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Cardinals To Extend Zac Dysert Through 2017

December 15th, 2016 at 7:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday, Cardinals quarterback Zac Dysert signed a new contract to remain in Arizona through the 2017 campaign, Dysert told Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). While there’s no word on the financials of the deal, it likely contains little or no guaranteed money.Zac Dysert (Vertical)

[RELATED: Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart]

Dysert, 26, has bounced around the league since entering the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice in 2013, and the Cardinals are the sixth club he’s been with during his four-year career. One team that had previously employed Dysert — the Dolphins — were reportedly interested in signing him off Arizona’s practice squad, forcing the Cardinals to either promote him or lose him, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. For his part, Dysert wasn’t interested in heading back to Miami.

“They already cut me once so I was like, ‘I’m not going to go back there when they already cut me,’ ” Dysert said, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “Most likely, for me, I would have went there for three weeks or until the season ended and they would have cut me. I’ve been here all year, building relationships with all the coaches, all the guys on the team. I just thought this was the best fit for me.”

Dysert may have had a chance to serve as Miami’s No. 2 quarterback over the conclusion of the regular season (the Dolphins have since signed veteran T.J. Yates), and while he’s now third on the depth chart in Arizona, there’s a chance Dysert could factor into the Cards’ long-term plans, especially as starter Carson Palmer‘s career winds down. Head coach Bruce Arians told Urban that Dysert has a “really good chance to be a good player,” while Palmer was also complimentary.

“He’s picked up the offense extremely quick,” Palmer said. “Very bright, throws it really well. He moves around and looks fluid in the pocket. I think [Arians] is spot-on with that comment, I said the same thing. He’s bounced around a little bit but I think he’s found a good spot here.”

Patriots Claim Michael Floyd Off Waivers

December 15th, 2016 at 3:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Michael Floyd has a new home. One day after being cut by the Cardinals, the wide receiver has been claimed off waivers by the Patriots. Michael Floyd (vertical)

[RELATED: Patriots Audition Devin Hester]

Floyd was considered a promising not too long ago and the Patriots are hoping that they can get something out of him late in the season. The Cardinals are on the hook for Floyd’s Week 15 salary, so the Pats are responsible for just two weeks of his pay. Floyd gets $430K per week on his $7.32MM salary, so claiming him costs them $861K. If he does well in the final weeks of the season and in the playoffs, he could find a role with the team next year. Alternatively, Floyd could net the Pats a compensatory draft pick if he were to sign elsewhere this offseason as a free agent.

So far this year, Floyd has 33 catches for 446 yards and four touchdowns. Once regarded as the heir apparent to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, Floyd has slipped down the depth chart and his DUI was apparently the last straw for coach Bruce Arians & Co.

The 11-2 Patriots are tied for the best record in the NFL with the Cowboys. Since New England had winning successful claim, that means just about every other team in the league passed on adding Floyd for the home stretch of the season.

How Cardinals Can Replace Michael Floyd

December 15th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals‘ need for a wide receiver has now amped up their need for a wide receiver in this year’s draft, ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss writes. Larry Fitzgerald‘s career is coming down the home stretch and neither J.J. Nelson nor John Brown are above 5’11”. Right now, the Cards are projected to pick just outside the top ten and there are a handful of receivers they could grab in that range. Clemson’s Mike Williams, for example, offers great size at 6’3″ and is widely regarded as one of this year’s best WRs. Other tall options include Western Michigan’s Corey Davis and USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster.

  • Floyd’s career never reached its full potential with the Cardinals, Weinfuss writes. When Arizona took Floyd No. 13 overall in 2012, the thinking was that he would eventually take the torch from Fitzgerald. Instead, he had only one 1,000-yard season and never emerged out of Fitzgerald’s shadow. He seemed to be on the right track in 2013, but a groin injury in 2014 coupled with Carson Palmer‘s absence derailed him. In 2015, Palmer returned, but a gruesome hand injury hampered him early. He finished ’15 strong, but Floyd could not stop dropping passes in 2016. After his DUI, the Cardinals turned the tables and dropped him from the roster.

Cardinals Players React To Michael Floyd's Release

December 14th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne
  • Cardinals players were “shocked” and in “disbelief” after receiver Michael Floyd‘s release on Wednesday, defensive back Tyrann Mathieu told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Floyd was a popular figure in the locker room, notes Weinfuss, and quarterback Carson Palmer called him a “close friend” and “leader.” The club moved on from Floyd, an impending free agent, shortly after he was charged with his second DUI in the past five years.

