Arizona Cardinals bring change to punters, sign Blake Gillikin, cut Nolan Cooney

The Arizona Cardinals made a big move on Tuesday, releasing pitcher Nolan Cooney and in turn signing shortstop Blake Gillikin.

From the group:

The Arizona Cardinals announced today that the team has signed pitcher Blake Gillikin and signed safety Joey Blount (Blunt) to the active practice squad roster.

Additionally, the team released punter Nolan Cooney and signed defensive lineman Phil Hoskins to the practice squad. The signing took place today at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals training facility in Tempe, Arizona.

Gillikin (6-2, 196) has started all 34 games for the New Orleans Saints over the past two seasons (2021-22) after initially joining the team in 2020 as a rookie free agent educated from Penn State. With the Saints, Gillikin completed 160 punts for 7,527 yards (47.0 yard average) with 61 punts at the 20-yard line. In 2022, he threw 77 punts for a total average of 46.4 yards and set a Saints franchise record with 32 punts inside the 20-yard line. His 32 punts at the 20-yard line last season ranked fourth in the NFL. Gillikin, 25, was released by the Saints after training camp.

Hoskins (6-5, 315) has played eight games for Carolina over the past two seasons after entering the league with the Panthers as a seventh-round pick (232nd overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Kentucky . He played in five games last season after appearing in three as a rookie with Carolina and totaled six tackles and one sack. Hoskins, 26, spent the preseason with Kansas City.

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Like Seal Team Six, the Arizona Cardinals faced the Cincinnati Bengals in all-black uniforms for the first time this season.

After wearing red uniforms for three games and debuting the new white threads last week in San Francisco, the Blacks will make their debut in Week 5.

The Cardinals wore black helmets during last year’s preseason and on Thursday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints, the only home game they won last season. Hopefully the new look will inspire a Cardinals team hoping to continue building momentum after beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 and playing the NFC West-leading 49ers for three of four last week.

“They say when you have a black air force, they make you a threat. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish this week,” defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter told reporters. “We love wires. They say look good, feel good, play good, so we try to do that.

The Cardinals face the reeling Cincinnati Bengals, who are off to a limp 1-3 start. The Bengals will wear white jerseys with black pants and traditional orange helmets with black stripes.

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Arizona Cardinals outfielder Kyler Murray was eligible to be activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list this week, but the Cardinals did not activate him.

Exactly when the Cardinals will activate Murray remains one of the league’s most intriguing mysteries — not least because Murray is recovering from the ACL tear in his left knee suffered last December, but also because his long-term future with the franchise is at least as interesting. a question as to its short-term prospects.

A new general manager and coaching staff took over Arizona this season and they have no history or loyalty to Murray. But they have the task of rebuilding the franchise from the ground up. They have amassed massive capital in the 2024 draft, including two first-round picks, and have something of a cap space to create for the Cardinals’ future. But the reason the roster isn’t completely empty is Murray, who signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension before the 2022 season and is under contract with the Cardinals through 2028.