logo
Arizona Cardinals sign second-round pick, CB Will Johnson, to rookie contract

Arizona Cardinals sign second-round pick, CB Will Johnson, to rookie contract

USA Today3 days ago
Johnson, the 47th overall pick in the draft this year, signs his rookie deal on the day he reports foro training camp.
✅ First day of training camp✅ Signs rookie contract pic.twitter.com/J35a6R7ybK
The Arizona Cardinals now have their entire 2025 draft class under contract. The one remaining unsigned player was cornerback Will Johnson, their second-round pick.
That is no longer the case. The team announced Tuesday that Johnson signed his four-year rookie contract.
Johnson was selected 47th overall out of Michigan. He was originally projected to be a first-round pick, some projecting him to go as high as the top 10. However, due to injury concerns, especially with some long-term concerns about a knee he had surgically repaired three years ago, led to him falling to the second round.
The second-round picks in this year's draft took the longest to sign. While first-round picks get fully guaranteed contracts, players selected in Round 2 can negotiate how much of their contract is guaranteed.
This year, for the first time, some players in the second round got fully guaranteed contracts.
We will see how many years of his salary ended up being guaranteed when the terms are released.
The Cardinals report for training camp on Tuesday, so Johnson is signed and set to compete for a starting job.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp
Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — If Shedeur Sanders is frustrated about not receiving any snaps with the first team during the first week of the Cleveland Browns' training camp, he isn't showing it. Sanders said on Friday that it is out of his control and not his place to answer why he has worked mainly with the third and fourth teams during the first three days of practice. 'I'm not even going to think about that or have that even in my thought process of why it is,' Sanders said. 'It doesn't make me feel down or it doesn't make me feel left out or anything because I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an individual, and I know what I could bring to this team.' Sanders — selected by the Browns in the fifth round after a precipitous fall in April's draft — did get some work with the second team for the first time on Friday. He had one of the best throws of the 80-minute practice on a completion down the middle to tight end Blake Whiteheart during 11-on-11 drills. Sanders showed he could bounce back after a bad day of practice. He was unable to throw a pass during a four-play red zone drill on Thursday after snap issues on two plays, a false start, and what would have been a sack. 'I know whenever I get my opportunity, I've got to maximize it,' he said. 'I just got to think about what I could do to get better even if I'm not getting reps.' Coach Kevin Stefanski didn't say if Sanders would receive any first-team snaps. Stefanski did note, though, that he has been happy with Sanders' progress over the past couple of months. 'Yeah, I think Shedeur does a nice job of keeping the main thing, the main thing. He's working hard and keeping his head down,' Stefanski said. There have been 13 sets of 11-on-11 drills during the first three days. Joe Flacco has had the most work with the first team with seven, Kenny Pickett has had five and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel one. Flacco and Pickett are the two main combatants in the four-man competition to see who will be the starter for the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. All four are getting plenty of snaps on the two practice fields, but there is a difference in who they are working with. Sanders said the one advantage of not getting many snaps is that he has had the opportunity to learn more in-depth about everything instead of on the fly like he did at Jackson State and Colorado, where his father, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, instantly made him the starter. Shedeur Sanders added that the area where he has made the most improvement is being more comfortable with the playbook. 'It's always consistent growth, and it always feels like I just solved a puzzle or anything, like, all the time,' he said. Quarterback coach Bill Musgrave — who was Deion Sanders' teammate during San Francisco's Super Bowl-winning season in 1994 — has been impressed with Sanders' ability to call the play in the huddle as well as calling plays under center. He also added he has seen the same progress from Gabriel, a third-round pick. When it comes to the outside pressures Sanders might face — including heightened expectations from fans — Musgrave said that everyone has pressure, but the approach has to remain the same. 'The focus has got to be on the techniques, the five-step drop, the seven-step drop, being accurate with our throws,' Musgrave said. 'If we can focus on our trade, the external factors take a back seat, which is where they should remain.' While some may waver from the expectations, Sanders has embraced them. He has made a couple of appearances in the Cleveland area, including hosting a community event to benefit residents displaced after an apartment complex fire. He also accepted responsibility for two speeding tickets last month. However, things that are happening off the field are the last thing on Sanders' mind over the next five weeks. 'The external is cool. I'm thankful for it,' he said. 'But hey, when I get out there, I'm not thinking about external. I'm thinking about more, in the organization, thinking about getting the play calls, executing my job, and doing what I've got to do.' ___ AP NFL:

Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart reportedly agrees to fully-guaranteed contract, ending standoff
Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart reportedly agrees to fully-guaranteed contract, ending standoff

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart reportedly agrees to fully-guaranteed contract, ending standoff

The standoff between No. 17 overall Shemar Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals has come to an end. After holding off due to a contract dispute, the rookie defensive end has agreed to a fully-guaranteed deal, his agent told multiple outlets on Friday. The four-year, $18.97 million contract is fully guaranteed — a major victory for Stewart, who was began the dispute over guaranteed money. Stewart also reportedly receives a $10.4 million signing bonus. This story will be updated.

Lamar Jackson and Jaire Alexander reunite at Ravens camp. They were teammates at Louisville
Lamar Jackson and Jaire Alexander reunite at Ravens camp. They were teammates at Louisville

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Lamar Jackson and Jaire Alexander reunite at Ravens camp. They were teammates at Louisville

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Lamar Jackson wasted little time putting Jaire Alexander to the test during training camp. 'He tried to throw a back-shoulder on me with 'D-Hop' (DeAndre Hopkins), so I had to give him a little jazz about that," Alexander said. 'I said, 'Come on, man. I know it's my first day, but it's still me, you know what I mean? It's still me.'' Alexander and Jackson go way back — they were teammates at Louisville — and when Alexander joined the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, the two were reunited. The fit made sense with Baltimore looking for some secondary help, and the chance to play with Jackson again sweetened the deal even more. Alexander suggested Wednesday he probably would have explored more options if Jackson weren't on the Ravens. 'That's my boy,' he said. 'I want to win with him.' Alexander is the answer to an interesting trivia question: Who was the first player out of Louisville taken in the 2018 draft? Green Bay picked the defensive back at No. 18 — 14 spots before Baltimore selected Jackson. It's safe to say those picks worked out. Alexander spent his first seven seasons with the Packers, starting almost every game he played. But he dealt with injuries to his quadriceps, groin and knee last season and played only seven games. In fact, he's exceeded seven games only once in the past four seasons. Green Bay released him with two years left on his contract. When the Ravens picked him up, they posted video of Jackson greeting him. 'I tried to get him on a fade route with D-Hop,' Jackson said after practice Wednesday. 'We were out of bounds a little, but he's still that guy. Jaire's still that guy.' The Ravens will obviously hope so. 'We've been talking kind of me playing nickel, he's playing corner and how I play things. So it has been exciting, but what I like the most is just his swag to the game,' cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. 'I think confidence is the biggest key you can have at cornerback, and I think you can never have too much confidence.' Baltimore's secondary includes a veteran in Humphrey, plus a trio of recent first-round picks — fourth-year safety standout Kyle Hamilton, second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins and rookie safety Malachi Starks. 'I love the secondary. I love the potential that we have,' Alexander said. 'I love watching Marlon play. I love being around him. I thought I was weird, but I don't know, he might (have) me beat.' Humphrey was asked about that assertion. 'We do the early morning lift at 6 a.m. It's about eight of us, and he's like, 'Man, I need a speaker right here as loud as can be,'' Humphrey said. 'We are not alike in that aspect at 6 a.m., but he's a cool guy. We're both, I would say, on a little bit of the strange side, but we're really jelling well.' Baltimore lost cornerback Brandon Stephens in the offseason, and safety Ar'Darius Washington went down with a torn Achilles tendon. Alexander brings plenty of experience to the group and seems to be fitting in — in his own unique way. 'Like I said, he wants music blasting. He said, 'I need a speaker right here,'' Humphrey said. 'I was like, 'We've got them in the ceiling.' He said, 'No, I need the boombox right by here, right in my ear,' and I'm like, 'All right, that's different.'' ___ AP NFL:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store