Arizona Cardinals get a head start on cutdown day
By Jim Koch
The formation of the Arizona Cardinals 2019 roster got off to a running start on Friday with a couple of early player cuts
Apparently, the Arizona Cardinals saw little reason to wait. Cutdown day in the NFL was just a day away, but the club was anxious to get things going. All clubs must get down to the 53-man limit on Saturday, so the Cards got a bit closer to that number by releasing two of their own on Friday.
The first of the two cuts made by Arizona’s front office came as a bit of a surprise. Last December, general manager Steve Keim made an effort to improve the squad’s kick-return game. Pharoh Cooper was plucked off of the waiver wire, but his stay with the Cardinals did not last long.
The 2017 Pro-Bowler was given his walking papers from the team, despite the fact that he had performed well during the preseason. It looked as if Cooper had done enough to earn his way onto the Cards 2019 roster. The former Los Angeles Ram had hauled in nine passes for 134 yards, for an impressive 14.9 yards per catch.
In the end, what Cooper had done during the offseason was not enough. The 24-year old was more than likely a victim of the numbers game. Arizona appears to be extremely strong at the wide receiver spot after Keim added several strong pass-catchers to the mix over the past several months.
The Cardinals other release on Friday made much more sense. Chad Williams, an underachieving third-round draft pick in ’17, was jettisoned along with Cooper. Fans and management alike have been waiting for the 24-year old to flourish, but Williams gave no indication that he was going to do so.
In his two campaigns with the Cards, Williams produced very little. The Grambling State University product tallied just 20 receptions, 202 receiving yards and one touchdown in his 16 pro appearances. Williams was credited with just two catches for 14 yards this summer.
Final Cardinals 53-man roster projection. dark. Next
The dismissal of Cooper and Williams is just the tip of the iceberg for Arizona’s decision-makers. Many more Cardinals will be handed their pink slips before Labor Day weekend comes to an end. We wish those who are about to be discharged from the desert nothing but the best.