Urban: Cards agree on deal with cornerback Macklin
By Darren Urban, Tribune
The Cardinals kept their free-agent focus on the defense Tuesday, agreeing to a three-year deal with cornerback David Macklin while trying hard to get linebacker Dwayne Rudd’s name on a contract.
The free agent linebacker, in town for his visit Tuesday, is expected to eventually stay in Arizona to play for Dennis Green, who coached him in Minnesota. “We’re working on it, but I don’t think (the Rudd deal) will happen tonight,” vice president of football operations Rod Graves said Tuesday evening.
Rudd, in Tampa Bay last season, was supposed to meet with the media but declined until his situation was resolved. Macklin is expected in town today to sign. Terms of his deal were not released. There was irony in the fact that Rudd’s agent, Mitch Frankel, was already busy Tuesday because of an ex-Cardinal. Receiver David Boston, another Frankel client, was told by San Diego he could work out a trade, because the Chargers don’t want him anymore, just a year after signing him away from the Cardinals as a free agent.
Frankel did not return a phone message.
Macklin, a 5-foot-9, 196-pounder who played for Indianapolis last season, replaces David Barrett, who signed a $21 million deal with the New York Jets as a free agent. Depending on who the Cards draft at cornerback, Macklin is expected to compete with Renaldo Hill for a starting job opposite Duane Starks.
The Cards might also soon have to make sure Hill sticks around. He is a restricted free agent who received the low tender offer of $628,000 from Arizona. That means any team that signs Hill would only have to give up a seventh-round draft pick in return. The Cards would have seven days to match any offer.
Hill is probably best suited for a nickel role. But these days, with huge dollars being thrown at the position — he outplayed Barrett last season, and Barrett still got his money — teams will be tempted to sign him.
Hill said his agent has talked to a handful of teams but has told Hill to be patient. No visits have been scheduled as of yet, and the Cardinals cannot really afford to lose him even with the signing of Macklin.
“I was really expecting to be around here a long time,” said Hill, who said the Cards did make an attempt to sign him to an extension during the season. “My agent said it grabbed people’s attention when I was low-tendered.”
Rudd was cut by Tampa Bay March 2 for salary cap reasons. He was scheduled to make $1.72 million, too much for a player who made just two starts and had only 14 tackles last season. He would compete with Levar Fisher for a starting job if he signs.
EXTRA POINT: The agent for receiver/kick returner Reggie Swinton said he is continuing to negotiate with the Cardinals. But, Drew Pittman said, the current offer to the restricted free agent would be too easy for Detroit to match so as it stands, Swinton will not sign it.
By Darren Urban, Tribune
The Cardinals kept their free-agent focus on the defense Tuesday, agreeing to a three-year deal with cornerback David Macklin while trying hard to get linebacker Dwayne Rudd’s name on a contract.
The free agent linebacker, in town for his visit Tuesday, is expected to eventually stay in Arizona to play for Dennis Green, who coached him in Minnesota. “We’re working on it, but I don’t think (the Rudd deal) will happen tonight,” vice president of football operations Rod Graves said Tuesday evening.
Rudd, in Tampa Bay last season, was supposed to meet with the media but declined until his situation was resolved. Macklin is expected in town today to sign. Terms of his deal were not released. There was irony in the fact that Rudd’s agent, Mitch Frankel, was already busy Tuesday because of an ex-Cardinal. Receiver David Boston, another Frankel client, was told by San Diego he could work out a trade, because the Chargers don’t want him anymore, just a year after signing him away from the Cardinals as a free agent.
Frankel did not return a phone message.
Macklin, a 5-foot-9, 196-pounder who played for Indianapolis last season, replaces David Barrett, who signed a $21 million deal with the New York Jets as a free agent. Depending on who the Cards draft at cornerback, Macklin is expected to compete with Renaldo Hill for a starting job opposite Duane Starks.
The Cards might also soon have to make sure Hill sticks around. He is a restricted free agent who received the low tender offer of $628,000 from Arizona. That means any team that signs Hill would only have to give up a seventh-round draft pick in return. The Cards would have seven days to match any offer.
Hill is probably best suited for a nickel role. But these days, with huge dollars being thrown at the position — he outplayed Barrett last season, and Barrett still got his money — teams will be tempted to sign him.
Hill said his agent has talked to a handful of teams but has told Hill to be patient. No visits have been scheduled as of yet, and the Cardinals cannot really afford to lose him even with the signing of Macklin.
“I was really expecting to be around here a long time,” said Hill, who said the Cards did make an attempt to sign him to an extension during the season. “My agent said it grabbed people’s attention when I was low-tendered.”
Rudd was cut by Tampa Bay March 2 for salary cap reasons. He was scheduled to make $1.72 million, too much for a player who made just two starts and had only 14 tackles last season. He would compete with Levar Fisher for a starting job if he signs.
EXTRA POINT: The agent for receiver/kick returner Reggie Swinton said he is continuing to negotiate with the Cardinals. But, Drew Pittman said, the current offer to the restricted free agent would be too easy for Detroit to match so as it stands, Swinton will not sign it.
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