Cardinals, DT Bilal Nichols Agree To Deal
Making another move on defense, the Cardinals are set to add Bilal Nichols to the fold. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a three-year, $21MM deal which includes $14.4MM in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
[RELATED: Cardinals To Sign Sean Murphy-Bunting]
Nichols joins the Cardinals after having spent the past two seasons in Las Vegas. He didn’t miss a start for the Raiders, compiling 92 tackles and three sacks in 34 games. He finished this past season ranked 97th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, the third-straight year the site graded him as an average or below-average player at his position.
Still, Nichols brings plenty of starting experience to Arizona. Prior to his stint with the Raiders, the defensive tackle spent four years in Chicago, starting 49 of his 60 appearances. The former fifth-round pick bounced around the defensive line during his time with the Bears, and his versatility could come in handy for his new squad.
The Cardinals were busy adding to their DL mix today, as the team also signed former Bears lineman Justin Jones. The new duo will join a defensive line rotation that also features Dante Stills and L.J. Collier.
Cards, Sean Murphy-Bunting Agree To Deal
In need of additions in the secondary, the Cardinals will add cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. Team and player have agreed to terms on a deal, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports.
This will be a third team in three years for the former Buccaneers cog, who spent the past season with the Titans after signing a “prove it” deal. The Cardinals have steadily lost their top corners, seeing Patrick Peterson leave in 2021 and Byron Murphy two years later. Arizona has more work to do here, but Murphy-Bunting represents a start.
Despite Murphy-Bunting being benched in 2022 and submitting an inconsistent career, the Cardinals will give him a nice guarantee on a cornerback market that featured mostly older players available. It is a three-year, $25.5MM deal, with Garafolo adding $17.5MM is guaranteed at signing. Count Murphy-Bunting as one of the many players to benefit from the recent cap spike.
The Bucs demoted Murphy-Bunting during his contract year, and while Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics graded the former second-round pick well, he still took a seat behind regulars Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean. This led to a one-year, $3.5MM Titans pact for the former Super Bowl LV starter.
In Tennessee, Murphy-Bunting saw more time, playing 88% of the Titans’ defensive snaps. He allowed a 91.8 passer rating as the closest defender and saw his yards per target skyrocket to 9.3 in Tennessee’s scheme. The 91.8 rating did represent an improvement for Murphy-Bunting from his past two years as a full-timer (2020, 2021), as his rating in coverage topped 100 each year.
While Murphy-Bunting is only 26, time is running out for the Central Michigan product to establish some consistency. That said, he has already scored a nice payday despite an inconsistent past. Arizona waived three-year starter Marco Wilson late last season, and fellow starter Antonio Hamilton is out of contract. Jonathan Gannon‘s team has work to do at corner, continuing a 2020s refrain for the franchise.
Cardinals To Re-Sign OL Trystan Colon
Trystan Colon joined the Cardinals on the eve of the 2023 season, but his future has received clarity much earlier this offseason. The utility lineman is being re-signed on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The Cards are keeping Colon off the market via a $1.75MM deal that can max out at $2MM. Given Colon’s past as a backup, this deal points to a similar role with the NFC West team for the 2024 season.
Colon could not make the Jets’ 53-man roster last year but drew some trade interest ahead of the August roster deadline. No team ended up forking over assets for Colon, who wound up in Arizona via waiver claim. The Cardinals gave the interior offensive lineman four starts, matching his total number logged with the Ravens from 2020-22.
Arizona still has 2023 center starter Hjalte Froholdt under contract, with guard Will Hernandez signed as well. The team may well be set to add a piece at its other guard post, however, with 2023 starter Elijah Wilkinson out of contract for the 2024 slate.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/24
Friday’s minor transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: DE L.J. Collier
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: TE Quintin Morris
Chicago Bears
- Extended: WR Collin Johnson
- Signed: S Tarvarius Moore
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: T Quinn Bailey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-signed: TE Johnny Mundt
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: NT Breiden Fehoko
Collier returns for a second chance in Arizona. After signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals almost a year ago, a biceps injury ended the 28-year-old’s season after only one start. He had impressed in camp and the preseason and will get another chance to do so in 2024.
