Arizona Cardinals Make Flurry of Roster Moves
By Erich Becker
The Arizona Cardinals shuffled their running and corner backs in light of injuries in Week 12.
The question of what would the team do with Chris Johnson, the fourth leading rusher in the league, has been answered. Today, as Darren Urban reports, the team put Johnson on IR-to-Return clearing a roster spot for Kerwynn Williams to return to the team from the practice squad.
Johnson is eligible to return after eight weeks (January 26) and can practice after six weeks. This puts the hopes squarely on the Cardinals being successful throughout the playoffs and winning the NFC Championship Game leading into Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, the site of his injury.
Kerwynn Williams, who last appeared in Week 2 on the active roster, played in five games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, including a 100 yard affair against Kansas City in Week 14. Williams accumulated 246 yards on 53 attempts for a 4.6 yard/carry average, which was the best on the team, although a smaller sample size.
Williams, Stephan Taylor and new-starter David Johnson will carry the load while Andre Ellington continues to recover from a foot injury, believed to be turf toe.
On the other side of the ball, with Jerraud Powers out with a calf injury and his status unknown, other than it isn’t an Achilles injury, the Cardinals signed Corey White who played seven games with the Cowboys this season and three seasons with the Saints prior. Justin Bethel is expected to start alongside Patrick Peterson at cornerback with White in a backup roll. Cornerback Robert Nelson, Jr. was released to make room for White.
Finally, with players coming off the practice squad to the active roster, the Cardinals added safety D.J. Swearinger and released tight end Brandon Bostick in a corresponding move.
There is a lot of optimism that Johnson can return in eight weeks, and if he’s able to, that means the Cardinals have reached the season’s near-ultimate goal, they made it to the dance, now they’re trying to become homecoming king.