Cards Team Notes

[Arizona Cardinals]

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[Arizona Cardinals]

NFC West rival puts star receiver on trade market

Just a few days ago, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced the team told him they were looking to trade him this offseason, as he is due $20 million in roster bonuses and salary in 2025.

Another start receiver in the division is now on the trading block as well.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the San Francisco 49ers will explore a trade for receiver Deebo Samuel, who requested the move in exit interviews after the season, reported ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Samuel’s agent told Schefter that he has been granted permission to speak to other teams for a possible trade.

Samuel was not happy with his usage in 2024. His 806 total yards from scrimmage were the lowest of his career, excluding 2020 when he played in only seven games. He had 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 136 and a score.

He just turned 29 last month and has one year remaining on his contact. He is scheduled to make $1.17 million in salary in 2025 but has a $15.4 million option bonus coming due on March 22.

The Cardinals won’t likely be involved, although Samuel would improve their offense. But an NFC West without Cooper Kupp and Deebo Samuel will be different, for sure.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/09/deebo-samuel-trade-rumors-49ers-nfc-west/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Super Bowl 49 MVP winner best bets

It is Super Bowl Sunday and that means Super Bowl LIX is here pitting the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles against another for the second time in three years.

The Chiefs seek a third consecutive Super Bowl win, something no team has ever done.

The Eagles would like to knock them off.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the MVP of Super Bowl LVII in the win over the Eagles. He has won the MVP in all three Super Bowl wins the Chiefs have had since recently.

Who will be this year’s Super Bowl MVP? Below are the best bets for the award, with odds coming from BetMGM Sportsbook.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/lists/super-bowl-49-mvp-winner-best-bets/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

J.J. Watt believed he might start career with Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals got the final two seasons of the career of defensive lineman J.J. Watt, a future Hall of Famer.

After a decade with the Houston Texans, he played two for the Cardinals.

He revealed last week that he thought he would begin his career with them.

In a TikTok video for The NFL on CBS, he named all 10 players who were selected before he was in the 2011 NFL draft. He was selected 11th overall by the Houston Texans.

That year, the Cardinals had the fifth pick and selected cornerback Patrick Peterson.

But Watt recalled something that Cardinals fans probably didn’t know.

“They told me the Cardinals might trade with the Texans and I was going to the Cardinals,” he said.

This was a trade rumor story that didn’t get out. That year with the draft, it was during the NFL lockout and the Cardinals did not have a solution at quarterback, so potentially drafting one was an option. But had they taken Watt instead of Peterson, that could have changed things. Watt was Defensive Player of the Year three times with Houston.

Would he have had the same career?

That is something we will never know, but these tidbits from the past are always fun to learn from.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/10/j-j-watt-believed-he-might-start-career-with-cardinals/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

New mock draft has Cardinals landing pass rusher in Round 1

The Arizona Cardinals’ biggest offseason need is to address their pass rush from the edge, as they lacked production at outside linebacker and have several players becoming free agents.

They could address it in the 2025 NFL draft and in the latest first-round mock draft from ESPN’s Field Yates, they do exactly that, landing a player with a ton of potential and who made a good showing at the Senior Bowl a couple of weeks ago.

With the 16th pick of the draft, the Cardinals take Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart.

Stewart is a really fascinating prospect, and I think he’s a lock for the first round. He is 6-foot-5, 281 pounds and will be one of the stars of the combine thanks to his ridiculous speed — but he posted exactly 1.5 sacks in each of his three college seasons. Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort could take a big swing by landing him here, going all-in on his upside and immense potential. The Cardinals were 26th in pressure rate (28.6%) this season, and their midseason trade for Baron Browning spoke to their pass-rush issues.

Stewart would give the Cardinals good size. The production in college is a major question mark, but the traits are there.

Players of note that are still on the board are Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr., Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen and Michigan DT Kenneth Grant.

Stewart is a guy to watch as the NFL combine approaches later this month.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...has-cardinals-landing-pass-rusher-in-round-1/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2025 offseason roster profile: RB Emari Demercado

The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.

We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.

Next up is running back Emari Demercado.

2024 Emari Demercado stats, season​

Demercado, who made the roster as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and carved out a role as the team’s third-down back, maintained that role in 2024. He really was unchallenged for that role.

He played in 13 games, rushing for 223 yards and a touchdown on only 24 carries, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt. His 53-yard touchdown run at the end of the first half in the Cardinals’ 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears was electric.

He also had 16 receptions for 104 yards.

He finished the season on injured reserve after a back injury he played through for became too much for him.

2025 contract status​

Demercado enters the final year of his three-year deal. He will make $1.03 million in salary and count $1.035 million against the cap. Next offseason, he will be a restricted free agent.

Outlook for 2025​

Demercado will have to come back from his back injury and, assuming he fully recovers, will enter the offseason as the favorite to be their third-down back again. However, his spot on the roster is not secure. They could 100% sign or draft a player who could beat him out.

Competition will be added, but he will have a leg up. He is a player the coaches like a lot both in his role on third down and on special teams, in addition to his ability to do more on offense when given the opportunity.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/11/2025-offseason-roster-profile-rb-emari-demercado/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2 Super Bowl Next Gen Stats Cardinals need to pay attention to

The Philadelphia Eagles are the new world champions of the NFL after their 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.

It was a dominant performance by Philadelphia.

But while the Eagles had the more dominant performance, Kansas City also did well defensively, at least against the run.

Some Next Gen Stats from the Super Bowl show a couple of things the Arizona Cardinals should pay attention to, aiming to replicate them defensively.

There were metrics for both teams.

Stopping the run without loading the box​

The Chiefs held running back Saquon Barkley to only 57 rushing yards on 25 attempts. It was his lowest rushing output since Week 5, when the Cleveland Browns held him to 47 yards.

The notable stat is that the Chiefs did this while loading the box (8-plus players in front seven) only 8% of the time. They loaded the box only twice in his 25 attempts and were able to limit Barkley, the best back in the league in 2024.

The Cardinals often went with a lighter box this season but were not great run stoppers. Opponents averaged 4.6 yards per attempt against them, which was 25th in the league.

Pressuring the quarterback without extra rushers​

This next stat is mindblowing. The Eagles did not blitz even once in the Super Bowl, rushing no more than four players in all 42 of Patrick Mahomes’ dropbacks. They generated pressure on 16 of those dropbacks and sacked him six times.

This ability to creat pressure with only four rushers was the key to the Eagles’ win.

The Cardinals, according to Sharp Football Analysis, generated the league’s fourth-lowest pressure rate at 29.4%. They blitzed 25.3% of the time, ranked 15th in the league.

By comparison, the Eagles were 15th in pressure rate at 35% but had the second-lowest blitz rate in the league at 16.1%.

For the Cardinals to take the next step defensively, they need to be able to do those two things. Blitzing is fine, but it can’t be the only way they get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. And being able to stop the run without a loaded box is ideal.

We will see if they can improve in either skill in the offseason to come.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...gen-stats-cardinals-need-to-pay-attention-to/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals announce coaching additions, promotions

The Arizona Cardinals have had some coaching staff turnover this offseason. Six coaches do not return from last season’s staff. Offensive line coach Klayton Adams became the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and linebackers coach Sam Siefkes became the defensive coordinator for Virginia Tech. Passing game specialist Spencer Whipple is now the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc was not retained and has since landed as the assistant defensive line coach for the Jaguars, while outside linebackers coach Rob Rodriguez and defensive quality control coach Ronald Booker do not return.

The Cardinals announced five new additions to the staff this week and two promotions.

Cardinals coaching staff promotions​

Connor Senger, pass game specialist​

Senger, previously the Cardinals’ offensive quality control coach, was promoted to be pass game specialist, replacing Spencer Whipple, who became quarterbacks coach for Jacksonville.

Blaine Gauthier, offensive quality control coach​

Gauthier was promoted to offensive quality control coach. He spent the last two seasons on the staff as part of the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship.

Cardinals coaching staff additions​

The Cardinals added five staff members.

Justin Frye, offensive line coach​

Frye’s addition was previously reported, replacing Adams. He spent the last three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach and coached Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson, the team’s 2023 first-round pick, during his final season at Ohio State. He was a graduate assistant from 2007-2010 for Indiana and Florida, each school for two years. After that, he was the offensive line coach for Temple in 2011-2012, Boston College from 2013-2017 before going to UCLA in 2018 working for head coach Chip Kelly. He was the O-line coach in 2018 and from 2019-2021 was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, before going to Ohio State.

Winston DeLattiboudere III, defensive line coach​

Replacing LeBlanc, his addition was also previously reported. He is 27 years old and spent the last two seasons at the University of Minnesota, where he was defensive line coach and then promoted to assistant head coach in January 2024.

He has a little experience in the NFL. In 2022, as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, he helped coach the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive line during training camp and then, in 2023 under the same fellowship, spent the offseason program with the Green Bay Packers.

He started his coaching career in 2020 as a graduate assistant at Charlotte, working with defensive linemen, and then in 2021 as a graduate assistant at Oregon. In 2022, he was Akron’s defensive line coach before going to Minnesota, where he played collegiately.

Cristian Garcia, linebackers coach​

His addition, replacing Siefkes, was also previously reported. He has been in the NFL coaching ranks for four years, most recently last season as assistant defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys under Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, with whom Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis both previously worked with. He was with the Washington Commanders from 2021-2023 as a defensive assistant and defensive quality control coach. He finished the 2023 season as the interim assistant defensive backs coach.

He played linebacker collegiately and coached three years in the college ranks, 2018-2019 at UNLV and 2020 at Georgia Tech.

Matt Feeney, outside linebackers coach​

Feeney replaces Rodriguez. He comes from the Las Vegas Raiders, where he was defensive quality control coach in 2022-2023 before being promoted to interim linebackers coach when Antonio Pierce was made interim head coach. In 2024, he was their assistant defensive backs coach.

Prior to that, he coached eight years in college after playing linebacker collegiately for John Carroll University. As a coach, he spent three years at John Carroll from 2014-2016, two seasons at Tennessee-Chattanooga and three years at Akron. He was Akron’s defensive coordinator from 2019-2021.

Alec Osborne, defensive quality control coach​

Osborne replaces Booker. he comes from the college ranks, where he coached since 2017. He began in 2017 as a defensive graduate assistant for Northwestern State. In 2018, he was a defensive graduate assistant and coached defensive ends at McNeese. He was a defensive graduate assistant from 2019-2021 at LSU where he helped with outside linebackers, inside linebackers and nickelbacks. He then spent the next two seasons as defensive quality control coach for Baylor and then, in 2024 was inside linebackers coach at Louisiana-Monroe, where he played tight end collegiately.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/13/cardinals-announce-coaching-additions-promotions/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals opting with youth with new coaching staff additions

The Arizona Cardinals announced a number of coaching staff additions this week as six coaches had departed, either because they landed promotions with other teams or they were not retained.

But there was a theme among the additions. The Cardinals are going with young coaches and giving them their first opportunity to do these NFL jobs.

Let’s have a look:

• OL coach Justin Frye: Frye is 41 years old and, while he has been an offensive line coach, this is his first NFL stint. he is the oldest assistant to join the staff.
• DL coach Winston DeLattiboudere: He is 27 years old and has been a defensive line coach but he has never coached in the NFL previously.
• LB coach Cristian Garcia: He is 30 years old and, while he has been coaching in the NFL since 2021, he has not coached linebackers previously. He played linebacker but has coached defensive backs as an assistant.
• OLB coach Matt Feeney: Feeney is 33 years old and has been in the NFL as a coach for three years, although he mostly coached defensive backs, although he did coach linebackers at the end of 2022 on an interim basis.
• Defensive quality control coach Alec Osborne: He is 31 and in the NFL for the first time.

While many coaching staffs often have a mix of guys with experience and new positions, the Cardinals have been giving coaches their first time at their current jobs.

General manager Monti Ossenfort became a first-time GM. Jonathan Gannon was a first-time head coach when he was hired, while offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis were also in those positions for the first time. Israel Woolfork was a first-time quarterbacks coach.

Of the coaching staff, the only members to have previously held the same NFL job are assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, passing game coordinator and receivers coach Drew Terrell (although he was not previously a coordinator at all, he had only been a receivers coach), and tight end coach Ben Steele,

All the other assistants were either in the NFL for the first time or in that position for the first time.

