Arizona Cardinals: 5 cut candidates, post draft

Pharoh Cooper – WR/KR/PR

The same logic that goes towards Williams applies to Pharoh Cooper; with the Cardinals additions to the receiving core, Cooper could be subject to the numbers game. That notion becomes increasingly truer after factoring in his lack of usefulness as an actual receiver.

Although Cooper was an All-Pro returner in 2017, the Rams cut Cooper, and it’s not to hard to see why. He doesn’t offer much as a receiver and has had his fair share of injuries. The Rams ultimately decided to go another direction in JoJo Natson as their returner, and the Cardinals could do the same with both Andy Isabella and Damiere Byrd now on the roster.

Although Isabella hasn’t yet played in the NFL, he brings game-changing speed and agility to the team and has proved to be effective as a returner. He’s not one-dimensional like Cooper as he offers even more as a true receiver. Though the same can’t be said for Byrd as a receiver, he’s proved to be a solid returner in the past and signed on with the team recently.

The Cardinals movements in the off-season that include adding two potential return man despite the fact they have Cooper on the roster shows that the former All-Pro may be on thin ice. Cooper has zero guaranteed money on his $720 thousand contract, per Over The Cap; but cutting him isn’t just about the money. It’s about finding a place for him on the roster considering his one-dimensional play.