Cardinals Cut Down To 53
Joining the Saturday deadline craze, the Cardinals cut their roster down to 53 players.
Among those waived or released was quarterback Logan Thomas, a second-year quarterback who became expendable once the Cardinals traded for Matt Barkley on Friday.
The remainder of Arizona’s cuts are as follows:
- Cameron Bradfield, T
- Cariel Brooks, CB
- Jonte Green, CB
- Marion Grice, RB (Waived/injured)
- Jon Halapio, G
- Trevor Harman, WR
- Robert Hughes, RB
- Harold Jones-Quartey, S
- Paul Lasike, RB
- Jimmy Legree, CB (Waived/injured)
- Gabe Martin, ILB
- Antoine McClain, G
- C.J. Roberts, CB
- Jaxon Shipley, WR
- Phillip Sims, QB
- Anthony Steen, G
- Alameda Te’Amu, NT
- Anthony Walters, S
- Kerwynn Williams, RB
Cards’ Bobby Massie Suspended Two Games
SEPTEMBER 5: Massie will serve a two-game suspension, meaning his appeal reduced the penalty by one game, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
AUGUST 11: Cardinals right tackle Bobby Massie is facing a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, Massie is appealing the suspension, which has yet to be announced the league, in the hopes of reducing it.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com explains (via Twitter), Massie was arrested for being intoxicated – and asleep – at the wheel during the week of the Super Bowl in Arizona. He’s seeking to have the ban cut from three games to two games.
While the Cardinals had plenty of injury woes at quarterback and on defense last season, Massie and fellow offensive tackle Jared Veldheer stayed healthy all year — both tackles played all 1,089 offensive snaps for Arizona, so it would be a noteworthy loss for the Cards if they started the season without Massie.
Assuming Massie’s suspension is upheld, it will open the door for rookie tackle D.J. Humphries to earn a starting role for at least the first few weeks of the regular season. Humphries, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in April, was expected to begin his NFL career as a reserve, so if the team determines he’s not ready for the right tackle job immediately, Bradley Sowell could step in while Massie serves his suspension.
Whether or not Humphries is prepared to immediately replace Massie on the Cardinals’ line, the first-rounder looks the long-term solution in Arizona. Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that Massie, who is entering the final year of his contract, “saw the writing on the wall” when the Cards drafted Humphries, and doesn’t expect to be with the team beyond 2015.
Cardinals Acquire Matt Barkley From Eagles
The Cardinals have agreed to a trade with the Eagles, acquiring quarterback Matt Barkley, in exchange for a conditional late-round pick, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), it’s a seventh-rounder, and Philadelphia will only get the pick if Barkley remains on Arizona’s roster for at least six games.
Barkley, who turns 25 next week, was drafted 98th overall in 2013 by the Eagles, a fourth-round pick out of USC. He has mostly been stuck on the team’s bench since then, completing 30 of his 50 career attempts for 300 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions.
After the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford this offseason, Barkley was poised to enter the year as no better than the third quarterback on Philadelphia’s depth chart, behind Bradford and Mark Sanchez. With Tim Tebow gaining momentum in the preseason and poised to earn a roster spot as well, Barkley was the odd man out.
In Arizona, Barkley will join a group of quarterbacks that includes Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, and Logan Thomas. The deal looks like bad news for Thomas, whose roster spot was already in jeopardy when Bruce Arians suggested last week that the team might just keep two quarterbacks (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Ball, Patriots, Giants, Savage
Vic Lombardi of CBS4 and Benjamin Allbright of AM1340 in Denver (Twitter links) have heard that the Cowboys and Broncos are discussing a potential trade involving running back Montee Ball, who has slipped down the depth chart in Denver. However, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link) cites a Cowboys source who says no trade talks are occurring, and Star-Telegram colleague Charean Williams tweets that Dallas would likely only be interested in Ball if he’s released.
The Cowboys have been adamant throughout the offseason that they likes their running backs, though acquiring Ball on the cheap seems more like a more realistic option for the team than signing a veteran free agent.
