3 potential cap casualties for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals have more cap space than most NFL teams. But that doesn’t mean they won’t have a few cost-cutting moves.
The Arizona Cardinals will be seeking to get rid of older players with either marginal production last season, or those who will save them an ample amount of cash. Overall, you may see the Redbirds cut ties with many veterans on the wrong side of 30, or those who are fast-approaching the age.
But there are three names that jump out more than any other. One name not listed is DeAndre Hopkins, since at this point, you can expect someone primed to contend in 2023 to pull off a trade for the 30-year-old.
So, who made the cut for a list they probably don’t want to belong on? Keep reading for more.
1 – Robbie Anderson
Anderson’s cap hit runs at $12 million, and there is no dead cap if the Arizona Cardinals cut ties with the well-traveled receiver. Anderson arrived in the desert in a midseason trade and did next to nothing, despite initial excitement considering he had nearly 150 receptions in 2020 and 2021 combined.
In Glendale, Anderson caught just seven passes on 17 targets for 76 yards. At this point, even the oft-injured Rondale Moore is a better option than Anderson, and a cheaper one to keep around.
2 – Dennis Gardeck
This one was a toss-up between Markus Golden and Dennis Gardeck, but the latter’s dead cap will cost just $666,666 if the Arizona Cardinals release him after June 1st, as opposed to Golden’s $1,080,000.
He will be 29 this season, and his subpar performance will justify this cut. After posting 7.0 sacks in 2020, Gardeck has just one over the past two seasons, with three tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits.
3 – Zach Ertz
And finally, we got Zach Ertz, who many fans in the Red Sea may not want to see go. But with a torn ACL, we don’t know when the 32-year-old will return. Plus, Trey McBride’s emergence late last season makes it an easy call to cut Ertz, despite him putting together a 47 reception, four touchdown performance in 2022.
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Ertz carries a $12,605,000 cap hit, but he will carry just $6 million in dead cap following June 1st. This will save the Cardinals even more money to either extend their own talent before or during the season, or set the stage for a big offseason in 2024.
(Cap numbers provided by SpotTrac)
Article Source: Three potential cuts for the Arizona Cardinals by Michael Gallagher
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