It is an interesting way to build a staff. So far, it has yielded positive results each year. We will see if that continues in 2025.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...with-youth-with-new-coaching-staff-additions/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals one of many teams to meet with LB prospect

The Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL are preparing for the NFL draft. They all had evaluators at the two recent college All-Star games — the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl.

On intriguing linebacker prospect for teams perhaps on Day 2 of the draft is Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr., who played in the Shrine Bowl in Dallas last month.

In an interview with The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, he said he met with a number of teams. That list included the Cardinals. “I feel like I had a great interview with every team I sat down with,” he said.

Paul is a 6-1, 240-pound off-ball linebacker, a position where the Cardinals might need a starter in 2025, depending on what happens with Kyzir White in free agency.

In 2024 for Ole Miss after three years at Arkansas, he had 88 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

He will be a guy to pay attention to as the draft approaches.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/14/cardinals-one-of-many-teams-to-meet-with-lb-prospect/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2025 offseason roster profile: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.

We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.

Next up is receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

2024 Marvin Harrison Jr. stats, season​

Harrison finished his rookie season after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by the Cardinals.

He played in all 17 games this season and finished the year with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns.

While it fell short of what many had expected of him, he had the second-most receiving yards by a rookie in franchise history and tied the rookie record for receiving touchdowns by a rookie.

He was good but not great, and there were a lot of plays left on the field.

2025 contract status​

Harrison enters the second year of his four-year, $35.4 million rookie contract with a fifth-year team option.

In 2025, he will earn $960,000 in salary and more than $1.4 million in a roster bonus. He will count $8.04 million against the salary cap.

Outlook for 2025​

He is going to be the Cardinals’ No. 1 receiver in 2025. Most believe he will take a big step forward. He is a lock to be on the roster, especially with a fully guaranteed contract, and will be the team’s starting ‘X’ receiver.

What we all want to see is him be dominant in 2025.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/14/2025-offseason-roster-profile-wr-marvin-harrison-jr/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2025 offseason roster profile: WR Zay Jones

The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.

We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.

Next up is wide receiver Zay Jones.

2024 Zay Jones stats, season​

Jones signed a one-year deal last offseason worth $2.25 million. But he didn’t have much of an impact, as he began the season with a five-game suspension for an off-field incident in 2023.

Upon his return, he gradually grew into a bit of an offensive role, he finished the season having played 235 offensive snaps and catching eight passes for 84 yards.

2025 contract status​

Jones will be an unrestricted free agent once the new league year begins on March 12.

Outlook for 2025​

Based on his growing role offensively at the end of last season, he could be a guy the Cardinals re-sign. They liked his ability to play any of the receiver positions, although he usually played ‘X’ when Marvin Harrison Jr. moved inside to the slot.

But it wouldn’t be surprising one way or another whether he returned or ended up on another team. Because he spent a year in the system, bringing him back on a similar deal makes a lot of sense.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/15/2025-offseason-roster-profile-wr-zay-jones/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals to face 3 new head coaches in 2025

The Arizona Cardinals were not part of the head coaching hiring cycle this offseason as Jonathan Gannon enters Year 3 in his position as head coach. But the NFL was busy with other teams looking for new head coaches.

The final domino fell this past week as the New Orleans Saints hired former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach.

The Cardinals will face three of the newly hired head coaches in 2025.

They will face Moore and the Saints on the road.

They face the Dallas Cowboys on the road, who hired Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach. In that game, they also will face a familiar face as the Cowboys’ new offensive coordinator is Klayton Adams, who was the Cardinals’ offensive line coach for two seasons.

They take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in 2025. Their new head coach is Liam Coen.

In 2024, the Cardinals faced four teams with new head coaches — the Washington Commanders (Dan Quinn), Los Angeles Chargers (Jim Harbaugh), New England Patriots (Jerod Mayo) and Carolina Panthers (Dave Canales). They went 2-2 in those four games.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/15/cardinals-to-face-3-new-head-coaches-in-2025/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Aaron Rodgers odds, Cooper Kupp and more Rams news for Cardinals fans

We have reached the end of another offseason week in the NFL, which means it is time to start a weekly check-in with the rest of the NFC West to see what is going on with the Arizona Cardinals’ division rivals.

What is up with the Los Angeles Rams?

Below are a few stories from the last week that Cardinals fans should know about.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/list...r-kupp-and-more-rams-news-for-cardinals-fans/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals have 15 players with salary guarantees in 2025

The Arizona Cardinals are weeks away from NFL free agency, as is the rest of the league. It is the time of year when teams evaluate ways to maneuver the salary cap and better allocate resources, leading to cuts and trades.

However, salary guarantees make things more difficult, and the Cardinals have a large number of players with at least a portion of their 2025 salary guaranteed.

In all, 15 players have salary guarantees in 2025, and that is even before they add players in free agency.

Here are those players:

Arizona Cardinals players with guaranteed salaries in 2025​

• QB Kyler Murray: $29.9 million in guarantees ($18 million salary, $11.9 million roster bonus)
• OL Jonah Williams: $2.5 million of $10.78 million salary guaranteed
• DL Justin Jones: $5 million guaranteed of $7 million salary
• S Budda Baker: $2.83 million guaranteed of $7 million salary
• CB Sean Murphy-Bunting: $4.5 million guaranteed of $7.695 salary
• WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: $2.4 million fully guaranteed between salary and roster bonus
• DL Bilal Nichols: $5.69 million salary fully guaranteed
• OL Paris Johnson Jr.: $3.3 million fully guaranteed between salary and roster bonus
• RB James Conner: $1.5 million guaranteed of $3.64 million salary
• LB Zaven Collins: $3.25 million guaranteed of 3.8 million salary
• LB Mack Wilson: $1 million guaranteed of $3 million salary
• OL Hjalte Froholdt: $1.25 million guaranteed of $2.5 million salary
• DL Darius Robinson: $1.43 million salary fully guaranteed
• LB BJ Ojulari: $1.39 million guaranteed of $1.53 million salary
• CB Max Melton: $1.2 million salary fully guaranteed

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/17/cardinals-have-15-players-with-salary-guarantees-in-2025/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2025 offseason roster profile: TE Elijah Higgins

The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.

We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.

Next up is wide tight end Elijah Higgins.

2024 Elijah Higgins stats, season​

Higgins, in his second NFL season, quietly was a mainstay in Arizona’s offense, although he did not have big production.

He had 20 receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

He played in every game and started six times, playing 411 offensive snaps and 176 on special teams.

2025 contract status​

He is scheduled to make $1.03 million in 2025 and will count that much against the salary cap.

Outlook for 2025​

The Cardinals’ top three tight ends seem set in stone with Trey McBride, Higgins and 2023 third-round pick Tip Reiman.

Higgins fits what the Cardinals like doing, has made improvements as a blocker and has upside as a pass catcher. He should maintain the same role he had in 2024.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/2025-offseason-roster-profile-te-elijah-higgins/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Don't expect Cardinals to use franchise, transition tags

The window for NFL teams to use either the franchise tag or the transition tag on soon-to-be free agents opened on Tuesday. That means the Arizona Cardinals can protect themselves from losing one of their key free agents and extend the window to negotiate a long-term deal.

However, don’t expect them to use either tag.

Why?

None of their scheduled free agents would be considered premium players.

Who are their best free agents?

• OL Will Hernandez
• LB Kyzir White
• DL L.J. Collier
• DL Roy Lopez
• K Matt Prater
• LB Baron Browning

The Cardinals already have Prater’s expected replacement on the roster in Chad Ryland. Ryland is under contract through next season.

Hernandez is coming off an ACL tear and, while he is a quality starter, he is not one of the best guards in the NFL.

The same applies to White.

Collier was a rotational player for the Cardinals who became a starter only because of season-ending injuries to other starters.

Lopez is an NFL starter but is not elite or even a great player. He is solid.

Browning is not yet even a proven player.

The cost to use the tags on these players wouldn’t make sense.

For White or Browning, the transition tag would cost more than $22 million and the franchise tag more than $27 million.

For Hernandez, the tags would be more than $22 million and more than $25 million, both ridiculous numbers.

For Lopez and Collier, it would be either nearly $19 million or more than $23 million.

Prater’s tag would be the most affordable at over $5.8 million or more than $6.4 million, but the Cardinals already have his replacement, so it isn’t needed.

