Williams (ankle) was a full participant at the Cardinals' OTAs this week, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Williams ended the 2023 campaign on the sidelines for Arizona's regular-season finale due to an ankle injury, but the cornerback appears to be past the issue ahead of the coming campaign. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis has taken notice of Williams at OTAs and the 22-year-old could be set to take a leap in his second year in the league after recording 23 tackles, an interception and two pass deflections over nine games as a rookie.
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Cardinals' Dante Stills: Participating in OTAs
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Stills (knee) was on the field for OTAs on Monday, per the Cardinals' official site.
Stills ended last season on the IR due to a knee injury. The 2023 sixth-round pick finished his rookie season with 47 tackles (18 solo), including 3.5 sacks, plus one fumble recovery over 15 games while playing 508 snaps on defense.
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Cardinals' Kyzir White: Returns to action
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White (biceps) took part in Arizona's first OTA Monday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
The linebacker tore his biceps Week 11 of last season and missed the last six games. Before going out with the injury, White recorded 90 tackles and three passes defensed. The Cardinals signed him to a two-year, $10 million contract in 2023, so White should be in line to start this year if he stays healthy.
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Saints' Kendal Vickers: Signs with New Orleans
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Vickers inked a one-year deal with the Saints on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Vickers has spent time with six NFL teams since catching on with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2018. The defensive tackle has appeared in 26 games and recorded 22 tackles over the past four seasons, including two games with Buffalo in 2023. Vickers will likely serve in a rotation tackle role for New Orleans.
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Cardinals' Zaven Collins: Option not picked up
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The Cardinals have opted not to pick up Collins' fifth-year option, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
This move is somewhat of a surprise, as Collins' started all 33 games he has played the previous two seasons, and he projects to continue starting at defensive end in 2024. He did see his production decrease this past year in the tackle department, dropping from 100 (63) in 2022 to 41 (27 solo) in 2023. The 24-year-old is now heading into a contract year and will look to prove his value accordingly.
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Cardinals' Jaden Davis: Lands with Arizona in final round
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The Cardinals selected Davis in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 226th overall.
Davis played at Oklahoma for most of his collegiate career before transferring to Miami for his final season of eligibility. His size (5-foot-10, 182 pounds) will limit him to slot duties as a pro, but he'll likely impact only special teams initially if he is able to stick on a roster.
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Cardinals' Elijah Jones: Third-round pickup for Arizona
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The Cardinals selected Jones in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 90th overall.
Jones (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) might be limited to a Cover-3 style of boundary corner as a thin prospect with a linear set of athletic traits, but in that role, he could prove to be a viable starter at the NFL level. Jones was an effective starter on a solid Boston College defense in college, and his NFL Combine testing supports the notion his skill set can continue to show up in the pros. Jones' 4.44-second 40, 42.5-inch vertical and 131-inch broad jump give him uncommon vertical range on the sideline.
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Cardinals' Max Melton: Heads to Arizona in second round
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The Cardinals selected Melton in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 43rd overall.
Brother of Bo Melton, Max Melton plays on the other side of the ball and was a terror in the Rutgers secondary for four years. He leaves Piscataway with eight career interceptions and 30 career pass breakups. Melton possesses sub-4.4 speed (4.39) and has the physicality to play press-man coverage at the next level. He has a chance to start either as a nickel or outside as a rookie.
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Falcons' Antonio Hamilton: Headed to Atlanta
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The Falcons signed Hamilton on Thursday, Amna Subhan of the team's official site reports.
After spending each of the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Hamilton has found a new home in Atlanta. The veteran cornerback has appeared in 98 games (18 starts) across his eight-year NFL career, logging 147 total tackles and 25 passes defended, including two interceptions. Hamilton is expected to compete for a depth role in the Falcons' secondary ahead of the 2024 season.
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Cardinals' Kyzir White: Nearing full recovery
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White (biceps) is expected to be "pretty much full tilt" when the Cardinals begin their offseason program, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
White suffered a torn biceps Week 11 and finished the 2023 campaign on IR, after appearing in 11 games and recording 90 combined tackles including 2.0 sacks. With the team expecting him to be able to take part in offseason programs, there shouldn't be any reason to believe the West Virginia product won't be ready for the 2024 campaign.
