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D.J. Swearinger Claimed By The Cardinals

December 25th, 2018 at 2:48pm CST by Micah Powell

It didn’t take long for former Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger to find a new suitor. Less than a day after being released by Washington, the veteran defender announced he was joining the Cardinals in a post on Instagram. 

The Cardinals had priority for waiver claims and didn’t want to take the chance on the South Carolina product being tabbed by another team.

In the post, Swearinger addressed his release from the Redskins after he criticized defensive coordinator Greg Manusky’s playcalling in a loss at Tennessee.

“I Gave That Organization My Heart And Soul And They Spit In My Face For Giving My Opinion Only To Better The Team!! Right Wrong Or Indifferent I’ve Found My Peace And Learned From It And I Am So Excited To Go Back To The Sunny Desert Arizona Like I Never Left!”

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden addressed Swearinger’s release by saying:

“We made it pretty clear that we try to keep our business within these walls,” Gruden said, “and we’ve had many a talk before about that and unfortunately he chose to go to the media again and talk about his displeasure with some of the calls. I know Coach Manusky works extremely hard, as does the rest of the staff, to put together a game plan, and unfortunately we didn’t get it done.”

By joining the Cardinals, Swearinger returns to Arizona where he spent parts of two seasons before joining Washington. In 2016, the defender impressed with 64 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks, earning him a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Redskins. The Redskins will save $4.5MM off their 2019 salary cap with the move, and the Cardinals will be responsible for paying his $176K paycheck for Week 17.

 

Latest On Steve Wilks

December 24th, 2018 at 10:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As the season has gone on, it’s become clear that Steve Wilks faces increasingly long odds of being retained by the Cardinals for a second season. Wilks drew rave reviews during his one season as Panthers defensive coordinator, but Arizona’s season has been disastrous right from the get-go, and it was reported by Adam Schefter yesterday that the team was planning to move on. Larry Fitzgerald and other players have expressed support for the embattled coach, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be enough. In an interesting piece, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN recently took a look at the arguments both for and against firing Wilks.

Mike McCarthy Interested In Cardinals HC Job

December 24th, 2018 at 9:59am CST by Ben Levine

We learned yesterday that former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was already “receiving overtures from NFL teams considering head-coaching changes.” Well, it sounds like the 55-year-old may have his eye on one potential gig. Peter King writes that McCarthy would be “interested in exploring” the Cardinals head coaching job. The reporter adds that there’s mutual interest from the organization.

It doesn’t sound like current Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks for be sticking around for a second season. We heard yesterday that the organization was planning on firing Wilks, although the current head coach has the support of his players, including veteran wideout Larry Fitzgerald. It also sounds like owner Michael Bidwill hasn’t made a final decision regarding a head coaching change. At the very least, the coaching staff is expected to see some major changes.

There were previous whispers that McCarthy might have interest in the Arizona job. ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote yesterday that many Packers coaches thought McCarthy was going to leave Green Bay for the Cardinals gig last offseason. The Browns have also been rumored as a potential landing spot for the coach. McCarthy hasn’t made a decision on whether he’ll return to the NFL in 2019, but it sounds like he’d be interested if the right opportunity presented itself.

McCarthy was fired by the Packers earlier this month after guiding the Packers to an underwhelming 4-7-1 record. The head coach finished his tenure in Green Bay with a 125-77-2 record, including eight campaigns with at least 10 wins. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have only made the playoffs four times in the past 20 seasons.

Latest On Former Packers HC Mike McCarthy

December 23rd, 2018 at 4:31pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Mike McCarthy will be a popular name among teams looking for a new head coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the former Packers coach “already is receiving overtures from NFL teams considering head-coaching changes.”

However, it’s uncertain if McCarthy is eager to immediately return to the NFL. As Schefter notes, the 55-year-old will still be paid for the year remaining on his Green Bay contract. If McCarthy determines that there isn’t a good fit, he could easily take a year off without compromising his future job prospects. Shortly after he was fired, we heard that McCarthy still wanted to coach in 2019, but subsequent reports indicated that that might not be the case.

