The Arizona Cardinals haven't made a big splash in free agency yet, but the team has made a number of under the radar moves to help bring in some talent next season, including signing Rashard Mendenhall and releasing quarterback Kevin Kolb.
According to ESPN.com, the team signed Mendenhall to a one year deal and also brought in quarterback Drew Stanton on a three-year, $8.2 million contract, making the expected move of cutting Kevin Kolb even more likely. Last season the team struggled with Kolb, John Skelton and Ryan Lindley at quarterback and could use Stanton as either a starter or a backup for someone they draft or bring in.
Stanton said that he hopes he can get a chance to compete for the starting job and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said on ESPN Radio's "SVP and Russillo" show Thursday that he is confident new coach Bruce Arians will upgrade the position, enabling him to have a bounce back season after posting low numbers.
"We want to have some stability at the position. We want to have somebody that we know can lead for a couple of years and can try to get us back to the playoffs," he said. "I know that Coach Arians has a done a fantastic job of molding quarterbacks ... look what he was able to do with Andrew Luck last year."
Stanton was the backup under Arians and quarterback Andrew Luck last season with the Colts and had expressed interest in following him to the Cardinals. Stanton spent his first five season with the Lions and made four starts while appearing in 12 games, passing for 1,158 yards and five touchdowns with nine interceptions.
Over the past two years Stanton has not played in a game, but with Arians, he could get more of a shot. The main reason for bringing in Stanton had to do with Kolb, who is set to make a $2 million signing bonus and has a $9 million salary for next season after signing a big extension. The team is expecting to cut him after signing a number of players, including Mendenhall, cornerback Jerraud Powers, safety Yeremiah Bell and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander.
Kolb has been iffy as a starter, going 9-12 with 28 touchdowns and 25 interceptions, while last season he threw for 1,169 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in just six games. The team went just 5-11 and was one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
The team also brought in Brian Hoyer at quarterback and they still could bring in another name, as Matt Flynn could be acquired in a trade from Seattle. SI.com reported that the Seahawks would listen to offers and that a late round pick could suffice, meaning the Cardinals might want to make that deal if they feel he can be their quarterback of the future.
The team has a high draft pick and could select Geno Smith, but there is a chance they will want someone to bridge the gap from him to the next player and Flynn could be their guy. The Seahawks would take a $4 million cap hit if they trade him, but his salary is more than that after signing a three-year, $19.5-million deal before last season, but after Russell Wilson won the starting job, Flynn never got on the field.
The Cardinals were one of the worst offensive teams in football last season and could benefit from the addition of Flynn, who had an amazing game when he started for the Packers, throwing for a team record six touchdowns and nearly 500 yards in a win over the Lions. The Cardinals have been awful since Kurt Warner left and they could decide to take a chance on Flynn of they feel the draft doesn't have that game-changer like Robert Griffin or Andrew Luck.
