According reports, the Arizona Cardinals are going to release veteran defensive tackle Darnell Dockett after the two sides failed to come to an agreement on a restructured deal.
Dockett has been a linchpin on the Cardinals defensive line for the better part of the past 11 seasons. Prior to missing the entire 2014 campaign with a torn ACL, the former third-round pick had started 156 of a possible 160 games, earning three Pro Bowl trips in the process.
In his last full season with Arizona back in 2013, Dockett recorded 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Despite his success in Arizona, the veteran is years removed from being a Pro Bowl caliber player. And with a cap hit of $9.8 million next year, this was a move that many expected. At just $5.4 million under the cap, Arizona needed to cut some fat in order to remain viable heading into free agency.
As it relates to Dockett, he should draw a nice amount of interest on the open market. Despite coming off an ACL injury, the 33-year-old defensive tackle still has a lot left in the tank.
With this move, Arizona is now over $11 million under the cap.
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