Cardinals To Meet With LB Connor Barwin
The Cardinals will host free agent edge defender Connor Barwin this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
PFR ranked Barwin as a top-10 free agent pass rusher when the market opened roughly a month ago, and while he remains arguably the best edge defender still available, he’s drawn little interest thus far. The Rams reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Barwin in mid-March, but there haven’t been any developments on that front.
A robust market should have never been expected for Barwin, especially given that he’s entering his age-32 campaign and coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. While he played on 71% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps a year ago, Barwin graded as the third-worst pass rusher in the NFL among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
If signed by Arizona, Barwin would slot in as a reserve for a defense that ranked 17th in pressure rate and 24th in adjusted sack rate in 2017. Given that NFL sack leader Chandler Jones and Markus Golden project as the Cardinals’ starting outside linebackers, Barwin could take over for Kareem Martin (who signed a three-year deal with the Giants) as Arizona’s rotational edge rusher.
Cardinals Claim 2 QBs Off Waivers
The Cardinals have added not just one, but two quarterbacks off of the waiver wire. On Thursday, Arizona was awarded QB Brandon Doughty from the Dolphins and QB Alek Torgersen from the Lions, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The signal callers join starter Sam Bradford and primary backup Mike Glennon on the Cards’ QB depth chart. Of course, the Cardinals will not carry more than three QBs on the final roster, so Doughty and Torgersen will be competing for one spot. There could also be additional veterans or rookies (both drafted and undrafted) thrown into the mix.
Torgersen played his college football at Penn before hooking on with the Falcons as a UDFA in 2017. He missed the final cut and hooked on with the Redskins’ taxi squad before finishing out the year in Detroit.
Doughty, a seventh-round pick of Miami in 2016, re-upped with the team on a reserve/futures deal in January before being handed a pink slip this week. In his final year at Western Kentucky, Doughty completed 71.9% of his passes for 5,055 yards with 48 touchdowns against just nine interceptions.
NFL Draft Rumors: Vander Esch, Steelers, Bills
The latest NFL Draft news:
- Linked to Leighton Vander Esch for several weeks this offseason, the Steelers met with the Boise State outside linebacker on Monday night, Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst reports. Pittsburgh has used first-round picks on either inside or outside ‘backers in four of its past five drafts. Three of those players remain on the team, but only two will be able to play this season. Ryan Shazier has been declared out as he attempts to recover from his frightening spine injury. Pauline wrote in March that Vander Esch won’t get past Pittsburgh at No. 28.
- Next up for Vander Esch met the Cowboys on Wednesday morning, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. After that, he has the Cardinals and every team picking between No. 12 to No. 24, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Aside from the aforementioned clubs, the teams picking from No. 12-24 are the Bills (twice), Redskins, Packers, Ravens, Chargers, Seahawks, Lions, Bengals, Bills, Patriots, and Panthers.
- LSU pass-rusher Arden Key met with the Saints and Lions before his pro day on Wednesday and will visit with the Bengals on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Due to injuries, key only started in eight games last year, but he still finished out with 33 tackles, 5.5 for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble. He is widely projected to be a first round pick later this month.
Cardinals’ David Johnson Cleared By Doctors
Cardinals running back David Johnson has been given full medical clearance, according to Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). He’ll be ready for Arizona’s full slate of offseason workouts. 
[RELATED: Brice Butler Signs With Cardinals]
Johnson was arguably the league’s best offensive player in 2016 as he posted more than 2,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 total touchdowns. He remains one of the NFL’s premier talents at running back, but his health was a question mark this offseason after he missed the majority of the 2017 campaign.
Johnson told the media that he was fully healthy back in January, but new head coach Steve Wilks indicated at the owners’ meetings that he had yet to get the full green light from doctors. In recent days, Johnson got the go-ahead.
Johnson will now return to an offense spearheaded by a different veteran quarterback. Carson Palmer is gone and in his place is the talented, yet injury-prone, Sam Bradford. Should Bradford suffer another malady, the Cardinals have Mike Glennon as a backstop.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/3/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, RB Elijhaa Penny, DL Olsen Pierre, and OL John Wetzel (all ERFAs)
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Bucky Hodges
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: G Quinton Spain (RFA)
Jordan Matthews Wants $5MM AAV?
- Jordan Matthews is seeking a deal worth at least $5MM per year, Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com tweets. The Cardinals had an offer out to Matthews, but that was before news of their Brice Butler signing emerged. Matthews also visited the Packers and Patriots.
Brice Butler To Sign With Cardinals
Brice Butler‘s visit with the Cardinals will produce a deal. The UFA wideout agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Cards, James Jones of the NFL Network reports (on Twitter).
