On Wednesday, the Cardinals will release Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Those inclined to bet on propositions like a player’s next team regard the Vikings as the clear favorites to sign him.
On DraftKings, Murray’s odds have moved from -110 to -295. The next team is the Jets at +350.
The Dolphins are at +550, with the Falcons at +650. The Browns are +800. The Steelers are +1300, the Colts are +1600. The Rams are +2000.
The offensive rookie of the year and two-time Pro Bowler had three solid seasons in Arizona. The next four seasons, which were marred by an ill-advised homework clause and a torn ACL suffered in December 2022, did not go nearly as well.
Making Murray more attractive is the possibility that he’ll do a one-year, $1.3 million contract, with the Cardinals paying him $35.5 million.
The first question is whether he wants to play right away, or whether he’s content to join a team like the Rams as a backup, with the goal of hitting the reset button in advance of 2027. Given his skills, why spend a season on the sideline? He should be looking to play now, with the goal of playing well enough that another big contract will come his way next March, if not sooner.
The Cardinals released nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on Friday, the team announced.
The move saves the Cardinals $9.8 million against their cap and creates a $6.8 million dead cap hit.
Tomlinson signed a two-year, $22 million deal as a free agent last offseason, with $20 million in guarantees. He started all 17 games last season and totaled 26 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack.
The Cardinals hope to get more out of two former first-round picks, Walter Nolen III and Darius Robinson, who had injury issues last season. They also have Dante Stills and the potential to bring back Calais Campbell and fellow free agent L.J. Collier.
Tomlinson is the second defensive lineman released in as many days after Bilal Nichols hit the transaction wire on Thursday.
The Cardinals are adding an experienced coach to their staff.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Arizona is hiring Teryl Austin as a senior assistant.
Austin, 61, had been with the Steelers since 2019. He joined the club as senior defensive assistant and secondary coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2022.
He was not retained under new head coach Mike McCarthy.
This will be Austin’s second stint with the Cardinals, as he served as the club’s defensive backs coach from 2007-2009. He has also served as defensive coordinator for the Lions (2014-2017) and Bengals (2018).
The Cardinals have not officially released quarterback Kyler Murray yet, but they did part ways with a couple of other players on Thursday.
They announced that they have released linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols. The two moves clear around $11 million in cap space in Arizona.
Davis-Gaither joined the team last year and started in 13 of his 17 appearances. He had 117 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during his year in Arizona.
Nichols missed time with neck and knee injuries last season. He had three tackles in four games after recording 10 tackles in six games during his first season with the team.
Preseason practices will be a family affair for the Cardinals and Packers.
The Packers are planning to host a joint practice with the Cardinals in Green Bay before the teams meet in the final week of the preseason, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. That means new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur will be on the practice field with his brother, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
The full preseason schedule has not been announced, but the league sometimes gives an initial heads up to teams about what to expect, and the Cardinals and Packers have apparently been told they’ll be meeting in the final preseason game.
The LaFleur brothers will not face off in the regular season, as the Cardinals and Packers don’t play this year. Jim and John Harbaugh are the only brothers ever to have coached against each other in the regular season, and also the only brothers ever to have coached against each other in the postseason.
