Tag: Mack Wilson

Cardinals linebacker recruiting top pass rusher in uncertain offseason

Mack Wilson thinks Maxx Crosby would look great in a Cardinals uniform.

The Arizona Cardinals badly need a top pass rusher off the edge. Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. knows this after playing his first season with the team. He sees an opportunity for the Cardinals.

The Las Vegas Raiders are undergoing changes. They fired head coach Antonio Pierce and have hired former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to replace him.

After years of losing, many speculate that defensive end Maxx Crosby could be looking to get out.

That’s where Wilson comes in. He recently reposted something Crosby had on social media, adding that Crosby would “look good it Cardinal Red.”

 

Crosby could become available and the Cardinals would of course look into it.

He has been selected to the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons. He had 7.5 sacks in 12 games last season and 34.5 sacks over his last three seasons. He is 27 years old.

He has two years remaining on his contract and is due to make more than $22.2 million in 2025 and then more than $18.8 million in 2026, although he has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal.

With more than $70 million in cap space this offseason, the Cardinals can make this move.

We will see if Crosby actually becomes available and whether the Cardinals will be players in trying to acquire him.

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.

 

Patriots RB Antonio Gibson fined for block that gave Cardinals LB Mack Wilson concussion

A look back at the fines that the league gave players in the Cardinals’ win over the Patriots in Week 15.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zach Pascal has been fined $11,255 for taunting, but that’s not the biggest fine ramifications to come out of the victory last Sunday over the New England Patriots.

The headline is that New England running back Antonio Gibson was fined $14,805 for the use of his helmet on the play in which Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. suffered a concussion that will keep him from playing this week. Adding insult to injury is that there was no penalty flagged on the play.

The concussion is apparently bad enough that Wilson wasn’t seen on the practice field at all this week.

It was on the fourth play of the game that quarterback Drake Maye connected with tight end Austin Hooper for a five-yard gain. Wilson was blitzing and Gibson lowered his head, hitting Wilson in the facemask with his helmet. Analyst Ross Tucker called it “an excellent blitz pickup” and seeing Wilson on the ground, added about the hit, “Hard to see anything there.”

In fairness, the contact with the facemask came from the side instead of straight-up and happened quickly.

Pascal’s fine came on a kickoff return by Gibson in the fourth quarter. There was also no penalty was called on that play.

After Gibson was tackled, Pascal and Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins pushed each other, but Pascal then got in the face of Hawkins with his helmet.

One other Patriots player was fined on a play where there was a penalty. Defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. sacked quarterback Kyler Murray on the first possession of the third quarter, but was flagged for a horse-collar penalty, negating the sack and costing his team 15 yards.

Instead of third-and-20 at their own 45-yard line, the Cardinals had a first down at the New England 26  Five snaps later, the Cardinals went ahead 16-3 on a 40-yard field goal by Chad Ryland.

Wise was fined $16,883.

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.

 

Mack Wilson Sr. providing help on the edge at linebacker for the Cardinals

Wilson has been playing a lot of edge despite his role as a starting inside linebacker.

His numbers don’t leap off the stat page, but Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. consistently shows why he was signed as an unrestricted free agent this year after playing three seasons in Cleveland and two in New England.

He started 14 games as a rookie in 2019 after being selected in the fifth round by the Browns, but then only 18 in his next four seasons, including one with the Patriots in 2023.

His defensive snaps were 88 percent in 2019, followed by 43, 21, 21 and 27 prior to this season. In eight games (all starts) with the Cardinals, Wilson has been on the field for 80 percent of the snaps.

That has resulted in a sold line of 47 tackles (fourth on the team) with 28 solo, two for loss, one sack, three passes defensed, and one interception, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hit.

Most notable is his versatility, which has included snaps as an edge rusher, something the Cardinals need.

“He’s been good,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said this week of his time on the outside. “There are things that we need to continue to improve on still, but that’s been a huge bonus to have his versatility both on first, second down and on third down. He’s doing a really good job.

“It’s probably the most he’s played on the edge in his career, and we’re going to ask for him to be able to continue to do both, play stack, play on the edge, rush and all that. He’s constantly wanted to get more work at it because he knows he wants to continue to improve and provide that versatility to the defense.”

Wilson has been working at both since training camp and Rallis explained the adjustment that’s necessary on a continuous basis.

“Going in and out of that position within a practice, within a game, a drive, it’s not an easy thing to do,” Rallis said. “Because one position is a little bit more broad-focused whereas the other one can be a little bit more. You want them to narrow their focus at times. And so that’s probably the biggest thing.