Johnson was an exclusive rights free agent set to hit the open market next week. The Bears avoid tendering him by signing him to a new deal to remain in Chicago.
Bailey was set to be a restricted free agent but will no longer seek outside offer sheets after signing a new deal with Denver. He reportedly didn’t sign at the tender amount, agreeing to make $1.06MM next year.
Mundt came to Minnesota in 2022 with high hopes of expanding his game as a more complete tight end. With the Vikings, he’s upped his game as a receiver with 36 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns. His head coach, Kevin O’Connell, calls him the NFL’s best TE3, and the team will pay him $2.5MM as a reward.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/24
Thursday’s tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Lions: TE Brock Wright
Non-tendered:
- Lions: LB Anthony Pittman
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Cardinals: WR Greg Dortch
Non-tendered:
- Lions: DB Chase Lucas
It will cost the Lions $2.99MM to retain Wright, who will receive the right-of-first-refusal tender. That doubles as the lowest number within the three-tiered RFA tender formula. A 2021 UDFA, Wright has been a regular in Detroit; the Notre Dame alum has started 19 games with the team. He played 423 offensive snaps last season, which marked a step back from 2022 (591). The Lions’ tight end plans changed when they chose Sam LaPorta in the 2023 second round, but Wright (13 receptions, 91 yards last year) remains in the team’s 2024 blueprint.
Commanders To Sign TE Zach Ertz
Zach Ertz will join a third team since November. After landing with the Lions late last season, the veteran tight end came up earlier today as a Commanders target. The NFC East team will follow through on a deal.
Washington has an agreement in place with Ertz, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds the one-year contract is worth up to $5MM. This move will reunite Ertz with former Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury, who will debut as the Commanders’ play-caller.
Ertz finishing last season on the Lions’ practice squad allows him to sign before the market opens next week. This will position the longtime Eagles pass catcher to be a potential starter again. The Commanders released Logan Thomas late last week. NFL.com’s Peter Schrager reported earlier Ertz was in talks with the Commanders.
A number of teams — the Eagles, Chiefs, Bills and Ravens — were interested in Ertz following his in-season Cardinals exit. Ertz and the Cards reached a financial compromise following the trade deadline, and the team removed Ertz from its IR list. No one claimed the 11-year veteran, and Ertz did not end up playing in a game for another team following that transaction. The Lions did not activate him ahead of the NFC championship game.
Two tight ends are now off the board ahead of free agency, with this Ertz deal coming a day after the Texans re-signed Dalton Schultz. Teams will still have options like Hunter Henry and Noah Fant, but the market is thinner after these two agreements. Ertz will be looking to bounce back after a down season on a rebuilding team. The Stanford alum caught just 27 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in seven Arizona games last season. A quad injury led Ertz to IR, which ended up wrapping his Cardinals tenure. He requested to be cut soon after, and the Cardinals then turned second-year TE Trey McBride loose.
Ertz, 33, spent around a year as a healthy option in Kingsbury’s offense. The Cardinals acquired him via trade from the Eagles during the 2021 season, as the Eagles opted to pay Dallas Goedert over a second Ertz extension, and the NFC West team received promising returns. Ertz totaled 56 catches for 574 yards and three touchdowns in 11 Cardinals games that year. At the time, that doubled as single-season TE yardage record during the Cards’ Arizona years; McBride has since surpassed it. The showing led the Cardinals to re-sign Ertz on a three-year, $31.65MM deal in 2022. That preceded a season-ending knee injury midway through Kingsbury’s woeful Arizona finale.
Ertz’s best years are probably behind him, and it will be interesting to see if the Commanders make a bigger TE splash this offseason. But the former Eagles third-rounder has six seasons with at least 750 receiving yards. Ertz ranks second in Eagles history with 709 receptions. Post-Thomas, Washington rosters John Bates, Armani Rogers and 2022 fifth-rounder Cole Turner. Thomas’ 496 receiving yards led Commanders tight ends by more than 300 last season.
