In today’s NFL AM, the Cardinals release Darnell Dockett; the Browns ink Josh McCown; and Adrian Peterson dances with the league office. 

Cardinals Dump Dockett

When Larry Fitzgerald renegotiated his contract last week, helping the Cardinals save nearly $13 million in cap space, the team promised to put the extra money to good use. But before the historically spendthrift franchise could make a splash in free agency, it created more headlines with another cost-cutting maneuver.

Arizona announced on Friday it has released DT Darnell Dockett, saving the team $6.8 million on this year’s cap. Dockett spent 11 seasons in the desert, racking up 462 tackles, 41 sacks and four interceptions while earning three trips to the Pro Bowl.

Dockett’s stats pop off the page, but there were two other numbers Arizona’s front office was more focused on: 16, as in the number of games Dockett missed last season with an ACL injury, and 33, as in his age.

“We have been very clear about our feelings for Darnell and our desire to have him back,” Cardinals GM Steve Keim said in a statement. “After speaking with him and his representatives, we decided that this move today makes the most sense for both the team and the player and allows each to keep all of its options open.”

Dockett’s release means even more adjustments for a defense that already lost its coordinator, Todd Bowles, who took over as the head coach of the New York Jets. Dockett’s long-time sidekick, NT Dan Williams, is a free agent who figures to join him on the open market. The Cardinals also figure to lose free agent CB Antonio Cromartie, who has expressed a desire to reunite with Bowles in New York.

As for Dockett, he seemed prepared for his sudden released. Just five days ago he took to Twitter to predict he will win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award “no matter the logo.”

As for which logo he will adorn next, there is no shortage of possibilities. Dockett is extremely versatile, able to excel as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme or as an end in a three-man front. He is one of the most disruptive interior pass rushers in the game, and with quarterbacks focusing more than ever on getting rid of the ball quickly, players who can create pressure up the middle are extremely valuable.

One thing is for sure: the Cardinals better make a splash with the money they saved by restructuring Fitzgerald and releasing Dockett. Because if they don’t, the response in the locker room is going to be as cold as the desert night air.

Browns, McCown Agree to Three-Year Deal

Josh McCown, who apparently grew fond of losing after winning just one of his 11 starts last season with the Buccaneers, has agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract with the Browns. The arrival of McCown means the end of the Brian Hoyer era, as the Browns move away from the quarterback whose 10-6 record as a starter was the best of any Browns signal caller since the team returned to the NFL in 1999.

The real winner in this deal is Andy Dalton, who is no longer the worst quarterback in the division.

As for the Browns, the title of their 2015 quarterback competition can now be: “The Journeyman and the Junkie.” Will McCown win the job and help the team break the five-win barrier for a second consecutive season? Or will Manziel seize the position and become the first quarterback to finish a season with more Sports Center interviews than touchdown passes?

McCown had also drawn interest with from the Bills, who are seeking to extend their status as fringe contenders.

McCown still has believers who cite his performance with the Bears in 2013 (13 touchdowns versus one interception) as proof he can succeed with the right supporting cast. By that logic, Colt McCoy should draw serious interest on the free agent market next offseason for the work he did as a fill-in with the Redskins in 2014.

As for Hoyer, here’s hoping he joins Dalton in Cincinnati. The Bengals need a backup who can push Dalton (current No. 2 QB Jason Campbell is a free agent) and Hoyer already knows the division well. If (when?) Dalton falters, Hoyer can step into an offense that features exciting skill-position players like A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, Tyler Eifert, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.

In a perfect world, Hoyer could help the Bengals avoid the postseason meltdowns that have become Dalton’s trademark. But if that fairy tale ending isn’t available, I’m sure he would settle for a couple victories over those lovable losers in Cleveland.

Peterson Case Far from Finished

While Adrian Peterson and the NFLPA celebrated their victorious appeal of the All Pro running back’s suspension, Commissioner Roger Goodell — who is having a heck of a year, by the way — was busy going all Taylor Swift and figuring out how to act upon his feelings of dejection. That came yesterday as the league placed Peterson back on the commissioner’s exempt list, a thing no one knew existed 12 months ago.

Unlike last time, Peterson will be allowed to communicate with Vikings officials. That should only add to the entertainment value, as Peterson and the Vikings continue to pretend a reunion is what they truly desire.

“Adrian Peterson is an important member of the Minnesota Vikings, and our focus remains on welcoming him back when he is able to rejoin our organization,” the Vikings said in a statement. “Today’s ruling leaves Adrian’s status under the control of the NFL, the NFLPA and the legal system, and we will have no further comment at this time.”

The key here is how long Peterson remains in limbo. The free agent market opens in less than two weeks and teams in need of running back help will not wait around for this muddled situation to become clear. That would hurt Peterson, who would have fewer suitors, as well as the VIkings, whose trade options would diminish.

Not that the commissioner cares. His objective seems to be to keep Peterson, Ray Rice and Greg Hardy away from the game as long as possible in hopes that everyone will forget the godawful job he did in handling their situations. His rulings on Peterson and Rice were both overturned in court, while Hardy appears in the clear after his alleged victim refused to proceed in the case against him.

The truth is each of these men will return to action this season and every time their name is called, it will be a reminder of the how poorly the league handled their off-the-field transgressions. The commissioner’s continued blunders are giving the league a black-eye that even Rice would be proud of.

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