In a post draft press conference, Assistant GM Dave Sears noted the Arizona Cardinals were not in a need to pursue many undrafted free agents as they are already near the limit of 90 players.
After adding seven new players in free agency and making twelve selections in the 2024 NFL Draft this is no surprise.
Still, the Cardinals did move quickly after the third day of the draft ended to bring in three undrafted free agents they think might make the team better. Of course, it is always an uphill climb for these players to make the final 53-man roster, but the team sees something in them that warrants bringing them in to fight for a spot.
Remember the No-Fly Zone and S Tony Jefferson? He was an undrafted free agent. Remember interception machine, S Kwamie Lassiter, who picked off the Chargers four times in one game to secure the team’s first playoff birth since moving to Arizona? Yeah, also an undrafted free agent. Lastly, remember Kurt Warner, the only quarterback in franchise history to lead the Cardinals to a Super Bowl? You guessed it. Undrafted free agent.
As much attention as the draft picks get, and deservedly so, it’s important to acknowledge and learn a bit about these undrafted free agents who have been given a chance to live out their dreams and play in the NFL.
WR Xavier Weaver
Xavier Weaver is a 6-foot-1, 170 pound wide receiver who played four seasons at South Florida before spending his fifth with Deion Sanders and Co. at Colorado.
In his last season he played in 11 games and proved a more than reliable target for QB Shedeur Sanders. He finished the season with 68 receptions for 908 yards, a career high for him, and 4 touchdowns. Those numbers made him the Buffaloes’ leading receiver in both receptions and yards.
Per Scott Procter of the Coloradoan, it was just the 10th time in Colorado history that a receiver finished a season with more than 60 receptions and 750 yards.
At South Florida he was the leading receiver in 2022 with 718 yards and 6 touchdowns and in 2021 with 715 yards but only 2 touchdowns.
According to Tom Pelissero, Weaver signed a deal on Saturday that included $225,000 in guaranteed money, a sign that the Cardinals have some genuine hope Weaver makes the final 53-man roster.
Weaver ran a 4.4s 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and falls into the new type of receiver the Cardinals seem to be targeting: tall and fast.
He will have tough competition to make the roster with No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison, Jr. and sixth rounder Tejhaun Palmer in the mix along with those already on the roster like Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Chris Moore, and Zach Pascal.
DT Myles Murphy
The Cardinals really doubled down on adding big guys to the defensive line after being injury-plagued and talent-devoid at that position in 2023.
DT Myles Murphy comes out of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill at 6-foot-4, 309 pounds.
Murphy played his entire collegiate career at UNC. After only playing in 7 games his freshman season, he proved incredibly durable the remainder of his time in Chapel Hill playing 13, 14, and 13 games in his respective sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
He was most productive as a sophomore in 2021 when he had 38 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. His output dropped his junior year and in his senior season he finished with only 24 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.
Although the numbers don’t impress much, watching Murphy changes your perception quickly. What he lacks in ability to put up numbers, he makes up for in his ability to occupy a guard or center while the play develops and not getting pushed into the second level. He is also more than capable of holding double teams, allowing opportunities for others players to make the tackle and add to their own stat lines.
Murphy was a projected sixth or seventh round pick but fell out and into the hands of the Cardinals who signed him after the draft wrapped up on Saturday.
Similar to Weaver, Murphy faces tough competition in a now crowded defensive line room. The Cardinals added Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones, and Khyiris Tonga in free agency and returns players like Dante Stills, Roy Lopez, and L.J. Collier. Additionally, the team spent the 27th overall pick of the draft on Darius Robinson (Missouri) who is predicted to mostly be used on the inside of the line.
Murphy’s path to the 53 is destined to be a tough one.
LS Joe Shimko
The Cardinals brought in Joe Shimko, a 6-foot, 220 lbs long snapper out of North Carolina State as an undrafted free agent.
While there are not many stats to throw out for a long snapper, in 61 career games Shimko did not have a bad snap in 607 attempts.
Shimko won the Patrick Mannelly Award in 2023 which is annually awarded to the best collegiate long snapper in the nation. He was also a semi-finalist for the award in the prior two seasons, all signs that he is widely considered one of the best available at an oft-ignored position.
The Cardinals currently have long-time long snapper Aaron Brewer on the roster. Like Shimko, he entered the league as a UDFA and signed with Denver in 2012. He joined the Cardinals in 2016 and has been with the team ever since.
In early free agency, Brewer signed a one-year deal to return to the Cardinals but will be 34 before the end of the season. Shimko looks like a practice squad candidate that the team hopes to keep around as the heir apparent for the aging Brewer.
