Cardinals Make Roster Moves After Trade Deadline
Cardinals Make Roster Moves After Trade Deadline
The Arizona Cardinals released two players following the conclusion of the league’s trade deadline.
CB Darren Hall (active roster) and WR Chris Moore (practice squad) were both released on Tuesday.
The Cardinals traded for Denver Broncos edge rusher Baron Browning yesterday and the league’s transaction log showed Hall was the roster spot cleared for Browning, though Hall would be expected to re-sign with Arizona if he clears waivers.
Hall was a preseason darling for the Cardinals, getting run time throughout the secondary at different spots while Arizona rested their starters and making plays in nearly every opportunity presented.
Hall has featured in four games for the Cardinals this season, playing just seven defensive snaps but contributing 36 plays on special teams. He logged one tackle against the Miami Dolphins.
Moore was a free agent signing by the Cardinals this offseason, playing in five games for Arizona and not logging any targets on his 27 snaps.
The Cardinals didn’t make any additional moves outside of Browning, though Jonathan Gannon told reporters yesterday he’s pretty excited to add the edge rusher.
“Added (LB) Baron Browning from Denver. Edge player. (I) don’t know him personally. I did a lot of work on him when he came out. (I) really liked the character and the seriousness of the guy, and (he’s a) really good, well-rounded player. We’ll get him in here and try to get him going,” said Gannon, who also added to his versatility.
“Yeah, when Denver drafted him that was for (former Broncos Head Coach) Vic (Fangio). They played him at inside and then he played outside as well a little bit. He’s been playing outside since (Broncos Head) Coach (Sean) Payton took over, but yeah, I like the versatility, and he plays with a high motor. He’s got some pop and some twitch to him and some violence, so a good addition by (General Manager) Monti (Ossenfort).”
Arizona battles the New York Jets this week.
This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.
More must-reads:
Steelers Snap Up Just-Released Bengals Defensive Tackle
NFL
Winners and losers from NFL trade deadline: Commanders make a splash, while NFC East…
The NFL trade deadline officially passed on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and while there weren’t as many noteworthy deals as in recent weeks, several teams made moves to improve their playoff hopes. With that in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers from Tuesday’s flurry of trades: WINNER | Washington Commanders Having a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract can completely change the trajectory of a franchise, and the Commanders are taking advantage of the opportunity Jayden Daniels is giving them. Washington (7-2) made the biggest splash at the trade deadline, acquiring four-time Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round pick in a deal with the Saints on Tuesday. To complete the trade, the Commanders gave New Orleans their third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Commanders have been one of the most surprising and feel-good stories of the regular season’s first half. However, Tuesday’s blockbuster solidified them as a true threat to win the NFC East and a team capable of making a deep playoff run. After allowing the most passing yards (4,627) and touchdowns (39) last season, Washington’s defense has improved significantly under new HC Dan Quinn. Through nine games, Washington is allowing 202.41 passing yards per contest, the 11th-fewest in the NFL, though the stats are a bit skewed due to facing a few underwhelming quarterbacks. The addition of Lattimore should help the unit continue to make progress. In seven games this season, the former first-round pick has made 30 tackles and two pass breakups while allowing just 83 yards in coverage, the fewest among cornerbacks who have played at least 400 snaps. LOSER | Dallas Cowboys Despite owning a 3-5 record and expecting to be without QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) for at least the next four games, the Cowboys decided to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline. On Tuesday, Dallas traded a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to acquire second-year WR Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round pick from Carolina. While it’s not a terrible idea to start building for the future amid a lost season and taking a flier on a player under contract through 2026, it’s still a questionable deal for Dallas. Mingo hasn’t shown much promise since being drafted 39th overall in 2023. Last season, the Ole Miss product only caught 43 passes for 418 yards, and he hasn’t fared much better through nine games in 2024. Not only does Mingo have just 121 yards on 12 receptions, but he also lost reps to rookie Jalen Coker, an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross. Aside from the fact that Mingo probably isn’t a player worth gambling on, the Cowboys overpaid to acquire him based on how the wide receiver trade market shook out, making the move even more questionable. After all, the Chiefs traded a conditional fifth-round pick to land five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins, and the Ravens sent a fifth-rounder of their own to Carolina for Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round pick. WINNER | Pittsburgh Steelers Time will tell if the AFC North-leading Steelers (6-2) are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Regardless, Pittsburgh desperately needs to win at least one playoff game — something it hasn’t done since 2016 — to consider this season a success, and the team made strides toward doing so on Tuesday. The Steelers executed two low-risk, high-reward trades, sending a fifth-round pick to the Jets in exchange for WR Mike Williams and dealing a seventh-rounder to land ex-Packers edge-rusher Preston Smith. Williams, an impending free agent, was a non-factor in nine games with New York, catching just 12 passes for 166 yards. Even so, the 6-foot-4, 218-pounder is a competent veteran who should improve a Steelers team whose second-leading receiver, TE Pat Freiermuth, ranks 92nd in the NFL in receiving yards (264). Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Smith should serve as a valuable rotational piece for a defense that ranks second in points (14.9) and ninth in yards per game allowed (310.25). So far this season, Smith, who averages 7.5 sacks per season, has collected 19 tackles, two for loss, 2.5 sacks and four QB hits. LOSER | Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf Like many teams, the Patriots (2-7) had a relatively uneventful trade deadline, though they did trade edge-rusher Josh Uche to the Chiefs last week for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Even though that was a worthwhile deal for New England, Wolf should’ve continued making moves to help expedite the team’s rebuilding process. Last week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Patriots could do a mix of buying and selling, yet they questionably chose not to. According to Rapoport, teams were interested in acquiring K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton, two wideouts who don’t have much of a future in New England. As a team that clearly won’t be in playoff contention for some time, the Patriots should’ve continued selling off assets. Additionally, it would’ve made sense to acquire at least a decent wide receiver to aid promising rookie QB Drake Maye’s development. Perhaps there wasn’t a wideout available worth overpaying for, but the Patriots could’ve afforded to take a big swing for an impending free agent, especially since they have the most cap space in the NFL for 2025. WINNER | New Lions edge-rusher Za’Darius Smith Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler who has five sacks this season, had the privilege of being traded from one of the NFL’s worst teams to one of the best. There was considerable buzz surrounding a potential deal that would send Smith to Detroit leading up to the deadline, and the Lions and Browns finally came to an agreement on Tuesday. As part of the deal, the Lions traded a 2025 fifth-round draft choice and a 2026 sixth-rounder to Cleveland for Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick. It was a wise move for both teams, as the Browns acquired some much-needed draft capital to build for the future, whereas Detroit strengthened its chances of contending for Super Bowl LIX. With Smith added to the mix, the Lions found a quality replacement for star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 6. The Lions defense has struggled in the first three games without Hutchinson, racking up the eighth-fewest sacks in the NFL (five) while posting a 30.6% pass-rush win rate, ranking 26th among teams. LOSER | New York Giants The 2-7 Giants chose to stand pat at the trade deadline, which could come back to haunt them by the time April rolls around. New York had a few intriguing trade candidates, including impending free agents WR Darius Slayton and edge-rusher Azeez Ojulari, who drew interest from teams like Pittsburgh and Atlanta. It’s impossible to deny that Slayton and Ojulari have been solid for the Giants. Slayton has caught 32 passes for 469 yards and one touchdown this season, while Ojulari has notched six sacks, two shy of his career high. Although the Giants could re-sign both players, it’s puzzling why they didn’t cash in on their value now, given that it opted against extending Slayton last offseason and traded for star edge-rusher Brian Burns to replace Ojulari. Hanging on to Slayton and Ojulari would’ve made more sense if Giants GM Joe Schoen was on the hot seat. However, owner John Mara told reporters last month that he didn’t plan on firing Schoen or HC Brian Daboll this offseason. Now that they’ve passed up the opportunity to collect potential trade-up ammo for the 2025 draft, the Giants must hope they don’t string together a few meaningless wins to fall out of range to land a top quarterback prospect.
Could this be why the Braves let go of Travis d’Arnaud?
NHL
6-foot-3, 220-Pound Center Emerges as Maple Leafs Trade Candidate Ahead of Free…
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brad Treliving have the chance to add Boston’s Trent Frederic as a way to drastically improve their team for now and in the future. It was a very successful offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs, at least in terms of shoring up some big holes on defense and goaltending. Adding Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz has been a massive boost to Toronto’s back end, but it left the bottom half of the lineup missing some crucial pieces. Toronto has had a severe lack of production, especially from Nick Robertson who has gone ice-cold and practically invisible since the preseason. Max Domi has slid down a hill since his hot start with William Nylander and Bobby McMann, and whoever they’ve shuffled in and out hasn’t worked. Toronto needs a true, big-bodied center who can make a difference; and they have one available on the market but he happens to play for one of the Maple Leafs’ most heated rivals: Toronto’s Chance To Steal A Rival’s Secret Weapon Per NHL Insider Kevin Weekes, Boston has several suitors for Trent Frederic, a beast of a center who can move like lightning, throw the body, and be a great penalty killer. While he’s not the greatest at faceoffs, he’s certainly capable, and with more reps or perhaps different coaching; it could unlock a demon. There will, of course, be the issue of cap space, as Toronto would need to find an extra $2.3M to acquire him, however, they could dangle a variety of players to Boston who have some length on their deals like David Kampf, Calle Jarnkrok, or even part ways with Simon Benoit due to Jani Hakanpaa taking over his spot eventually. It would take more than that to acquire Frederic, and there are no doubts other teams will try to do their best to outbid each other. Brad Treliving needs to show he’s not intimidated by those offers and put together both a rational and cost-efficient trade package to entice the Bruins. For his career, Frederic has played in 293 games since being Boston’s 29th overall pick in 2016. He exploded offensively in the last two seasons, scoring 35 goals and 71 points in that span. Adding him alongside Max Domi and McMann would give Toronto a fast, scary trio that would be able to both neutralize and capitalize on any mistakes. Brad Treliving will need to do a lot of work to acquire Trent Frederic, although it may be a small price to pay in the long run as Toronto can secure the coveted 3C they’ve been desperate for.
