The NFLPA web site, which updates daily the amount of salary cap room each team has, listed the Cardinals at around $18.5 million yesterday and at around $21 million today. Turns out -- with the new contract of Jarvis Jones not yet in the system -- that cornerback Justin Bethel had his pay reduced for 2017 from $4.5 million to $2 million, (also on the NFLPA site). I would guess, given his ups and downs last season, it was not a shock. (The move, figuring in signing bonus proration, saves the Cards $1.75M on the cap.)

Bethel did get something in return, however. His contract, which was to run through the 2018 season, now ends after 2017 -- meaning he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Next year was probably going to be dicey anyway, since Bethel had been scheduled to make $5 million in salary, but still, this will give him a guaranteed opportunity to reach the open market or to have some leverage for a new deal.

Bethel says he's finally healthy from the foot injury that torpedoed his 2016 season. It's a big year for him both on defense and to help a special teams unit (he is a multi-time special teams Pro Bowler who didn't get there last year) that struggled.