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More D-Wash honors and Townsend leaves

Some quick tidbits on a quiet Friday …

– Linebacker Daryl Washington gets named to yet another all-NFL team (although Bucky Brooks picks three inside linebackers and two outside linebackers for his new 12-man defense, apparently.) UPDATE: Washington was named second-team all-pro on Saturday as well.

– Assistant defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend is leaving, heading to the college game. He will be the new defensive backs coach at Mississippi State.

– The Cardinals signed seven players to “futures” contracts: LB Tim Fugger, DT Ricky Lumpkin, LB Colin Parker, DE Everrette Thompson, RB Fozzy Whittaker — all of whom ended the year on the practice squad — and G Jeremiah Warren, who was on the Patriots’ practice squad. (WR Gerell Robinson signed a futures deal with Denver.) A “futures” contract just means it doesn’t officially kick in until the new league year in March.

Talley is roster replacement for Schofield

The Cardinals officially put linebacker O’Brien Schofield on injured reserve, ending his season, but the man they brought in to replace him on the roster wasn’t a linebacker. Instead, the Cardinals re-signed defensive end Ronald Talley, who was released by the team at the end of the preseason. The Cardinals already were carrying an extra linebacker after promoting Zack Nash recently, so numbers-wise, it’s not out of whack.

The Cardinals also lost cornerback Crezdon Butler off the practice squad when the Buffalo Bills signed him to their active roster. So the Cards brought back cornerback Greg McCoy to the practice squad, whom they had released from that spot recently to bring back Butler.

The team also officially announced the injury settlement with offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges, releasing him off of injured reserve. Bridges is free to sign and play with any team other than the Cardinals. In theory, Bridges could come back eventually, but I’m not sure that will happen.

Cards bring back OT McQuistan

The Cardinals added an offensive tackle Tuesday, and you know him — it’s Pat McQuistan, who was with the team the first three weeks before being released. It will be interesting to see if he gets a chance to play at some point in front of the struggling D’Anthony Batiste or Bobby Massie. It does produce another option, however, and at this point, options are good.

To make room for McQuistan, and in a good sign of the rehab process for Michael Adams and Greg Toler, the Cardinals released cornerback Crezdon Butler.

The Cardinals also made a practice squad move. Practice squad receiver Isaiah Williams, after hurting his finger in practice, has been placed on the injured reserve – practice squad list, clearing the way for receiver Gerell Robinson to return to the practice squad after serving his four-game suspension. Robinson had been suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.

Tackle signed, practice squad named

The Cardinals officially announced all the moves swirling around over the weekend. Veteran free agent offensive tackle Pat McQuistan was signed to a one-year deal and reserve lineman Jeremy Bridges (thumb) was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. The team brought aboard outside linebacker Jamaal Westerman via waivers. And the practice squad is filled like this:

– LB Colin Parker

– CB Larry Parker

– DT Ricky Lumpkin

– TE Steve Skelton

– OLB Ricky Elmore

– T Steven Baker

– WR Gerell Robinson

– WR Isaiah Williams

Haggans to Niners, and other comings and goings

I don’t expect any official word about who the Cards are adding to the roster until tomorrow — including practice squad — but because of the wonderful world of social media and the internet, news has leaked out about a handful of people.

– It came out yesterday that the Cards had claimed outside linebacker Jamaal Westerman on waivers after the Dolphins had released him. Westerman, 6-3 and 255 pounds, spent the first three years of his career with the Jets, and playing all 16 games last season he had 3.5 sacks. He signed with the Dolphins in March and was recently released. The Cards needed a linebacker, because they had only three outside linebackers on the roster after cutting Clark Haggans and Brandon Williams.

– The 49ers also claimed Westerman. When they didn’t get him, they are going to sign Haggans to fill their need for a reserve linebacker. That’s an interesting turn of events.

