Bird Droppings: Chandler Jones wants more, Cardinals and the playoffs, Johnson is going to get paid and more

Happy Thursday one and all, welcome to the morning Bird Droppings.

While the NFL is on pause, there is still plenty of Arizona Cardinals news to start your day off with.

Let’s get to it.

NFL Players on the Verge of Huge Paydays | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights
The NFL 's salary cap has risen by 43 percent since 2013, which means that a lot of the players who either entered the league or signed their current contracts at or around that time are in for some rather wild raises based solely on cap inflation...

Chandler Jones seeking more sacks, not more recognition – ProFootballTalk
Five voters thought Chandler Jones deserved the league defensive player of the year award last season. While it's hard to argue with the choice of Aaron Donald, Jones hasn't gotten his due. Jones, one of the league's best pass rushers, was only 28th on NFL Network's Top 100 list.

Five reasons why the Cardinals will make the 2018 NFL playoffs - NFL.com
With a mixture of veterans (Larry Fitzgerald) and newcomers (Sam Bradford), can new head coach Steve Wilks get the Cardinals back to the playoffs? Adam Rank lists five reasons why Arizona will be play in the postseason.

Christian Kirk expects Sam Bradford to start the opener – ProFootballTalk
The Cardinals have said it without coming right out and saying it: They expect Sam Bradford to begin the season as the starter. It's why they signed him in free agency. The Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick as the future.

3 things to know about Cardinals QB Sam Bradford away from football | Cards Wire
He loves the outdoors and loves to golf.

Larry Fitzgerald rated 7th among No. 1 WRs in league | Cards Wire
In fact, he paces the entire NFL in targets (1,469), receptions (904) and receiving yards (11,001) over the past decade.

David Johnson’s exclusion from NFL Top 100 makes sense in a way | Cards Wire
He missed almost all of 2017 and players voted at the end of the 2017 season.

Former Cardinals defensive lineman arrested on drug charges | Cards Wire
Keith McCants played a season and a half with the Cardinals in 1994 and 1995.

74 days until Week 1: Remembering No. 74 Reggie Wells | Cards Wire
Wells started 90 games from 2003-2009.

USA Today: Cardinals have the fourth best backup quarterback group
USA Today's Nate Davis ranked every NFL's teams backup quarterback and there readiness to fill-in should the starting quarterback get injured.

The Ringer: It's now or never for Cardinals' Robert Nkemdiche
The fact of the matter is Cardinals third-year DT Robert Nkemdiche's lack of pop on the field hasn't taken the talk away from his off-beat personality that itself hasn't led to any more concerns about his future in the NFL.