The Arizona Cardinals now have their 53-man roster set. They took their roster of 81 players and trimmed it to 53 on Tuesday. There were a few surprises.
Who were the players released most expected to make the team?
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QB Trace McSorley
McSorley getting cut wasn’t shocking but it was mildly surprising. The Cardinals had kept three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster the last two seasons and head coach Kliff Kingsbury recently suggested it would probably happen again this year.
However, it is a numbers game and he is expected to land with the practice squad if he clears waivers.
OLB Devon Kennard
Kennard’s tenure in Arizona has been a disappointment, but when he redid his contract to take a pay cut, it felt like he was locked in to make the team, especially with a lot of inexperience at the position.
He also had $600,000 in fully guaranteed salary.
His release was not shocking because his play had not been great, but his impact in the room as a leader and as a steady, reliable player makes this cut more surprising than others.
LS Aaron Brewer
Brewer’s release is a shock until you think about it. He has been good and there are no other long snappers on the team. But after the initial shock, you realize it was a procedural release to maneuver injured players.
Brewer is in no danger of being claimed off waivers because he is a vested veteran. So he will simply re-sign after the Cardinals move a player or two to injured reserve.
