Arizona Cardinals: Odds Each Cards' Undrafted Free Agent Makes the 53-Man Roster

Let’s begin by stating that last year, when the team needed talent, no undrafted free-agent rookie made the Arizona Cardinals’ 53-man roster.

Now it’s one year later, and the chances that one squeaks into one of the final spots is even slimmer. Of course, it’s always possible someone blows the mind of every coach on the field while at training camp.

But the last undrafted free-agent rookie to make the team out of camp was quarterback Max Hall—and that ended more poorly than that time a man ran through the lion exhibit at a zoo dressed in a suit of raw meat. (I don’t have a video for that. I’m not even sure it’s happened before. If there were video, you wouldn’t want to see it…OK, yes you would. And so would I.)

Anyway, here are the Arizona Cardinals undrafted free agents, their stories and what chances they have—if any—of making the final cut in early September.

(Note: Four other UFA rookies made Arizona’s 53-man roster in 2009. The others didn’t fit into the bit, however.)

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Stanley Arukwe, WR, 6’0”, 190

Arukwe began his college experience at Modesto Junior College, but not as a football player. He was a world-class sprinter at first, running two years for the Pirates before transferring to Troy University.

While at Troy, Arukwe ran the 100, 200 and 400-meters for the track team, even earning three medals at the Sun Belt Championships in 2010.

He played only one season of football at Troy. While he didn’t score a touchdown, he was able to showcase his speed and become somewhat of a deep threat. He finished his senior year with 12 receptions for 231 yards and 19.3 yards per catch—an average that no doubt stuck out to GM Rod Graves and head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

At his Pro Day, Arukwe ran the 40-yard dash in an insane 4.19 seconds. That’s not too much a surprise considering his track background; however, that kind of speed could be dangerous a few times per season out of the slot.

Should Arukwe make the final roster, he would not be an every-down receiver.

He would be used mainly on special teams, where he also stood out during his one-and-only season with Troy football. A gunner with that kind of speed would be valuable to a team with an old, washed-up punter. Luckily for Arukwe, that’s just what Arizona is.

He will have to battle DeMarco Sampson, Stephen Williams, Jaymar Johnson and the next receiver on this list for one of the final receiver spots on the roster. The likelihood that happens is slim.

Chances of making the squad: 10 percent

Broderick Binns, LB, 6’0”, 261

Binns is an interesting case. He was a fairly productive pass-rusher while at Iowa, recording 26 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and 21 batted passes in four seasons from the defensive end position.

He will play at outside linebacker during his time with the team. How long he is with the team is unknown, but I don’t foresee it being a very tenured stay. His time with the Cardinals is likely limited since the signing of former Oakland Raiders linebacker Quinton Groves.

He may, however, make the practice squad if coaches like what they see from him at training camp.

Chances of making the squad: Five percent

LaRon Byrd, WR, 6’4”, 220

I expected Byrd to be drafted somewhere in the late rounds. The former University of Miami Hurricane wasn’t invited to the combine, but at his Pro Day, he ran well, taking down the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.

Though Byrd is not a deep threat, his big body makes him a good asset in medium-yardage situations. He has the ability to run routes over the middle and come away with the football more often than not.

He was not overly productive at Miami, but he was solid.

Byrd is a possession receiver through and through. It’s what he does, and it’s what he will always do. He caught 106 passes for 1,254 yards (11.8 YPC) and seven touchdowns in his four-year college career.

Scouts Inc. says he is unselfish, has good work ethic, is an above-average route runner for his size, can adjust to footballs thrown outside his frame and is strong and tough enough to block at a high level for an NFL receiver.

I like this kid, and he could eventually challenge to be included in a regular rotation at receiver somewhere in the League.

Chances of making the squad: 45 percent

Braeden Clayson, OG, 6’5”, 314

There isn’t much on Clayson. The former Idaho State offensive lineman is versatile, though, and versatility always helps guys fill depth along the line.

He played in 42 games as a Bengal, starting 30 of those games. He’s lined up at left tackle, left guard and right tackle, so from that standpoint, he could be of some use—if not as simply a camp body.

It will be difficult for Clayson to crack the 53-man roster at any point in time, given how many linemen will be fighting for roster spots. It’s not even certain if Arizona’s seventh-round pick, OT Nate Potter, will make the team, and many saw him as a middle-round pick before the draft unfolded.

