The Arizona Cardinals are going to see some massive roster turnover this offseason. Here are five players who won’t return for 2023.
As a rebuilding team, the Arizona Cardinals will see more roster turnover this season than they have in a while. Many of the players listed below are older and won’t be part of the Redbirds future plans, so as a result, they won’t be playing in a Cardinals jersey in 2023.
Another player will likely be cut sometime before the season begins in July, and yet another name listed below had injury issues that will likely prevent the Cardinals from bringing them back to the desert.
So who won’t be coming back to the organization next season? Let’s meet these five players.
Player #1 – Kelvin Beachum
At age 33, Beachum is heading for career twilight. And while he’s been a serviceable puzzle piece for the Arizona Cardinals, the Redbirds are looking to improve and get younger in the offensive line unit.
The offensive line has struggled with injuries since his arrival in 2020, but Beachum has been the one staple, starting and playing in a combined 48 out of 50 regular season games. Therefore, losing Beachum could be a huge loss in the eyes of some fans, but this may not be the case at the end of the day.
The Cardinals have a potential puzzle piece in Josh Jones to take over for Beachum at right tackle. In 2022, Jones earned an overall grade of 75.8 per PFF, good for 17th among 83 qualified players. Entering his fourth season and his prime, Jones could be a stalwart on the Cardinals offensive line for years to come.
2 – Justin Pugh
In five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Pugh has played a full season just once (2019). Overall, he saw action in 57 out of 82 possible regular season games, and he played in just five this past season.
While it’s true the Cardinals are paper-thin at guard, the oft-injured Pugh has shown time and again he can’t stay healthy enough to be a reliable puzzle piece. Don’t expect the Cardinals to even attempt to re-sign Pugh, and instead, they will look to either the draft or free agency to fill the position.
Chances are higher that they turn to free agency this season, given the number of positions they will need to address that include edge rusher, defensive tackle, cornerback, center, guard, and perhaps even running back. However, if the Cardinals turn to free agency to address the center position, then they may go after a guard to replace Pugh in the NFL Draft.
They may also opt to bring back Cody Ford or Will Hernandez. But they also figure to be nothing more than stopgaps.
3 – Rodney Hudson
This time last year, we didn’t know if Rodney Hudson was coming back. Then news broke that the former All-Pro center would return to the desert for at least one more season. However, 2022 didn’t go as planned for Hudson, and he played in just four games before landing on injured reserve in November.
He also missed five games with injuries in 2021, giving Hudson just 16 starts in 34 possible contests. Hudson was yet another member of the Arizona Cardinals offensive line who couldn’t stay on the field, and as a result, it’s possible he’s played in his last NFL game.
Hudson’s absence will leave yet another hole on the offensive line. Sean Harlow and Billy Price filled in for him last year, but neither did a sound job to prove they are the guys for 2023. Look for the Cardinals to address the issue in free agency or the draft.
4 – Robbie Anderson
Anderson was likely the worst move the Arizona Cardinals made all season. He flamed out with the Carolina Panthers, but on paper, he looked like yet another steal in the trade department. Unfortunately, Anderson was so obscure that it was easy to forget he was part of the team.
During his 10 games with the Cardinals, he caught seven passes on 17 targets, had 76 receiving yards, and zero touchdowns. By contrast, Anderson had 13 catches on 27 targets, 206 yards, and a touchdown during his six games with the Carolina Panthers before they dealt him to Arizona.
Overall, Anderson was an ill-fated pickup. And even if the Cardinals trade DeAndre Hopkins, which will leave a gaping hole at the unit, look for the Redbirds to cut Anderson sometime this offseason. If he happens to make it to training camp, expect him to be an early cut.
Anderson was supposed to be, at worst, a sound #3 target. Instead, even undersized products like Greg Dortch and Rondale Moore proved to be far better options.
5 – Matt Prater
The Arizona Cardinals may have already signed Prater’s replacement in Elliott Fry, who they inked to a futures contract earlier in the month. While an older player who would make sense to cut ties with, it could also make sense if the Cardinals kept him, given his elite performance this past season.
However, Arizona figures to get younger, and therefore, Prater probably won’t return thanks to his age (39). He has also struggled with injuries, missing four games this season, so that’s another knock on the longtime kicker.
Prater has been a great stopgap at the position, but expect someone like Fry or another young name added after the NFL Draft to ultimately replace him. They may not enjoy the same productivity as Prater, but they will make for a better long-term solution.
Overall, the players mentioned on this list are either aging, injury-prone, or simply unproductive. They are also older players who are either at the tail-end of past their respective primes. Look for the Arizona Cardinals to replace each and every one of them in some capacity.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)
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