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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

DeAndre Hopkins Hires Agent, Open To Adjusting Contract

March 19th, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 19: In an update on Hopkins’ situation, veteran reporter Mike Jurecki notes that the five-time Pro Bowler’s willingness to adjust his contract does not necessarily guarantee that he would be open to taking a pay cut (Twitter link). Doing so would likely be needed to make an acquiring team more amenable to a trade, and could be hinted at by his reported lack of desire to reset the WR market on his next deal. With many members of this year’s free agent class having agreed to new deals, it will be interesting to monitor how much attention Hopkins and the Cardinals get on the matter of a potential trade, something which will be affected by his contract status.

MARCH 8: The Amari Cooper, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill trades occurred within two weeks of each other last March. With teams staring at a mediocre free agent wide receiver class this year, it should be expected some movement will take place as clubs prepare to make upgrades.

DeAndre Hopkins remains the top name believed to be available. Mentioned in trade rumors for several weeks, Hopkins is obviously hearing the rumblings about his Arizona departure. Jonathan Gannon stopped short of guaranteeing Hopkins would be a Cardinal in 2023, and the former All-Pro pass catcher offered a similar status update Wednesday.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of trade talks, but I take things day for day,” Hopkins said during a Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link). “I don’t look forward for the future, I live in the present moment. Right now, the Arizona Cardinals is the team and roster that I’m on. I’m preparing myself for whatever the future holds.”

Some changes have occurred with Hopkins since he was last traded, and more may be coming. Shortly after being traded from the Texans to the Cardinals, Hopkins went through an agent-less negotiation. The 30-year-old standout confirmed Wednesday (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban, on Twitter) he has since hired an agent. Hopkins’ $27MM-per-year extension has two years remaining, and it might take a contract adjustment for the Cardinals to move his deal. Hopkins is set to make $19.45MM in base salary this year.

Although a trade opens the door to what would be Hopkins’ fourth NFL contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) he is not believed to be seeking a top-market price. Hopkins plans to be flexible regarding his deal’s final two years, which could open the door to more possibilities on the trade front. Hopkins’ trade value has taken a hit, given the injuries and PED suspension that took a previously durable player out of action for much of the past two seasons. Even ahead of an age-31 season, he should still generate considerable attention. A trade might not be far off.

With the thrice-traded Brandin Cooks the only other name steadily mentioned in trade rumors at receiver, Hopkins is expected to fetch the Cardinals a decent price. The team is believed to have worked out trade parameters that involve a second-round pick and change going back to Arizona. A number of teams are interested in Cooks, so it would stand to reason Hopkins is garnering similar interest. Hopkins’ 2022 PED suspension voided the no-trade clause in his contract, providing the Cardinals more flexibility as well.

Cardinals Release C Rodney Hudson, WR Chosen Anderson

March 16th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 16: Arizona will use the post-June 1 designation for the Hudson release. In a procedural move, the Cardinals also released J.J. Watt using this designation. They will pick up $3.05MM in cap space this summer as a result of the Hudson move. Watt announced his retirement shortly before the Cards’ season finale.

MARCH 6: The Cardinals are partaking in some cost-cutting measures for the sake of their salary cap and are expected to part ways with center Rodney Hudson and wide receiver Chosen Anderson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The two are recent additions who were unable to contribute much of what was expected of them last season.

Hudson, we recently reported, is expected to retire this spring. He flirted with the idea in the last offseason before ultimately coming back to the team. Unfortunately, the decision didn’t amount to much for Arizona as Hudson was placed on IR and missed much of the season. Back in January, Hudson agreed to a restructured contract that dropped his 2023 base salary to $2.05MM, an amount that indicated both retirement and this eventual release. With a post-June 1 designation, cutting Hudson will result in $3.05MM in cap savings and $1.76MM in dead money, as opposed to $5.28MM in dead money pre-June 1.

Anderson’s release is a no brainer for the Cardinals. The contract they inherited for Anderson from the Panthers included a potential out in 2023, allowing them to release him with no dangers of dead money. Releasing Anderson will alleviate Arizona of his full $12MM cap hit. Anderson has fallen from the heights of his strong run from 2017-2020. In 10 games with the Cardinals after the trade, Anderson only recorded seven receptions for 76 yards, the worst ten-game stretch of his career.

