Tag: Zach Pascal

This is the oddest trade proposal ever

Bill Barnwell proposes the Chargers trade for a Cardinals receiver you would never guess. Why?

The NFL trade deadline is approaching and that means Internet interest requires us to come up with trade proposals, especially for teams who could be seeking assets or unloading them.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has a number of trade proposals, but one involving the Arizona Cardinals is puzzling.

Seeking to improve the receiver depth of the L.A. Chargers, he proposes a trade with the Cardinals. The Cardinals send the Chargers receiver Zach Pascal and a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick.

Why?

The deal isn’t a bad one, but why would anyone trade for Pascal? He did have two seasons of more than 600 receiving yards, but he has had 19 receptions combined from 2022-2024. He has a total of 577 offensive snaps over the last three seasons. True, he only has played in 37 offensive snaps this year, but it isn’t because he needs a new place.

Pascal plays on special teams and is a good blocker but is a nice veteran back-of-the-roster player. He signed with the Cardinals two years ago because of the relationship he has with head coach Jonathan Gannon.

He wouldn’t improve the Chargers’ receiver situation.

Who would be a help? Zay Jones, but even the Cardinals haven’t seen how he will impact here as he has yet to play a game this season.

Pascal is a nice player to have on a football team, but he certainly wouldn’t be a player a team would trade for. Pretty much every team has a guy on the roster like Pascal.

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.

 

Fantasy football outlook: Arizona Cardinals WR preview

A prized rookie headlines an unheralded receiving corps in the desert.

The Arizona Cardinals‘ wide receivers room has been a turnstile in recent years. Last year’s top two wide receivers both left – Marquise Brown (free agency) and Rondale Moore (trade). Entering 2024, the Cardinals have a new No. 1 wide receiver in fourth overall draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr., who is already being anointed as the ”next big thing” in Arizona.

Harrison joins a pair of in-house returnees – Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch. Arizona added a pair of veterans in free agency with low-investment signings of Zay Jones and Zach Pascal. There are some questions how the depth charter will play out for WR2 through WR5, but there’s no question that Harrison is the go-to guy.

Zach Pascal is now the Cardinals’ most accomplished receiver on roster

So far, the Cardinals have not gotten better at receiver this offseason.

So far, the Arizona Cardinals have not done much to improve their wide receiver room this offseason. They saw free agent Hollywood Brown leave and join the Kansas City Chiefs. They traded away Rondale Moore to the Atlanta Falcons to acquire quarterback Desmond Ridder.

They did add Chris Moore on a one-year deal. He played previously for the Tennessee Titans.

They tendered Greg Dortch a qualifying offer as an exclusive rights free agent.

While upgrading the receiver room felt like it was a priority, things have gotten worse.

Did you know that the most accomplished receiver now on the roster for the Cardinals is Zach Pascal? Pascal only had four receptions for 19 yards for the Cardinals in 2023, but he did have two consecutive seasons in which he surpassed 600 receiving yards and scored five touchdowns.

No other receiver on the roster has reached 600 yards in a season.

Wilson had 565 yards and three scores as a rookie last season. Dortch’s best season was in 2022, catching 52 passes for 467 yards and two scores.

Moore’s most productive season was in 2022 when he caught 48 passes for 548 yards and two scores. His career-high in touchdowns is three in a season.

More receiver moves must be coming, both in free agency and in the draft.

Why?

Simply put, if the most accomplished receiver on your team, is Zach Pascal, you don’t have a very good receiving room.

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

 

WR Zach Pascal out, did not make trip to Pittsburgh after birth of babyWR Zach Pascal out, did not make trip to Pittsburgh after birth of baby

The Cardinals will be down another receiver as Zach Pascal did not make the trip to Pittsburgh for the game after his first child was born.

The Arizona Cardinals made an update to their final injury report on Saturday. Receiver Zach Pascal, originally questionable for the game for a personal reason, he was downgraded to out on Saturday.

Pascal returned home for the birth of his first child. He was born on Friday and, originally, the plan was for him to make the trip to Pittsburgh.

He did not.

The Cardinals already ruled out rookie wideout Michael Wilson with a shoulder injury and Hollywood Brown is questionable with a heel injury.

With Pascal staying home, the Cardinals signed receiver Dan Chisema from the practice squad to the active roster. He will likely fill Pascal’s limited role on offense and play special teams.

