Cardinals cutdown day tracker: DL Rashard Lawrence released

Aug 29, 2023, 9:18 AM | Updated: 12:30 pm

BY TYLER DRAKE

Arizona Sports

It’s cutdown day for the Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL, with Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline looming.

Despite a 1 p.m. MST deadline, the Cardinals have already reportedly begun making cuts.

A look at the players who did not make the initial 53-man roster:

Arizona Cardinals’ 53-man roster cuts tracker

DL Rashard Lawrence (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport)

Lawrence’s tenure in the desert comes to a close after spending the past three seasons in the desert.

He appeared in 25 games (13 starts), recording 30 tackles, four of which were for losses. Lawrence also registered a forced fumble.

Availability issues have been the biggest negative to Lawrence’s game, appearing in no more than 11 games in a single season. He played just five games last year with multiple injuries.

The 2020 fourth-round pick, who worked through injury issues this offseason, fell down the roster this training camp with L.J. Collier, Leki Fotu, Jonathan Ledbetter, Carlos Watkins and Kevin Strong all ahead of him on the depth chart.

With Lawrence’s departure, Fotu marks the only member of Arizona’s 2020 draft class still on the team.

OL Lecitus Smith (per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones)

Smith showed his versatility this offseason, moving between center and guard. Still, he found himself behind Hjalte Froholdt, Jon Gaines II and Hayden Howerton at center.

RB Corey Clement (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero)

Clement is among the more surprising releases reported Tuesday given the fact he appeared to have secured the No. 3 role behind James Conner and Keaontay Ingram.

The veteran running back paced all Cardinals runners in the team’s preseason finale win over the Minnesota Vikings behind 79 yards on 14 carries.

The veteran running back first joined the Cardinals practice squad in 2022 before appearing in nine games last season. He recorded 15 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown during that span. This offseason, he agreed to a one-year extension to remain in the desert.

With Clement no longer on the roster, the Cardinals are likely to add to the position through the waiver wire and free agency. That or undrafted rookie Emari Demercado showed enough to warrant a roster spot.

LB Zach McCloud (per his agent, Brett Tessler)

McCloud showed out in the preseason finale against the Vikings with a trio of sacks.

QB Jeff Driskel (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson)

According to Wilson, the Cardinals are releasing Driskel, though he added the QB could return to the team as soon as this week.

Driskel had been sidelined for most of training camp and all of the preseason with what head coach Jonathan Gannon called a nick.

He fell behind in the QB race during camp, rounding out the room behind Colt McCoy, Clayton Tune and David Blough.

LB Kyle Soelle (per Wilson)

Soelle faced an uphill battle as an undrafted rookie in a crowded inside linebackers room that features Kyzir White, Josh Woods and 2023 fifth-round pick Owen Pappoe.

RB Ty’Son Williams (per Wilson)

The running back recorded a team-high 51 rushing yards on 10 carries in Arizona’s preseason Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos but still found himself behind James Conner, Keaontay Ingram and Clement in the running backs room.