Arizona has not used any tag in a while. The last time they used either was the transition tag on running back Kenyan Drake in 2020 and, before that, the franchise tag on linebacker Chandler Jones in 2017.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/dont-expect-cardinals-to-use-franchise-transition-tags/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals seen as perfect fit for veteran free agent receiver

The Arizona Cardinals will likely address the wide receiver position in free agency this offseason. Greg Dortch, Zay Jones and Zach Pascal are all set to hit the open market.

Could the Cardinals go with a productive, longtime veteran?

ESPN’s Matt Bowen matched the top 50 free agents with their ideal team fits. The Cardinals are that ideal fit for Buffalo Bills wideout Amari Cooper.

Cooper is showing signs of decline, and he lost reps to Mack Hollins in the playoffs, but he still has solid route traits. The Cardinals would love a veteran like him alongside Marvin Harrison Jr., while also giving Kyler Murray another target in the route tree. In nine full seasons, Cooper has topped the 1,000-yard-receiving mark seven times and has 64 career touchdown catches.

Cooper is now 30 years old and had his least productive NFL season last year between Cleveland and Buffalo. He had 44 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdowns.

Comparatively, Michael Wilson had 47 catches for 548 yards and four scores.

So a down year for Cooper essentially matched an okay year for Wilson.

Now, one might say that signing Cooper would be a classic Cardinals move, signing a one-time star when his best days are behind him.

That is a fair criticism.

But he can play both outside and in the slot, something the Cardinals liked about Zay Jones. He has speed and is a great route runner.

And if tight end Trey McBride maintains his pace of being a 100-catch player and Marvin Harrison Jr. progresses into a 1,000-yard player in his second season, Cooper won’t have to be great. He would have the ability to be that but not have to.

Is he at the point in his career where he is okay with being a No. 3 or No. 4 option in an offense?

Depending on the price, Cooper wouldn’t be the worst decision general manager Monti Ossenfort could make.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...-perfect-fit-for-veteran-free-agent-receiver/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2025 offseason roster profile: TE Bernhard Seikovits

The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.

We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.

Next up is tight end Bernhard Seikovits.

2024 Bernhard Seikovits stats, season​

Seikovits, who originally joined the Cardinals in 2021 as part of the league’s International Pathways Program out of Austria, has spent the last four seasons exclusively on the practice squad, taking advantage of the exemption, giving the Cardinals a 17-player practice squad instead of 16.

For the first three years, if he was initially placed on the practice squad with that exemption, he was ineligible to be elevated to the active roster.

Last year, that rule was taken away, but he never was. He earned the honor of being the final Pat Tillman practice player of the week of the season.

2025 contract status​

Seikovits signed a futures deal for 2025 after the season’s conclusion in January. He will make $840,000 in salary if he makes the team.

Outlook for 2025​

Unless he takes big strides, he seems destined to another season on the practice squad. The coaches really like him. He would like to be able to someday play on Sundays. We will at least get to see him in training camp and the preseason.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/19/2025-offseason-roster-profile-te-bernhard-seikovits/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride hoop it up in West Valley

It is the NFL offseason and NFL players are enjoying their time off. Many enjoy playing basketball and that includes several Arizona Cardinals players.

Quarterback Kyler Murray and top pass catchers Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. got together this week and played some basketball.

How do we know?

The photographer known as Savage shared that fact and got a few photos.

He thanked them for going out to the West Valley as they played ball at the gym at Maryvale High School.

Appreciate the Guys pulling up to the Vale

pic.twitter.com/9RuZXQ0Kyw

— 𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖌𝖊 ✰ (@Savagee) February 19, 2025

He wrote it was “impossible” to defend McBride.

There was an insane photo showing off Harrison midair. He clearly has a great vertical leap.

pic.twitter.com/SpWk2GipFT

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) February 20, 2025

It is a fantastic thing to see Murray, McBride and Harrison all hanging out in the offseason. The connection on the field between Murray and McBride already is strong, as McBride had over 100 catches and over 1,100 yards. Now we can hopefully add Harrison to the mix and have him build off what was a solid rookie season in 2024.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...on-jr-trey-mcbride-hoop-it-up-in-west-valley/