Arizona Cardinals

Fanatics has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

The sports apparel company says Harrison signed a $1 million deal that dates back to May 2023, while Harrison's team "says it has no contract," according to Schefter.

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported earlier this month that Harrison had signed a deal worth more than $1 million with Fanatics prior to his 2023 season at Ohio State.

According to Weinfuss, Harrison's alleged deal with Fanatics is for "autographs, signed trading cards, game-worn apparel and other marketing opportunities."

The lawsuit, in which Fanatics is seeking damages the company says are estimated to be worth "millions of dollars," was filed Saturday with the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

According to the apparel company, this is the first time Fanatics has sued an athlete it has partnered with.

Fanatics claims in the lawsuit that the company first made a non-exclusive agreement with Harrison in April 2023 before entering into "a fully binding and enforceable contract" on May 18, 2023.

The lawsuit alleges that Harrison "has recently and publicly asserted that his binding agreement with Fanatics does not exist."

Fanatics cited Harrison's repost of a clip from The Pat McAfee Show, in which McAfee reported that a "source inside the Marvin Harrison Jr. camp" said Harrison had rejected a trading card deal with Fanatics while a student-athlete at Ohio State.

The post cited in the lawsuit, which was shared by Harrison, is below:

We have heard from source(s) inside the Marvin Harrison Jr. camp..

This isn't about the NFLPA & he'll be part of it when the time comes..

This all revolves around a potential beef with Fanatics from an offer that was made when he was a sophomore in College #PMSLive https://t.co/Tm4dV9Ys7l pic.twitter.com/G6u6xVqHEu

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 1, 2024

The lawsuit also alleged that Harrison "publicly disclosed confidential information" regarding the deal to ESPN.

Fanatics further claimed that Harrison has since "refused to fulfill any of his obligations" under the deal, and says the player is in "demand" of higher compensation.

Weinfuss previously reported that Harrison has not yet signed a licensing agreement with the NFL Players' Association because of a desire to re-negotiate the Fanatics deal.

Harrison was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 4 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Because he has not signed the NFLPA agreement, his jersey has not yet been available for sale from official outlets like the NFL Shop, per NBC Sports' Mike Florio.

Signed Harrison Ohio State jerseys are available at The Official Harrison Collection, which is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The company's website states that it is "is the ONLY website to purchase signed Harrison memorabilia."

Five wins is probably the minimum target in 2024 for the Arizona Cardinals after successive 4-13 finishes.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon was given a bit of a mulligan in his first season with Kyler Murray recovering from a torn ACL, so few judged him too harshly after Arizona tied for the second-worst record in the league.

Making the playoffs is probably too much to ask of a roster that's not significantly better compared to 2023. But enough improvements were made to where Gannon will need to show some signs of progress.

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2024 Arizona Cardinals Schedule

good thing we set an alarm for this

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 16, 2024

Full schedule information available on the team's official website

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Analysis

The New England Patriots, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers were all as bad as the Cardinals in 2023, and none of the three is likely to take a major step forward. That presents a good opportunity for Arizona to pick up a couple of wins and capitalizing on that stretch will be important given what else is on the schedule.

The Cardinals drew the AFC East's two strongest teams (Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins) on the road.

This isn't a great year to match up with the NFC North because none of the four teams in the division is shaping up to be that bad on paper.

The Detroit Lions have genuine Super Bowl aspirations. The Green Bay Packers may have found their franchise quarterback with Jordan Love. Even the Chicago Bears were aggressive in the offseason, adding running back D'Andre Swift and wide receiver Keenan Allen before taking Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the first round of the draft.

There aren't many gimmes on Arizona's slate.

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Pivotal Matchups

Whatever the Cardinals' aims are, those aforementioned games against the Patriots, Commanders and Panthers will carry some significance.

Should the organization want to make a wild-card push, beating the worst teams on the schedule is imperative and dropping any of those three means needing to pick up a win elsewhere. In the event Arizona is still building for the future, it could be competing directly against New England, Washington and Carolina, adding some tangible stakes to the outcomes of those meetings.

From a wild-card perspective, those divisional battles with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are worth circling.

The Rams will undoubtedly be in the playoff hunt but are firmly the second-best team within the NFC West. The Seahawks are embarking on a new era with first-year head coach Mike Macdonald.

Faring better than their 0-4 mark against Los Angeles and Seattle is a requirement for Arizona to push toward .500 overall and even perhaps a winning record.

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly signing free-agent wide receiver Zay Jones.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Jones agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Cardinals worth up to $4.25 million after previously taking visits with the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.

The Jacksonville Jaguars released Jones after selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Jones agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Cardinals worth up to $4.25 million after previously taking visits with the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.

The Jacksonville Jaguars released Jones after selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Jones spent the last two seasons in Jacksonville after previously playing for the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders. He recorded a career-high 82 receptions for 823 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 but saw his production fall off a cliff last season amid injuries.

The Cardinals will give Jones a pretty significant opportunity for production next season. While they used the No. 4 pick on wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., the remainder of their depth chart is shaky.

