Tag: Arizona Cardinals

New Cardinals get jersey numbers; some returning Cardinals have changes

The Cardinals’ free agent additions will have the same numbers they did with their previous team.

The Arizona Cardinals now have jersey numbers assigned for all their players, including their newcomers. That has meant, in some cases, that players who were already on the roster had to change theirs.

Here are the jersey numbers for the new Cardinals players.

  • WR DeAndre Hopkins: No. 10
  • LB De’Vondre Campbell: No. 59
  • LB Devon Kennard: No. 42
  • DL Trevon Coley: No. 93
  • DL Jordan Phillips: No. 97
  • QB Chris Streveler: No. 15

These returning players have changed their numbers, some because of the newcomers.

  • WR Hakeem Butler goes from No. 17 to No. 18
  • S Chris Banjo goes from No. 38 to No. 31, previously worn by David Johnson
  • LB Dennis Gardeck goes from No. 42 to No. 45 to accommodate Kennard
  • DL Zach Allen goes from No. 97 to No. 94 to accommodate Phillips

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 264

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Ep. 263

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Kyler Murray wants his own brand of hot sauce

Would you try “Kyler’s Kicking Hot”?

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is one of the most popular players in the NFL. That is based on his being on the NFL’s 50 top-selling players in licensed merchandise.

People wear his jersey. There is a bobblehead he likes. He even said that he has seen someone paint him on a pair of cleats.

However, if he had his choice, he would like to be on something interesting.

“If I could be on anything, it would be a bottle of hot sauce because I’m a big sriracha guy,” he said in the above video. “I put hot sauce on everything.”

What would he call it? “Kyler’s Kicking Hot.”

Would you buy it and put it on your food?

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 264

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Ep. 263

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Kyler Murray makes top-50 player sales list; Larry Fitzgerald still popular

Murray comes in at No. 37 overall, while Fitzgerald is in the top five in one category.

The Arizona Cardinals have a rising star in quarterback Kyler Murray. The 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is one of the most popular players in the league, according to player merchandise sales.

The NFLPA released the list of the top 50 players in terms of merchandise sales. It includes more than just jersey sales. It includes all officially licensed NFL player products and merchandise.

Murray came in No. 37 overall, the only Arizona Cardinals player to crack the top 50 overall.

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald did not make the top 50 overall but was in the top five of one particular group. Only three players in the league sold more Wincraft pins, koozies, posters and stickers. He was behind Patrick Mahomes (who sold more than three times the next player), Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.

If he builds on his rookie season and can do in his second season what Mahomes and Jackson did in theirs, Murray’s popularity will certainly soar.

The Cardinals have a young star. He might end up the most nationally recognized quarterback the team has had in its entire history.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 264

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Ep. 263

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This one prospect could keep Cardinals from drafting tackle at pick No. 8

If Isaiah Simmons is available with the No. 8 pick, Daniel Jeremiah doesn’t think the Cardinals will pass on him.

The Arizona Cardinals could go a number of different directions in the NFL draft with their first-round. They have the eighth overall pick and could go with a defensive player, a receiver or an offensive lineman.

Staying with that pick, there has pretty much been no other scenario.

One direction appears to be the most likely, according to NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. While the Cardinals could take a top receiver like Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and really fill that room with talent, he believes Arizona will go with an offensive lineman.

“I don’t think they’ve been able to run the offense the way they want to with Coach Kingsbury because they haven’t been able to protect,” he said in a conference call with reporters this week. “Getting a right tackle to come in there opposite of D.J. Humphries, I think that would allow them to get more guys out into the route and all of a sudden now they’ve got a stacked receiver room, allow you to get more of those guys on the field and get them out on the route. So that makes a lot of sense to me.”

The Cardinals drafted three talented receivers a year ago. They have Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk. They acquired DeAndre Hopkins via trade. Jeremiah believes that room is already filled with talent.

However, Jeremiah sees one wild card in the draft for Arizona in the first round.

“If Isaiah Simmons for some reason falls, all bets are off,” he said. “I don’t know that they would pass on him if somehow he was there, if the Panthers passed on him at 7. I’m beginning to think that that slide would end with the Cardinals.”

