Report: Gerald Hayes And Derek Anderson To Be Cut

Although the news about the Cardinals trading for Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton, or any other plans they have for acquiring a new Quarterback has been slow, we now have our first update on who will be cut on Thursday.

Per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, Gerald Hayes and Derek Anderson will be the first people the Cardinals cut on Thursday. Joey Porter could also be cut depending on who is brought in.

@KentSomers: As expected, Cardinals will release LB Gerald Hayes and QB Derek Anderson. Porter's future could be determined by what happens in FA.

With Derek Anderson, we all know why he was cut. After being brought in to compete with Matt Leinart last season, he wound up becoming the starter after Leinart was released, he then proceeded to struggle mightily completing only 51% of his passes for 2,065 yards, seven touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He wound up being benched for Max Hall (who then wound up being benched a couple games later), and following injuries to Anderson and Hall John Skelton finished out the season. Anderson's release has been expected since the season ended.

As for Hayes, he spent the first half of the season on the PUP list recovering from back surgery and he struggled following his return to the field leading to Hayes being a healthy scratch during the last couple of games as Daryl Washington and Paris Lenon wound up starting in his place at the two Middle Linebacker spots for the Cardinals.

With Porter, he struggled during the second half of the season after racking up five sacks through the first eight games he didn't get another one for the rest of the season. He also wound up playing a very high number of snaps limiting his effectiveness. Right now, Porter is safe because of a lack of depth at the Outside Linebacker position.

Anderson was set to earn a little over four million dollars in 2011, and Hayes was going to earn 4.25 million. The Cardinals can save 4.66 million dollars of cap space by cutting Porter.