Recently added Arizona Cardinals who are already cut candidates

The Arizona Cardinals made it clear they are building this team through the NFL Draft and with their current young talent.

I’ve said it so many times this year, but as always it’s worth mentioning: General manager Monti Ossenfort is taking the long view with building the Arizona Cardinals, and it’s the right view considering the fiasco that was under former general manager Steve Keim. Since Ossenfort is changing the way the NFL views the Cardinals and rightfully prioritizing the draft over free agency, don’t be shocked if a few new signees don’t make the 53-man roster. 

With Kyler Murray, Colt McCoy, and Clayton Tune either guaranteed or on the fast track to find a roster spot, Jeff Driskel could be the odd man out on the roster. While either Driskel or David Blough (who re-signed this past offseason) will start the year as the third-string quarterback, Blough has the early advantage since he’s more familiar with the current players. 

The Cardinals also stacked their offensive line this season, bringing back Kelvin Beachum and Will Hernandez, before drafting Paris Johnson and Jon Gaines II. They also have D.J. Humphries returning, and they signed plenty of depth. 

But Dennis Daley and Elijah Wilkinson, two players who could figure to be backups, may not see their names on the final roster with Josh Jones and Hjalte Froholdt set to either be high-end backups or part-time starters in the unit. 

Plenty of new Arizona Cardinals may not make the final roster

L.J. Collier is a former first round pick who has done next to nothing in this league since the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in 2019. And while a former first round pick is always an enticing addition (there’s a reason they were drafted so early, after all), they’re likely little more than a flier that a team is taking a chance on after they flamed out with one or more organizations. Therefore, if Collier gets cut before camp ends, it wouldn’t surprise me. 

Rashad Fenton and Kris Boyd will likely battle it out for a bottom spot on the depth chart at cornerback. But Boyd has the clear edge thanks to his experience playing special teams. And while Fenton had his moments in 2020 and 2021, he fell flat in 2022. Unless Fenton has a strong camp, he will also be out of the desert mere months after signing with the franchise. 

Overall, there are plenty of cut candidates out there, often fringe players who are fighting to save their respective NFL careers. But as you can see, there are also a lot of seasoned veterans who may receive the pink slip before training camp ends.