The Cardinals announced an addition to their defense on Thursday.
They have signed linebacker Stephen Dix to the 90-man roster. He is the eighth undrafted rookie that the Cardinals have signed since the draft wrapped up last month.
Dix spent the last two seasons at Arkansas and played at Marshall and Florida State before moving to the SEC school. He had 79 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack for the Razorbacks last season.
The Cardinals drafted linebacker Karson Sharar in the sixth round and they signed Jack Gibbens as a free agent. Mack Wilson, Cody Simon, Owen Pappoe, and Austin Keys are the other linebackers in Arizona.
The Cardinals have signed their second-round pick from last month’s draft.
Guard Chase Bisontis put pen to paper on his four-year rookie deal on Wednesday. Four of the team’s draft choices, including first-round running back Jeremiyah Love, previously signed with the team.
Third-round quarterback Carson Beck and fourth-round defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor remain unsigned in Arizona.
Bisontis played right tackle and guard during his first season at Texas A&M, but moved to left guard for his final two seasons with the Aggies. The Cardinals signed Isaac Seumalo as a free agent and his history at left guard suggests Bisontis may be starting his NFL career on the right side.
When the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, there were nine potential options for the Week 1 season-opening game in Seattle. The list is now down to four.
All NFC teams have nine home games this year. The Seahawks are due to host the 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Giants, Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots.
With the 49ers and Rams set to play in Australia on Thursday, September 10, with the Cowboys and Giants slated for Sunday night, September 13, and with the Chiefs hosting the Broncos on Monday, September 14, only four options remain to be the road team on Wednesday, September 9: Cardinals, Chargers, Bears, and Patriots.
A Super Bowl rematch wouldn’t be unprecedented. Ten years ago, the Panthers and Broncos crossed paths in the first game of the season, after Denver beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos held on to win the game, 21-20, when Panthers kicker Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with nine seconds to play.
Unless the league announces the opponent before then, the team that will be present for the Seahawks to hang their latest banner will be known on Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
When Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love recently put pen to paper on his rookie contract, he secured the biggest full guarantee of any running back in NFL history. And while some will argue that the contract sets a new bar for full guarantees at the running back position, the truth is that the compensation package reflects not the fact that he’s a running back but the fact that he was the third overall pick in the draft.
Rookie deals are driven not by position on the field but by position in the draft process. Anyone taken in that spot would have gotten the same deal. It wouldn’t have mattered whether he was a running back, quarterback, defensive end, or any other position. The contract comes from where the player was picked, not where he lines up or how often he plays.
That said, the Cardinals were willing to make the financial investment that went with picking Love third. They could have taken a running back later in the draft, and paid him a lot less. Picking Love with the third selection comes with the price of committing to a four-year, $53 million contract. And because all first-round picks are fully guaranteed for four years, he gets it all.
When it’s time for veteran running backs to renegotiate their current contracts or become free agents, the Love deal won’t be part of the analysis. It wasn’t negotiated based on the market at the position. It was automatic, a reflection only of the fact that he was the third overall pick.
The average payout of $13.25 million per year puts him at seventh among all running backs. Jets running back Breece Hall, whose new deal with the Jets includes only $29 million guaranteed, will make $15.25 million per year — four spots ahead of Love.
The contract for Love that will become relevant to the market is his second one. It will be determined by the market at the position at the time the Cardinals offer him a second contract (if/when they do).
Carson Beck is working with the Cardinals for the first time at this weekend’s rookie minicamp and another quarterback was also a topic of conversation during head coach Mike LaFleur’s press conference on Friday.
Jacoby Brissett has not been taking part in the team’s offseason workouts as he looks for an adjustment to his current contract. LaFleur was asked about where things stand regarding conversations that would lead to Brissett joining the team.
“Ongoing. Everything’s good from a dialogue standpoint,” LaFleur said. “Like we said, this is voluntary. So that’s where we’ll leave it.”
LaFleur was also asked if he felt “behind the 8-ball” because Brissett is missing time in a new offense.
“He’s played a lot of football,” LaFleur said. “We’re in communication, he knows what the expectation is.”
Beck and Gardner Minshew will be getting more work as long as Brissett is away from the team. If one of them makes the most of the increased opportunity, Brissett’s absence could impact who is under center come the start of the regular season.
