The Patriots have added some depth at running back through a trade with the Cardinals.
Corey Kiner is being traded from Arizona to New England, with the Patriots sending the Cardinals a 2028 seventh-round pick in the deal, according to Adam Schefter.
The Cardinals were planning to waive Kiner, and the Patriots, who are 31st in the waiver order, thought some other team would claim him ahead of them in the waiver order. So the Patriots used a late-round pick a year and a half from now to make sure they could land Kiner.
Kiner played four games for the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie last year and looked solid, carrying the ball 12 times for 58 yards, adding two catches for 15 yards, and returning one kickoff for 22 yards. The Cardinals, who added first-round pick Jeremiyah Love and free agent Tyler Allgeier to their running back room this offseason, decided they no longer had a place on their roster for Kiner. Now his place is in New England.
Jeremiyah Love won’t be the only running back that the Cardinals are monitoring as they head into their Week 1 game against the Chargers.
Veteran James Conner is returning from a foot injury that ended his 2025 season and has limited his practice participation this summer. On Wednesday, head coach Mike LaFleur said that Conner has been making progress but that the team remains unsure if that progress will extend far enough for Conner to play in the opener.
“It’s starting to creep up,” LaFleur said, via Darren Urban of the team’s website.
Love is recovering from an ankle injury that will keep him out of practice this week. If neither back can go, Tyler Allgeier will be in line to be the lead back to kick off the regular season.
The Cardinals are keeping a key piece of their offensive line around.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Arizona has agreed to a two-year contract extension with center Hjalte Froholdt.
Rapoport notes the deal is worth $20 million.
Froholdt was entering the final season of a two-year extension he signed with the club back in Aug. 2024. He’s started all 51 games for Arizona over the last three seasons.
A fourth-round pick in 2019, Froholdt has appeared in 82 games with 57 starts for the Patriots, Browns, and Cardinals. He also spent some time with the Texans.
The Cardinals will be cutting their roster to 53 players this weekend, but that didn’t stop them from adding a pair of players on Tuesday.
The team announced the signings of safety Josh Minkins and punter Jack Browning. No corresponding moves were needed after a series of other moves on Monday left Arizona with open roster spots.
Minkins was undrafted out of Cincinnati last year and spent time with the Patriots. Browning has spent time with the Bills, Ravens and Buccaneers since going undrafted in 2024.
The timing of the moves makes it unlikely that either player will be sticking around past Sunday’s deadline to pare down the rosters, but they could show enough to earn a spot on the practice squad.
The Cardinals activated pass rusher Josh Sweat from the active/physically unable to perform list on Monday, the team announced.
It gets him back in time for some work in Green Bay later this week.
Sweat did not participate in voluntary offseason work, working out on his own, before going on the PUP list at the start of camp. Sweat has needed rehab on his knee since he seriously injured it while in college.
He led the team with 12 sacks last season.
The Cardinals also announced they waived running back Trey Benson with an injury designation. He has been out with a knee issue.
The Cardinals selected Benson in the third round of the 2024 draft, but he played only 17 games. He totaled 451 yards on 92 carries.
Arizona also placed wide receiver Xavier Weaver on injured reserve after Weaver hurt his hamstring in the preseason game against the Cowboys on Saturday night.
The team signed safeties Hudson Clark and Devyn Bobby, helping with depth going into the final preseason game against the Packers. The secondary took hits in the Cowboys game, with safety Rabbit Taylor-Demerson exiting with an injury to his ribs, and safety Wydett Williams and cornerback Kalen King diagnosed with concussions.
The Cardinals have also released tight end Baylor Cupp and wide receiver Bryson Green.
All the moves leave the team with a roster spot, which likely will go to a punter. Punter Blake Gillikin injured his groin Saturday, and coach Mike LaFleur said Monday he will not be available this week.