– There still isn’t any official word on the practice squad, but because of the Twitterverse, there have been a handful of names floating out there that are supposedly going to be on the Cards’ PS (which could begin to be put together yesterday). Included are former Arizona State receiver Gerell Robinson (cut by Denver), recently released defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin and linebacker Colin Parker, and offensive tackle Steven Baker, a 6-8, 310-pounder cut by the Colts. UPDATE: As AndyStandsUp pointed out in the comments, there was also a report that former University of Arizona outside linebacker Ricky Elmore will sign to the Cards’ practice squad.

UPDATE II: Tight end Steve Skelton is practice squad-bound too.

– Quarterback Rich Bartel, who had been placed on injured reserve with a bad shoulder, tweeted out he was throwing well, had passed a physical, and was actually going to be released.

Keith to IR; Green up as Peterson insurance

With the status of cornerback Patrick Peterson uncertain — Peterson will be a game day decision — the Cardinals covered their bases Saturday by promoting cornerback Marshay Green from the practice squad. To make room for Green, the Cards officially put tackle Brandon Keith on injured reserve. Keith had already been declared out of Sunday’s game.

Green was on the roster for the final six games of 2010 as a rookie, but was inactive every week.

Cards promote offensive lineman

With tackle Brandon Keith gimpy with a bad ankle — he sat out last week — the Cardinals made a roster move, releasing wide receiver Jaymar Johnson (re-signing him to the practice squad) and promoting tackle D.J. Young to the active roster. I don’t necessarily expect Young to play Sunday. This might have been one of those “Here’s a pat on the back and a full NFL week’s paycheck for working so hard this season” moves.

While cornerback Patrick Peterson is hurting with his left Achilles tendon injury, the Cards could have but didn’t replace him. Maybe that’s a hope he will still play. He said Tuesday he was “50-50″ to go against the Seahawks.

The Cardinals have had some games where three receivers have been inactive, so Johnson wasn’t going to have a good chance to play anyway.

If there is any chance Peterson can play, maybe this will be a reason he should — Fox is sending play-by-play man Sam Rosen to call the Cards-Seahawks game. Rosen has called four Cardinals games already this season, and in each of them, Peterson has a punt return for a touchdown.

Cards cut FB Maui’a, promote WR Johnson

With fullback Anthony Sherman back to health, the Cardinals released fullback Reagan Maui’a today. That was expected once Sherman had recovered from his ankle injury. To fill Maui’a's spot on the roster, the Cardinals have promoted wide receiver Jaymar Johnson from the practice squad — interesting in the fact the Cardinals already had six receivers on the active roster and one — Stephen Williams — is a healthy scratch every week. Johnson has speed and has spent time with the Vikings. We’ll see if he gets a chance to play on Sundays.

Filling Johnson’s spot on the practice squad will be tight end Steve Skelton, who was brought back for a third time this season.

Dan Williams to IR; Talley returns and PS moves

After breaking his arm Sunday, nose tackle Dan Williams was officially put on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season. To replace him on the roster, the Cardinals promoted defensive end Ronald Talley from the practice squad.

The Cardinals actually made multiple moves on the practice squad. Filling Talley’s spot, the Cards brought back nose tackle Ricky Lumpkin. The Cardinals also released tight end Steve Skelton from the practice squad and replaced him with linebacker Brandon Williams, who was drafted by Dallas in 2009 before tearing his ACL in preseason of that year.

With Sherman ailing, Cards bring back Maui’a

After rookie fullback Anthony Sherman went down early in Baltimore with a left ankle injury, the Cards were in a bind since they only had one fullback on the roster. Tight end Jim Dray was forced to play the position and it hampered the Cards’ use of certain packages. That was rectified Tuesday when the Cards went out and brought back fullback Reagan Maui’a, showing that Sherman is likely going to be on the shelf short-term.

To make room for Maui’a, the Cardinals waived defensive end Ronald Talley, although they signed Talley back to the practice squad and released defensive lineman Ricky Lumpkin to do so.

Maui’a actually played pretty well in the preseason, although Sherman’s play was also solid and he was also a draft pick. The Cards hope Maui’a can pick up where he left off — although will he reunite with running back Beanie Wells for any talent shows? Only time will tell.