As cuts are being made across the league in anticipation of the upcoming season, some teams are taking advantage of the opportunity to pick up players at a bargain. Surprisingly, it is the two-time defending Super Bowl champions who are on the lookout for affordable additions to their roster.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Arizona Cardinals have traded linebacker Cam Thomas to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. This move essentially saved Thomas from being cut from the team. With the Chiefs being at the bottom of the pecking order, it is unlikely that they would have been able to acquire him through waivers if not for the trade.
Thomas, a third-round pick (87th overall) from San Diego State in 2022, has seen limited playing time in his first two seasons in the league. He appeared in 17 games with no starts as a rookie, and 15 games with three starts in 2023. Despite his lack of starts, Thomas managed to record three sacks in 2022, although he failed to tally any sacks in the following season.
Throughout the preseason, Thomas was listed as a third-string outside linebacker on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Despite his current status, he is under contract with the team through 2025, with a base salary of $1.17 million for this year and $1.6 million for the next season.
This trade highlights the fluidity of NFL rosters as teams jockey for position and seek to improve their depth. While Thomas may not have found a significant role with the Cardinals, the Chiefs saw an opportunity to potentially add a young and talented player to their defensive unit. As the regular season approaches, it will be interesting to see how Thomas fits in with his new team and if he can make an impact on the field.