Cards Team Notes

[Arizona Cardinals]

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[Arizona Cardinals]

NFC West rival puts star receiver on trade market

Just a few days ago, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced the team told him they were looking to trade him this offseason, as he is due $20 million in roster bonuses and salary in 2025.

Another start receiver in the division is now on the trading block as well.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the San Francisco 49ers will explore a trade for receiver Deebo Samuel, who requested the move in exit interviews after the season, reported ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Samuel’s agent told Schefter that he has been granted permission to speak to other teams for a possible trade.

Samuel was not happy with his usage in 2024. His 806 total yards from scrimmage were the lowest of his career, excluding 2020 when he played in only seven games. He had 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 136 and a score.

He just turned 29 last month and has one year remaining on his contact. He is scheduled to make $1.17 million in salary in 2025 but has a $15.4 million option bonus coming due on March 22.

The Cardinals won’t likely be involved, although Samuel would improve their offense. But an NFC West without Cooper Kupp and Deebo Samuel will be different, for sure.

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.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/09/deebo-samuel-trade-rumors-49ers-nfc-west/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Super Bowl 49 MVP winner best bets

It is Super Bowl Sunday and that means Super Bowl LIX is here pitting the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles against another for the second time in three years.

The Chiefs seek a third consecutive Super Bowl win, something no team has ever done.

The Eagles would like to knock them off.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the MVP of Super Bowl LVII in the win over the Eagles. He has won the MVP in all three Super Bowl wins the Chiefs have had since recently.

Who will be this year’s Super Bowl MVP? Below are the best bets for the award, with odds coming from BetMGM Sportsbook.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/lists/super-bowl-49-mvp-winner-best-bets/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

J.J. Watt believed he might start career with Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals got the final two seasons of the career of defensive lineman J.J. Watt, a future Hall of Famer.

After a decade with the Houston Texans, he played two for the Cardinals.

He revealed last week that he thought he would begin his career with them.

In a TikTok video for The NFL on CBS, he named all 10 players who were selected before he was in the 2011 NFL draft. He was selected 11th overall by the Houston Texans.

That year, the Cardinals had the fifth pick and selected cornerback Patrick Peterson.

But Watt recalled something that Cardinals fans probably didn’t know.

“They told me the Cardinals might trade with the Texans and I was going to the Cardinals,” he said.

This was a trade rumor story that didn’t get out. That year with the draft, it was during the NFL lockout and the Cardinals did not have a solution at quarterback, so potentially drafting one was an option. But had they taken Watt instead of Peterson, that could have changed things. Watt was Defensive Player of the Year three times with Houston.

Would he have had the same career?

That is something we will never know, but these tidbits from the past are always fun to learn from.

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.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/10/j-j-watt-believed-he-might-start-career-with-cardinals/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

New mock draft has Cardinals landing pass rusher in Round 1

The Arizona Cardinals’ biggest offseason need is to address their pass rush from the edge, as they lacked production at outside linebacker and have several players becoming free agents.

They could address it in the 2025 NFL draft and in the latest first-round mock draft from ESPN’s Field Yates, they do exactly that, landing a player with a ton of potential and who made a good showing at the Senior Bowl a couple of weeks ago.

With the 16th pick of the draft, the Cardinals take Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart.

Stewart is a really fascinating prospect, and I think he’s a lock for the first round. He is 6-foot-5, 281 pounds and will be one of the stars of the combine thanks to his ridiculous speed — but he posted exactly 1.5 sacks in each of his three college seasons. Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort could take a big swing by landing him here, going all-in on his upside and immense potential. The Cardinals were 26th in pressure rate (28.6%) this season, and their midseason trade for Baron Browning spoke to their pass-rush issues.

Stewart would give the Cardinals good size. The production in college is a major question mark, but the traits are there.

Players of note that are still on the board are Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr., Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen and Michigan DT Kenneth Grant.

Stewart is a guy to watch as the NFL combine approaches later this month.

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.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...has-cardinals-landing-pass-rusher-in-round-1/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals opting with youth with new coaching staff additions

The Arizona Cardinals announced a number of coaching staff additions this week as six coaches had departed, either because they landed promotions with other teams or they were not retained.

But there was a theme among the additions. The Cardinals are going with young coaches and giving them their first opportunity to do these NFL jobs.

Let’s have a look:

• OL coach Justin Frye: Frye is 41 years old and, while he has been an offensive line coach, this is his first NFL stint. he is the oldest assistant to join the staff.
• DL coach Winston DeLattiboudere: He is 27 years old and has been a defensive line coach but he has never coached in the NFL previously.
• LB coach Cristian Garcia: He is 30 years old and, while he has been coaching in the NFL since 2021, he has not coached linebackers previously. He played linebacker but has coached defensive backs as an assistant.
• OLB coach Matt Feeney: Feeney is 33 years old and has been in the NFL as a coach for three years, although he mostly coached defensive backs, although he did coach linebackers at the end of 2022 on an interim basis.
• Defensive quality control coach Alec Osborne: He is 31 and in the NFL for the first time.

While many coaching staffs often have a mix of guys with experience and new positions, the Cardinals have been giving coaches their first time at their current jobs.

General manager Monti Ossenfort became a first-time GM. Jonathan Gannon was a first-time head coach when he was hired, while offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis were also in those positions for the first time. Israel Woolfork was a first-time quarterbacks coach.

Of the coaching staff, the only members to have previously held the same NFL job are assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, passing game coordinator and receivers coach Drew Terrell (although he was not previously a coordinator at all, he had only been a receivers coach), and tight end coach Ben Steele,

All the other assistants were either in the NFL for the first time or in that position for the first time.

It is an interesting way to build a staff. So far, it has yielded positive results each year. We will see if that continues in 2025.

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.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025...with-youth-with-new-coaching-staff-additions/

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

2025 offseason roster profile: OL Sincere Haynesworth

The Arizona Cardinals are in offseason mode and we are still weeks away from free agency and months from the NFL draft. Over the next little while, we will take a look at each player on the roster or signed to a reserve deal and break down where they stand with the team.

We will look at their 2024 season, their contract status and what their status is for the coming offseason and 2025 season.

Next up is offensive lineman Sincere Haynesworth.

2024 Sincere Haynesworth stats, season​

Haynesworth did not play last season. He spent the year between the practice squads of the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. He was an undrafted rookie last year out of Toledo.

2025 contract status​

He signed a futures deal in January. He will make $840,000.

Outlook for 2025​

At this point, you have to look at him and think that he is going to be more or less a young, developmental body to have in the offseason. He will compete but he should be considered a longshot for any role on the roster or practice squad right now.

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.

Source: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/25/2025-offseason-roster-profile-ol-sincere-haynesworth/