options outside of Baltimore. It appears Suggs is ready to exercise them and become a true free agent. The 2003 first-round pick played out his four-year extension.

One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17.

As for where the 36-year-old defender may end up, some of Suggs’ teammates have mentioned the Cardinals as a landing spot, per JLC. The Cardinals employ Chandler Jones, but with Markus Golden hitting free agency and having not been especially effective since his ACL tear, Arizona has a need opposite Jones as it moves back to a 3-4 defense.

The Ravens have been trying to work out a deal for C.J. Mosley, but they are battling suitors with more cap space on that front. Suggs will not cost nearly what the linebacker stalwart will, but it appears he will be able to collect more money elsewhere.

Baltimore holds $26MM-plus in cap space but could face the prospect of seeing its three most accomplished defenders depart in one offseason, with Eric Weddle having been released last week. The Ravens led the NFL in total defense in 2018, with that unit being an essential part of the team’s first division title since 2012.

Extra Points: Golden, Jackson, Marshall

March 11th, 2019 at 1:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Here’s the latest from around the NFL:

  • The Giants have interest in Cardinals free agent Markus Golden, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As per usual, free agent pass rushers are expected to cash in big, so Golden could be looking at a substantial deal. Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher coached Golden in Arizona in 2016 when he notched 12.5 sacks, so it’s a logical fit.
  • The Broncos placed a call on Malik Jackson after his release from Jacksonville, a source close to the player tells Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). However, the Broncos didn’t really need Jackson, and they have placed a greater emphasis on finding a nose tackle. Jackson, of course, inked a three-year, $30MM deal with the Eagles this morning.
  • Five teams are interested in Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, according to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). As previously reported, Marshall’s option for 2019 will not be exercised.

Cardinals To Release Jermaine Gresham

March 11th, 2019 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals will release tight end Jermaine Gresham, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move won’t be formally completed until Thursday, the day after the new league year begins, for cap reasons. 

Gresham, 31 in June, had just nine catches for 94 yards last season. Those were the lowest totals of any season in Gresham’s nine-year pro career.

The Cardinals, who badly need a reboot, were expected to drop Gresham this offseason. The move will save them roughly $2.47MM against the 2019 cap, though they’ll be saddled with $5.75MM in dead money.

Meanwhile, Gresham’s old job will be occupied by ex-Bills TE Charles Clay, who was inked to an early free agent deal in February. The Cardinals also have youngster Ricky Seals-Jones on the depth chart.

Markus Golden Hitting Free Agency

March 9th, 2019 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • The rumors of Markus Golden hitting the market look accurate, with AZCardinals.com’s Mike Jurecki tweeting the veteran edge rusher is set for free agency. The Cardinals and Golden engaged in talks earlier this offseason, but nothing of consequence emerged from those discussions. While Golden stands to benefit from the franchise tags handed out to the top-tier pass rushers who could have hit the market, and Jurecki posits a possible Golden reunion with former Cards DC James Bettcher via Giants signing, the former second-round pick has not been productive since the 2016 season. Golden’s ACL tear in 2017 sidetracked his career, halting the momentum he’d created with a 12.5-sack 2016.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/19

March 8th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Second round tender:

Tendered at original-round level:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/19

March 8th, 2019 at 7:11pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s minor moves from another busy day of action across the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: K Jonathan Brown

Seattle Seahawks

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