Michael Bidwill On Cutting Michael Floyd

December 14th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There were no arguments from any of the Cardinals’ hierarchy regarding the decision to release wide receiver Michael Floyd on Wednesday, owner Michael Bidwill told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “Yes, across the board,” Bidwill said on whether cutting Floyd on the heels of his second DUI arrest was a consensus choice. In summing up Floyd’s nearly five-year tenure with the Cardinals, Bidwill said, “He was a 2012 first-round draft choice for us, a person we thought would eventually take Larry Fitzgerald‘s position and be the No. 1 receiver for the future. Deeply disappointing that we moved on and he didn’t work out as a person we had a lot of faith in.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/14/16

December 14th, 2016 at 4:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: Marvin Hall Jr.

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: CB Ryan White
  • Cut: OL Kevin Graf

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed OLB Greg Townsend Jr.

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: RB Zac Brooks
  • Cut: RB Terrell Watson

Houston Texans

  • Signed: T Laurence Gibson, WR Tevin Jones

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cardinals Release WR Michael Floyd

December 14th, 2016 at 2:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Early Monday morning, Michael Floyd was arrested on DUI charges. Less than 72 hours later, he’s out of work. The Cardinals announced that they have released the wide receiver. Michael Floyd (vertical)

At this stage of the offseason, all released players are subject to waivers. Floyd was considered a promising talent in the not-too-distant past and it stands to reason that he could be claimed. He is slated to hit the open market after the season, so there could be several teams interested in bringing him in for a low-risk three-game audition.

The Cardinals are on the hook for Floyd’s Week 15 salary, so any team claiming him will be responsible for just two weeks of his pay. Floyd gets $430/K per week on his $7.32MM salary, so claiming him would cost $861K.

So far this year, Floyd has 33 catches for 446 yards and four touchdowns. Once regarded as the heir apparent to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, Floyd has slipped down the depth chart in the last couple of years.

In an interview yesterday, coach Bruce Arians indicated that he wanted to sternly punish Floyd but he could not go as far as he wanted to because of restrictions in the collective bargaining agreement. It now seems like the Cardinals have figured out their workaround.

In related moves, the Cards have signed wide receiver Jeremy Ross, and elevated offensive lineman Givens Price from the practice squad.

Cardinals Notes: Floyd, Mathieu, Arians, Wile

December 13th, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Any chance the Cardinals had at earning a postseason berth was likely destroyed on Sunday when Arizona fell to Miami on a last-second field goal, as FiveThirtyEight now gives the 5-7-1 Cards less than one percent chance of making the playoffs. With most of the focus in the desert turned to the offseason, let’s take a look at the latest out of Arizona…

  • The Cardinals are examining the contractual bargaining agreement to determine whether they can internally punish wide receiver Michael Floyd following his DUI arrest, head coach Bruce Arians told Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Additionally, Arians said it’s possible the Floyd will simply be benched on Sunday against the Saints. Floyd is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so these recent developments are the worst possible way for Floyd to finish the 2016 campaign.
  • Although a recent report indicated that he may need surgery, the Cardinals have their “fingers crossed” that defensive back Tyrann Mathieu can return to practice on Wednesday, according to Arians (Twitter link). Mathieu has been sidelined for four of Arizona’s past five games, and if he undergoes surgery, he’d presumably be shut down for the year. The Cards already placed two other critical defenders — linebacker Deone Bucannon and safety Tyvon Branch — on injured reserve yesterday.
  • Speaking to reporters yesterday, Arians was adamant that the Cards would not make any coaching changes after the season, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Arians was specifically referring to special teams coordinator Amos Jones, per Urban, as Arizona has particularly struggled on teams this season. On the year, the Cardinals rank dead last in special teams DVOA, according to Football Outsiders.
  • The move to replace Drew Butler with fellow punter Matt Wile would have occurred last week, but Arizona wanted to ensure that Wile was a capable holder on field goal attempts, per Arians (Twitter link).

Cardinals Waive Drew Butler

December 13th, 2016 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • The Cardinals have swapped out punters once again, announcing that they’ve waived Drew Butler in favor of Matt Wile, who was promoted from the practice squad. Arizona also signed quarterback Zac Dysert off the taxi squad.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/16

December 13th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: LB Reshard Cliett

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: OL Blaine Clausell

Cleveland Browns

Indianpolis Colts

  • Signed: T Pierce Burton

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: DT Justin Zimmer

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: LB Shaquille Riddick

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: OT Mitchell Van Dyk

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: RB David Fluellen

Washington Redskins

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