When the Cardinals released Jordan Phillips – and with Corey Peters remaining off the roster – defensive line seemed like a spot where the team might look to draft a body.
That didn’t happen, so signing veteran defensive lineman Kingsley Keke to a one-year contract on Friday made sense to bolster the unit as the offseason progresses.
To make room on the roster, the Cardinals placed tight end Alex Ellis on the Non-Football Injury list.
Keke, a fifth-round pick of the Packers in 2019, had been waived in January and claimed by the Texans. The Texans released him last week.
A one-time teammate of Kyler Murray at Texas A&M, Keke has 2½ sacks in 12 games for the Packers last season, playing against the Cardinals on “Thursday Night Football.” He has 6½ sacks in 41 games in his three seasons.
The Cardinals have 10 defensive linemen already on the roster, including tentative starters Zach Allen, J.J. Watt and Rashard Lawrence. Holdovers Michael Dogbe and Leki Fotu also could be in the rotation. At 6-foot-3 and 288 pounds, Keke would have an opportunity to find a spot.
