This Date In Transactions History: Rams Release Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner is now essentially NFL royalty. A Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP, Warner was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2017, serves as an analyst on both television and radio, and was recently considered for a color commentary role on Monday Night Football. But Warner’s fairy-tale career once appeared destined to end with him finishing as nothing more than a flash in the pan, especially after the Rams released him on June 1, 2004.
Warner had been designated as a post-June 1 cut, meaning that while the then-St. Louis Rams had telegraphed their intentions on Warner’s roster status for some time, they waited to officially release him as a salary cap maneuver. Everyone knows Warner’s story up until this point: a former grocery store employee-turned-AFL/NFL Europe star, Warner rose to fame as the captain of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” leading a high-flying Rams offense to two Super Bowl appearances in three seasons.
But things began to change in 2002, as Warner struggled to open the campaign and then missed a chunk of the season with a broken finger. Although he began 2003 as the Rams’ starter under center, he made only one start before giving way to Marc Bulger. St. Louis released Warner following that season, clearing out the remaining three years of a seven-year, $47MM contract he’d signed in 2000.
While it seems ridiculous to ponder with the benefit of hindsight, there was a real possibility Warner’s career could have ended right then and there. Articles (rightly) surfaced with headlines such as “Warner’s career on the decline,” while analyst Phil Simms doubted Warner would ever be a highly-productive quarterback again. “Can [Warner] still be a starting quarterback in this league? Sure,” said Simms. “But I don’t think it could be like before.”
Even Warner and his representatives were bleak on the subject of his future. “Does [Warner] have to find a starting job to be happy? We’re going to keep an open mind,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. “Most teams today have their starting quarterback set.” Warner did in fact land a starting gig by inking a one-year, $3MM deal with the Giants, but he was replaced prior to midseason by No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning. In his nine starts, Warner played well but didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and once again, it was conceivable his career was nearing its nadir.
But of course, Warner’s NFL run was far from over. After signing a one-year pact with the Cardinals, Warner served as Arizona’s starting quarterback for parts of the next three seasons, at times losing snaps to Josh McCown and first-round rookie Matt Leinart. But in 2008, Warner started all 16 games for the Cards and eventually led the club to a Super Bowl which likely cemented his Canton credentials (even though it was a loss). Warner played one more year in Arizona before hanging up his cleats in January 2010, and then briefly considered a comeback attempt earlier this year.
So what’s the takeaway from Warner’s career? To paraphrase Yankees great Yogi Berra, a career is never over until it’s over. Warner looked dead and buried when he was released by the Rams in 2004, but six NFL campaigns later, he was a Hall of Fame shoo-in. Perhaps there’s a free agent still currently on the open market who could experience a similar turnaround, with Warner serving as an example.
Latest On Cardinals, CB Baushad Breeland
Free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland met with the Cardinals earlier this month, and though he left without a contract in place, a union between two parties doesn’t seem to be off the table. Arizona wants to evaluate Breeland again in a “few weeks,” reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Breeland’s health is almost certainly the issue at hand, as the 26-year-old saw his three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers nullified after he failed his physical. A freak injury resulted in a cut on Breeland’s foot that will require a skin graft, meaning he won’t be able to sign until he heals, which could be at some point this summer. Overall, the health issue — which occurred when a stray golf ball hit Breeland and re-opened a wound he suffered in grade school — sounds relatively minor, and likely won’t scare clubs for the long-term.
After meeting with Breeland, the Cardinals made a separate move for cornerback help, acquiring Jamar Taylor from the Browns in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick. Taylor, who has since adjusted his contract, appears to be line to start opposite Patrick Peterson, filling the hole left by free agent defection Tramon Williams. However, Taylor does have ample experience in the slot, meaning he could theoretically move inside if Arizona does ultimately add Breeland.
His current health question marks aside, Breeland has been an unqualified success since entering the NFL as a fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft. Despite being selected 102nd overall, Breeland has started the 13th-most games of any player drafted in 2014. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Breeland as the league’s No. 54 cornerback among 121 qualifiers, while he finished 16th in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he was effective at stopping opposing receivers short of the sticks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Sherman Badie
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Jaeden Graham
- Waived/injured: DL Joey Ivie
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Chris Board
- Waived: DE Da’Sean Downey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from injured reserve: TE Zach Conque
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/31/2018
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Retired: FB Austin Ramesh
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: OT Zach Banner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: Jordan Smallwood
- Waived/Injured: Davon Grayson
Cardinals Sign Mason Cole
The Cardinals have wrapped up their 2018 draft class. On Thursday, Arizona inked their final straggler in third round centerMason Cole. 
Cole, a Michigan product, owns the distinction of being the first true freshman offensive lineman in program history to start the season opener. He did so at the left tackle position, where he spent the first two years of his collegiate career. Starting with his junior season, Cole made the switch to the middle when Graham Glasgow left for the NFL. In the pros, Cole projects to serve as Arizona’s backup center behind starter A.Q. Shipley.