Cardinals Open To Trading No. 4 Pick?
Presuming the Bears replace Justin Fields with Caleb Williams and the Commanders and Patriots keep their respective places in the draft order, three quarterbacks could very well hear their names called with the first three picks in April. That would leave the Cardinals’ top draft slot as one worth monitoring. 
Arizona has made repeated commitments to Kyler Murray as the quarterback of the present and future, so the team will not be looking for a starting-caliber addition this spring. Regardless of how the first three picks play out, though, teams further down the draft board could be inclined to move up to secure the next available signal-caller. For that reason, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Cardinals are “open” to trading down (subscription required).
After a 4-13 campaign, Arizona’s roster certainly has a number of holes to fill. Adding further draft capital would assist in the effort on the part of second-year general manager Monti Ossenfort in taking the organization’s rebuild to its next step. Ossenfort proved willing to maneuver on draft day last year, moving out of the third overall slot before ultimately trading back up from 12th to sixth in the order. That process landed the Cardinals Houston’s first-rounder in 2024; as such, Arizona is set to select fourth and 27th as things currently stand.
A top-five selection would provide the Cardinals a chance to add a much-needed No. 1 wideout. The status of pending free agent Marquise Brown is uncertain, but even if he were to be retained, a noteworthy addition at the position would be welcomed. For much of the season, the most common prospect linked with Arizona was phenom wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. If Ossenfort were to elect to stay put, the former Ohio State star would represent a logical target.
In the event a trade-down was executed, though, several other high-profile receiver options could still be within reach. Malik Nabers (LSU) and Rome Odunze (Washington) have both drawn considerable praise in the build-up to the draft, and Arizona could select either one with a slightly lower top-10 pick. Adding an impact offensive tackle (such as Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu) could also be an option in the back half of the top 10.
The Cardinals ranked 31st in scoring defense in 2023, so improvements in that regard will no doubt be an offseason priority. Most of the 2024 class’ top prospects are on the other side of the ball, though, and an addition helping Murray and Co. remains a likely outcome. Whether or not that comes at the No. 4 slot will be interesting to watch as the draft approaches.
2024 NFL Cap Space, By Team
The NFL provided clarity to its teams on Friday by setting the salary cap ceiling ($255.4MM). Franchise tag figures have been locked in as well, and clubs can now proceed with their offseason planning knowing exactly where they stand with respect to financial flexibility. Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the current landscape in terms of salary cap space:
- Washington Commanders: $79.61MM
- Tennessee Titans: $78.66MM
- Chicago Bears: $78.34MM
- New England Patriots: $77.96MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $72.34MM
- Houston Texans: $67.58MM
- Detroit Lions: $57.61MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $51.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $50.67MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $43.68MM
- Los Angles Rams: $43.11MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $42.94MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $35.81MM
- Carolina Panthers: $34.57MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $33MM
- New York Giants: $30.8MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $27.35MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $24.68MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $18.19MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $16.63MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $12.97MM
- New York Jets: $12.76MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $9MM
- Green Bay Packers: $2.3MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $5.07MM over the cap
- Cleveland Browns: $7.76MM over
- Dallas Cowboys: $9.86MM over
- Denver Broncos: $16.81MM over
- Los Angeles Chargers: $25.61MM over
- Miami Dolphins: $27.92MM over
- New Orleans Saints: $42.11MM over
- Buffalo Bills: $43.82MM over
All teams must be cap compliant by the start of the new league year, but it will of course be more than just those currently over the limit which will make cost-shedding moves in the near future. Cuts, restructures and extensions are available as tools to carve out space in advance of free agency. Several have already taken place around the league.
That includes the Dolphins’ release of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and the planned cut of Xavien Howard. The latter cannot be designated a post-June 1 release until free agency begins but once it happens, Miami will move much closer to cap compliance. The Saints have moved considerable commitments into the future via restructures (as usual), but more transactions on that front will be required even with the cap seeing an historic single-season jump.
