Quick Hits With The Arizona Cardinals – 5/6 Edition

Good morning Zona nation! It’s another mid-week edition of Quick Hits. Here is the latest news on the Arizona Cardinals.

John Carlson retires at age 30 – Josh Weinfuss of ESPN

"“After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is best decision for us,” Carlson said. “I was blessed to play seven seasons in the NFL for three tremendous organizations — the Cardinals, Vikings and Seahawks. I will always treasure the experiences and relationships made during that time but I’m also very excited about the next phase of my life and what’s ahead.”Carlson, who will turn 31 on May 12, was entering his second offseason with the Cardinals. He played in all 16 games last season, catching 33 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown. For his career, Carlson caught 210 passes for 2,256 yards and 15 touchdowns."

Arizona Cardinals agree to terms with 14 rookie free agents – by Arizona Sports

"Tuesday, the team announced it had agreed to terms with 14 rookie free agents. The Cardinals also announced the release of running back Zach Bauman and cornerback Roc Carmichael.They are:Cariel Brooks, CB, Adams StateRob Crisp, T, N.C. StateAlani Fua, LB, BYUTrevor Harman, WR, ShippensburgEdwin Jackson, LB, Georgia SouthernAndrae Kirk, LB, Florida AtlanticPaul Lasike, RB, BYUGabe Martin, LB, Bowling GreenDamond Powell, WR, IowaC.J. Roberts, CB, Colorado State-PuebloJason Shipley, WR, TexasGannon Sinclair, TE, Missouri StateZack Wagenmann, LB, MontanaXavier Williams, NT, Northern Iowa"

Cardinals draft grade along with the rest of the NFC West – Bucky Brooks of NFL.com

"No one will ever question general manager Steve Keim’s ability to identify and secure explosive athletes on draft day. He was certainly on top of his game in the 2015 NFL Draft, with the selections of tackle D.J. Humphries (Round 1), running back David Johnson (Round 3) and receiver J.J. Nelson (Round 5)."

How David Johnson will impact the Cardinals run game – Sean Tomlinson of Bleacher Report

"David Johnson is in many ways what the Cardinals want Ellington to be: a workhorse who won’t continually crumble.After missing out on Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon in the first round, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim waited until late during Day 2 of the draft to address his need for a more durable running back.He selected Johnson at No. 86 overall, surely sensing his offensively creative head coach can squeeze every ounce of production out of a player who’s surprisingly fast for his size (6’1”, 224 lbs) and has many of the same core skills as Ellington without the frailty."