There are always extreme situations that force players one way or the other, so anything can happen at this point. For all intents and purposes, however, Clayson will likely never make Arizona’s 53-man roster.

Chances of making the squad: 0.5 percent

Jared Crank, FB, 6’2”, 251

Crank, a former Purdue University fullback, is reportedly still recovering from shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, which took place before the 2011 college season.

That may be one big reason he went undrafted.

He ran a 4.6 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and cranked out (pun intended) 16 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Arizona carries only one fullback on its roster, and with second-year FB Anthony Sherman filling the position well, Crank’s presence on the roster is merely to give the second team a fullback with which to work, saving Sherman from having to pull double-duty.

Chance of making the squad: Zero percent

Blake DeChristopher, OG, 6’5”, 305

Virginia Tech’s left tackle position was the four-year home for DeChristopher. He started 51 of 52 games in which he played, including all 28 throughout his junior and senior seasons.

Following his senior season, he was awarded the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which “has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player voted the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators.”

DeChristopher is the first Hokies lineman to win the award.

Other winners include current NFL players Rodney Hudson (Florida State), Eugene Monroe (Virginia) and Eric Winston (Miami). Monroe and Winston are two of the best tackles in the League.

DeChristopher averaged nearly 10 knockdown blocks per game as a senior (h/t Mike Jones, Washington Post), so it is perhaps a bit of a surprise he wasn’t drafted at all.

In fact, he is the first winner of the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy to go undrafted since former Florida State tackle Tarlos Thomas in 2001.

Whether he makes the 53-man or not is unknown, but if he doesn’t, he likely won’t stick around on the practice squad. A team is sure to claim him.

Chance of making the squad: 20 percent

Tevita Finau, DE, 6’4”, 288

Finau was a star at local Phoenix College before transferring first to West Virginia, then to Utah.

In two seasons at Utah, he collected 42 tackles and three sacks in 21 career games. He played in all 13 games in 2011, starting five.

Finau has a chance to make the team as a rookie only because of depth issues along the defensive line. With five linemen currently on the roster, there is room for at least one more. Vonnie Holliday still might be re-signed, and if that happens, Finau’s chances drop considerably.

Chances of making the squad: 33 percent

Blake Gideon, S, 6’0”, 208

There’s a lot of safety depth on the Cardinals roster right now. Behind Wilson and Rhodes, there’s Rashad Johnson, free-agent signee James Sanders and 2012 sixth-round draft pick Justin Bethel.

Gideon will get a shot to impress, but all he can hope for is a practice squad spot at this point.

He produced in all four seasons at the University of Texas, totaling 223 tackles, two sacks and 10 interceptions—including six picks during his sophomore season of 2009.

Chances of making the squad: Two percent

Tre Gray, WR, 5’10”, 180

This AP All-American third team receiver played his college career at Richmond, where he set school records of 95 receptions for 1,187 yards his senior year. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will be a hit in the league, however.

To go along with being small, he is not fast (4.58 40-yard dash at his Pro Day) and not strong (12 reps of 225 at PD).

That’s a bad combination for a receiver wanting to make an NFL roster. If he makes the practice squad, he will be lucky.

Chances of making the squad: Zero percent

Marcus McGraw, LB, 5’10”, 236

This former University of Houston middle linebacker is a tackling machine.

He’s not the biggest, fastest or strongest linebacker of his class, but he works hard and has a high football IQ. He started all 53 games during his four-year college career, setting a Houston school record with 510 tackles.

McGraw racked up an impressive 156 tackles his sophomore season of 2009, and 141 more his senior season. He topped 100 tackles in all four years and recorded nine sacks over that time.

Given his height, it will be difficult for him to make the initial 53-man roster. He is built like Zach Thomas and shows natural instincts just like the former Miami Dolphins fifth-round pick. With such a deep pool of talent at inside linebacker, he must do a ton of impressing—and perhaps some kissing up—during OTAs and camp in order to end up in a Cardinals’ uniform Sundays this fall.

Chances of making the squad: Eight percent

Zack Nash, LB, 6’3”, 252

Nash attended Sacramento State University and was productive as a pass-rusher.