The roughly $30MM spike from 2023 will provide unforeseen spending power for teams already set to lead the pack in cap space while also making the task of those at the bottom of the list easier. Spending more on backloaded contracts this offseason at the expense of future space obviously carries risk, however. Still, the news of a higher-than-expected ceiling will add further intrigue to each team’s financial planning.
With Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson each set to carry record-breaking cap hits for 2024, the Cowboys and Browns will be among the teams most in need of working out a deal to lower those figures. In Dallas’ case in particular, an extension would provide immediate breathing room in addition to clarity on his future beyond the coming season. For Cleveland, Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal has already been restructured once and will need to be again to avoid consecutive years of a $64MM cap charge over its remaining term.
If the Commanders and Patriots add a quarterback with the second and third picks in this year’s draft, each team currently in the top six in space will enjoy the benefits of having a signal-caller on their rookie contracts. That would allow for an aggressive approach to free agency, although the Chiefs’ success after Patrick Mahomes signed (and re-worked) his monster extension has proven it is possible to win Super Bowl titles with a substantial QB investment on the books.
Cardinals Likely To Pursue TE Additions
Arizona began the season with both veteran Zach Ertz and 2022 second-rounder Trey McBride on the tight end depth chart. The latter’s play allowed for the team to move on from the former midway through the season. Depth at the position will need to be acquired in the coming months, however. 
Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily reports the Cardinals are expected to use both free agency and the draft to add secondary options to complement McBride. The 24-year-old started every contest from Week 8 onward in 2023, and he was a major factor in the team’s offense. McBride drew at least seven targets on eight occasions as he saw his workload take a substantial jump compared to his rookie campaign.
The Colorado State alum totaled 825 yards and three touchdowns on 81 receptions, and he profiles as being a central figure in Arizona’s offense moving forward. The team’s only other current options at the position who are under contract (Blake Whiteheart, Travis Vokolek and Bernhard Seikovits), however, are former undrafted free agents. Veteran Geoff Swaim is a set to hit the open market when the new league year begins in March.
The 2024 free agent class could present the Cardinals with a number of short-term options. Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry, Noah Fant, Gerald Everett and Irv Smith Jr. are among the tight ends who could be on the move in March. With more than $51MM in cap space, Arizona will have the ability to out-bid a number of suitors on the free agent market, although a big-money investment at the TE spot in particular would come as a surprise given McBride’s success as a starter.
This year’s draft features a clear-cut No. 1 prospect amongst tight ends in the form of Georgia’s Brock Bowers. The All-American and two-time John Mackey Award winner is all-but assured to be on the board when the Cardinals pick fourth overall, but the team could prioritize an offensive tackle or receiver prospect at that spot. Arizona also owns the No. 27 slot, but Bowers could very well be gone by that point. A Day 2 or 3 selection would still offer a useful addition to the depth chart, though, especially if paired with a veteran signing. The Cardinals will have the opportunity to take a number of paths to fill out their TE room this offseason.
Cardinals Part Ways With Dru Grigson
Changes continue to take place in Arizona’s front office. Player personnel director Dru Grigson has parted ways with the team, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reports.
Grigson began his Cardinals tenure in 2008 after spending time with both the Eagles and the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in the scouting department. He worked as a scout in Arizona through 2012 before being promoted to scouting director the following season, holding that title for five years.
Grigson’s ascent through the ranks continued when he spent the 2019 and ’20 seasons as assistant player personnel director. That was followed by a single campaign as director of college scouting before taking charge of the player personnel department. After three years in that capacity, Grigson is now out of the organization.
The arrival of general manager Monti Ossenfort last offseason led to the expectation that changes could soon follow in the front office. Indeed, Quentin Harris – who had most recently served as VP of player personnel – is now out as well. He and Grigson began their Cardinals tenures at the same time, and their departures have now taken place within the same week.
While the former has drawn general manager interest in the past, the same is not true of the latter during the past two hiring cycles. As Ossenfort prepares for Year 2 of his time at the helm of the franchise, the Cardinals will have at least a few new faces in the personnel department. Harris and Grigson, meanwhile, will search for new opportunities elsewhere in the NFL.