Team news: Arizona Cardinals | Page 8

Free agent RB Dalvin Cook is planning to sign a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million with the New York Jets, per source.

Related players: Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Israel Abanikanda, Zonovan Knight

Another RB domino falls today as many felt it was just a matter of time before Cook ended up with the Jets - this despite a story today where Carter said he felt the team didn't need Cook. Perhaps the biggest question now is the status of Hall, who is coming off a torn ACL last season. Speculation at this point is Hall either isn't completely ready or the Jets just want to ease him back in. As a result, it may be safe to assume Cook leads the backfield, at least early on until Hall is back to form, where perhaps a split or hot hand situation forms. It's a win-now move for the Jets, who didn't seem to want to give Carter, rookie Abanikanda or last year's sensation Knight, a bulk of the work. Cook's signing moves all three backs down the depth chart. Last year, Cook played in all 17 games running 264 times for 1,173 yards and 8 TDs while adding 39 catches for 295 yards and two TDs.

Almost nine months after tearing his ACL and MCL, Cardinals TE Zach Ertz has been cleared for full football activity.

Related players: Trey McBride

Garafolo added Ertz is on track to play in Week 1, according to a source. The three-time Pro Bowler was on pace for 86 catches, 745 yards and 8 TDs before injuring his knee in Week 10, Garafolo went on to say. The Cards could ease Ertz back into play when the season starts, but this likely means McBride's stock is going to take a hit.

Raiders are signing former Chiefs’ RB Damien Williams, per his agent/

Related Players: Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden

It's a good move by Las Vegas as the depth behind Josh Jacobs —who is still away from the team— was looking pretty thin. This is probably not very closely tied to Jacobs' holdout, so there's not much to take away here. Zamir White remains the "best" arbitrage pick for those looking to get a piece of this backfield.

RB Marlon Mack is done for the season with an Achilles injury. Brutal injury for a guy who was here a few days.

Related Players: Keaontay Ingram, Corey Clement

Mack had a legitimate shot at earning the RB2 role in Arizona with a depth chart that is severely lacking. While Ingram could see more run in the short term, don't be surprised if the team is back on the hunt for a veteran presence.

Running back Dalvin Cook is flying to New York today for a visit with the Jets this weekend, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday, per sources informed of the situation.

Since Cook's release from Minnesota, the Jets have been one club rumored to be interested in the four-time Pro Bowl running back. It's a logical pairing, given that Gang Green's top back, Breece Hall, is coming off an ACL tear and on the physically unable to perform list, and the team's all in following the Rodgers trade.

Related Players: Breece Hall, Michael Carter

This signing would be a huge hit to Hall's fantasy outlook for 2023, even if he remains the clear "1" in the 1-2 punch. Michael Carter was once an interesting late-round dart, but those days would also be numbered. This visit is also on the heels of Aaron Rodgers restructuring his deal with the Jets to allow them more room to bolster the roster around him, further strengthening the odds that the team can make the signing work.

The rookie third-rounder has impressed his coaches and teammates with his route running and talent. Wilson benefited from DeAndre Hopkins not taking part in any of the voluntary workouts before he was released and Marquise Brown not being involved much this offseason, either. That led to him getting a significant number of reps, which has helped him climb the depth chart to a point where he could be a factor in Arizona's offense from Day 1 of the season.

Related Players: Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal

With Rondale Moore operating as a gadget player from a past regime, and Marquise Brown apparently still working his way back to health, there is a very real chance that Dortch or Wilson could lead the team in targets over the 2023 season.

That may end up being nothing more than a technicality, and not that exciting for a Cardinals team that projects to be pretty awful this year. We currently only have a single option ranked in the top-45 wide receivers (Brown - WR27)

The Jets think Michael Carter will bounce back and also believe that Israel Abanikanda — whom they drafted in the fifth round out of Pitt — can make an immediate impact. He’s a home-run threat and will be part of the running back rotation right away, pushing to start if Breece Hall is out to begin the season.

Related Players: Zonovan Knight

This is music to analytic nerds everywhere. Abanikanda was a spreadsheet darling but when he went to New York in the fifth round, it took a little bit of the air out of the balloon. But it turns out that Breece Hall could be missing well into the season and Carter was far less effective with the ball in his hand than his rookie counterpart in the 2022 campaign.

Izzy makes for an interesting late-round option on teams desperate for RB help.

This has been the hope for DeAndre Hopkins for some time. The Cardinals had trade talks for months, and they heated up before the draft. Ultimately, no deal. Now, he's a free agent.

Related Players: Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Michael Wilson

We will have to wait and see what other team will be heavily impacted by the eventual signing of Hopkins, but as of now we can expect a target increase for each of Brown, Moore, and, likely, third-round rookie Michael Wilson.

Broncos coach Sean Payton said Saturday the team expects running back Javonte Williams to be ready for the start of training camp, the most optimistic timeline given yet for the third-year starter recovering from a major knee injury he suffered last October.

Related Players: Samaje Perine, Tony Jones

Williams, a second-round pick in 2021, suffered an ACL tear in Week 4 against the Raiders last season and sustained other damage in the knee as well. Being ready for the start of training camp would represent a relatively rapid recovery for Williams, whose absence was felt significantly by Denver’s league-worst offense last season.

We'll need more positive reports before we can feel wholly comfortable drafting Williams in ongoing best ball leagues. It still feels very likely that the team may add an additional veteran piece to this equation.

The #Dolphins have signed TE Tyler Kroft to a one-year deal, per agent
Mike McCartney.

Related Players: Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Elijah Higgins

The Dolphins let Mike Gesicki walk this offseason but didn't do anything to replace the passing game specialist outside of sixth-rounder Elijah Higgins, who will likely be transitioning from the wide receiver position. Kroft has been bouncing around the last few seasons and hasn't produced much since his breakout 42-404-7 2017 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

This situation is almost assuredly going to be rotational, with Durham Smythe being the de facto TE1. His previous career highs (34-357-0) came during the 2021 season.