It will be interesting to see what the market is for Anderson. In a relatively weak wide receiver free agent market, Anderson joins the likes of Robert Woods, DJ Chark, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Julio Jones in free agency. Woods and Smith-Schuster are perhaps the strongest of the group and should fetch decent contracts. Most other available receivers with NFL experience will likely be reliant on fit and scheme to find their homes.

Hudson’s future is still up in the air, as foregone as it may seem. Everything seems to indicate that he will hang up his cleats, but Hudson may spurn retirement again and return to play a 13th season. Rapoport indicates that Hudson will make a decision soon.

Regardless of his decision, Arizona has reportedly made theirs to move on from both Hudson and Anderson. They’ll likely be in the market to replace both players’ positions, but for now, the moves clear out at least Anderson’s $12MM and potentially a total of $15.05MM in cap space.

Cardinals Re-Sign LB Zeke Turner, Add OL Hjalte Froholdt, DL Kevin Strong

March 15th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals were busy today, adding three players to the roster. The team announced that they’ve re-signed linebacker Zeke Turner, and the team also announced that they’ve added free agent offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt and defensive lineman Kevin Strong.

Froholdt got a two-year deal from Arizona. The veteran started six of his 17 appearances for the Browns last season, spending time at both center and right guard. He’ll be reunited with new Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who served as Cleveland’s QBs coach in 2022 and their tight end coach between 2020 and 2021. Froholdt has seen time in 31 regular season games in stints with the Browns and Patriots, and his versatility (and multiyear contract) will surely earn him a spot on the 2023 roster.

Strong got a one-year deal from Arizona. The linebacker had his most productive NFL season in 2022 with the Titans, collecting 23 tackles and a pair of passes defended in 16 games (one start). He’ll be joining new Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort in Arizona; the executive previously served as Tennessee’s director of player personnel.

Turner got a one-year deal to re-sign with the Cardinals. The former undrafted free agent has spent his entire five-year career in Arizona, getting into 64 total games. The 26-year-old appeared in 15 games (one start) last season, collecting 22 tackles and three tackles for loss.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/23

March 14th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

G Will Hernandez To Stay With Cardinals

March 14th, 2023 at 7:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing in a new head coach-general manager combination, the Cardinals are not yet making big changes up front. Instead, they are re-signing blockers added by the previous regime.

After agreeing to terms with right tackle Kelvin Beachum, the Cards, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, are re-signing guard Will Hernandez (Twitter link). The former Giants second-round pick agreed to a two-year, $9MM accord, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

Hernandez did not leave New York with much momentum last year, settling for a one-year pact worth the league minimum. Despite missing some time during his first Cardinals season, Hernandez will have a chance to reprise his role as a first-stringer for the rebuilding team.

The Giants used Hernandez as a full-time starter during his first, second and fourth seasons. Despite this early-career seasoning, his market was ice cold last year. This time around, it is clear other teams showed interest. Hernandez, 27, started 13 games for the Cards and ranked seventh in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric among guards. Pro Football Focus slotted the five-year veteran 30th at the position.

Although the Cards lost a few blockers to major injuries last season (D.J. Humphries, Rodney Hudson, Justin Pugh), Hernandez did not need one of the starters to go down to commandeer a first-string gig. He won the job opposite Pugh from the jump. Pugh is unsigned, while Hudson is expected to retire. Humphries remains in the picture, as does Beachum, who is staying on a two-year deal.

PFF ranked Arizona’s O-line as a whole 24th, but the Monti Ossenfort-Jonathan Gannon regime will be expecting a better performance with more games from the starters. Hernandez will represent part of the new regime’s equation up front.

Cardinals To Sign LB Kyzir White

March 14th, 2023 at 5:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Another Eagles defender is out the door. Linebacker Kyzir White is signing with the Cardinals, reports Jordan Schultz of The Score (via Twitter).

White is inking a two-year deal that can max out at $11MM, per Schultz. The linebacker played last season on a one-year, $5MM deal, and he parlayed his strong performance into a multiyear contract.

White, a former fourth-round pick, took on a larger role during each of his four seasons with the Chargers. This culminated in a breakout 2021 campaign where he finished with 144 tackles, two interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles. Despite the strong numbers, he had to settle for a one-year deal with Philly last offseason, and he ended up emerging as a key piece on the Eagles defense.