Schefter notes that one potential landing spot could be Cleveland, where McCarthy would have the opportunity to team up with three of his former colleagues: John Dorsey, Alonzo Highsmith and Eliot Wolf. Schefter also writes that many Packers coaches thought McCarthy was going to leave Green Bay for the Cardinals gig last offseason. For what it’s worth, the Cardinals are expected to fire head coach Steve Wilks at the end of the season.

After 12-plus seasons in Green Bay, McCarthy was fired in early December after guiding the Packers to an underwhelming 4-7-1 record. The head coach finished his Green Bay tenure with a 125-77-2 record, including eight campaigns with at least 10 wins. However, McCarthy only compiled a 10-8 postseason record, and the record doesn’t look nearly as encouraging when you take out the team’s 4-0 record during their 2010 Super Bowl-winning campaign.

Cardinals Expected To Fire Steve Wilks

December 23rd, 2018 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

It has been rumored for some time now, but the Cardinals are indeed expected to fire head coach Steve Wilks at the end of the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Wilks was one of the hottest names on the head coaching circuit last year, but his first — and presumably last — season as Arizona’s HC has been a disaster, and the club is planning to move on.

The Cardinals have limped to a 3-11 record this season, and as is the case with many struggling teams, they have had to deal with a fair amount of turmoil this year (from offensive coordinator Mike McCoy‘s firing to Patrick Peterson‘s trade request). Arizona’s defense has graded out as an average unit per Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric — and to give credit to Wilks, defense is his specialty — but the club’s offense has been abysmal, and the team’s performance overall has not inspired much hope that things will get better anytime soon.

For what it’s worth, though, Wilks does appear to have the support of his team. Cardinals legend and surefire Hall-of-Famer Larry Fitzgerald may not even be with Arizona next season, but he told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that he and all of his teammates would want Wilks to return. Fitzgerald said, “[w]e all would want him back. I love Wilks. Great dude. We all play hard for him. That’s the team — not me alone — speaking on it.”

Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com agrees with Fitzgerald, tweeting that Arizona coaches and players think Wilks should get a chance to come back in 2019.

And in the piece linked above, Rapoport suggests that owner Michael Bidwill has not made a firm decision one way or another. If he does bring Wilks back, however, Wilks would be expected to make significant staff changes, which he would be willing to do. Since Wilks was the last head coach to be hired this year, there were fewer viable assistants to choose from.

Of course, GM Steve Keim‘s job also remains in jeopardy.

Teams View Todd Bowles As HC Candidate?

December 22nd, 2018 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Todd Bowles‘ Jets tenure is about to conclude. He enters Week 16 with a 24-38 record with the Jets, having failed to build on a 10-6 debut season in 2015.

The coaching carousel is also trending toward offensive-minded leaders. However, Bowles may have another chance sooner than expected. Teams are interested in Bowles as a second-chance head coach as early as 2019, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).

Bowles was a scout in Green Bay and coached in both Cleveland and Arizona, with his Cardinals tenure producing top-10 scoring defenses in each of his two years as their defensive coordinator. While it would be somewhat surprising to see the Cards make Steve Wilks a one-and-done to hire another defensively oriented coach, Garafolo adds the organization thinks highly of Bowles. The Cardinals have not had a one-and-done coach during their time in Arizona and St. Louis, but Wilks is believed to be in his final days as their head coach.

Bowles, 55, staved off being fired after his third season, signing a Jets extension instead. But Gang Green remains in a rebuilding phase. While it’s arguable Bowles has not had much to work with during his Jets HC tenure, and GM Mike Maccagnan is nevertheless expected to outlast him in New York, Bowles bouncing back so fast would be a bit surprising.

Although, if HC interest is coming his way, a quick rebound as a 2019 defensive coordinator is certainly not difficult to imagine.

