Rodney Hudson is expected to retire this offseason. These are some veteran free agent options for the Cardinals who make sense.
The Arizona Cardinals are expected to be in the market for a new starting center. The team expects Rodney Hudson to retire after playing only four games in 2022, sidelined most of the year with a knee injury.
The most likely scenario for the Cardinals is to sign a veteran center in free agency because they can’t count on drafting a center to start as a rookie.
With Justin Pugh, Max Garcia and Rodney Hudson all dealing with injuries, Price is a decent insurance policy with a bit of experience.
The Arizona Cardinals made a roster move this week, adding center Billy Price to the active roster, signing him from the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad.
The move was a bit of a surprise until the team released its first injury report of the week Wednesday. Starting left guard Justin Pugh, starting center Rodney Hudson and backup guard Max Garcia all did not practice Wednesday with injuries.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the addition of Price, who has really only played center in the NFL but can play guard as well, was because of the uncertainty of the available linemen for this week.
“It’s one of those deals where it’s going to be basically until the weekend before we know who can go,” Kingsbury said Wednesday. “You all saw that we signed Billy Price and that’s really as insurance to see who all can play and who can’t numbers-wise.”
Pugh is day-to-day with an elbow injury. Garcia has a toe injury and Hudson, who normally would have missed Wednesday’s practice with a day off for rest, is listed with a knee injury for the second week in a row.
If neither Pugh nor Garcia can play, then backup center Sean Harlow would be called upon to start, leaving the Cardinals with no backup center except for rookie Lecitus Smith, who has not played center before coming to the NFL.
Having Price gives them experience behind Hudson if he gets hurt.
Ideally, he won’t have to play, but he is there if things get bad.
Former Rimington Trophy winner, Billy Price gets another shot out west after signing a deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
Former Ohio State center and 2017 Rimington Trophy winner, Billy Price, was signed by the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday. Price had spent the first part of the 2022 season on the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad.
Price was a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018. The former Buckeye spent three years in the Queen City appearing in 42 games and starting 19. Price was then traded to the New York Giants for B.J. Hill and a seventh-round pick in 2021. Hill became a key piece in Cincinnati’s run to Super Bowl LVI.
Price played in 16 games for the Giants and started 15 of those games. He would not resign with the Giants, eventually landing in Las Vegas before being scooped up by the Cardinals.
#Bengals center Billy Price and safety Jessie Bates earned selections to the 2018 Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) All-Rookie Team.
Price should be able to add depth to a Cardinal team looking to make another playoff run. The Cardinals currently sit 2-2 in the NFC West tied for first place.
The Cardinals say goodbye to the former 2019 second-round pick to add offensive line depth.
The Arizona Cardinal announced a pair of roster moves on Tuesday for the active roster. They signed offensive lineman Billy Price off the practice squad of the Las Vegas Raiders and, to make room for him, released receiver Andy Isabella.
Price is in his fifth NFL season. He was drafted in the first round in 2018 by the Cincinnati Bengals, for whom he played for three seasons. He played for the New York Giants last season.
In four seasons, he has played in 58 games and started 34 of them, including 15 last season with the Giants.
The move marks the end of Isabella’s rocky time with the Cardinals. Drafted in the second round in 2019, he has never been able to crack the playing rotation consistently and has largely been a disappointment.
In four seasons, he finishes with 33 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns.
What the roster moves mean
The addition of Price is interesting.
Starting left guard Justin Pugh reinjured his elbow and had to leave Sunday’s game.
If he has to miss time, it could mean that Sean Harlow would start at left guard, leaving only rookie Lecitus Smith as a backup center, something the team might not be ready to have him do.
If Hudson is injured, then Harlow would start at center.
It also seems that, with the release of Isabella, that receiver Antoine Wesley, currently on injured reserve and designated to return, is likely to return this week.
Practice squad moves
The Cardinals also announced moves on the practice squad.
They announced the signing of kicker Matt Ammendola, a move made to deal with Matt Prater’s hip injury. This move was previously reported.
To make room for Ammendola, the Cardinals released quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, as Colt McCoy has returned to practice and is designated to return from injured reserve.
Raiders get some depth at center with addition of former top pick Billy Price to the practice squad.
With the status of Andre James in question, the Raiders added a bit of insurance Tuesday. They signed former first round pick Billy Price to the practice squad according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Las Vegas Raiders are signing former first-round pick Billy Price to the practice squad, per source. Has a chance for elevation to the 53-man roster as Raiders have been looking for O-line help. Bengals’ former top pick started for Giants last year.
Andre James suffered a concussion on the final play of the Raiders’ week one game against the Chargers last Sunday. He was taken away in an ambulance after the game to a local hospital for observation.
Monday, head coach Josh McDaniels said James was back at the facility, but gave no further details on the severity of James’s status.