“Their eyes, their keys, where they have to be able to put their attention on not just the assignments and the different techniques they have to use. I think that focus window of zooming in versus zooming out; those positions require drastically different things.”

Rallis showed his high hopes for Wilson’s growth when he was asked if his expectation for him on the edge is changed because it’s not his regular position.

Rallis said, “No, I want him to play it a high level, no matter what, and we wouldn’t put him in those positions if we didn’t think he could.”

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.

 

Cardinals LB Mack Wilson Sr. fined for taunting in game against the Rams

e was fined $11,255 for taunting Rams RB Kyren Williams.

The first Arizona Cardinals player has been disciplined after a game as linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. was assessed a $11,255 fine for getting in the face and taunting Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams in the fourth quarter with the score 41-10.

Wilson reacted to Williams throwing him to the ground after a Dennis Gardeck sack that resulted in a fumble by quarterback Matthew Stafford. Wilson was trying to block Williams as defensive lineman L.J. Collier was running after recovering the loose ball. Williams was not fined.

Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said earlier this week it didn’t matter that the game was in hand or that Williams was the instigator.

“We don’t ever want to have 15-yard penalties,” Rallis said. “That’s putting you before the team. So, Mack knows that he shouldn’t have done that. We talk about emotional regulation and there’s a sweet spot to be in because you don’t want to be too flat, but you also don’t want your RPMs to be so high that you start to lose sight of what’s important, focused performance. You don’t want to be too sympathetic, you don’t want to be too parasympathetic.

“So, we call it the emotional pendulum: Your highest highs will be your lowest low. So you gotta find a sweet spot in there to where you play energetic, you play with high motor, you play violently, but you also are able to think and process. And ultimately that’s going to get your best performance.”

Asked about the game situation, Rallis added, “You don’t know when that is, right? You can say it didn’t hurt us because of the situation in the game. But that could be a critical situation. So we got to learn that that’s not how we behave, it’s not how we do things in the game, but also on the practice field. JG’s very good with that as far as things that he considers non-negotiables that he never wants to happen in a game. He doesn’t allow them to happen on the practice field either. So you have to practice that way and constantly live it.”

Finally, asked about possible instigation, Rallis concluded, “I think you see it all over the league. It’s definitely hard. You’re going after each other every play, but you just have to have the, like I said, the emotional regulation to know that you got to put the team first, even if you want to retaliate. Maybe he felt like he did something, but you have to be able to put the team first and control that.”

Plus, it led to taking money out of his pocket.

There was a Rams player fined in the game. It came on a play earlier in the fourth quarter when defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson tackled running back Trey Benson. Upon review, it was considered a hip-drop violation and drew a fine of $5,101. There was no penalty on the play.

There were three other hip-drop fines in the NFL in Week 2 and none were penalized during the game.

Overall, there were 30 fines league-wide for a total of $349,030 with 20 of at least $10,000. The largest was $31,599 against Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for verbal abuse of an official. Chase believed Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was guilty of a hip-drop that wasn’t penalized. McDuffie was not fined.

Of the 30 fines assessed, there wasn’t a penalty called on 16. In Week 1, there were no flags on 13 of 22 plays that were fined.

In two weeks, there have been 52 fines totaling $596,177.

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.

 

Former Alabama LB Mack Wilson Sr. signs with Arizona Cardinals

Former Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms on a three-year deal on Monday. The deal is worth up to $15 million.

One former Alabama linebacker will be heading out west to continue his professional career. On Monday, Mack Wilson Sr. and the Arizona Cardinals agreed on a three-year deal worth up to $15 million.

Wilson Sr. began his career with the Cleveland Browns. There, the Alabama native spent three seasons. He accumulated 163 tackles, five tackles for loss, and one sack.

Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Wilson Sr. was traded to the New England Patriots. In two seasons with the Patriots, Wilson Sr. recorded 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks.

Wilson Sr. will be the lone, former Alabama player on the Cardinals roster. This should be a good opportunity for Wilson Sr. to see the field as well. The Cardinals struggled on defense last season, so Wilson Sr. could pave an immediate path to the field.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama football program and its former players in the NFL.

Former Patriots LB Mack Wilson expected to sign with Cardinals

Former Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson is Arizona-bound

The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly agreed to terms with former New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Wilson is expected to sign a three-year, $12.75 million deal worth upwards of $15 million.