The linebacker started eight of his 17 games, finishing with 110 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He added another 11 stops in three postseason appearances. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking the 26-year-old 33rd among 81 qualifying linebackers. Today’s move will reunite White with new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was Philly’s defensive coordinator last season.

With both White and T.J. Edwards gone, the Eagles will be searching for two new starting LBs next season. Javon Hargrave and Marcus Epps have also left in free agency and opened holes on Philly’s defense.

Cardinals Re-Sign K Matt Prater

March 14th, 2023 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Prater will return to the Cardinals for a third season, and it will be his 17th in the NFL. Arizona announced another Prater agreement Tuesday.

Going into his age-39 season, Prater has played for three teams. The former Broncos and Lions specialist has camped in Arizona for his late 30s, signing a two-year deal with the Cardinals initially in 2021. Despite Prater’s age and the organization adding a new HC-GM combo, Tuesday’s agreement is also for two years.

Prater had a down year during his final season in Detroit in 2020, connecting on only 75 percent of his field goal attempts. He’s rebounded nicely during his two years in Arizona, connecting on 83.9 percent of his field goal attempts. He was especially efficient this past year, connecting on 88 percent of his field goals, his best rate since 2015. Prater also connected on 17 of his 18 extra point attempts.

The veteran kicker did miss a handful of games this past year thanks to a midseason hip injury. This was the first time Prater missed a game since the 2014 campaign, and considering the two-year commitment, the Cardinals clearly aren’t concerned about the player’s health moving forward.

Kicker Elliott Fry was signed to a futures deal after the 2022 campaign and should provide Prater with some competition during the preseason.

Cardinals Re-Sign T Kelvin Beachum

March 13th, 2023 at 7:37pm CST by Ely Allen

After an injury-filled year on their offensive line, the Cardinals have agreed to a new deal that will bring back their most dependable lineman, offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, according to freelance journalist and former Cardinals staff writer Mike Jurecki. Set to turn 34 in June, the veteran tackle will return to Arizona on a new two-year contract.

Beachum had to work his way into a starting position in his first two years in the league for the Steelers, but after earning it, Beachum refused to let go. He was Pittsburgh’s starting left tackle every year after his rookie season. The only exception came after a torn ACL cost him the last 10 games of the 2015 season, the last year of his rookie contract.

The ACL injury, the only major injury of his career, hurt his chances of a strong, long-term contract, but after a year as Jacksonville’s left tackle, Beachum signed a three-year, $24MM deal with the Jets. After two years s the starting left tackle in New York, Beachum, once again, found himself on the open market, signing with the Cardinals who would switch him to the right side of the offensive line for the first time since his rookie year.

Beachum has only ever missed two games in Arizona due to injury, but his durability was best put on display this past year after starting every game of the season for the Cardinals. Beachum was the only Arizona offensive lineman to account for over 72-percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2022, playing nearly 98-percent of them.

Beachum has played for three years in Arizona now and finishing out this new deal will make the Cardinals the team Beachum has played for the longest in his career. He’s been the team’s starting right tackle since 2020, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue that role for the next two years.

The news of his return is certainly heralded and welcomed after last year’s endurance, but it’s slightly unexpected that the team chose to go this route. Within its many injuries on the offensive line last season, the Cardinals were able to see that it had two capable starting tackles in D.J. Humphries and Josh Jones. Both players graded out better than Beachum, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and with Jones still on his rookie contract and Humphries still five years younger than Beachum, many thought youth and affordability would prevail. Not only that, but Beachum, who clearly has good ball left in the tank, was thought to have priced himself out of Arizona, especially since moving forward with Jones and Humphries would be the more affordable play.

Regardless, the Cardinals rewarded Beachum for his endurance and veteran leadership. After showing last year that age is just a number, Beachum will continue to show how durable he can be for the next two years in Arizona.

Latest On Odell Beckham Jr.

March 11th, 2023 at 9:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:05pm: In the aftermath of Beckham’s workout, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the three-time Pro Bowler is seeking a deal worth up to $20MM per season, as was the case at one point during the 2022 campaign. His injury absence makes that ask one which is highly unlikely to be met, though the attendance at yesterday’s showing points to a number of suitors still being keenly interested in signing him.

