The Arizona Cardinals worked out nine free agents on Wednesday at their practice facility, three of whom were quarterbacks.
NFL General Managers regularly bring in players at various positions in order to update their records in the event a position of need arises from an injury. It is called “keeping current.”
The players were (in alphabetical order):
- WR Jalen Brooks (6’-2”, 205 pounds)
- TE Oscar Cardenas (6’-4”, 275 pounds)
- QB Jeff Driskel (6’-4”, 231 pounds)
- WR Brenden Rice (6’-3”, 210 pounds)
- TE Messiah Swinson (6’-7”, 259 pounds)
- WR Roc Taylor (6’-2”, 213 pounds)
- QB Kyle Trask (6’-5”, 236 pounds)
- WR Jalen Virgil (6’-0”, 210 pounds)
- QB Logan Woodside (6’-1”, 213 pounds)
Currently on the practice squad are similar position players: WR Andre Baccellia and Tejhaun Palmer, plus TE Pharaoh Brown.
Oddly, no offensive guards were worked out, although Nick Leverett
is on the practice squad. And every player brought in was an offensive player, which that side of the ball has been plagued with inconsistency so far this season.
Brooks has spent the last three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, but was released four days ago. Rice is the son of Jerry Rice and was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in Round 7. He was a final-day cut and hasn’t been added to any team’s practice squad. Taylor played for Memphis and went undrafted, then was in the Pittsburgh Steelers camp but was waived during training camp. Virgil went undrafted in 2022 but made the final roster of the Denver Broncos. He was eventually waived on an injury settlement, then was added to the Buffalo Bills practice squad, who waived him early in this year’s camp.
Cardenas was in the Cardinals’ training camp this year but did not register a catch in all three preseason games. Swinson went undrafted in 2024 and has participated on the practice squad of three NFL clubs.
As far as quarterbacks go, currently, the Cardinals list Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett, and Kedon Slovis on their active roster. With the three signalcallers that worked out, more than likely, that is just to see who they can bring in for a QB3 role in case Murray’s injury is prolonged.
Out of all the quarterbacks. Driskel has the most experience.
He was a sixth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2016 NFL draft out of Louisiana Tech. He was waived on the final cuts, then claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals and became QB3 all season. After an injury, the Bengals issued an injury settlement, and he was cut. The Detroit Lions picked him up, and he started a game when starter Matthew Stafford became injured.
The Denver Broncos signed him to a two-year deal, where he played in three games with one start. He then had stints with the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Commanders. For his NFL career, Driskel has played in 25 NFL games with 12 starts and has passed for 2,394 yards with 16 TDs and 10 picks.
Trask is one of those guys who dominated in college when he was with Florida, then has had a rough time at the next level. Was 17-5-0 at Florida and threw for over 7,000 yards in just two-and-a-half seasons with 69 TDs against just 15 interceptions.
Was a second-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Played in just seven games with zero starts, and backed up Tom Brady for two years. Then the club signed QB Baker Mayfield, marking the end of his residency.
Woodside was a seventh-round pick of the Bengals in 2018 after a tremendous college career at Toledo, where he threw for 10,514 yards with 93 touchdowns against 25 interceptions. He was waived on the last cutdown and was signed to the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans. He then played for the San Antonio Commanders of the short-lived AAF, then was signed to the practice squad of three NFL clubs. He was waived by the Steelers eight days ago.
