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The Arizona Cardinals are getting closer and closer to finalizing their roster. There are plenty of question marks along the way, although the majority of the roster has plenty of talent.
There aren’t many jobs up for grabs, and the trade for offensive lineman Cody Ford should help the OL group up front.
With the first roster cut deadline on Tuesday, NFL teams across the league released and waived several players to get closer to the magic number 53 by the time the regular season begins.
The Cardinals Cut Six Players
The Cardinals cut a total of six players on Tuesday, and there are some surprising omissions on the roster. Here are the following players who were let go by Arizona (h/t Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus):
- WR Marcell Ateman
- RB T.J. Pledger
- P Nolan Cooney
- CB Cortez Davis
- TE Josh Hokit
- CB Darrell Baker Jr.
The roster now stands at 80, so they have a long way to go to trim down to 53 and begin the 2022 campaign. None of these cuts are very surprising.
Over the weekend, Pledger had three carries for zero yards in the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Ateman and Hokit had no catches or targets in that game.
Both Davis and Baker didn’t register any tackles in the last preseason game, so this seems like an easy decision for general manager Steve Keim.
There are still some players who the Cardinals are trying to move on from, including wide receiver Andy Isabella. However, who knows what teams will pay for him if they want to acquire him, and it might be easier to release him and move on.
August 30 is the deadline for NFL teams to dwindle down to 53 players, so the final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on August 27 will make or break for some of these players.
The Cardinals Welcome New OL Cody Ford After a Rash of Injuries
The Cardinals acquired Ford, a former Oklahoma Sooners teammate of Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown, for a 2023 fifth-round selection.
Ford is a welcomed addition to the team, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury explained the importance of the acquisition due to a number of injuries on the offensive line (h/t Darren Urban of Cardinals.com).
“We see (Ford) playing inside with the ability in a pinch to play tackle,” Kingsbury said. “With our injuries, we felt like it was a position where we could get some more depth.
Ford not only provides depth but there is a chance he could end up as a starter on the offensive line. Justin Pugh is dealing with an injury, so that will be a big piece to monitor over the next couple of weeks.
Left tackle Josh Jones has impressed in camp, so the Cardinals’ offensive line could look much different than we initially thought.
The Cardinals — and the rest of the NFL — have a lot of work to do before going down to 53 players, but the next week will be a strong indication of who survives and who heads for the unemployment line.
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