1:38pm: The rare free agent to skip a season and still be expected to generate extensive interest on the following year’s market, Odell Beckham Jr. is believed to be fully recovered from the ACL tear that altered his 2022 hopes.

Beckham is now 100%, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. He attempted to showcase that form in a workout attended by nearly half the league. OBJ did not work out for teams during his late-season push to land a multiyear deal — evidently contingent upon a playoff-only role with a contender last season — but he attracted a nice audience Friday.

Twelve to 14 teams attended the workout, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. Representatives from the 49ers, Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Chiefs, Giants, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, Rams, Ravens and Vikings were at the event, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes (Twitter links). Perhaps the most notable Beckham suitor, the Cowboys, were not believed to be one of the teams observing Beckham’s form.

The Cowboys certainly should not be described as out of the Beckham mix, and the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins notes the team remains comfortable signing the eight-year veteran if his health and price demands are right (Twitter link). They are widely expected to revisit the pursuit they scrapped in December. The Rams and Giants are also among the teams expected to go after OBJ again. Sean McVay confirmed, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, the Rams are “absolutely” monitoring their former receiver. Before falling out of contention, the Rams were viewed as the favorites to land him last year. But Beckham’s knee ended up needing more time to heal.

Beckham, 30, missing last season means he can sign with a team at any point. Though, every unrestricted free agent wideout can begin talking to teams at 3pm CT Monday, when the legal tampering period starts. The former Giants, Browns and Rams pass catcher is now nearly 13 months removed from his second ACL tear. He returned to action 10 months after his first and ended up making an impact for the Rams, a stretch that concluded with a Super Bowl LVI touchdown.

This year’s iffy wide receiver market should help Beckham’s value, but because of his age and the injury-induced full-season absence, this stands to be one of the more unusual free agencies for a player in recent memory.

NFC Free Agency Rumors: Mayfield, Williams, Cominsky, Gipson, Beachum

March 11th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Browns and Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield was brought in as an emergency option for the Rams last year after an injury to starter Matthew Stafford and ineffective starts by backup John Wolford. Mayfield would go on to win two of five games for the Rams to end a disastrous season in Los Angeles, but after ending the year as the Rams’ starter, Mayfield is not expected to re-sign in LA, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Breer posits that Mayfield will only want to play for a team that will allow him to compete for the starting quarterback job or for a system in which he believes he can unseat the starting quarterback. This could see the former Heisman winner headed back to Texas in Houston or any potential sites such as Atlanta, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, or Tampa Bay. As long as Stafford remains in Los Angeles, though, it appears that Mayfield will not want to remain as a solidified backup.

Here are a few other free agency rumors from around the conference:

  • Following an incredible breakout season in Detroit, there is reportedly mutual interest between the Lions and Jamaal Williams in signing a new contract, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. The statement comes from Lions executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes who discovered the interest during preliminary discussions with unrestricted free agents. Williams led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns last season while also recording career-highs in touches (274) and total yardage (1,139).
  • Another Lion bound for free agency, versatile defensive end John Cominsky is set to earn an impressive new contract following a breakout year in Detroit. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Cominsky could earn over $5MM per year in a new deal. Waived last offseason by Atlanta, Cominsky received plenty of interest on the waiver wire with eight teams reportedly submitting claims. It’s no question of why as the defensive lineman’s breakout season came as he played through a broken thumb.
  • Following his first season in San Francisco, the 49ers are reportedly interested in bringing back veteran safety Tashaun Gipson, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Gipson had a resurgent season in the Bay Area reeling in five interceptions and returning them for a total of 141 yards, harkening back to his first few years in Cleveland. Gipson and longtime 49er Jimmie Ward are both bound for free agency, and San Francisco will likely strive to bring one of them back to start alongside second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2022.
  • Cardinals starting right tackle Kelvin Beachum is currently headed towards free agency after three years in Arizona. Freelance journalist and former Cardinals staff writer Mike Jurecki would like to see Arizona re-sign the veteran heading into his age 34 season, but it’s a big ask for a team that has capable starters in D.J. Humphries and Josh Jones at tackle. With two players already under contract, it’ll be difficult to convince the Cardinals’ brass to bring Beachum back. Beachum may have priced himself out of Arizona as Jurecki points out that there will certainly be a market for the veteran who is still playing well.
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