Cardinals Release Cory Redding

Statement from the Cardinals website.

Defensive tackle Cory Redding (90) gets congratulated
by linebacker Kevin Minter after scoring a touchdown
against Green Bay last season. Redding was released
by the Cardinals Monday.

The Cardinals have begun their offseason workouts, but the juggling of the roster has been an ongoing process, and the need to find more cap space was inevitable.
The team made a move to help, although it cost them a veteran when defensive tackle Cory Redding was released Monday.

Redding was scheduled to count $4 million against the cap this season. By cutting him, the Cardinals reoup $3 million of that on their cap. Coming into the day, the NFLPA had the Cardinals with only $3.6 million in cap space.

The defensive line still has depth. The Cards return starters Calais Campbell, Rodney Gunter and Frostee Rucker (although Rucker was sitting out Monday’s work with some sort of right foot/ankle injury), along with rotation guys like Ed Stinson and Josh Mauro. Red Bryant, who signed late in the season, also returns. The Cardinals have young nose tackle Xavier Williams, and get 2015 free-agent signee Corey Peters back after Peters missed the whole season with an Achilles tear.

Redding had considered retirement before the 2015 season but was lured to Arizona by coach Bruce Arians, who worked with Redding in Indianapolis. The veteran had 10 tackles last season, fighting an ankle injury that cost him four regular-season games and eventually got him placed on injured reserve before the Cardinals played a postseason game.

Redding provided a pair of memorable moments even in a reserve role. He had an interception in Detroit that he returned 30 yards, nearly for a touchdown before Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford brought him down (earning him grief in the locker room.) Later in the season against Green Bay, he returned an Aaron Rodgers fumble 36 yards for a score, shoving Packers running back Eddie Lacy to the ground with a straight-arm in the process.