Taking A Look At The Salary Situation For The Arizona Cardinals

Kent Somers recently created a chart detailing all of the contracts for the players currently on the Arizona Cardinals roster. Not only does it include the undrafted free agents, but Somers also puts players that Arizona released earlier this year and the salary that was shed when they were cut. 

Looking at the chart, some of the numbers are right where we expect them to be, while others are slightly disturbing. After the jump, I will take a look at a few key players and why their salaries matter. 

As Kent mentioned in the comments section of his post, Kevin Kolb could realistically be cut after his first year without it causing huge financial damage. Obviously, this is unlikely to occur as the Cardinals gave up a lot to get him and will be looking to give him more than one year to prove himself.

But with a $3 million base salary over the next two seasons, Kolb's deal is not as loaded as I once thought. It is heavy towards the back end and if he is not playing at a high level, the Cardinals would have only paid out a large signing bonus ($10 million) and the base salary. This is good news for those still skeptical of Kevin's abilities. 

Somers also noted that Joey Porter's contract has been restructured so that he will only be making $1.5 million this year as opposed to $5.75 million. He also was forced to shed a year off of his contract, making him a free agent after the 2011 season. I am surprised Porter went along with this, but I am glad that he did so. He still provides a veteran presence and the ability to pressure the opposing quarterback when he is on his "A" game. 

Some other notes:

Deuce Lutui really took a hit in the wallet after failing his physical with the Cincinnati Bengals. One has to wonder if he can turn his weight problems around and remain effective. 

Levi Brown's cap hit is ridiculous. He is due to make approximately $9.4 million this season after signing a 6-year $62 million deal when he was drafted in 2007. If his play doesn't take a drastic turnaround this season, I would not expect the Cardinals to bring him back again. 

Clark Haggans is also making more than he probably should at $3.15 million this season. I am surprised Arizona did not force him to restructure his deal as well. 

Richard Marshall's $3.5 million one-year deal says a lot about what the Cardinals' front office thinks of him. They obviously believe he can be an impact player, so do not be surprised to see him shoot up the depth chart. 

In my opinion, Stewart Bradley, Daryn Colledge and Lyle Sendlein were all signed to very reasonable deals. If they can all stay healthy and remain effective, they can officially be labeled as bargains. 

We have to remember that the Cardinals now have $13.17 million in cap room for this season. If they make a deal with Larry Fitzgerald before the season starts, their cap room could increase even more. I don't expect them to use 99% of their available space (which they will be forced to do in 2013), but they could pick up a couple of nice players from the waiver wire once teams start cutting players. 

What do you think about this list Cardinals fans? Are there any other players/salaries that stick out to you?