The Fallout 4 next-gen update is finally happening
MLB
Padres making major decision on manager Mike Shildt
The Padres are finalizing an extension with manager Mike Shildt that’ll keep him in San Diego through 2027, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller told reporters last month that the team would look to work out a new deal with their skipper, who signed a two-year contract when he was hired over the 2023-24 offseason. San Diego tasked Shildt with stabilizing the clubhouse after Bob Melvin’s departure. Tension between Melvin and Preller reportedly played a role in the former’s decision to leave the Padres and take the managerial role in San Francisco. The Padres considered a few external candidates but opted to turn the reins to Shildt, who had been in the player-development department for the preceding two seasons. That came on a relatively short two-year commitment. Shildt oversaw an excellent rebound year after the Friars had underperformed during Melvin’s final season. The Padres went 93-69 to secure the top wild-card spot in the National League. They won 11 more games than they had in ’23 despite trading Juan Soto and losing Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Nick Martinez in free agency. It’s certainly not all a testament to the managerial change. The front office hit on the Soto return that landed Michael King and indirectly enabled them to acquire Dylan Cease. The Jurickson Profar signing was probably the best value pickup of the offseason. Jackson Merrill had a fantastic rookie year. The Padres also simply played better in one-run and extra-inning contests after faring terribly in those regards during the previous season. All that said, it’s not hard to see why the Padres are making a longer commitment to Shildt after that season. San Diego played fantastic ball down the stretch and proved the Dodgers’ biggest challenge on their championship run. The Padres pushed L.A. to the brink of elimination in the Division Series after sweeping the Braves in the wild-card round. Their season ended on a sour note, as Dodger pitching shut them out in consecutive games to win the series, but that was by far the closest anyone came to threatening Los Angeles. Seeing the Dodgers fairly easily knock off the Mets and Yankees to win the World Series hammers home how close the Padres were to fielding a championship-caliber roster in their own right. Before landing in San Diego, Shildt spent three-plus seasons managing the Cardinals. He led St. Louis to a pair of 90-win campaigns and three straight playoff appearances between 2019-21. The Cards surprisingly moved on from him after the ’21 season, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak citing philosophical differences between Shildt and the front office. The 56-year-old has been fortunate to work with talented rosters, but his teams have posted excellent results at both stops. Shildt carries a career 345-268 managerial record, resulting in a .563 win percentage that translates to a roughly 91-win pace over a full season.
Cardinals Vet Predicted To Cut Ties With St. Louis For $13M Blue Jays Deal
There are a handful of St. Louis Cardinals veterans hitting free agency this winter.
St. Louis recently cut ties with veteran hurlers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson by turning down the duo’s club options for the 2025 season. There’s always a chance that either could return to the Cardinals on a lower deal, but it shouldn’t be considered likely. Gibson will be a highly sought-after free agent this winter. He was steady for the Cardinals this season and was everything the team could’ve hoped for.
Gibson certainly will have a solid market this winter and MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams predicted he will sign with the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year, $13 million deal. “Kyle Gibson: One year, $13MM,” MLB Trade Rumors posted. “Tim: Angels / Anthony: Rangers / Darragh: Nationals / Steve: Blue Jays. Gibson’s mantra may as well be “have innings, will travel.”
The only two pitchers with more innings dating back to 2014 are Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole. Gibson was a fixture in the rotation for the Twins, who selected him in the first round of the ’09 draft, from 2014-19. He’s since pitched for four different clubs and is now likely to land with a new club yet again after the rebuilding Cardinals began their offseason by declining his 2025 club option… “St.
Louis didn’t decline Gibson’s option due to anything performance-related. It was a move solely designed to reduce payroll and open innings for younger arms. Gibson did everything they could’ve asked in 2024, starting 30 games and turning in a solid 4.24 ERA with a 20.9 percent strikeout rate, 9.4 percent walk rate, and 44.8 percent grounder rate.
Since breaking in as a full-time starter, Gibson has been a regular source of 29+ starts per year, only falling shy in 2020 (when he started a full slate of 12 games in the shortened schedule) and in 2016, when he started 25 games.” Don’t be shocked if Gibson signs elsewhere this winter.
Leave a Reply