clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Arizona Cardinals Daryn Colledge a possible cap hit casualty?

The team already bit the bullet with the release of fellow positional player, Adam Snyder. Could they play Russian Roulette by releasing the other starting guard?

Christian Petersen

Most Arizona Cardinals' fans wanted the Big 3 offensive tackles to fall them to the team in last week's NFLdraft. It would ensure a starting left tackle - supposedly for years to come, even it meant moving incumbent Levi Brown to to right tackle or guard. But Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel and Lane Johnson went in the top 5 and the team and it's fans were "relegated" to North Carolina's guard Jonathan Cooper - a provocative pick since no guard had been chosen in the top ten since 1997.

But how things have changed in little more than a week. Fisher will be moved to right tackle opposite Brandon Albert, Joeckel will do the same mirroring Eugene Monroe and Johnson will move over because of left tackle Jason Peters. Can't think of a recent draft where players that were picked in the top 5 won't be playing the position they predominantly did in college.

Which leads me to Cooper and Colledge.

Obviously, with Jonathan being selected this high, he's going to start. But at left guard or right? With the Snyder cut, the opening is there and it seems like cut and dry. But Arians stated when hired, that backup tackles Robert Massie and Nate Potter could play guard. Earl Watford was drafted in the fourth round as a guard and you still have leftover draft choice from last year, Senio Kelemete.

Would it be out of the realm of possibility, to see the Cardinals eat Colledge's salary, similar to Snyder's and move a youngster in that slot? Daryn, like Adam is on the wrong side of 30, one of the lower pass-blocking guards (according to Pro Football Focus) and has a prohibitive salary. While there would be dead money, the team would absorb as being extremely substantial - the club has already proven they're not afraid to eat contracts.

Personally, I don't see the move, but stranger things have happened.

And that's just in the 90 days since the Super Bowl ended.