When the Arizona Cardinals announced their 53-man roster on Sunday, Aug. 30, it laid bare the cracks in this team’s foundation. At multiple key spots, the Cardinals are short on both impact starters and reliable depth pieces.
That much, though, was already known. What’s new is the 34 players whom the Cardinals cut, along with two minor trades and four injury designations. Each move played a part in carving the group of 53 players that will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 on Sept. 13 — although waiver claims could tweak the picture this week.
For now, here are five key takeaways from the roster release.
Good news for Jeremiyah Love
The biggest news of the day came when the Cardinals placed veteran running back James Conner on injured reserve, ruling him out of the first
four games. That much, though, has little to do with Jeremiyah Love. Conner didn’t participate in 11-on-11 drills for all of camp, and hadn’t practiced at all over the past week. His progression has simply taken longer than expected.
The notable part, for Love, is that the Cardinals opted to keep just three running backs in Conner’s absence, as they traded away Corey Kiner and released Evan Hull.
That doesn’t guarantee that Love will be ready for Week 1; the Cardinals could elevate a running back from the practice squad if Love isn’t healthy. But it’s a positive sign for the rookie, who is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. If the injury was a significant concern, it stands to reason that the Cardinals would have wanted to open their season with three other running backs on the 53-man roster.
A poor reflection of Monti Ossenfort’s record
Among the players released on Sunday: 2023 second-round edge rusher B.J. Ojulari and 2024 third-round cornerback Elijah Jones.
Each now carries an unfortunate distinction. Ojulari is the second-highest drafted player in his class to have never started an NFL game. Jones finishes his Cardinals’ career with 37 defensive snaps played, making him the fifth-highest drafted player in his class with under 50 non-special teams snaps.
Injuries have been a significant part of both players’ stories, but their underperformance is nonetheless a poor reflection of the Cardinals’ draft prowess.
It’s not just the draft, either. The Cardinals waived free agent cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who has counted for $13.3 million against the cap over the past three seasons for 15 games played — a stretch during which he mostly struggled to perform.
The Cardinals could have released Murphy-Bunting earlier this offseason, but incurred an additional $1.8 million dead cap hit by restructuring his contract — only for him to miss out on the 53-man roster. Similarly, they could have released Conner but paid an additional $2.5 million to restructure his contract.
Cardinals opt for seven wide receivers
Broken down by position, the most surprising part of the Cardinals’ roster construction is that they kept seven wide receivers. Typically, teams opt for five or six at the position.
That group, though, made an impression throughout training camp and the preseason.
The top three (Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Kendrick Bourne) were always locks; Devin Duvernay has a role as the team’s top return man, and Reggie Virgil is a rookie with fifth-round draft capital. Each of those five was always likely to make the team.
But over the past month, both Jalen Brooks and Simi Fehoko impressed consistently, making it difficult to cut down to six wide receivers. So in the end, the Cardinals didn’t.
And while that is unusual roster construction, it makes sense. LaFleur’s system emphasizes flexibility for wide receivers and tight ends — players are often asked to switch between those roles interchangeably. And with Tip Reiman on PUP, the Cardinals lack reliable tight ends beyond Trey McBride. Their wide receivers can help fill the void.
Most surprising inclusions
Beyond wide receiver, the two most surprising inclusions on the roster were cornerback Kei’Trel Clark and safety Wydett Williams Jr.
Clark’s inclusion gives the Cardinals flexibility at cornerback, as he has the ability to play both inside and outside. That was especially important after they released Murphy-Bunting, leaving them without a clear backup to Garrett Williams in the slot.
Williams, meanwhile, made the team as an undrafted free agent and projects to spend most of his time on special teams. He was among the players granted an injunction this month to return to college football, but instead opted to remain with the Cardinals.
Waiver spots to watch for
The Cardinals hold the No. 3 pick in the NFL’s waiver order, meaning they could be in position to add a sought-after player released by another team.
The most notable name released in this weekend’s cuts was former Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis, if the Cardinals wanted to take a chance on the former second-round pick.
More likely, though, they could look to add depth along the defensive front. The Cardinals enter the season thin at both edge rusher and defensive tackle — two positions where heavy rotation makes depth especially important.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Good news for Jeremiyah Love among 5 takeaways from Cardinals roster