As we wait to see if anything materializes for the Cowboys, let’s round up some odds and ends from around the NFL…
- As expected, the Patriots don’t intend to try to recoup the $1MM fine or the two draft picks they lost as a result of DeflateGate, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Team owner Robert Kraft made the decision months ago not to fight the penalties, and even after Tom Brady‘s win in court, it would be a major uphill battle, since teams aren’t protected by the same CBA rules as players.
- The Giants will spend the next couple days looking for safeties, either via trades or waiver claims, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s no surprise, considering the position looked a little thin even before the team lost several safeties to injuries.
- The Texans got some good news on quarterback Tom Savage, who left Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Savage just sustained a severe sprain, and won’t require surgery. Houston’s third-string QB is expected to miss at least four to six weeks, and head coach Bill O’Brien indicated today that the club will consider signing another QB for the roster or practice squad (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Asked if the Cardinals have any interest in their former defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, who was released today by the 49ers, head coach Bruce Arians said his club isn’t interested “at this point,” per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
- Former Bears long snapper Rick Lovato is trying out for the Dolphins, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Cardinals Release Matt Shaughnessy
The Cardinals have cut defensive end Matt Shaughnessy, according to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The cut is rather surprising since the Cardinals already paid him a $500K bonus this offseason. By releasing him, however, they’ll save $1.45MM in salary.
Shaughnessy, who turns 29 later this month, appeared in all 16 games for Arizona in 2013, including 12 starts. In that season, he tallied 3.0 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. Last season, he appeared in only 8 total games (7 starts) thanks to a mid-season injury. Still, Shaughnessy was important enough to the team that they put him on IR-DTR in October so that he could be activated later in the year.
Shaughnessy’s best year statistically came in 2010 when he racked up 56 total tackles and 7.0 sacks for the Raiders.
West Notes: F-Jax, Catanzaro, Ward, Injuries
It should be a busy day around the NFL, since many teams won’t wait until Saturday’s deadline to make their roster cuts down to 53 players. While we wait for clubs to announce roster moves, let’s check in on a few items from out of the league’s two West divisions….
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Fred Jackson‘s visit to Seattle went well, but wouldn’t commit to anything definitive with that situation, leading Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links) to speculate that the club could be waiting until after Week 1 to sign the veteran running back. Veterans signed before Week 1 have their salaries fully guaranteed when the season gets underway, which isn’t the case for players signed later.
- Following a pair of missed extra points by Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro, head coach Bruce Arians gave him a vote of confidence, indicating that Catanzaro’s job isn’t in jeopardy, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com notes: “We’re not going to look for a kicker. He’s our guy, so [we’re] glad it’s a preseason game and he can learn from it.”
- Broncos safety T.J. Ward was caught off guard for his one-game suspension for a minor legal run-in that happened over a year ago, telling Troy Renck of the Denver Post, “I just don’t feel the whole process is very fair.” Asked if there’s any more he can do to get the penalty overturned, Ward replied, “I’m going to try, but my last name’s not Brady.” Of course, since the suspension was officially announced, the appeal process has already run its course.
- A pair of NFC West players suffered apparent major injuries during Thursday night action. The Seahawks confirmed (via Twitter) that cornerback Mohammed Seisay suffered a dislocated shoulder, while Arians said that Cardinals tight end Gerald Christian has an MCL injury and may have an ACL issue as well, adding that “he’s probably out” (Twitter link via Weinfuss).
Extra Points: Hunter, Brady, Thomas
Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter‘s case was continued until Sept. 15 because a defense witness did not show up to court today, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. Just days ago, Hunter had his charge reduced to a misdemeanor. The 24-year-old was viewed as a potential breakout candidate last year, but battled injuries and complied just 498 yards and three touchdowns on 28 receptions.
Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Judge Richard Berman will issue his decision and order in the Tom Brady case by the end of the week, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. As it stands, the Patriots QB is set to serve a four-game suspension.
