The Arizona Cardinals must cut down their roster to 53 players by Saturday afternoon. There will be a number of difficult decisions to make, as they must balance talent, depth and the salary cap.
While many of the roster decisions seem pretty set, there is always a surprise or two.
If there is going to be a surprise for the Cardinals, it could be guard J.R. Sweezy.
Sweezy was solid in 2019, playing in and starting all 16 games at right guard.
Why would they cut him?
The Cardinals have been vocal about their praise of Justin Murray and trusting he can play at tackle or guard. A recent video the team showed on Cards Camp Central had Murray getting first-team reps at right guard next to center Mason Cole. It might have been a practice when Sweezy was given the day off, or it also could be Murray has earned a look as the starter.
Cutting Sweezy would save a lot of money. Murray makes $750,000 in 2020. Sweezy will make as much as $5 million. His cap number is $6.5 million this year. Cutting him would save $5 million in cap space, which could come in nicely.
Cutting Sweezy could also make the numbers on the roster work better. They could keep only nine offensive linemen on the roster, giving more spots to other positions. Their depth wouldn’t necessarily be an issue, either.
If Murray starts with Kelvin Beachum at right tackle, they would have Max Garcia, Lamont Gaillard, rookie Josh Jones and Joshua Miles they could keep as backups. That would be two backup tackles and two guys in Garcia and Gaillard who can play guard and center. Murray also gives them tackle depth.
While the Cardinals have preached continuity on the offensive line, between the salary cap savings and the talent they already have, cutting J.R. Sweezy might be a somewhat surprising move that makes some sense.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and
