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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals Release Tyrann Mathieu

March 14th, 2018 at 12:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have released Tyrann Mathieu, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cardinals asked Mathieu to accept a pay cut, but those talks did not result in a revised deal.

Had Mathieu remained on Arizona’s roster after today, he would have had a large chunk of his contract guaranteed. Unwilling to carry his $14.1MM cap hit in 2018, the Cardinals are releasing him in order to free up resources for free agency. The 25-year-old defender said he was willing to restructure his deal but balked at the notion of the pay cut.

The Cards are not making Mathieu a post-June 1 cut, instead opting to take on the $9.3MM dead-money hit all in 2018, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

“I’ve never made a secret that Tyrann has always had a special place in my heart and always will,” GM Steve Keim said. “While we all understand this is a part of the business, that certainly doesn’t make it any easier. We all wish Tyrann nothing but continued success in his career and beyond.”

Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals back in 2016. That deal came after an ACL tear ended his 2015 campaign early. In 2016, he suited up for just ten games. Last year, he played a full 16-game slate, but didn’t look like his usual self.

It wasn’t the best platform year for his free agency, but Mathieu will have a host of suitors due to his playmaking ability and versatility. The 25-year-old will join an impressive free agent safety class that also includes Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tyvon Branch, but it’s difficult to argue Mathieu won’t be a more desirable option than any of those defensive backs.

The Jets, for one, would have made sense as a speculative destination for Mathieu given the presence of former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, but New York likely isn’t interested, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Gang Green, of course, drafted safeties with each of their first two 2017 picks. For what it’s worth, the Giants also employ a former Arizona DC in James Bettcher.

Giants To Sign LB Kareem Martin

March 14th, 2018 at 9:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are expected to sign former Cardinals outside linebacker Kareem Martin, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Martin, of course, has history with new Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher, so he should be a natural fit. It’ll be a three-year deal for the defender worth $21MM ($7.5MM guaranteed), according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).

Martin, our 14th ranked edge defender, appeared in all 16 games for the Cardinals last season, including ten starts. He finished out with 22 tackles, one sack, and nabbed his first career interception.

Martin earned a solid 75.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus, the best of his career. He ranked as the 57th best edge defender out of 106 qualified players.

The 26-year-old made a career-high 10 starts last season and recorded a sack and 18 tackles, along with his first career interception. The Cardinals took Martin in the third round of the 2014 draft out of North Carolina.

Martin is likely to work in a backup role with the Giants as they have Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon on the edges. He’ll work in with a group that also includes Ray-Ray Armstrong and Thurston Armbrister. The Giants were going to be thin with their depth at defensive end as Kerry Wynn is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Martin becomes the Giants’ second free-agent addition over the last two days, with the team agreeing to terms with running back Jonathan Stewart on Monday as well.

Cardinals Sign Mike Glennon

March 13th, 2018 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have signed Mike Glennon, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter) had first reported that the organization was going to sign the quarterback. The deal is worth $8MM over two years.

[RELATED: Cardinals Sign Sam Bradford]

Glennon now projects to be the No. 2 quarterback on the Cardinals’ depth chart, behind the newly-signed Sam Bradford. Bradford played in just two games for the Vikings last season, so the Cardinals placed considerable value on their backup QB spot. Glennon flamed out in his one month as the Bears’ starter last year, but he was still among the best available QB2 types in this year’s market.

Last year, Glennon inked a three-year, $45MM free agent contract with the Bears after receiving interest from multiple teams. This year, the Cardinals were the only team linked to the 6’7″ signal caller.

Ravens, WR John Brown In Talks

March 13th, 2018 at 4:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens may have found the speedy wide receiver they’ve been looking for. John Brown is “pretty far down the road” in negotiations with Baltimore, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). 

Brown is coming off the worst season of his NFL tenure, as injuries limited him to just ten games. During that time, Brown managed only 21 receptions for 299 yards and two scores. As recently as 2015, however, the now 27-year-old Brown put up 65 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s reportedly healthy.

The Ravens, at one point, were connected to Jarvis Landry. Brown represents a cheaper, though less accomplished option for the slot. One could argue that he’s also quicker out of the gate.

Cardinals Release Adrian Peterson

March 13th, 2018 at 4:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Adrian Peterson‘s brief tenure with the Cardinals has come to an end. The team cut the veteran running back today, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. We learned yesterday that the organization was planning to move on from Peterson. As our own Zach Links pointed out, the move allows the team to avoid a $750K bonus that was due on Friday.

Peterson could conceivably return to the Cardinals at a cheaper rate than his scheduled 2018 $2.881MM cap charge. The Patriots, Seahawks, and Giants expressed interest in the running back before he joined the Saints last offseason, and the Ravens had considered a trade for Peterson before he was dealt to the Cardinals. Peterson is set to turn 33 at the end of the month, and following a relatively underwhelming season, it’s uncertain if there will be as many suitors this time around.

The running back struggled during his brief stint with the Saints, but he saw a bit more success after joining Arizona. In six starts, Peterson ran for 448 yards and two touchdowns on 129 carries (3.5 yards per carry). While these numbers are relatively respectable, the advanced numbers indicate that the future Hall of Famer may be running out of steam. Football Outsiders ranked Peterson 46th among 47 tailbacks in both DYAR and DVOA, metrics which measure overall and per-play value.

After releasing Peterson, the Cardinals are now rostering five backup options to David Johnson, including Elijhaa Penny, D.J. Foster, T.J. Logan, Bronson Hill, and Darius Victor.

Latest On Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu

March 13th, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have asked Tyrann Mathieu to take a pay cut. The two sides have yet to agree to a renegotiated contract, but the two sides are “making positive strides” on that front, a source tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. 