The former Alabama standout spent the last two seasons with the Patriots. He played in 34 games and started in a total of four outings. He tallied 73 combined tackles and five sacks over the course of his time with New England.

The Patriots acquired him in March 2022 in a trade swap with the Cleveland Browns for linebacker Chase Winovich. Wilson signed a one-year extension with New England in March 2023.

The Patriots appear to have found Wilson’s replacement already, as they agreed to a deal with linebacker Sione Takitaki on Monday as well.

Wilson’s departure is certainly notable, given his importance to the New England defense over the last two seasons.  Now, he’ll have an opportunity to show his talents out west for a Cardinals team that needed all of the help it could get defensively.

Cardinals agree to 3-year contract with former Patriots LB Mack Wilson

Wilson played the last two seasons with the Patriots and played over 300 snaps both on defense and special teams.

The Arizona Cardinals continue to add defensive help in free agency. Per multiple reports (ESPN’s Mike Reiss and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), they have reached an agreement with former New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson on a three-year contract.

Per Rapoport, it is a $12.75 million deal worth up to $15 million.

Wilson is a 6-foot-1, 246-pound linebacker drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns in 2019. After three years with the Browns, he spent the last two with the Patriots.

He has been a part-time defensive player with a lot of time on special teams since his rookie season. His 305 defensive snaps in 2023 were the most he played since 2020. He also played a career-high 312 snaps on special teams.

He had 37 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

The deal suggests he is expected to start alongside Kyzir White at linebacker in the role that Josh Woods had last season.

He also transitioned more to the edge, so we will see if he is used more as an off-ball linebacker or as a pass rusher.

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

 

Studs and duds in Patriots’ pitiful 20-17 loss to Commanders

Who were the studs and duds in the Patriots’ pitiful 20-17 loss to the Commanders?

Not even a Week 9 matchup with the struggling Washington Commanders could save the New England Patriots from falling to 2-7 on the season.

It’s shocking to think this is the same Patriots team that somehow knocked off the Buffalo Bills in Week 7. The team that beat the Bills must have somehow caught lightning in a bottle because the version that showed up on Sunday looked terrible on all levels.

Offense, defense and special teams—it was all bad for the Patriots.

They had an opportunity to save the game late, but a pass from quarterback Mac Jones bobbled off of JuJu Smith-Schuster’s hands and turned into an interception for the Commanders to close out the game.

It was a completely fitting ending for this version of the Patriots. Here are the studs and duds from the game for New England after their 20-17 loss to the Commanders:

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 5, per PFF grades

These were the Patriots’ top-10 defensive players in Week 5, per PFF grades

Defense is about the only hope the New England Patriots have left this season, and that couldn’t have been more evident than Sunday’s 34-0 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints.

It was another afternoon of horrific turnovers for the offense with one being a pick-six after a poor throwing decision from quarterback Mac Jones. The Saints dominated the battle of field position and time of possession by a 39:34-20:26 margin.

The defense didn’t really have much of a chance in the game.

Keep in mind, it’s also a defense that lost two of its best players, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Matthew Judon, to injuries in the previous week. The good news is the unit continued to fight valiantly, even when clearly facing an uphill battle.

There was still tremendous effort on display for a team that currently looks like one of the worst in the NFL. Unfortunately for the Patriots, defensive effort alone doesn’t win football games. At some point, the offense has to find ways to execute and put points on the board.

Let’s take a look at the top-10 defensive players from Sunday’s game, per Pro Football Focus grades.

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 3, per PFF grades

Here are PFF’s highest-graded defensive players for the Patriots in Week 3.

Another defensive masterclass for the New England Patriots earned the team their first 2023 regular season win on Sunday. They pummeled the New York Jets offense (as is usually the case) in a 15-10 road victory.

Three games into the season and it’s already clear that the Patriots have one of the best defenses in the league. Keep in mind, this has been a team playing with only one of their starting cornerbacks. Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones have all been out with injuries.

That has left the bulk of the work to rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez, Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade. Gonzalez’s sudden emergence into one of the league’s top corners has obviously been a huge help, along with the pressure the Patriots have been able to get up front.

It was like a full-on WWE session in the Jets’ offensive backfield with quarterback Zach Wilson getting body-slammed and rag-dolled by Patriots defenders through four quarters.

Today, we’re ranking the top-10 Patriots defenders in Week 3 by their Pro Football Focus grades. It’s important to note that we haven’t taken snap count into consideration for this particular list.

So while a player like linebacker Matthew Judon was the obvious MVP of this game, he wasn’t given a top-10 PFF grade.