With running back Emari Demercado placed on injured reserve Saturday, the Arizona Cardinals had a tryout with a familiar face Tuesday as running back Tony Jones Jr. was in town.
The Cardinals know what Jones can do because he was with the team in 2023 after being claimed on waivers from New Orleans on Oct. 9. Jones spent time on the active roster and the practice squad and played three games. He was with the team throughout the 2024 offseason and training camp, but was placed on injured reserve Aug. 27 and released three days later with an injury settlement.
He hasn’t been with a team since, so the Cardinals were surely evaluating his health during the tryout.
Also trying out were linebackers Keshawn Banks and Elliott Brown.
Banks, from San Diego State, was an undrafted free agent with the Packers in 2023 and spent the entire season on the practice squad. He was elevated and played in Green Bay’s divisional round playoff loss to the 40ers.
This year, he was waived on Aug. 27 and was then on the Patriots practice squad from Oct. 23 until Dec. 10. He was elevated and played in three games.
Brown, who played in college at Virginia, has not been in the NFL, but played the last two seasons as a defensive end with Edmonton of the CFL. He has also had a tryout with the Broncos. An arrangement between the CFL and NFL allows free-agents-to-be to have tryouts in December and January with NFL teams.
He is 6-4, 225, and would be a linebacker in the NFL. After playing eight games and totaling two sacks in 2023, Brown had a breakout season this year. He played all 18 games, had eight sacks and 44 tackles, and was named to West Division All-CFL team. Five of his sacks came in the final eight games of the season.
The Cardinals have one spot on the 53-man roster available as well one on the practice squad.
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