After a well-received draft, in which general manager, Monti Ossenfort managed to manoeuvre the board to pick a whopping 7 times in the first 90 picks and still take ‘generational’ receiver prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr., with the 4th overall pick, the Arizona Cardinals are not yet done with additions to their roster.
Arizona Cardinals With Biggest Draft Class In 2024, Including 4 3rd Round Picks
The Arizona Cardinals acquired two 3rd round picks in 2024 from moves made in the 2023 Draft with the Houston Texans – who moved up to select Will Anderson Jr. with the 3rd overall pick, and the Tennessee Titans, who picked potential quarterback of the future, Will Levis, at #33.
They also picked up an additional one in this year’s draft, moving back from 35 to 43 with the Atlanta Falcons, who selected defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, picking up #79 in the process – leading to the eventual 4 (!!) 3rd rounders they selected in this past draft.
3rd round picks are notoriously fickle and unpredictable, with a reasonable amount turning into multi year starters and even Pro Bowler quality, cornerstone players. Yet, just as many end up as total busts who survive less than a couple of years in the NFL.
So, needless to say, the quality of the selections of this past 3rd round will have a major impact on the trajectory of this Cardinals team for the foreseeable future and beyond.
Arizona Cardinals Still Looking For More Reinforcements On Their Roster
But, moving back to the present, the Arizona Cardinals are trying their best to make a concerted effort to rebuild the team that went a miserable 4-13 in 2023, despite looking better than their record in the final few weeks of the season.
And their latest piece of the jigsaw is none other than former 7th round pick and ex Cincinnati Bengals linebacker special teams ace, Markus Bailey, who has stood out as one of the foremost non-returners on teams over the past two seasons, per Ian Rapoport.
The #AZCardinals are signing former #Bengals LB Markus Bailey to a 1-year deal, source said. Bailey was a core special teamer for Cincinnati with 20 ST tackles over the past two seasons.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 7, 2024
Markus Bailey Has Found His New Home
Bailey has done well for a player drafted with the 215th pick back in 2020. Whilst many of his fellow 7th round class-men are no longer NFL players, Bailey has carved out a nice niche for himself as a special teams stud, amassing 20 tackles over the past 2 seasons.
Whilst this is not a completely franchise-altering move, it is certainly a nice addition for a Cardinals team that is certainly looking to improve in all 3 phases of the game, and challenge in the once again competitive NFC West, where the LA Rams and Seattle Seahawks are shaping up to be formidable opponents alongside last year’s NFC Champion, the San Francisco 49ers.
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