The Cardinals have moved on from defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, a move that was coming but that is nevertheless stunning.
Primarily a cash/cap move, the Cardinals have opted to take the full cap charge in 2018. The team did not take advantage of the rule allowing the transaction to be processed as a post-June 1 designation, resulting in all remaining dead money hitting the cap in 2018.
That means he’ll count for $9.3 million, down from the $14.1 million charge if he were still on the roster. His salary of $10.75 million will be avoided, and he’ll be off the books in 2018.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals reportedly will pay Sam Bradford $20 million this year.
The Cardinals could have spread the cap hit over the next two years, with $3.1 million applying this year and $6.2 million next year. However, they would have had to carry the $14.1 million cap number through June 1.
The question now becomes whether Mathieu can get more on the open market than the best offer the Cardinals made on a reduced offer. Whatever the numbers, there surely will be a high level of interest in his services. He’s a great player and, as anyone who watched All or Nothing witnessed, a great presence and influence on other players in an organization.