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The Arizona Cardinals have produced some solid players out of undrafted free agents. Lyle Sendlein, Tony Jefferson, and Marcel Shipp come to mind as some of the best players who started with Arizona and became reliable NFL players. Even Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner was an undrafted free agent at one point in his career. Warner was not drafted coming out of Northern Iowa in 1994. He wen to training camp in Green Bay and didn’t stick before ultimately landing in St. Louis. You never know what you might get out of an undrafted player. This year, Arizona could find a hidden gem in University of Colorado wide receiver Xavier Weaver.
1 undrafted free agent who will make Cardinals’ roster
Weaver joins the Cardinals at the perfect time. The team entered the offseason in desperate need of WR help. They drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they need to keep adding receivers. The current depth chart in Arizona has Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and journeyman Zay Jones as the top three receivers. That means that Weaver only has to compete with the likes of Greg Dortch, Chris Moore, Zach Pascal, and others for a roster spot as wide receiver depth. That is entirely within the realm of possibility.
One thing that separates Weaver from other UDFAs is the structure of his contract. The Cardinals signed Weaver to a three-year, $2.87 million contract according to Spotrac. His contract includes a $30,000 signing bonus and $255,000 guaranteed on signing. This isn’t some kind of monster contract by NFL standards, but the Cardinals are unambiguously showing a commitment to Weaver. This suggests they may choose to hold onto him instead of other players if push comes to shove.
ARI: WR Xavier Weaver
CAR: C Andrew RaymOne UDFA to Watch on Every NFL Roster
https://t.co/mENPKjrzsg
— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 14, 2024
Weaver is an interesting prospect as a wide receiver. He spent four seasons at USF and became the team’s leading receiver in 2021. Weaver earned Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2022 and logged 718 receiving yards and 8 total TDs despite missing three games due to injury. He transferred to Colorado and led the team with 908 receiving yards during his senior season. Weaver caught four TDs in 2023 and earned a solid 69.2 receiving grade according to PFF.
Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler is a fan of Xavier Weaver and thinks he could stick around with the Cardinals.
“Xavier Weaver was a standout at South Florida, where he caught 94 passes for 1,433 yards and eight touchdowns across the 2021 and 2022 seasons,” Fowler wrote. “He then transferred to Colorado to end his collegiate career under the tutelage of head coach Deion Sanders.”
“While quarterback Shedeur Sanders and CB/WR hybrid Travis Hunter drew most of the spotlight last season, Weaver quietly posted 908 yards, leading all Colorado pass-catchers.”
The ability to become a team’s leading receiver bodes well for Weaver coming out of college.
His ability to get open could help him survive at the NFL level.
“At 6’1″ and 169 pounds, Weaver has an excellent release package,” Fowler wrote, “and he isn’t afraid to mix it up in the condensed areas at the second level.”
Xavier Weaver has a real shot to make the 53-man roster in Arizona. If he does not earn a final roster spot, then he will likely stick around on the team’s practice squad. Weaver feels like a player who Arizona does not want to loss, so he may end up making it onto the final roster if another team tries to poach him from the Cardinals’ practice squad.
More must-reads:
- Steelers could ‘get a little weird’ with usage of Justin Fields, says insider
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- The 'Recent seasons with 1,000 receiving yards' quiz
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