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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals, James Conner Reach Agreement On Extension

March 14th, 2022 at 11:44am CST by Adam La Rose

With Chase Edmonds headed to Miami, the Cardinals faced an increased need to retain James Conner. They have done just that, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The sides have reportedly come to an agreement on aa three-year deal worth $21MM, including $16MM over the first two seasons (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Dolphins To Sign Chase Edmonds]

Conner formed an impressive duo with Edmonds in Arizona, where he landed the chance to be a No. 1 back after leaving Pittsburgh. The former third rounder earned a second Pro Bowl appearance in his debut campaign in the desert, recording 1,127 scrimmage yards and 18 total touchdowns.

That production gave the Cardinals reason to keep both Conner and Edmonds if it was possible. Conner was always the more likely to be the team’s priority, though, and they have secured him throughout the remainder of his prime. Eno Benjamin – who is a more natural replacement for Edmonds, based on his skillset – is now in line to become the backup tailback.

The $7MM-per-year average is quite a raise compared to the $1.75MM he played for in 2021. Before the deal was announced, Arizona had roughly 11MM in cap space; while they can therefore afford this new contract, it eats up a portion of the space available for keeping Chandler Jones. Nevertheless, the team’s RB situation has been resolved before the new league year officially begins on Wednesday.

Dolphins To Sign Chase Edmonds

March 14th, 2022 at 11:24am CST by Adam La Rose

Minutes after it was announced they were keeping their top pass rusher, the Dolphins also added to their rushing attack. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team has reached an agreement on a two-year, $12.6MM deal with Chase Edmonds (Twitter link). The contract includes $6.1MM in guaranteed money. 

[RELATED: Dolphins Re-Sign Emmanuel Ogbah]

Edmonds, who will be 26 at the start of the 2022 season, was part of a highly effective tandem in Arizona. Paired with James Conner, he posted 592 rushing yards at a clip of 5.1 per carry, scoring two touchdowns. He also added 311 receiving yards, making 2021 a career year.

The effectiveness of the Conner-Edmonds duo led the Cardinals to express their desire to keep both in the fold. However, the former fourth rounder will now be suiting up for a different team for the first time in his NFL career.

Edmonds will represent a significant upgrade over the incumbent RBs in Miami. Myles Gaskin averaged an underwhelming 3.5 yards per carry in 2021, which cost him his spot as the No.1 back and forced the team to add Duke Johnson midseason. The latter performed much better, posting 330 yards on the ground in five games with the Dolphins. Still, Edmonds will add an efficient piece to Miami’s ground game, which ranked 30th in the league at just over 92 yards per game last year.

Meanwhile for the Cardinals, it has been announced the team has re-signed Conner to a three-year deal. He was always the more likely to be retained, as Eno Benjamin represents a more natural replacement for Edmonds.

Cardinals Rework Justin Pugh’s Deal

March 14th, 2022 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have restructured Justin Pugh‘s contract, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. The new deal will trim Pugh’s base salary from $9.8MM to $5.5MM, freeing up a nice chunk of change for Arizona heading into free agency. 

It’s a substantial pay cut for the veteran offensive guard, though he can still recoup $1.5MM via incentives. The 31-year-old (32 in August) joined the Cardinals on a five-year, $45MM deal in 2018, though he has forfeited a good chunk of change since then. Last year, Pugh took a pay cut that dropped his base salary from $7.75MM to $5MM.

The former first-round pick has stabilized his career while working mostly at left guard over the past three seasons. After injuries derailed his 2017 and ’18 seasons, Pugh has started 44 games since Kyler Murray‘s 2019 arrival.

Despite the contract adjustments, Pugh remains signed through the 2022 season. He’ll now have an opportunity to reclaim some of his value in his walk year.

Cardinals, TE Zach Ertz Closing In On Deal

March 13th, 2022 at 5:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After acquiring tight end Zach Ertz in a trade with the Eagles in mid-October of last year, the Cardinals are finalizing a new multi-year deal for the nine-year veteran, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The three-year deal is set to keep the 31-year-old among the top-10 highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. 

