TEMPE – Veteran linebacker Clark Haggans was the biggest name on the casualty list when the Cardinals trimmed their roster to 53 players on Friday. In all, the Cards made 22 roster moves, releasing 18 players while placing running back Javarris James (knee) and quarterback Rich Bartel (shoulder) on injured reserve and waiving injured linebacker Brandon Williams (shoulder) and receiver Stephen Williams (Achilles).
Haggans became a free agent after last season but re-signed with the club in the offseason and participated in some of the club’s OTAs and mini-camp. But the development of the club’s young linebacker depth, coupled with the fact that Arizona only kept one reserve outside linebacker (free-agent pickup Quentin Groves) spelled the end of Haggans’ four-year tenure in Arizona.
With Groves the lone backup outside linebacker, the Cardinals could be looking to add a player at the position when they sift through other teams’ cuts.
“I want to alert everyone that we are going to be looking for opportunities to improve our team,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said Friday.
Among other notable roster moves was the fact that Arizona kept only five receivers, including rookie LaRon Byrd, while cutting 2011 seventh-round pick DeMarco Sampson. Running back William Powell’s strong preseason convinced the Cards to keep him instead of Alfonso Smith.
The Cardinals also cut offensive tackle D.J. Young, whose brief cameo as a starter apparently convinced the Cardinals it was time to part ways.
Here is the complete list of cuts:
--Linebackers Clark Haggans; Antonio Coleman; Colin Parker; Quan Strudivant;
--Cornerbacks Crezdon Butler; Larry Parker;
--Safety Blake Gideon;
--Guard Russ Hochstein;
--Tackles Ricky Lumpkin; D.J. Young;
--Wide receiver DeMarco Sampson; Isaiah Williams;
--Tight ends Steve Skelton; Martell Webb;
--Running back: Alfonso Smith;
--Defensive ends: Ronald Talley; Everrett Thompson;
--Center: Scott Wedige.
The Cardinals will begin to announce their eight-man practice squad on Saturday. Among the candidates are Gideon, Larry Parker and Colin Parker, an Arizona State product.
LEVI BROWN WON’T RETURN
The NFL announced on Thursday that it has altered its injured reserved rules, allowing teams to re-activate one player each season from IR. There was some thought the Cards might use that exception for left tackle Levi Brown, who was placed on injured reserve last week following surgery to repair a torn triceps tendon.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said as late as 3 p.m. on Friday that the club had not decided, but the Cards had to make a decision by Friday evening and elected to keep Brown on injured reserve, ending his season.
Injuries of Brown’s nature typically take at least three months to rehabilitate, meaning he would not have returned before late November at the earliest. That would have been a major gamble to take. Even if Brown came back on that time schedule, he’d have to shake off a lot of rust. If the rehab took longer, the Cards would have wasted the exception so the move seemed logical.
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