Cardinals sign former Mesquite HS, Arizona DT Roy Lopez

The Arizona Cardinals signed Valley native and former Houston Texans defensive tackle Roy Lopez to the practice squad on Saturday and then to the active roster on Tuesday, the team announced.

The move was first reported by NFL insider Aaron Wilson.

The Cardinals also re-signed Jacob Slade to the practice squad after waiving him a few days prior while also adding linebacker Davion Taylor to the practice squad and releasing cornerback Quavian White from it.

Roy Lopez homecoming

Lopez, from Tempe, played at Mesquite High School before committing to New Mexico State. He transferred to the University of Arizona for the 2020 season, where he earned am All-Pac-12 honorable mention with four tackles for loss in five games during the COVID-19-shortened campaign.

The 318-pound lineman was picked by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and played 33 games over the past two seasons.

He was waived from injured reserve (hamstring) with a settlement on Sept. 4. He has not played a snap this year.

Lopez produced two sacks, 11 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and 67 combined tackles in his first two professional seasons.

ROY WAS ALLLL OVER THAT 🤫

📺 » FOX pic.twitter.com/B0bvlTWXzN

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 7, 2021

He’s lined up primarily in the B Gap, according to Pro Football Focus.

Lopez returns to his hometown team after he had more than 100 friends and family members watch him at State Farm Stadium when the Cardinals faced the Texans in 2021.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Roy Lopez (@_roylopez_)

At Mesquite, Lopez recorded 17 tackles for loss and six sacks during his senior year, getting named an Arizona Football Coaches Association Top 25 player in the state. His father, Roy Lopez, coached him in high school.

Follow @AZSports