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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
5 battles to watch during Arizona Cardinals training camp
The Arizona Cardinals begin training camp in an enviable position. There is no drama surrounding who will start at quarterback or on the offensive line, the sport's two most important positions. Their skill positions are mostly set, too. Even on defense, the Cardinals have a handful of entrenched starters. The team began camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 24. The Cardinals open the season on Sept. 7 in New Orleans for Week 1. Still, as practices heat up and the pads go on, there will be some crucial depth chart battles to watch. Here are the top five: Three cornerbacks for two spots With Sean Murphy-Bunting out for the season due to a knee injury, the Cardinals are down to three contenders for two starting spots at outside corner. Will Johnson, the second-round rookie, was considered the second-best cornerback in the draft (behind No. 2 pick Travis Hunter) before concerns over the long-term health of his knee caused him to slide. He's healthy to start training camp, though, and is the most talented option at the position, but also the least experienced. Max Melton, a 2024 second-round pick, showed some encouraging flashes last season and improved as the year went on. By the second half of the year, he was an important part of the Cardinals' rotation at the position and helped shut down some top corners. Still, he played just 52% of snaps and never became entrenched as a starter. The final option is Starling Thomas V, a former undrafted free agent whom the Cardinals claimed off waivers with minimal expectations ahead of the 2023 season. After a difficult first year in Arizona, he emerged last season and became the Cardinals' top-rated outside corner, per Pro Football Focus. Entering camp, there's no telling what the hierarchy is among these three. Arizona could even continue with a rotation, as it did for much of last season. But most teams prefer to stick with two starters on the outside, so the Cardinals will be hoping two of these players can emerge to complement Garrett Williams, their standout nickel corner. Second edge rusher The Cardinals handed Josh Sweat a four-year, $76.4 million deal to be the centerpiece of their edge rushing group. The rest of that position, though, appears wide open as camp begins. As with the rest of the defensive line, edge rusher is a position that will see heavy rotation. At least four players will play significant snaps there every Sunday. But it would provide a boost to the Cardinals' pass rush if a second player emerges alongside Sweat. The primary contenders are B.J. Ojulari, Zaven Collins and Baron Browning, although Ojulari will miss the start of camp as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in July 2024. And don't forget about rookie Jordan Burch, who was drafted in the third round after recording 8.5 sacks in 10 games at Oregon last year. Arizona Cardinals: How they view themselves amid raised expectations How will the interior defensive line sort out? A year ago, the Cardinals spent half their season in desperate search of anybody who could provide useful snaps at the defensive line. Now, they suddenly have more talent than available spots. There's no shortage of storylines to watch with this group. Darius Robinson, the 27th overall pick in 2024, will be looking to entrench himself behind veterans Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson. Walter Nolen, the 16th overall pick this spring, will be aiming to carve out a role when he returns from a calf injury that is expected to sideline him for most of camp. Then there are the depth pieces. L.J. Collier and Dante Stills performed admirably last season, but Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols are veterans who would carry significant cap hits if cut. Can Collier and Stills force the Cardinals' hand? Interior offensive line depth The second-string offensive line might not be a headline-grabbing topic, but it's an important one. Last year, the Cardinals were able to weather significant injuries up front because of players like Kelvin Beachum, Trystan Colon and Isaiah Adams. This time around, the situation is murkier. Beachum is a reliable swing tackle, but the Cardinals do not have a single proven backup on the interior. A single injury to a starting guard or center would make for an unnerving situation. Between Royce Newman, Jake Curhan, Jon Gaines, Nick Leverett and sixth-round rookie Hayden Conner, someone has to win those two (or three) available jobs on the 53-man roster. Conner, a stellar pass protector in college at Texas, is the most exciting option. His development, in particular, will be worth watching during camp. Who starts at middle linebacker? The Cardinals do not have a clear replacement for Kyzir White, the signal-calling middle linebacker who played nearly every snap when healthy over the past two seasons. The question now is whether that role in the middle of the defense will be filled by Mack Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither or even fourth-round pick Cody Simon. Wilson excelled last year in a more versatile role, but would have different responsibilities at middle linebacker. Davis-Gaither is a more traditional option, but he's never played over 50% of defensive snaps in a season. And Simon is, of course, a rookie. His position on the depth chart during training camp will be a useful indicator of how close he is to earning significant snaps. There's also a secondary inside linebacker job — the one occupied by Wilson last season — up for grabs in most packages. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Depth chart battles to watch during Arizona Cardinals training camp
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Johnson contract: Salary, details, guarantees for Arizona Cardinals rookie CB