Ertz is a three-time Pro Bowler who set the NFL-record for single-season receptions for a tight end in 2018 with 116 catches, which trailed only Saints’ receiver Michael Thomas for the league lead among all pass-catchers. Ertz was consistently productive in Philadelphia, recording five-straight seasons with at least 800 receiving yards.

After taking a back seat role to the Eagles’ younger tight end Dallas Goedert, the Cardinals made the move to acquire Ertz and watched him thrive in the new system. Ertz’s 11 games in Arizona in 2021 showed far more production than the 11 games he played in Philadelphia the year prior. With wide receivers Christian Kirk and A.J. Green set to hit the free agent market this week, locking down their tight end was a must.

The three-year deal will be worth $31.65MM with a guaranteed amount of $17.5MM. The annual average value of $10.55MM ranks 10th among NFL tight ends, just below David Njoku, Mike Gesicki, and Dalton Schultz, who got franchise tagged for $10.93MM. With this deal Ertz is now off the crowded tight end market, along with the three who were tagged. Remaining options for those looking for tight ends are C.J. Uzomah, Robert Tonyan, Evan Engram, and Will Dissly.

Latest On Chandler Jones’ Market

March 11th, 2022 at 1:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

While the Cardinals have a desire to keep him, Chandler Jones is expected to have plenty of suitors if he hits the open market. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, no fewer than six teams are interested in bringing in the veteran pass rusher. (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Cardinals Want To Re-Sign Chandler Jones]

Schultz lists the Seahawks, Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, Bills and Eagles as teams at least eyeing the two-time All-Pro. At 32, age will surely be a consideration with regards to the length of any deal, but salary should not be an issue. Schultz reports that Jones “will command at least $15-18MM”. A general manager he spoke to on the matter described Jones as “a guy who keeps himself in great shape”. That, coupled with the scarcity of such accomplished edge rushers, should leave him with any number of offers.

Not surprisingly, he also adds that the former Super Bowl winner is seeking to join a contender. The aforementioned teams cover a wide range in terms of expectations for the upcoming season, and – just as importantly – are in drastically different salary cap situations. His 10.5 sacks in 2021 show that a medium-term investment could put teams over the top in terms of a Super Bowl run, or help accelerate a re-tooling process at the position for squads aiming to take a step forward.

When asked about hitting the market, Jones said, “it’s not about money at all. Where I am in my career, I’ve gotten contracts, I’ve gotten the Super Bowl, but I think scheme is huge. Or for me, winning more championships… I will say I want to go to a place that maximizes my talents”.

While Jones will need to compete with the likes of Von Miller and a very highly-regarded draft class in terms of other notable sack artists, he seemingly won’t have an issue cashing in sometime in the very near future.

Christian Kirk In Line For Sizeable Free Agent Deal?

March 10th, 2022 at 2:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals have been a topic of conversation largely due to the Kyler Murray situation. They have a number of other pressing matters on their roster, though, including some key decisions in the wide receiver room. NFL Network’s Tom Pelisseo lists Christian Kirk as someone who could fetch a large offer on the open market if he leaves Arizona. 

[RELATED: Cardinals Shopping WR Andy Isabella]

Specifically, Rapoport states that “it wouldn’t be a shock” if Kirk, 25, were to land a contract of $15MM per year or more. That figure far outweighs the cap space Arizona currently has (just under $5.5MM), which – coupled with the other moves the team figures to make in the coming days and weeks – points to Kirk hitting the open market.

A second round pick in 2018, Kirk put up solid complimentary numbers in his first three seasons in the desert. His best campaign of that stretch came in 2019, when he posted 69 catches for 709 yards. He took a step forward in 2021, however, notching career-highs in receptions (77) and yards (982) while finding the endzone five times. This season was the first in which Kirk played a full campaign.

While the Cardinals may be inclined to let Kirk walk if he received sizeable offers from other teams, doing so could leave them surprisingly short on pass catchers. Behind DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore, the next wideout under contract for 2022 (assuming Andy Isabella is traded) is Antoine Wesley. Veteran A.J. Green, along with tight end Zach Ertz are both pending free agents, though they could each conceivably be brought back considering their production last year.