Here’s the complete rundown of the Cardinals’ draft class:
- 1-10: Josh Rosen, QB (UCLA): Signed
- 2-47: Christian Kirk, WR (Texas A&M): Signed
- 3-97: Mason Cole, C (Michigan): Signed
- 4-134: Chase Edmonds, RB (Fordham): Signed
- 6-182: Christian Campbell, CB (Penn State): Signed
- 7-254: Korey Cunningham, T (Cincinnati): Signed
As of this writing, 12 third round draft picks in the 2018 class remain unsigned. In total, 54 of this year’s 256 picks have yet to ink their deals.
Charges Dropped For Christian Kirk
Cardinals rookie wide receiver Christian Kirk is no longer in trouble – legally speaking – for an alleged incident in February (via WHAS11). Kirk agreed to pay for damages to a van window that police claimed was destroyed by Kirk and a friend. 
The Cardinals knew about Kirk’s arrest before the draft, but selected him with the No. 47 overall pick after interviewing him about the incident. The legal issues tied to the case are now behind him and Kirk is unlikely to face league discipline since the alleged incident took place before he was in the league.
Kirk, who had no known off-the-field issues in high school or college, excelled at Texas A&M. In three seasons, he amassed nearly 3,000 all-purpose yards and cemented himself as one of the best receivers in his class.
The Cardinals project to use Kirk as a supporting piece behind No. 1 wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald this year. J.J. Nelson and free agent addition Brice Butler also figure to see a significant number of targets, though it remains to be seen whether it will be Sam Bradford or Josh Rosen throwing the passes.
Cardinals Meet With Tre Boston
Boston to Arizona? On Wednesday afternoon, the Cardinals will meet with free agent safety Tre Boston, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) first reported that Boston was en route to Arizona. 
The Cardinals intend to use safety Budda Baker at nickelback in certain packages, helping to fill the void left by Tyrann Mathieu‘s departure. In those instances, Boston could help hold down the fort at safety.
The Raiders, Browns, and Giants expressed interest in Boston back in March, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent weeks. The Colts met with Boston about two weeks ago, but he left Indianapolis without a deal.
The market has been painfully slow for free agent safeties this year. In addition to Boston, longtime starters Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid are also unemployed as of this writing.
Last year, Boston had to settle for a one-year deal with the Chargers. He was hoping to land a multi-year deal this year, but at this point it looks like he’ll have to settle for yet another platform contract.
In 2017, Boston started in 15 of his 16 games for the Chargers and totaled 79 tackles with eight passes defensed. Heading into the start of free agency in March, we had Boston ranked as the third-best safety available.
Rosen Could Start For Cardinals
Sam Bradford is slated to be the Cardinals‘ starting quarterback..for now. Between now and September, rookie Josh Rosen could very well beat him out for the top job, coach Steve Wilks says.
- Meanwhile, Wilks acknowledges that new Cardinals cornerback Jamar Taylor is the leading candidate to start opposite of Patrick Peterson (via The Associated Press). For his part, Taylor says he’s excited about the opportunity. “It’s just more plays for whoever’s over there,” Taylor said. “More plays, that’s how you’ve got to look at it. More opportunities for you to get picks. When I went to Cleveland, I played opposite Joe Haden. That meant more plays that year. I made a lot of plays on the ball. Playing opposite from a guy like Pat, it’s a huge deal, you’ve got to hold your own.” Taylor must be enthused about the opportunity after accepting a drastic pay cut to facilitate the trade with the Browns.
Cardinals Sign WR Christian Kirk
The Cardinals signed second-round pick Christian Kirk to his rookie contract, the team announced. Per the terms of his slot, Kirk will earn roughly $5.9MM over the course of his four-year deal.
Heading into the draft, Kirk had some buzz as a potential first-round selection. The Cardinals, who needed to fortify their wide receiver group after selecting quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round, were delighted to land Kirk at No. 47 overall.
Kirk certainly performed like a top-flight talent in his three years at Texas A&M as he amassed nearly 2,976 all-purpose yards across three seasons. With a solid work ethic and tough on-field playing style, the Cardinals believe that Kirk can be molded into a reliable threat, even though he does not possess the same top-end speed as other wide receivers in his class.
The Cardinals project to use Kirk as a supporting piece behind No. 1 wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald this year. J.J. Nelson and free agent addition Brice Butler also figure to see a significant number of targets in Sam Bradford‘s offense.
Cardinals Release CB Marcus Williams
The Cardinals released cornerback Marcus Williams, according to a team announcement. Williams was signed as a free agent in April, but his time in Arizona has come to an end after just one month. 
The release of Williams comes just after the acquisition of former Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor. Taylor projects as the team’s new starter opposite of Patrick Peterson, which pushed every other cornerback on the depth chart down a peg. That shift wound up pushing Williams off of the roster.
Williams started 15 games in three seasons with the Jets, but did not start a game in 2017. The Jets shopped him in the summer of 2017 and waived him in October, leading him to Houston. With the Texans, he appeared in ten games as a reserve and totaled 12 tackles, four pass deflections, and came up with an interception against the Seahawks in a late October game. His most notable season came in 2015 when he tallied six interceptions in 13 games with Gang Green.