The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.
Next up is receiver Michael Wilson.
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Background
Wilson was drafted in the third round by the Cardinals this year, so he enters camp as a rookie.
He played collegiately at Stanford but suffered injuries (bone-related) that limited his playing time.
He is 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, giving the Cardinals some size at a position where their best players — Hollywood Brown, Rondale Moore and Greg Dorth — are all 5-foot-9 and shorter.
In five seasons at Stanford he caught 134 passes for 1,662 yards and 11 touchdowns.
His best season was his sophomore year when he had 56 receptions for 672 yards and five touchdowns.
He has an interesting athletic profile as his 40 time was pretty average, but his 10-yard split is elite, giving him the ability to get separation quickly after leaving the line of scrimmage.
2023 salary, cap hit
He got a four-year, $5.33 million rookie deal.
He will earn $750,000 in 2023 and was given a signing bonus of more than $883,000. His cap hit in 2023 will be almost $971,000.
Questions and challenges; roster outlook
After foot fractures and a broken collarbone, the main question is whether he is injury-prone. He has not dealt with soft-tissue injuries, but one will wonder if he will handle the physicality of the pro game because of his bone issues.
He has made progress in the offseason and he was often the talk of the offseason program.
In terms of the roster, if he isn’t a lock to make the team, he is very likely to.
How much will he play in 2023? That depends on whether he can learn the offense and find a niche. He will mainly compete with Zach Pascal for playing time.