- Following his doctor’s visit, Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas has decided to have surgery on his injured finger on Wednesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Thomas could be out for a month, as previously estimated.
- Larry Foote was coaching at Cardinals practice today, which is likely a sign that he’s not playing this season, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. Foote had to make a decision on his status by 1pm Arizona time, and that deadline has come and gone. The Cardinals added the 35-year-old to their coaching staff earlier in the offseason with the intent of signing him to the roster later in the summer if he decided to continue playing.
- Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear that Case Keenum will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. That leaves Austin Davis and Sean Mannion to battle for the No. 3 job (link). Given that Mannion was a third-round pick this year, it seems unlikely that Davis will win that battle.
Bears Claim Zac Dysert Off Waivers From Broncos
4:44pm: The Bears announced that running back Senorise Perry is headed to the IR, as Jahns tweets.
The Bears also claimed tight end Gannon Sinclair off waivers from the Cardinals and released guard Lucas Nix, per Jahns (link).
With that, the Bears are at the 75-man limit.
3:47pm: The Bears have claimed Zac Dysert, who was waived Monday by the Broncos, team sources tell Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune. Dysert is expected to play Thursday night in the Bears’ final preseason game against the Browns.
Dysert was a seventh-round pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2013 and Jahns hears that Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase is very high on him. Dysert spent the 2014 season on the Broncos’ practice squad, so he’s plenty familiar with the signal caller.
The Bears may need a viable backup for Week 1 against the Packers after Jimmy Clausen suffered a concussion in preseason. As it stands, David Fales and Shane Carden are the Bears’ other two quarterbacks, but the UDFA Carden will be released, according to Jahns. Fales has missed most of training camp with an illness.
Dolphins, Cards Trim Rosters To 75 Players
The Dolphins and Cardinals each had just one last roster move to make to get their respective rosters down to 75 players, and both clubs have now announced those moves.
According to the Dolphins (via Twitter), the club has waived running back Demitrius Bronson, after having released punter Brandon Fields earlier today. Bronson joined the club less than a month ago as a free agent, and wasn’t part of Miami’s regular season plans.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals moved from 76 players on their roster to 76 by parting ways with offensive tackle Rob Crisp, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Crisp, who played his college ball at North Carolina State, signed back in May with Arizona as an undrafted free agent, receiving a $15K bonus from the club.
Washington Notes: RGIII, Williams, Roberts
While Washington’s decision to name Kirk Cousins as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2015 season has been viewed as a signal that Robert Griffin III‘s time in D.C. is coming to an end, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk makes the case for why it makes some sense for the club to keep him on the roster. As Florio writes, Cousins and Colt McCoy aren’t exactly the safest QB duo in the league, and RGIII’s salary isn’t exorbitant for a backup.
Still, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports observes, the RGIII era in Washington seems likely to come to an end by next February, with the club likely cutting him in the new year or sooner. Here’s more on the former No. 2 overall pick, along with a couple more Washington-related notes:
- Robinson and Peter King of TheMMQB.com both look ahead and attempt to identify an ideal landing spot for Griffin after he and Washington officially go their separate ways. In Robinson’s view, the Chiefs are the best fit for RGIII, while King cites the Seahawks and Cardinals as logical potential suitors.
- Although most observers don’t believe Washington would be able to trade Griffin, it may be possible if the quarterback is willing to renegotiate his 2016 option year to remove the injury-only guarantee, writes former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Of course, as Corry acknowledges, Washington still wouldn’t be able to get much in return for the 25-year-old.
- $30MM of Trent Williams‘ five-year, $66MM contract extension with Washington is fully guaranteed at signing, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). Corry adds that the team, having used a signing/option bonus structure on the deal, will pick up $3.55MM in cap room for the 2015 season.
- In his latest mailbag for the Washington Post, Mike Jones fields questions about Washington’s outside linebackers, Andre Roberts‘ role, and – of course – the quarterback situation.