If Kirk does sign a lucrative contract as Pelissero suggests, it would be one of the most notable deals within a free agent class which has, in recent days, shrunk in size to include the likes of Allen Robinson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and DJ Chark. It would also likely leave the Cardinals in search of a less expensive complementary piece to maintain one of the league’s most potent passing attacks.

49ers, Rams, Cards Interested In Bobby Wagner

March 10th, 2022 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Bobby Wagner won’t be out of work for long. The 49ers, Rams, and Cardinals are interested in the longtime Seahawks linebacker, according to sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Seahawks Trade Wilson To Broncos]

Those NFC West teams are already familiar with what Wagner brings to the table, especially since they’ve each faced him twice per regular season. Of course, they still have to consider the finances. In the case of the star-studded Rams, there’s no room to give Wagner the type of deal he was playing under before. They won’t approach his old $16MM/year contract, but Jourdan Rodrigue of TheAthletic.com hears that they are willing to go into the $4MM-$5MM range. That may or may not work for Wagner, who would also have to cede snaps to youngster Ernest Jones.

Wagner, 32 in June, spent his entire career in Seattle, up until yesterday’s release. The 2012 second-round pick was a pillar of the Seahawks’ D from the jump, starting 15 games as a rookie and 150 games to date. His tenure also saw 16 playoff starts, including the post-2013 campaign which ended in a Super Bowl.

All together, Wagner leaves the Seahawks as an eight-time All Pro and the franchise’s’ all-time leader in total tackles. Now, the Seahawks could be on the verge of seeing him at least twice in 2022.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/22

March 9th, 2022 at 8:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Latest On Kyler Murray’s Future With Cardinals

March 9th, 2022 at 5:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Kyler Murray situation sounds like it’s far from over. According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the Murray situation in Arizona has the “potential to get worse before it gets better.”

[RELATED: Cardinals To Pick Up Kyler Murray’s Fifth-Year Option]

Specifically, Murray and his camp don’t want to wait until the summer to discuss a potential extension, which is what the QB was told by the organization following the season. Rather, Murray prefers to sign an extension with the Cardinals at some point between now and the draft in late April.

Why the rush? Well, if the wheels fall off and Murray ends up getting shopped, the QB’s camp believes the market will be more robust prior to the draft. The belief is that a trade partner would be willing to pay Murray his desired extension, which is why the player’s camp is so focused on the number of potential suitors…after the draft, a number of potential suitors will be off the board. Further, a summer holdout would be tougher due to “strengthened rules to further punish players who stay away.” Plus, a summer holdout means Murray would be spending crucial time away from his teammates, a factor that could be important if he ends up lining up under center for the Cardinals in 2022.

While Breer cautions that he’s not saying Murray will ultimately demand a trade, he believes that the scenario is on the table.

There is some good news for those rooting for Murray to return to Arizona. Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the QB has returned Cardinals images to his social media profiles. According to a source, this is “the latest olive branch that Murray has extended at a time when the relationship is frayed.”

Cardinals Restructure LB Devon Kennard’s Contract

March 9th, 2022 at 3:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

For the second time in five months, the Cardinals are re-working the contract of edge rusher Devon Kennard. The team and player have agreed to a reconfigured deal, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). 

Kennard signed a three-year, $20MM deal with his hometown Cardinals in 2020, after he had spent four years with the Giants and two with the Lions. He’s been a rotational rusher in Arizona, playing 40% of defensive snaps in 2020, then 28% last season. The former fifth round pick has registered 43 tackles and three sacks over that span.

Kennard re-worked his deal this past November to create some breathing room for the Cardinals down the stretch. Now he has done so once more as a way of ensuring he stays in the desert, and to lower his scheduled cap hit of just over $9MM. The Cards are currently set to be essentially right at the cap ceiling.

The team’s top priority in the pass-rush department, of course, is retaining Chandler Jones. Owner Michael Bidwill has made it clear he wants the four-time Pro Bowler to sign a new deal instead of hitting free agency next week, where he would have a very lucrative market. With Kennard in place, though, an important member of the position group will be remaining for at least the short term, regardless of what else the team is able to do this offseason.

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