The former NFL wide receiver reports the Cardinals have won the pursuit for Butler. They were one of four teams scheduled to have visits with the former Cowboys and Raiders pass-catcher, with the Jaguars, Seahawks and Bears also in the mix for Butler.
Butler expressed a desire to become a starter with his next team. He’s been a spot starter in Oakland and Dallas but has never commandeered a full-time role. He figures to have a chance to do that with the Cardinals and learn from one of the best wide receivers in NFL history. Larry Fitzgerald is entrenched at one of the Cards’ starting positions, but with John Brown and Jaron Brown having defected in free agency, Fitzgerald’s supporting cast is uncertain beyond J.J. Nelson.
The Cowboys re-signed Terrance Williams in 2017, and he, Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley ensured Butler would remain a rotational presence rather than a first-stringer. Butler, though, showed flashes of being a strong deep threat. The 6-foot-3 target averaged 21.1 yards per catch last season, posting 317 air yards and three touchdowns on just 15 receptions. He averaged 21.5 yards per grab in 2015, his first year in Dallas, while working with various backups while Tony Romo was on the shelf.
While the Cardinals may still be looking at wideouts in the upcoming draft, with Fitzgerald set to play his age-35 season this fall, they’ve secured an intriguing player for the next two seasons. Arizona submitted an offer to Jordan Matthews, who visited in mid-March, but it’s unclear if that proposal is still out there.
Cards Have Offer Out To Jordan Matthews?
Jordan Matthews has made visits to teams employing two all-time great quarterbacks, but it’s unclear if any offers came out of summits with the Packers or Patriots. But one appears to have emerged from the Cardinals.
The Cards submitted an offer to the free agent wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s unclear if it’s a standing offer, but with Arizona having only added Cobi Hamilton this offseason — and having lost John Brown and Jaron Brown — it would make sense if it’s still out there.
The four-year veteran visited the Packers and Patriots, with the latter summit occurring Monday, but the Cardinals received the first meeting.
Brice Butler is in Arizona on Monday for his visit, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. The Cardinals are one of four teams with plans to meet with Butler. Matthews, though, has produced at a higher level during his career, despite a down contract year with the Bills.
Larry Fitzgerald has agreed to return for a 15th season, but he saw free agency decimate his supporting cast. J.J. Nelson remains, but after that, the group is light on experience.
Patriots To Meet With WR Jordan Matthews
Former Bills wide receiver Jordan Matthews will meet with the Patriots on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cardinals free agent tight end Troy Niklas is also meeting with the Pats, Yates adds. 
Matthews met with the Packers and Cardinals in March, but left both visits without signing a deal. This time last year, the 25-year-old (26 in July) projected to be a high-end commodity in this year’s free agent market. Unfortunately, he had only 25 catches in ten games for the Bills last year thanks to knee and ankle injuries, so he’s probably looking at a one-year deal to restore his value.
From 2014-16, Matthews averaged 75 receptions for 891 yards and six touchdowns for the Eagles. He says he’s healthy now, so he could prove to be a valuable pickup for the Pats as they look to replace Danny Amendola‘s production.
Niklas, 26 in September, saw time in 414 snaps for the Cardinals last year and served primarily as a blocker. He hasn’t exactly lived up to his second-round draft status, but the Patriots may see potential in the athletic Notre Dame product.
Baker Mayfield To Meet With Seven Teams
Baker Mayfield‘s April figures to be busy. The Oklahoma signal caller will meet with the Browns, Bills, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, Broncos, and Cardinals, Robert Klemko of The MMQB reports. 
The Giants will sit down with Mayfield before the Jets, Manish Mehta of the Daily News adds. He’ll meet with the G-Men on April 8 and 9 before continuing his pre-draft tour with the Jets on April 9 and 10. The Jets conducted a private workout with Mayfield in Oklahoma on March 24, fueling speculation that he could be among the QBs in consideration for them at No. 3 overall.
Mayfield was last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but some evaluators question whether he has the height to succeed at the next level. There are also some character concerns thanks to his actions during games against Ohio State and Kansas and a public intoxication arrest.
Most of the teams in this bunch were expected to show interest in Mayfield, but the Dolphins and Broncos are not obvious fits for him given the presence of Ryan Tannehill and Case Keenum, respectively. The Cardinals make more sense for Mayfield since Sam Bradford is not necessarily a long-term answer under center and the Bills are also a logical fit since they are not completely locked in on A.J. McCarron as their starter for 2018. Unlike the Dolphins and Cardinals, the Bills have ample ammo to move up for Mayfield with the Nos. 12 and No 22 picks in their possession.