Arizona Cardinals make savvy addition to the practice squad

Former Houston Texans draft selection Jordan Thomas is an interesting addition to the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals

We’re just days away from the regular-season now, and the Arizona Cardinals are putting the finishing touches on their 2020 product. Besides the usual 53-man roster, the NFL has expanded the amount of practice squad participants from 10 to 16. On Sunday, the Cards added an intriguing player to that traditionally unheralded group.

Jordan Thomas, a tight end who was recently released by the Houston Texans, has joined the Arizona practice crew. With the presence of COVID-19, members of that group have a much greater chance of being called up to the active roster than in years past. Thomas has flashed a skill-set at the pro level that indicates that he’ll be ready to perform if the opportunity presents itself.

As a rookie with the Texans back in 2018, Thomas appeared in 16 contests, and was credited with 10 starts. The 6’5, 277 pounder hauled in 20 passes for 215 yards, averaging 10.8 yards per reception. While those statistics may not seem overly impressive, 12 of those catches produced first downs and four resulted in touchdowns for Thomas.

Last fall, a hamstring injury sidelined Thomas at the beginning of his sophomore campaign. Houston placed the former Mississippi State University product on the injured-reserve list on September 2nd, a move which cost the tight end eight games. Thomas would appear in five matchups (two starts) over the remainder of the season for Houston, tallying just one reception for eight yards.

By all accounts, Thomas was enjoying a solid training camp for the Texans this summer before he was handed his walking papers. Nevertheless, Houston was satisfied with a tight ends contingent led by former Cardinals starter Darren Fells. Apparently, there was no room for Thomas, or for Cards wideout DeAndre Hopkins for that matter, in head coach Bill O’Brien’s offense.

At the current time, Arizona has Maxx Williams, Dan Arnold and Darrell Daniels vying for playing time at the position. Thomas is a talented youngster, however, so it would not be surprising to see the 24-year old make his own bid for the coaching staff’s attention this coming fall.