Cardinals Sign Blazing-Fast WR & Former Top-Rated RB, 3 Others

Getty Arizona Cardinals add 5 players to their roster.

The Arizona Cardinals may be done swinging for the fences after a blockbuster offseason. Yet, that’s not to say GM Steve Keim and company are sitting around stagnant until next week’s NFL Draft.

The team has announced the signings of five new players as they continue to fill out their 90-man offseason roster. The new additions include wide receivers Darece Roberson Jr., Andre Baccellia, running back Tavien Feaster, defensive lineman Ryann Bee and linebacker Jamell Garcia-Williams.

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Darece Roberson Jr. Offers Speed & Versatility

An undrafted free agent out of Division II Wayne State University, Roberson failed to latch on with an NFL team this past season, not playing in 2020. Still, the 22-year-old offers quite the tantalizing skillset.

As a senior in college, the 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound Roberson scored 10 combined touchdowns, while hauling in 34 receptions for 706 yards. He added another 118 yards on the ground for good measure. His efforts earned him Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first-team honors.

In total, Roberson accounted for 26 touchdowns during his four years at Wayne State — two of which came as a returner. Handling both punt and kick return duties over his collegiate career, the Michigan native collected 1,021 return yards from 2016-2019. His return prowess gives Roberson a fighter’s chance to land a roster spot this season. The Cardinals averaged just 5.44 yards per punt return as a team in 2020, fourth-worst in the NFL.

The dynamic athlete posted a blazing fast 4.33 40-yard dash while competing at Florida Atlantic’s pro day in March of this year.

Tavien Feaster Was Once the No. 1 RB Prospect in the Nation

If you’re previously familiar with one of the newest Cardinals addition, more than likely that player would be Feaster. A former Mr. Football in the state of South Carolina, Feaster was once rated the No. 1 overall All-Purpose Back in the nation, per 247 Sports.

Feaster chose to stay in-state, taking his talents to Clemson where he quickly made his presence felt. The 5-foot-11-inch, 221-pound bruiser finished as the team’s second-leading rusher from the running back position as a true freshman, averaging 6.0 yards a pop (most on the team).

Feaster was expected to man the lead-back duties in Clemson’s backfield the following season with starter Wayne Gallman entering the draft. Yet, while he did see a bump in every major statistical category in 2017, he was ultimately overshadowed by newcomer Travis Etienne.

As time went on, Etienne continued to establish himself as a future first-round prospect while Feaster faded more and more into the background. By 2019, Feaster decided it was time for a change, joining South Carolina as a graduate transfer. In his lone season with the Gamecocks, Feaster finished with a career-high 672 yards (most on the team). Overall, Feaster amassed 2,002 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns and 40 receptions over 38 collegiate games.

An undrafted free agent in 2020, Feaster has yet to establish himself as a viable back in the league. Originally signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars after the draft, he was cut by early August. He also spent a short stint with the New York Giants, before joining the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.

Feaster has a history with at least one notable Cardinals player, winning a national championship with linebacker Isaiah Simmons during their stint together at Clemson. In Arizona, Feaster will now join a backfield that currently boasts Chase Edmonds, the newly-signed James Conner, Jonathan Ward, Eno Benjamin and Khalfani Muhammad.