Palmer Trying To Convince Fitzgerald To Keep Playing
Carson Palmer has attempted to convince Larry Fitzgerald to play for at least one more year, Dan Bickley of the Arizona Daily Republic reports. The 37-year-old quarterback’s having “frequent” conversations with the 33-year-old Cardinals wide receiver regarding his future in the NFL.
Fitzgerald is under contract through 2017 after signing a preseason extension, one that secured him an $11MM salary for next season. The Cardinals have needed Fitzgerald’s best this season after the other two members in a once-formidable receiving top trio have largely disappointed. Michael Floyd is no longer with the team, and John Brown has often been unavailable due to injuries related to a sickle-cell condition.
- A potential Arians retirement has become part of the Cardinals’ news cycle as the team drifted out of contention. But the 64-year-old coach who suffered a health scare earlier this season is not operating like he’s retiring. The fourth-year Arizona leader has begun making offseason plans for the franchise, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting Arians is preparing for free agency meetings, the draft and OTAs. A source close to this situation told Florio that everything Arians is saying publicly and privately go against a notion he’s going to step down. Arians himself said last week he’ll be back, and the coach has not been known for mind games since taking the reins in the desert.
Cardinals’ Chandler Jones: “I Love It Here”
The Cardinals entered the 2016 season as Super Bowl contenders and will end it as massive disappointments, having stumbled to a 6-8-1 mark with one game remaining. But Arizona’s struggles haven’t been the fault of pass rusher Chandler Jones, whom the team acquired from the Patriots last March in exchange for a second-round pick and now-unemployed guard Jonathan Cooper.
Jones has started in each of his 15 appearances this season and piled up 47 tackles, 21 quarterback hurries, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. As a result, he ranks 10th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualifying edge defenders. Now Jones, who has amassed 45.5 sacks in his five-year career, could be on the cusp of playing his final game with the Cardinals. Although the soon-to-be 27-year-old is an impending free agent, he’d like to stay in Arizona.
“I love it here in Arizona – the coaches, the people, the whole atmosphere,” Jones told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “I love the vibe that people give off and I can see myself being here for a long time.”
The admiration is seemingly mutual, as general manager Steve Keim referred to Jones as “something we have not had here in years” in October. Back then, the Cardinals and Jones had reportedly been discussing a contract extension since training camp, though it’s unclear if those negotiations have continued.
It’s fair to suggest that retaining Jones over the long haul could cost Arizona similar money to what the Giants gave fellow pass rusher Olivier Vernon in free agency last winter. Vernon parlayed 29 sacks in four seasons with the Dolphins into a five-year, $85MM pact with $52MM in guarantees. Jones is aware of that deal, he told Weinfuss, but the Cardinals could place the franchise tag on him before the March deadline if they’re uncomfortable handing out a Vernon-esque contract. Jones is listed as a linebacker, a position that will carry a projected salary of $14.754MM via the tag in 2017, but the 6-foot-5, 265-pounder could argue that he’s a defensive end in order to secure a richer payday ($16.955MM).
Cardinals Add Dixon From Saints' Taxi Squad
- The Cardinals signed cornerback Brian Dixon off the Saints’ practice squad, NOLA.com’s Herbie Teope reports. Dixon has spent most of this season on the Saints’ practice squad after the 2014 UDFA during the first two seasons of his career resided on New Orleans’ active roster. The 26-year-old Division II product played in five games for the Saints this season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/27/16
A rundown of Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: S Christian Bryant (signed from Giants practice squad)
- Placed on injured reserve: S Tony Jefferson, G Taylor Boggs
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Travell Dixon, DE Larry Webster
- Placed on IR: S Tre Boston, DE Ryan Delaire
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Jake Kumerow, LB Trevor Roach
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Joe Banyard
- Placed on IR: LB Sean Porter
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: RB Ryan Matthews
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers: DL Zach Moore
- Placed on IR: RB Carlos Hyde
San Diego Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Andre Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Kasen Williams
- Placed on IR: WR Tyler Lockett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: CB Jude Adjei-Barimah
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Alex Tanney
- Placed on IR: QB Marcus Mariota
Washington Redskins
- Placed on waivers: RB Silas Redd (Twitter link via Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com)
Two LBs Work Out For Cardinals
- Cornerbacks Tharold Simon and Steve Williams tried out for the Ravens, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Simon made nine appearances earlier this season with the Cardinals, who cut him last week. He’s better known for his 11-appearance, five-start tenure with Seattle from 2014-15. Williams, meanwhile, moved on and off the Rams’ roster multiple times this year. He has totaled six appearances this season (five with San Diego) after playing in 14 games with the Chargers and intercepting two passes last year.
- Linebackers Deon Lacey and Glenn Love tried out for the Cardinals, per Balzer (Twitter link).
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Week 16
This weekend, the Browns got the best of both worlds when they won their first game of the 2016 season while the 49ers also found their way to victory. Now, the 1-14 Browns remain in the top spot as we head into the final week of the NFL season.
