The Arizona Cardinals are heading into roster-cut day with a pair of veteran cornerbacks already out the door.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Cardinals are releasing Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas as they move toward their initial 53-man roster later today.
Murphy-Bunting had been trending toward a possible exit for a bit. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported he was a trade candidate in recent days, and the fit had already started to slip. He reworked his contract to remain with Arizona this offseason after spending time as a cut candidate, then moved into slot responsibilities while Garrett Williams was on the PUP list.
That arrangement changed once Williams recovered. Murphy-Bunting was pushed back into a reserve role, and his veteran presence and flexibility weren’t enough to save him.
Thomas’ release fits the picture too. He tore his ACL before last season and was still working his way back. With Williams, Will Johnson and Denzel Burke sitting at the top of a deeper cornerback group, Thomas had to make a real impression to stick.
He didn’t quite get there. His status looked shaky when he, along with Kei'Trel Clark and Elijah Jones, was still on the field deep into Arizona’s preseason finale in Green Bay. Clark appears to have the edge if the Cardinals keep five cornerbacks, with Max Melton also in the mix.
The moves clear nearly $2 million for Arizona, which now has until 3:00 PM to get down to 53 players.
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