Mathieu will have a large chunk of his contract guaranteed if he remains on Arizona’s roster on Wednesday. In theory, the Cardinals could release the defensive back, but they would much prefer to keep him at a new deal that will lessen his $14.1MM blow against the cap in 2018.

In the summer of 2016, Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals. Thanks to injuries, he hasn’t quite lived up to that contract. Honey Badger saw an ACL tear end his 2015 season prematurely and he played in just ten games in 2016. He played a full 16-game slate in 2017, but he graded out as just the No. 61 cornerback in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus.

The Cardinals’ cap crunch hasn’t precluded them from spending elsewhere as they have agreed to sign quarterback Sam Bradford to a surprisingly large free agent deal.

Sam Bradford To Sign With Cardinals

March 13th, 2018 at 1:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The quarterback dominoes continue to fall, with the latest representing another opportunity for Sam Bradford.

Bradford has agreed to terms with the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This stands to take another team out of the Kirk Cousins mix, one that’s believed to be concluding with the Vikings landing this year’s free agent prize.

It’s a two-year deal for Bradford, Peter Schrager of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), and Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic tweets this agreement will be worth $18MM per year. Incentives could take it to $20MM per season, per Somers. However, Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport report (Twitter links) this is a one-year deal worth $20MM with an option for a second season. Schefter reports $15MM is guaranteed in this contract. Some form of injury protection exists within this deal, Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com tweets.

With Cousins likely landing in Minnesota and Case Keenum set to trek to Denver, the Cardinals were lower on options. They were believed to have inquired about Tyrod Taylor as well before the Browns acquired him. But Bradford will now head to a fourth NFC team and potentially receive an opportunity to be a Week 1 starter again.

The Cardinals were linked to Mike Glennon earlier on Tuesday, but that could well have been as a possible backup. As of now, no quarterbacks reside on Arizona’s roster after Carson Palmer‘s retirement and Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert‘s contracts expiring.

Given his injury history, Bradford does not bring much stability. But he did play 15 games for the 2016 Vikings and suited up for 14 contests with the 2015 Eagles. While Bradford set a then-NFL record with a 71.6 percent completion rate in his first Minnesota season, during a season that saw him throw 20 touchdown passes compared to five interceptions, his tenure was marred by nagging knee trouble in his second.

Bradford played in just two games for the Vikings last season. He torched the Saints in a Week 1 win but then experienced knee pain that shelved him for several weeks, and the former No. 1 overall pick could not make it through a second game — being benched for Keenum — and did not play again last season. Bradford also missed all of the 2014 season and nine games for the 2013 Rams due to knee trouble.

This is a slight gamble for the Cardinals, but without the kind of cap space the Vikings or Jets had, a Cousins union looked less likely.

This takes another veteran option out of the mix for the Jets. But Teddy Bridgewater remains unaffiliated, and Gang Green was believed to be viewing the former Vikings first-rounder as its optimal bridge plan. This also leaves A.J. McCarron without a surefire landing spot. The Bengals backup had sought an opportunity to become a starter, but several franchises have moved or are believed to be moving in other directions.

As for Bradford, he’s still just 30 despite experiencing a litany of injuries. He will likely be asked to take the Cardinals’ reins in the near future while the franchise attempts to bring in a long-term successor in the draft. Picking at No. 15 this year could complicate that.

It’s quite possible all four top quarterbacks in this year’s prospect pool could be long gone by the time Arizona’s selection window opens. The Browns, Giants, Jets, Bills and possibly the Broncos represent potential quarterback landmines for the Cardinals’ quest, and after the Bills’ Cordy Glenn trade, all five of these franchises pick in front of Arizona. The Cardinals could target a passer in the second round, however, and may turn to the 2019 draft.

[RELATED: Cardinals Depth Chart]

Cardinals Targeting Mike Glennon

March 13th, 2018 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

With Kirk Cousins likely headed to the Vikings, the Cardinals’ quarterback search continues. One option on Arizona’s radar is free agent Mike Glennon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 

The Bears informed Glennon of his release earlier this offseason. His release will be made official on Wednesday, which coincides with the official start of free agency.

The Cardinals may be eyeing Glennon as a backup possibility for a more promising QB. It’s also possible that he could be a bridge option for a rookie quarterback, which is a familiar situation for Glennon. Last year, the Bears signed Glennon to a lucrative three-year deal (which was abandoned this offseason) in order to serve as a bridge for rookie Mitch Trubisky. His turn as the Bears’ starting QB lasted all of one month.

As of this writing, the Cardinals do not have any quarterbacks under contract for 2018.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/18

March 13th, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

RFAs

Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Latest On Cardinals, QB Kirk Cousins

March 12th, 2018 at 5:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite reports that only the Vikings and Jets are strongly pursuing Kirk Cousins, the Cardinals have “serious” interest in the free agent quarterback, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Arizona has been considered one of the “final four” suitors for Cousins, alongside Minnesota, New York, and Denver. Interestingly, Cousins’ sister lives in the Phoenix area, and a desire to be near family could potentially factor into Cousins’ decision, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

At least two teams have reportedly offered Cousins a three-year, fully guaranteed contract, but it’s unclear if the Cardinals are one of those clubs. Arizona lags behind the Jets, Vikings, and Broncos with just $19MM in current cap space, so general manager Steve Keim would need to get creative in order to land Cousins, who is expected to command at least $30MM annually.

The Cardinals don’t currently have a quarterback on their roster: Carson Palmer announced his retirement earlier this offseason, while Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert, and Matt Barkley are each unrestricted free agents.

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