Here’s where we stand through Week 16. (Note: Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
- Browns 1-14
- 49ers 2-13
- Bears 3-12
- Jaguars 3-12
- Rams (pick belongs to Titans) 4-11
- Jets 4-11
- Chargers 5-10
- Bengals 5-9-1
- Panthers 6-9
- Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 6-9
- Cardinals 6-8-1
- Bills 7-8
- Colts 7-8
- Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-8
- Saints 7-8
- Titans 8-7
- Ravens 8-7
- Buccaneers 8-7
- Broncos 8-7
- Redskins 8-6-1
Cardinals Place Tyrann Mathieu On IR
With two games to go, the Cardinals are shutting down their star safety. Tyrann Mathieu is being placed on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. In a related move, safety Trevon Hartfield has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. 
Mathieu has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury and he has been trying to avoid surgery. He also hasn’t completely recovered from the torn ACL that hampered him in 2015.
This hasn’t been a banner year for the player formerly known as the Honey Badger. Mathieu has appeared in only ten games this season thanks to injuries. In those games, he has 35 total tackles, one sack, and four passes defensed. The advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as just the No. 59 safety in the NFL with a 74.3 overall score, his worst-ever showing.
Mathieu is in the midst of a five-year, $62.5MM extension that he signed in August 2016. He’s under contract through 2021 and is currently the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
The 5-8-1 Cardinals are mathematically out of playoff contention. They wrap up the season with games against the Seahawks and Rams.
Cardinals Notes: Fitz, Floyd
Thirteenth-year Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald stated earlier this week that he’s “uncertain” about whether he’ll return in 2017. The future Hall of Famer offered a timeline of when he’ll make a decision Thursday, telling Jim Trotter of ESPN.com that he’ll take a month or two after the season to determine if he’ll keep playing (Twitter links). This season has taken a “tremendous” physical toll on the 33-year-old Fitzgerald, he revealed, adding that the 5-8-1 Cardinals’ failure to meet their lofty preseason expectations hasn’t helped.
- Patriots head coach Bill Belichick implied Wednesday that the club knew the full details of then-Cardinal Michael Floyd‘s Dec. 12 DUI arrest when it claimed him off waivers Dec. 15, but he indicated otherwise Thursday, per Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. The Cardinals released Floyd as a result of his arrest, which came after he registered a blood alcohol level of .21 (more than twice the legal limit of .08), and owner Michael Bidwill said the 27-year-old showed “no remorse” and “was unapologetic.” Floyd responded to that Thursday, saying, “I love that organization. Mr. Bidwell treated me very well. I really don’t have too big of a comment [on him] saying that.” Continued Floyd, who could face a mandatory 45-day jail sentence, “I think right now it is about learning about that mistake. I couldn’t be in a better position right now with this team. The guys that they have around here are keeping me focused and working hard” (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI).
Cardinals In Touch With Their Impending FAs
- The Cardinals have an impressive class of 2017 free agents on the horizon, and general manager Steve Keim says he’s already touched base with the agents for many of those players, a list that includes Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, Tony Jefferson, Andre Ellington, and Jermaine Gresham, among others. “One thing public does not generally know, we have spoken to many agents regarding players whose contracts expire after the season and some whose contracts do not expire after the season that we’d just like to try to extend,” Keim told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “There are several players we’d like to have back, but it takes two sides.”
Michael Floyd Could Face Mandatory Jail Time
Already set for a possible suspension from the NFL in 2017, Patriots wide receiver Michael Floyd could also face a mandatory 45-day jail sentence for his Dec. 12 DUI arrest in Scottsdale, per WEEI.
At the time of his arrest, Floyd had a blood alcohol level of .21, which is more than twice the legal limit of .08. Moreover, given that it exceeds .2, it qualifies as a Super Extreme DUI under Arizona law. In addition to serving jail time if convicted, Floyd would have to install an alcohol monitoring device in his car and avoid drinking alcohol for 90 days. Alcohol has long been a problem for Floyd, who had a previous DUI arrest while at Notre Dame in 2011.
Floyd’s latest arrest, video of which leaked via TMZ on Tuesday, led the Cardinals to release the fifth-year man and 2012 first-round pick. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill then told the team’s radio network Sunday that Floyd showed “no remorse” and “was unapologetic,” which made it easier for the franchise to move on from him (via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). The Patriots subsequently claimed Floyd on waivers, and head coach Bill Belichick indicated Wednesday that the latest details of the 27-year-old’s arrest won’t affect his standing with the team.
“Yeah, we were aware of his situation when we claimed him,” Belichick told reporters, including Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “He’s in an ongoing legal situation I’m not going to comment on.”
Floyd practiced with the Patriots on Wednesday and might debut with the AFC East champions Sunday against the Jets. While Floyd could help the Pats’ offense as they vie for a fifth Super Bowl title in the Tom Brady/Belichick era, his legal issues will surely damage his stock if he gets to free agency in the offseason. On a less serious note, he has also experienced a dip in production this year, having caught 33 of 71 targets for 446 yards and four touchdowns.