Giants, Jaguars, Titans Put In Claims For WR Pharoh Cooper

December 21st, 2018 at 11:48am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals acquired ex-Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper off waivers earlier this week, but they weren’t the only team with interest in the return man. The Giants, Jaguars, and Titans also put in claims for Cooper, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Once the NFL’s trade deadline passes in November, every player is subject to waivers once they are cut. (Cooper, as a player with fewer than four pro seasons under his belt, would have gone on the waiver wire even if he’d been released before the deadline.) After the first three weeks of the season, the waiver order is based on standings, with the league’s worst team earning priority. Arizona has the No. 1 waiver slot, while Jacksonville is fifth, New York is ninth, and Tennessee is 22nd.

A fourth-round pick out of South Carolina in 2016, Cooper earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 as a return man. The 23-year-old handled 66 combined kick and punt returns, and led the NFL in yards per kickoff return (27.4). Cooper hasn’t been much of an offensive force through two-plus years in the NFL, as he played roughly 400 offensive snaps from 2016-17 and managed only 25 total receptions during that time. This season, Cooper was on injured reserve for nine weeks and thus only made five appearances.

Neither the Giants nor the Jaguars are headed to the postseason this year, but both clubs may have been attracted to Cooper’s contractual status, which will now keep him with the Cardinals through 2020 at a league minimum rate. The Titans would reaped the benefits of Cooper’s cheap salary, as well, but they’d have been hard-pressed to improve their kick return unit, which already ranks as the league’s best per Football Outsiders.

Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald Haven’t Discussed Extension

December 21st, 2018 at 9:22am CST by Dallas Robinson

Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald is scheduled to become a free agent next spring, but Arizona has yet to discuss an extension with the franchise icon, as general manager Steve Keim explained on 98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station on Friday (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

“We don’t get into that with Larry at this point and time,” Keim said. “It’s no different than the last couple of years. We will give him that grace period to sort of reflect and see how his body feels like a lot of the vets do. Those are the conversations that will come after the season.”

Fitzgerald, of course, has flirted with retirement in recent years, and that dalliance will likely take place again this offseason. It seems incredibly unlikely that Fitzgerald — who would be entering his age-36 campaign in 2019 — would have interest in leaving the Cardinals, as he’s expressed on multiple occasions that he’s only willing to play in Arizona.

Although Fitzgerald may be open to extending his career beyond 2018, it’s unknown if he’s angling for a multi-year contract. Last November, Fitzgerald agreed to a one-year, $11MM extension that took him through the 2018 campaign. However, with the Cardinals possibly in line for major structural changes — both Keim and head coach Steve Wilks could lose their jobs in the coming weeks — it stands to reason Fitzgerald could take his time deciding on his future.

While Fitzgerald’s numbers (59 receptions, 645 yards, five touchdowns) have fallen off this season, it’s tough to lay blame at his feet, as the Cardinals easily boast the league’s worst offensive unit and quarterback play. In terms of all-time NFL records, Fitzgerald isn’t going to pass Jerry Rice in terms of receiving yardage, but he should overtake Tony Gonzalez for second in receptions if he plays in 2019.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/18

December 19th, 2018 at 9:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):

Arizona Cardinals

  • WR Bryant Mitchell; T Ryker Mathews; LBs Tobi Antigha, Sam Eguavoen, Pete Robertson, Alex Singleton, Jameer Thurman; K Ty Long

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • G Avery Gennesy

Cleveland Browns

  • RB Jarvion Franklin; TE Kevin Rader; G Ian Park; DT Lance McDowell; S Jack Tocho

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

  • LB Jameer Thurman; DEs Tobi Antigha, Kwaku Boateng; S Chris Edwards

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • G Chris Schleuger; T Dakoda Shepley; DB Tevaughn Campbell; Ks Jon Brown, Trevor Moore; Ps Hayden Hunt, Ryan Winslow; LS Zach Triner

Washington Redskins

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