Cardinals Save Over $10 Million with Latest Roster Moves

Changes are coming across the board for the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. They’ve already hired Mike LaFleur to be their new head coach, and it looks like starting quarterback Kyler Murray will be released once the new league year gets underway. However, those two big moves may only be the tip of the iceberg.

With a rebuild appearing to be on the horizon, the Cardinals are looking to turn over several areas of their roster. That includes on the defensive side of the ball, where the front office made a pair of decisions involving the futures of defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither, both of whom were previously signed in free agency.

Cardinals Release Bilal Nichols and Akeem Davis-Gaither

Considering how the Cardinals won only three games last season, it’s safe to say that they made a fair share of moves that did not pan out for them. One of them was the signing of Nichols, who earned a three-year, $21 million contract from Arizona in free agency back in 2024 after putting together a pair of solid seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. Nichols played in just 11 games the past two years, making him a complete bust for the Cardinals.

Last offseason, Arizona made another move to reinforce its defense when it signed Davis-Gaither to a two-year, $11 million contract. Gaither-Davis ended up putting together the best season of his career, as he racked up 117 tackles, one interception, five passes defended, and one forced fumble.

At this stage of the offseason, the Cardinals are looking for ways to clear up cap space, which led them to Nichols and Davis-Gaither. With neither guy being open to restructuring their contract, the front office decided to part ways with both of them, saving over $10 million in cap space in the process.

“The Cardinals have released DT Bilal Nichols and LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, clearing over $10M in cap space. They were both former FA signings,” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared in a post on X.

Cardinals Continue to Prepare for Free Agency

GettyThe Cardinals have released Bilal Nichols and Akeem Davis-Gaither ahead of free agency

Seeing Nichols get released is one of the least surprising moves in recent memory, as he simply did not pan out for this team. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but that’s simply how things play out in the NFL. Davis-Gaither was solid against the run, but he remains one of the worst coverage linebackers in the league, as he allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a 127.7 passer rating on passes where he was the closest man in coverage, which is an ugly figure.

Unsurprisingly, the Cardinals want to find upgrades at both spots, so releasing these guys and creating cap space that can be used to bring superior players to town makes a lot of sense. Now that they are gone, though, the front office needs to make sure it puts these cap savings to good use, or else it will struggle to find its way out of the basement of the NFC West standings.

Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli