Cardinals activate Marquise Brown off NFI list, sign OL Rashaad Coward

The Arizona Cardinals activated wide receiver Hollywood Brown off the active non-football injury (NFI) list on Tuesday and signed offensive lineman Rashaad Coward after he worked out for the team on Monday.

Arizona also released receiver Christian Blake to open a roster spot.

Brown was placed on the NFI list the day before training camp began last Wednesday with a hamstring issue. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said it was more of a precautionary measure.

“We’re just easing him back in. We’re going to start him with the walk-throughs … I’m guessing Monday full-go if everything stays on course,” Kingsbury said.

In his third pro season, Brown with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 surpassed the 1,000-yard mark (1,008 yards) for the first time in his career, adding six touchdowns for the Ravens. He was traded to the Cardinals for a package that included Arizona’s first-round pick.

Brown and tight end Maxx Williams are the two Cardinals of note who were not with the team as camp ramped up. Williams is on the physically unable to perform list as he continues recovering from a knee injury suffered last season.

Coward, who turns 28 years old in November, was an undrafted defensive lineman out of Old Dominion in 2017.

However, after signing on with the Chicago Bears, then-head coach Matt Nagy converted Coward to an offensive lineman for the 2018 season.

The 6-foot-5, 319-pound Coward started 10 games at right guard in place of the injured Kyle Long in 2019.

In his four-year career, Coward has played a total of 30 games, 15 of which have been starts — all with the Bears. He can play either guard or tackle.

Coward started in 10 of the 13 games he played at right guard in 2019 and five of the 16 contests he appeared in during the 2020 season.

However, Coward did not start any of the four games he played in for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.

The offensive lineman also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season but did not play for the team in a brief stint.

Coward was signed to a reserve/future contract with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year but was released by the team in June.

The Cardinals on Monday worked out linebacker Jaylan Alexander, Justin Hilliard and Javin White, as well as tight end Cheyenne O’Grady and offensive linemen Marcus Tatum and Coward.

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