Simmons would be an intriguing addition to the Cardinals defense. They don’t really have any starting positions open but because he is so versatile, that might work even better, as he could play a variety of roles and positions in different packages, just as he did in college at Clemson, where he played off the edge, as an off-the-ball linebacker, in the slot, as a border defender and in deep coverage.

It feels like a tackle is the direction they will go, based on their pick and the talent there, but Simmons would be a fun player to mix things up with defensively.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 264

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Ep. 263

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DeAndre Hopkins was prepared for Texans to trade him

Newly acquired Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins was prepared for the Houston Texans to trade him, which is why it wasn’t such a shock.

The Houston sports realm was shocked when reports emerged on March 16 that the Houston Texans were trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals.

However, don’t count the three-time All-Pro receiver himself as being surprised; Hopkins knew such a move was inevitable.

The new Cardinals wideout spoke with the Phoenix media on a conference call Friday and explained that there were rumors of his being traded as far back as the start of the 2019 season.

“I kind of heard the rumor talks about being traded really last year, at the beginning of last year,” Hopkins said via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. “It wasn’t a big surprise to me. After the year, I was prepared for it.”

Hopkins’ intuition is spot on in retrospect. Around the trade deadline during the 2019 season, teams were calling about the former 2013 first-round pick from Clemson, even though he wasn’t on the trade block. Looking back, perhaps he was on the trade block, but the Texans couldn’t find a deal favorable enough to make the trade.

According to coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, part of the challenge in finding a trade partner for Hopkins was finding a team that would be willing to meet his new salary expectations.

“I’m not going to get into all the details of this, but you’re finding a trade partner, No. 1, that’s going to be able to pay DeAndre Hopkins,” O’Brien told the Houston media on a conference call on April 16. “That was a big part of it. Once we found that team that could afford DeAndre Hopkins in the future, now we then began to negotiate what the value of the trade was.”

The Cardinals were able to afford Hopkins, and they supplied the Texans with their 40th overall pick in the second around along with swapping their 2021 fourth-rounder for Houston’s 2020 fourth-rounder. The Texans also got former 2016 All-Pro running back David Johnson in the trade, who is excited to duplicate his career year in Houston.

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Texans RB David Johnson: I want to return to my 2016 form

Newly acquired Houston Texans running back David Johnson wants to return to his 2016 form with his new AFC South team.

David Johnson was on vacation with his wife and children on March 16 when he learned of the trade that would send him to the Houston Texans.

Johnson and his family’s initial reaction was one of excitement; it was a new beginning.

For the former 2016 All-Pro, it was a chance to recapture that glory that catapulted him from obscurity to top of the NFL at his position.

“It was excitement from the start, and basically I have that chip back on my shoulder,” Johnson told the Houston media on a conference call Friday. “Ever since I’ve been in league, I’ve always had that chip. My biggest thing is I just want to get back to 2016, if not better than the 2016 season.”

In 2016, the Cardinals finished 7-8-1 on the year, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort on Johnson’s part. The former 2015 third-round pick from Northern Iowa rushed 293 times for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns. Johnson also caught 80 passes for 879 yards and four touchdowns. The running back’s receiving yards were second to only receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s 1,023.

Johnson dislocated his wrist in Week 1 of 2017 and missed the balance of the season. In 2018, the Cardinals were a horrendous 3-13 under rookie coach Steve Wilks, who was fired at the end of the year. Johnson returned to start all 16 games, but his 258 carries for 940 yards and seven touchdowns along with 50 catches for 446 yards and three scores were forgotten amid the losing.

The 28-year-old is confident he can still produce at a high level, but realizes the key is to stay available as the Texans’ presumptive starting running back.

“I think the biggest thing, as everyone knows, is to stay healthy,” said Johnson. “I’m going to really hone in on everything that I can utilize with organization as far as recovery, making sure I do everything to keep my body healthy and be ready for the season.”

The Texans have made the playoffs four of the past six seasons with coach Bill O’Brien on the sidelines. The way O’Brien wants to use Johnson also has the 6-1, 224-pound back enthused.