Johnson gets three years of full guarantees and a partial fourth year. At the beginning of last week, 30 of the NFL's second-round draft picks remained unsigned, including Arizona Cardinals cornerback Will Johnson. As the dust cleared Tuesday, only hours before the team reported to camp, Johnson became the 31st No. 2 pick to sign. Only one remains unsigned — Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins. The fourth pick in the round, his situation has been complicated by a domestic violence arrest on July 12. The prior snail's pace of signings was thanks to the unprecedented contracts signed in early May by the first two selections in the round: Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins. They each signed fully guaranteed contracts, something that had never happened before in the second round. As agents advocated for their players to achieve more than the customary guarantees while teams pushed against it, the question was how many others would get full guarantees. It turns out there were five more, ending with Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, the eighth choice in the round. For Johnson, slotted at 15 in the round, his deal was linked to others around him. It started with Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, who at No. 9, had 75 percent of his fourth-year base salary guaranteed. After that, it was Jets tight end Mason Taylor (60 percent), 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins (45 percent), Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku (38 percent), Colts defensive end JT Tuimoloau (30 percent), Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson (23 percent) and then Johnson, who had 17.55 percent of his fourth-year base guaranteed. After Johnson, Texans tackle Aireontae Ersery was at 12.11 percent), Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. at 8.25 percent), Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (4.95 percent) and Panthers edge Nic Scourton at No. 19 in the round (3 percent). At No. 20, Titans edge Oluwafemi Oladejo had his first three years guaranteed, but after that and through the remainder of the round, all players had partial guarantees in the third year of their contracts. Will Johnson contract details The total value of Johnson's deal is $9,410,768 with $7,660,118 (81.4 percent) guaranteed, including a $3,484,196 signing bonus. The base salaries are $840,000 this season; $1,267,762 in 2026; $1,695,524 in 2027 and $2,123,286 in 2028. In that fourth year, the 17.55 percent guarantee is $372,636. His salary-cap charge for this year is $1,711,049. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Will Johnson deal leaves 2 NFL 2025 Draft picks unsigned
The post Cardinals' Will Johnson deal leaves 2 NFL 2025 Draft picks unsigned appeared first on ClutchPoints. With NFL teams across the nation now in the throes of training camp, there have been a flurry of rookie contract signings throughout the league. The majority of the league's second round picks didn't sign their initial contracts due to the guaranteed money they would receive. One by one, the rookies signed their deals. Now, it is down to two unsigned draft picks. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero on X (formerly Twitter), Arizona Cardinals rookie Will Johnson has signed his rookie contract. '255 of 257 draft picks are now signed,' posted Pelissero, further breaking Rapoport's earlier report. 'The last two to go: #Bengals DE Shemar Stewart (17) and #Browns RB Quinshon Judkins (36).' Johnson is expected to compete for a major role on the defensive side of the ball. Although injuries led to the former Michigan standout to slide into the second round, he was still one of the draft's best cornerbacks when full healthy. The Cardinals will count on his contribution moving forward now that he's under contract. However, the story now becomes when Stewart and Judkins will sign their respective first contracts. However, each rookie has their own issues that they are dealing with. Will they join their NFL teams sooner rather than later? Latest CBA has led to new types of contracts for NFL rookies The odds of Jenkins signing any time soon do appear to be remote. The running back is facing major legal issues, as charges related to a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend have surfaced. The team has reportedly told Judkins to stay home, as his contract is the least of their worries at the moment. It's likely that the running back will be the last to sign his rookie contract, if he does at all. The NFL will watch how the legal system unfolds against Judkins before making its' decision. As for Stewart, the first rounder is the last rookie in his round to not sign. The Bengals are also dealing with star defensive end Trey Hendrickson's contract dispute, so not having both pass rushers in camp is surely an issue they wish to resolve. Can the notoriously frugal franchise lock in Stewart before it's too late? If so, then he could have just as big a role on defense that Johnson will likely have in Arizona. Related: Cowboys sign ex-Lions pass rusher while placing 2 stars on PUP list Related: How Patriots' Drake Maye was 'catalyst' for special offseason trips
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arizona Cardinals sign second-round pick, CB Will Johnson, to rookie contract
The Arizona Cardinals now have their entire 2025 draft class under contract. The one remaining unsigned player was cornerback Will Johnson, their second-round pick. That is no longer the case. The team announced Tuesday that Johnson signed his four-year rookie contract. Johnson was selected 47th overall out of Michigan. He was originally projected to be a first-round pick, some projecting him to go as high as the top 10. However, due to injury concerns, especially with some long-term concerns about a knee he had surgically repaired three years ago, led to him falling to the second round. Advertisement The second-round picks in this year's draft took the longest to sign. While first-round picks get fully guaranteed contracts, players selected in Round 2 can negotiate how much of their contract is guaranteed. This year, for the first time, some players in the second round got fully guaranteed contracts. We will see how many years of his salary ended up being guaranteed when the terms are released. The Cardinals report for training camp on Tuesday, so Johnson is signed and set to compete for a starting job. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Will Johnson signs, Cardinals have all draft picks under contract
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals sign second-round pick, CB Will Johnson, to rookie contract
Johnson, the 47th overall pick in the draft this year, signs his rookie deal on the day he reports foro training camp. ✅ First day of training camp✅ Signs rookie contract The Arizona Cardinals now have their entire 2025 draft class under contract. The one remaining unsigned player was cornerback Will Johnson, their second-round pick. That is no longer the case. The team announced Tuesday that Johnson signed his four-year rookie contract. Johnson was selected 47th overall out of Michigan. He was originally projected to be a first-round pick, some projecting him to go as high as the top 10. However, due to injury concerns, especially with some long-term concerns about a knee he had surgically repaired three years ago, led to him falling to the second round. The second-round picks in this year's draft took the longest to sign. While first-round picks get fully guaranteed contracts, players selected in Round 2 can negotiate how much of their contract is guaranteed. This year, for the first time, some players in the second round got fully guaranteed contracts. We will see how many years of his salary ended up being guaranteed when the terms are released. The Cardinals report for training camp on Tuesday, so Johnson is signed and set to compete for a starting job. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