He set a school record with 29.5 career sacks, including a single-season record 13 as a junior. He finished fifth in school history with 40.5 tackles for loss and started all 42 games in which he played.

Nash is not a speed rusher by any means, as he ran a 4.88 40-yard dash at Sacramento State’s Pro Day.

He put up only 18 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press; however, he has a big frame, and strength coach John Lott is the best in the business at getting what he needs out of players. He can turn a poor, weak soul into a devastating killing machine with quick turnaround, so the bench number is not a worry.

Due to the need for pass-rush depth (pending the re-signing of Clark Haggans), Nash’s chances are actually pretty decent should he do all the right things between now and the end of preseason.

Chances of making the squad: 30 percent

James Nixon, CB, 6’0”, 178

Originally a three-year player at Temple University, Nixon transferred to California (PA.) University for his senior season.

He’s listed as a corner, and that’s likely what he will play at the next level, but he did it all while in college. He started only two games as a corner, but also played as a receiver on offense, and a running back as well.

At his Pro Day, he blazed a 4.31 40-yard dash while putting up 14 reps of 225. Solid numbers from a solid player.

With such versatility, there may just be a place somewhere on the roster for Nixon, even if he doesn’t have an official home position.

Chances of making the squad: 35 percent

Conrad Obi, DE, 6’3”, 290

Obi attended the University of Colorado, but did not gain much playing time until his senior season.

He can play both the end and defensive tackle spots, and in the Cards’ 3-4, that could potentially come in handy someday.

He is not a pass-rusher, but more of a space-filler along the line, and that’s a good thing to have if you’re defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Obi will not make the 53-man roster as a rookie, and may not initially in his second season (provided he’s still with the team), but down the road with some development, he can have a productive career as a nose tackle.

Chances of making the squad: Zero percent

Colin Parker, LB, 6’1”, 233

A hybrid outside/inside linebacker, Parker led Arizona State in tackles with 75 his senior year. Parker works hard and has decent instincts.

He ran a 4.75 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, which is not great. For such an undersized linebacker, he will need to impress both on and off the field to be in consideration for one of the 53 spots.

Chances of making the squad: 2.5 percent

Paul Vassallo, LB, 6’3”, 247

Vassallo was productive in his two-year stay at the University of Arizona. His final season saw him total 102 tackles, and he gathered 175 over his Wildcats career.

He didn’t perform very well at his Pro Day, running a 4.86 40-yard dash and benching 225 only 16 times. He’s athletic, though, and plays faster than he looks. At 247, he has a lot of room to add bulk and will need to in order to make an NFL roster.

Personally, I would take Zach Nash over Vassallo, and if Nash does make the team, that likely means Vassallo does not.

Practice squad: Likely.

Chances of making the squad: Five percent

Scott Wedige, C, 6’4”, 300

Let’s get out of the way that you first read Mr. Wedige’s name as “Wedgie,” because I did too, and it made me chuckle.

Anyway, Scott was a second-team All-American at Northern Illinois as a senior and earned first-team All-MAC both years in which he started.

At his Pro Day (which was taped), he ran a 5.14 40-yard dash and produced 25 reps in the bench press. He possesses good footwork, keeps a low base and his slide steps are quick enough to be effective in the pass-rush.

A 2011 undrafted rookie center, Ryan Bartholomew out of Syracuse (now in his second year), spent all of last season on the practice squad. Arizona kept only one center—Lyle Sendlein—on the roster in 2011; it’s unlikely they change that for the upcoming year.

Chances of making the squad: Zero percent

Marc Wilson, WR, 5’11”, 190

Wilson owns St. Anselm College’s school records with 211 receptions, 2,149 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. He also collected 1,626 yards rushing and 11 more touchdowns.

He ran well at his Pro Day, posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds. NFLDraftScout.com says Wilson ran the 20-yard shuttle in 2.55 seconds, but that would likely be an all-time record, considering the best time at the Combine since 2006 was by former Tennessee Volunteers and current Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Jason Allen, and he ran a 3.81.

There is little room for an undrafted free agent receiver on the roster, as mentioned earlier, so if Wilson wants a place on the practice squad (which will also be full of receivers), he should think about doing special things at camp.

Chances of making the squad: Zero percent