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

WR Zach Pascal’s personal absence was for new baby

Pascal welcomed his first child, Baby ZP, into the world on Friday.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zach Pascal was absent from practice the final two days of the week on Thursday and Friday. He was listed on the injury report with a personal issue and is officially questionable for the game.

It was a very good personal reason.

He announced on social media the arrival of a baby, his first child.

Baby ZP was born on Friday.

Pascal will join the team Saturday, flying to Pittsburgh on his own.

Congrats to Pascal! Having a child changes everything.

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

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Cardinals training camp roster preview: WR Zach Pascal

We take a look at WR Zach Pascal ahead of training camp and what his status is for 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.

Next up is receiver Zach Pascal.

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

3 Cardinals players who could surprise you in 2023

These players might not be breakout players but could be in a position to produce much more than most would expect.

Every offseason there are rankings and lists. We predict breakout players, players under pressure and who might get cut, traded or otherwise.

This is one of those lists.

This time, it is about players who might surprise with their play in 2023, which is different than breaking out or whatnot.

Whose production in 2023 might be better than expected?

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

 

New Cardinals WR Zach Pascal named team’s most underappreciated player

Pascal adds some intangibles and potential for offensive upside, but it is hard to say he is underappreciated when he hasn’t played a snap.

Among the biggest changes to the Arizona Cardinals roster this offseason were those in the wide receiver room, with the release of DeAndre Hopkins and the signing of former Colts and Eagles WR Zach Pascal.

Pascal’s exact role is yet to be determined but should figure more prominently after the release of Hopkins.

He is the team’s most underappreciated player, according to NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund.

It’s typically a good sign when a coach changes teams and immediately adds a familiar face to his new roster. That’s what Jonathan Gannon did with Pascal. The veteran wideout doesn’t figure to be a fantasy monster with the Cardinals, but he gives the transitioning team a physical and reliable presence both in the slot and out wide. Last season in Philadelphia, Pascal was targeted on just four passes of 10-plus air yards, catching two for 45 yards. The small sample size is hardly surprising, given that he was in the same receiving corps as A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. But if you look at the three seasons prior to that when Pascal was in Indianapolis, he received a combined 105 such targets, catching 50 and scoring nine touchdowns. That completion percentage of 47.6 on such throws ranks ahead of star WRs like Mike Williams, Terry McLaurin and D.J. Moore during the 2019-2021 span. Furthermore, Pascal impacts the game when he’s not getting targeted, too. According to PFF’s grading, the wideout was the third-best run blocker on the 2022 Eagles, behind only center Jason Kelce and left tackle Jordan Mailata.

It is honestly difficult to say who on the roster is not appreciated yet. No one has played a single snap under new head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Pascal, though, has a great relationship with Gannon, is a dog on special teams, is a fierce blocker in the run game and can give Arizona some offensive upside.

In his one year with the Eagles, he only had 15 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown, but he had consecutive years in 2019 and 2020 where he had more than 600 receiving yards, scored five touchdowns and averaged more than 14 yards per catch.

There isn’t an expectation for him to produce at that level in Arizona, but he can at least do that.

Does that make him underappreciated?

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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 Spotify.

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WR Zach Pascal is No. 0 for Cardinals; other player numbers

Check out the jersey number that new free agent additions have selected to wear for the Cardinals in 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals have made a number of offseason additions since the beginning of free agency. With contracts signed, these new free agent additions have selected their jersey number for the 2023 season.

As NFL rules now allow it, the Cardinals will have a player wearing No. 0 in 2023.

Below are the players and their new numbers.

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

 

One NFL draft prospect to replace each of the Eagles’ free agent departures

We’re looking at one NFL Draft prospect to replace each of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2023 free-agency departures

The Eagles’ offensive and defensive units will look completely different after a mass exodus of big names.

Seven key Eagles starters or contributors are joining other organizations, as T.J. Edwards (Bears), Javon Hargrave (49ers), Andre Dillard (Titans), Miles Sanders (Panthers), Kyzir White (Cardinals), Gardner Minshew (Colts), and Marcus Epps (Raiders) have all agreed and will depart.

Philadelphia builds through the draft, and April’s selection process offers several intriguing prospects.

With all eyes looking ahead to draft day, here’s one prospect to replace each of the team’s departed free agents.