The team’s current backup center is Dylan Parham who played several snaps at right guard in the opener, swapping out with Lester Cotton Sr.
The question is what Price’s addition would mean for Hroniss Grasu who is currently on the team’s practice squad as their third option at center.
They have several options. They could release Grasu in favor of Price, keep both and call one of them up for the game, or keep both and call BOTH up for the game.
If they went with the third option, it could signal the team’s intention to start Parham at guard. Something to watch for.
Price started 15 games for the Giants in 2021 and would back up Rodney Hudson in Arizona, if signed.
Currently, the Arizona Cardinals’ backup center to Rodney Hudson is Sean Harlow. He was valuable last year as he started games both at guard and center, but he isn’t the ideal player to be the backup there. He is listed at only 284 lbs.
They could be signing a veteran center to back up Hudson.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, former Cincinnati Bengals and Mew York Giants center Billy Price is on his way to Arizona for a visit.
Price was a first-round pick of the Bengals in 2018 and dealt with injuries and uneven play. He later signed with the Giants in 2021 and started 15 games for them at center.
The 6-4, 308-lb center would be Hudson’s backup in Arizona if signed.
He fits the mold the Cardinals have preferred at the position the last couple of seasons — a big, physical presence in the middle.
Price was teammates with Will Hernandez, whom the Cardinals signed to a one-year deal and is expected to be the starting right guard.
The Jets should steer clear of these six centers once free agency begins.
Important decisions lie ahead for Joe Douglas with free agency looming.
The Jets made some progress in 2021, but Robert Saleh still needs more talent to work with. New York enters the offseason with holes on both sides of the ball and free agency is the perfect time to address some of them.
Connor McGovern enjoyed a return to form this past season before landing on injured reserve late in the year. The 28-year-old is under contract for another season, but the Jets still seem to be interested in adding at center. It wouldn’t necessarily spell the end for McGovern if Douglas chooses to do so, as he could kick over to right guard, the position he played with the Broncos in 2018.
If the Jets decide to go in a different direction, here are six centers they should avoid once free agency begins.
March 8 is the deadline for NFL clubs to designate franchise or transition players. The New York Giants, seeking to shed at least $40 million in salary cap space, aren’t likely to place either tag on any of their impending free agents.
The Giants have only four impending free agents that currently earn over $2 million per year: tackle Nate Solder, center Billy Price, tight end Evan Engram and safety Jabrill Peppers.
None of those players are worthy of the designation, which would pay them franchise tag values are based on the average of the top five highest-paid players at their positions or even higher.
Other starters and notable names headed for free agency are guard Will Hernandez, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, defensive tackle Austin Johnson and fullback Eli Penny.
The Giants will either seek to sign them before free agency begins on March 16 or take their chances in the open market.
According to Spotrac, the franchise tag values are expected to be as follows:
Quarterback: $29.5M
Running back: $9.5M
Wide receiver: $18.5M
Tight end: $11M
Offensive linemen: $16.5M
Defensive tackle: $17M
Defensive end: $17.5M
Linebacker: $18.5M
Cornerback: $17.5M
Safety: $13M
Kicker/Punter: $5M
Solder is expected to retire. The Giants aren’t going to bring him back and it’s doubtful any team will pay him enough to continue his career elsewhere.
Price, Engram and Peppers can all be had much cheaper in free agency. That is, if the Giants are even interested in retaining any of them.
For the New York Giants, it’s time to look ahead and decisions will soon have to be made on several impending free agents.
The New York Giants and their fans want a clean slate heading into the 2022 season. That means shutting the door on some players that they once considered investing in long-term.
They don’t have many impending free agents to begin with but of the ones they do have, there’s not too many they should be in a hurry to bring back.
Here’s a quick rundown of the players in that group and what action the Giants should take with them.
The New York Giants will be without nearly all of their wide receivers, including Kadarius Toney, on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
The New York Giants will be without the vast majority of their wide receivers on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
In addition to Sterling Shepard, who is on injured reserve, and Darius Slayton, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Giants have ruled out Kadarius Toney, Collin Johnson and John Ross. That leaves Kenny Golladay as the team’s only active receiver.
With such a shortage at the position, the Giants are likely to elevate several practice squad receivers. Pharoh Cooper is a weekly elevation and will be joined by Alex Bachman, David Sills and/or Travis Toivonen.
Center Billy Price was listed as doubtful. The veteran and his wife are dealing with a tragic personal matter.
The Giants’ final injury report can be found below:
Out: WR Collin Johnson (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder), WR John Ross (knee)
Doubtful: OL Billy Price (personal)
Questionable: RT Nate Solder (COVID ramp up), DL Austin Johnson (foot), TE Chris Myarick (hip), CB Adoree’ Jackson (COVID ramp up/quad)
Meanwhile, the Bears’ final injury report can also be found below:
