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Arizona Cardinals: 5 players better off without

By Scott Allen

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 08: Zach Ertz #86 of the Philadelphia Eagles makes a catch for a first down against Justin Bethel #28 of the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 08: Zach Ertz #86 of the Philadelphia Eagles makes a catch for a first down against Justin Bethel #28 of the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 13: Tackle Jared Veldheer #68 of the Arizona Cardinals in action during the NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Saints 31-19. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 13: Tackle Jared Veldheer #68 of the Arizona Cardinals in action during the NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 13, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Saints 31-19. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Jared Veldheer

Veldheer was a savior when he was signed as a free agent away from the Oakland Raiders.  He was the left tackle the Cardinals sorely needed.

The love affair continued until the middle of 2016 when Veldheer was injured and lost for the season.  He never regained the consistency he had in 2014, 2015, and into 2016.

In 2017, the signs were all there that Veldheer’s days were numbered.  First, he walked away from training camp and almost quit football.  That right there should have been the biggest red flag.

The Cardinals moved Veldheer to right tackle, where he mostly struggled.  He wasn’t moved back to left tackle immediately with the injury to D.J. Humphries.  He did get some time there finally.

However it was easy to tell Veldheer would be playing in his final season in Arizona.  Now Veldheer is a member of the Denver Broncos after being traded for a sixth-round pick.

Looking back at the deal from March of 2018, the Cardinals are lucky they were still able to get that much for him, especially given he was ready to quit football.  We wish him all the best as he is a really good guy, just no longer was cutting it on the field here.

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