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Cardinals' L.J. Collier: Should be ready for camp
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Collier (biceps) is expected to be "pretty much full tilt" when the Cardinals begin their offseason program, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Collier appeared in only one game for Arizona last season before suffering a biceps injury and spent the rest of the season sidelined. He re-signed with the team earlier in March, and with him nearing full health, he should have a second chance to impress in 2024.
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Qwuantrezz Knight: Let go by Arizona
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The Cardinals waived Knight on Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Knight was active in six games for the Cardinals last season, but during those outings the UCLA product failed to record a single stat while playing 36 total snaps (two defensive and 34 on special teams). Knight will now look to catch on elsewhere as a depth safety/special teamer.
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49ers' Ezekiel Turner: Staying in NFC West
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Turner signed a one-year contract with the 49ers on Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Turner spent his first six professional seasons with Arizona, and he'll stay in the division with his move to San Francisco. The 27-year-old has primarily been a special-teamer throughout his career, and he logged just 47 defensive snaps to 344 special-teams snaps last season. Turner figures to fill a similar role with the 49ers in the upcoming campaign.
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Cardinals' Khyiris Tonga: Headed to Arizona
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The Cardinals signed Tonga to a one-year deal Friday, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.
The 338-pound defensive lineman has agreed to terms with the Cardinals after spending the first three seasons of his career with the Vikings and Bears. Tonga appeared in 14 games (two starts) for Minnesota in 2023, recording eight total tackles. He's logged 28 total tackles and four passes defended across 40 career outings, and he'll likely be competing for a depth role on Arizona's defensive line throughout the offseason.
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Kyler McMichael: Done in Arizona
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The Cardinals cut McMichael (undisclosed) on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
McMichael failed to make his NFL regular-season debut with Arizona in 2023, and it now looks like he'll have to look for his next opportunity with a different club. He's set to turn 24 later in March.
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Jets' Leki Fotu: Headed to Big Apple
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Fotu is slated to sign a contract with the Jets, Billy Riccette of USA Today reports.
Fotu spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cardinals after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 Draft. The Utah product appeared in 11 games last season, missing time with a hand injury, but he still managed to record a career-high 2.5 sacks among 28 combined tackles. He'll help bolster the Jets' defensive-line depth in 2024.
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Cardinals' Krys Barnes: Notches new deal with Arizona
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Barnes and the Cardinals agreed on a one-year contract Monday, Johnny Venerables of PHNX Cardinals reports.
Barnes joined the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 campaign, recording 55 tackles and six pass deflections (including an interception) over 16 games. The linebacker will now have a chance to build off of that performance in another campaign with Arizona.
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Cardinals' L.J. Collier: Re-ups with Cards
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Arizona is re-signing Collier (biceps) to a one-year contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Collier appeared in only one game with the Cardinals last year before suffering a season-ending biceps injury, but he impressed the team enough during last offseason's training camp that he'll get another chance in the desert. There's not yet any reason to suspect that the 2019 first-round pick will be less than a full participant when offseason workouts kick off.
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Cardinals' Krys Barnes: Productive late in 2023
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Barnes tallied 55 tackles, one interception and five more pass defenses in 16 games during the 2023 regular season.
Barnes scattered six starts among his 16 appearances, and most of his production occurred after Kyzir White was lost for the season after Week 11 due to a torn biceps. As evidence, Barnes had 34 tackles over the final six contests, a span in which he played at least 60 percent of the defensive snaps on four occasions. He was operating on a one-year contract this past season, so a return to the Cardinals in 2024 may depend on White's recovery.
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Cardinals' Jalen Thompson: Picks off four passes this season
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Thompson notched 78 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, four interceptions among nine pass defenses and a forced fumble in 15 regular-season contests in 2023.
After surpassing 100 tackles in both of the previous two campaigns, Thompson fell well short of that mark while missing his first games (Weeks 6 and 7) since December 2020. Not only did dealing with four separate injuries impact his overall output, he may have been a culprit of the new coaching staff's change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme. On a positive note, Thompson posted his first career sack and set a career high in interceptions. In 2024, he'll be playing on the second season of the three-year extension he signed with the Cardinals back in September 2022.