7-round mock draft has Cardinals trading down, picking up 2nd-round pick

They pick up a pass rusher in the first round.

As we get closer to the NFL draft, a few potential trade-down scenarios have come up for the Arizona Cardinals. Reportedly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons are all interested in moving into the top 10 of the draft.

The Cardinals have the eighth overall pick. In a new seven-round mock draft from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, Atlanta makes a trade with the Cardinals, giving Arizona the No. 16 pick and the No. 47 pick — a second-round selection — to move up to No. 8.

Here are the results and some analysis of the selections.

Round 1: LSU EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals have not been connected to a pass rusher yet in the draft, at least in the first round. With Chandler Jones and Devon Kennard, they are set for the starting lineup. But you can’t really have too many pass rushers and they could use talent to come off the bench.

However, in this mock draft, the Cardinals pass on defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw and tackle Jedrick Wills. Wills could be selected as high as fourth overall. It would be hard seeing the Cardinals pass on him with the 16th pick.

The class of edge defenders after Ohio State’s Chase Young doesn’t look too special overall, despite it being a premium position. Kinlaw or Wills would make more sense in terms of upside and need.

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Mason Cole set to take over as starting center for Cardinals, but nothing ruled out yet

The Cardinals love Cole’s abilities but GM Steve Keim did not rule out a return of A.Q. Shipley.

The Arizona Cardinals have re-signed a bunch of players from the offseason. One notable player who is still a free agent is center A.Q. Shipley. He is one of very few offensive linemen from 2019 who is not again under contract.

Not long ago, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said potentially re-signing Shipley was “a work in progress.”

It appears the Cardinals are ready to move on from Shipley and give Mason Cole the opportunity to be the starter.

“Mason Cole started every game at center two years ago,” general manager Steve Keim said on a video conference with reporters this week. “He’s extremely smart, he’s tough but he’s really, really athletic at climbing and adjusting at the second level, so he’s a great fit for our offensive scheme.”

Last year before the season, Kingsbury said the competition between Shipley and Cole was very close but Shipley got the nod, in part because of his experience and how he could help a rookie quarterback in Kyler Murray.

Keim would not rule out a possible return of Shipley.

“Well it’s like anything else, there’re a number of guys that are free agents right now, but I wouldn’t rule anything out is all I’ll say,” he said.

If Shipley remains unsigned and Cole struggles or gets hurt, Shipley could get the call. It would be similar to 2015 when the Cardinals brought back center Lyle Sendlein in training camp in 2015. He had been cut in March but Bruce Arians, then the head coach, wasn’t confident enough in Shipley or Ted Larsen. Sendlein returned and the Cardinals went 13-3. Shipley took over the next season as starter and was through last season, excluding his lost season ni 2018 to a torn ACL.

The Cardinals are giving Cole the opportunity to be the guy. Kingsbury had nothing but great things to say about him all last year.

Shipley could return, but it only will be in case of injury or ineffectiveness.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 264

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Ep. 263

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Cardinals ‘to have ongoing talks’ about extensions for DeAndre Hopkins, Kenyan Drake

GM Steve Keim has had communication with both players’ agents.

The Arizona Cardinals have had a busy offseason. On offense, they acquired receiver DeAndre Hopkins via trade and re-signed running back Kenyan Drake to a one-year transition tag deal worth nearly $8.5 million.

Hopkins reportedly is seeking a new contract despite having three years remaining on his current deal. Drake is only under contract for this season.

There has been at least some discussion about a new deal for both.

“Both those guys are guys we’d like to have long-term,” general manager Steve Keim told reporters in a video conference this week. He emphasized that he is always willing to talk extensions or contracts “if it makes our organization better.”

“I’ve had communication with both their agents,” he added. “I’ll keep the nature of those conversations to myself but we’ll continue to pound away.

“We’ll continue to have ongoing talks with both those players’ agents.”

A Hopkins deal makes sense, as that was a major reason why the Houston Texans traded him. A deal for Drake is a little more complicated.

It doesn’t look like the Cardinals will be able to do much right now. They have less than $7 million in cap space currently.

Hopkins is reportedly seeking a raise that will pay him an average of around $20 million per year.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 264

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Ep. 263

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