Jones will compete with second-year receiver Michael Wilson for the other outside receiver spot, with Greg Dortch likely handling slot duties. He could also move into the slot on occasion if the Cardinals want to deploy a three-wideout set with Harrison and Wilson.

Arizona's offense should vastly improve over the 2023 campaign with Kyler Murray back to full health. Murray was limited to eight games last season as he recovered from a torn ACL.

ESPN's Field Yates made his predictions for how a handful of rookies will perform in their first year in the NFL.

The analyst believes former Florida State running back Trey Benson brings the best fantasy value of any midround pick in this year's draft class. The Arizona Cardinals selected Benson in the third round of the draft.

"Fantasy value does not mean that the player is guaranteed to have a major role starting in Week 1, but I think Benson will make a mark this season in the Cardinals' backfield," Yates wrote. "On top of being an explosive runner with very good tackle-forcing ability, he is a useful pass-catcher, too, having averaged more than 11.4 yards per catch in 2023."

Benson had an outstanding career with the Seminoles. He notched back-to-back seasons with 900-plus rushing yards, picking up 905 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023. He can hurt teams through the air, as well, as evidenced by his 227 receiving yards and a touchdown on 20 receptions last year.

Yates had high praise for another Cardinals draft pick, tabbing Ohio State standout Marvin Harrison Jr. as the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Cardinals took the star receiver with the No. 4 pick in the draft.

"The most pro-ready prospect in the class landed in a perfect spot to play a massive role right away," Yates wrote. "The [Kyler] Murray-to-Harrison connection should be terrific the second the two are on the field together."

Harrison was arguably the best receiver in college football over the last two years. He had more than 1,200 yards in each of his final two seasons with the Buckeyes and picked up 14 touchdowns in 2022 and 2023.

He is also walking into a situation that could allow him to thrive early on. He has a quality quarterback in Kyler Murray and is likely to be Arizona's No. 1 receiving option out of the gate, meaning it could be a big rookie year for Harrison.

If Yates' predictions for the two rookies are correct, it could mean a successful year for the Cardinals after they missed the postseason in back-to-back seasons.

Marvin Harrison Jr. appeared to indicate on social media Tuesday that he'll be wearing the No. 18 with the Arizona Cardinals.

Looks like Marvin, via IG, has announced that he’s gotten his number. pic.twitter.com/sKP8IaH063

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) May 8, 2024

It doesn't come as a major surprise—Harrison wore the number at Ohio State, though outside linebacker BJ Ojulari wore that number last season for the Cards. It remains to be seen if the two men worked out a deal for the number swap, given that Ojulari wore No. 18 during his college days at LSU and it held a special significance for him.

At LSU, the No. 18 is given to the player who best exemplifies the football program. Ojulari was the 18th player at LSU to be given the the No. 18 jersey.

"It's a big deal for me just with 18 being so big at LSU," he told reporters last year after being drafted. "I'm just so thankful to the organization for letting me wear 18 coming into the next level. I'm definitely going to represent it very well. Represent the state of Louisiana, Georgia and now the state Arizona."

All of that to say, it was perhaps no small deal for Ojulari to give up the No. 18.

As for Harrison, he didn't seem particularly worried about what number he would wear in Arizona when asked about it on draft night.

"I don't know," he told reporters at the time. "I don't know what the number situation would be. We'll figure it out once I get there. I'll talk with the equipment guys and the coaches, and we'll go from there."

Expectations are high for the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft, who is expected to be Kyler Murray's top target from the jump. That isn't his initial focus, however.

"I'm just trying to learn the playbook, get my connection down with Kyler and whatever happens from there, happens," he told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss after the draft. "That's definitely not my thought. Just go in there and work as hard as I can, and we'll see how it goes from there."

And he'll do it wearing No. 18.

Former Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has accepted an invitation to Arizona Cardinals rookie camp this week, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Tagovailoa is the younger brother of Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

He attended Seattle Seahawks rookie camp on a tryout basis last week, but did not make the 90-man roster, Mike Florio reported for NBC Sports.

Tagovailoa passed for 3,377 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his fifth college season in 2023 before going undrafted.

Maryland earned bowl eligibility in each of Tagovailoa's final three seasons as he led the team to a 22-16 record. He finished his Terrapins career having completed 67 percent of his pass attempts.

He will leave the Big Ten as the conference's all-time leader with 11,256 passing yards.

Taulia Tagovailoa has completed some long ones en route to becoming the @bigten's all-time passing yards king.

Here's a sampling of them to celebrate his record. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/sBzVLWCmuq

— Maryland On BTN (@MarylandOnBTN) November 25, 2023

Tagovailoa also added 207 career rushing yards for five touchdowns.

TAULIA TAGOVAILOA TAKES IT THE DISTANCE 💨 pic.twitter.com/Kyqa6NbtCN

— ESPN (@espn) October 30, 2020

Scouts' concerns about these skills translating to the NFL, however, led to Tagovailoa being passed over in the draft. Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline reported that his inability to throw deep passes led to "tepid reviews" at Maryland's Pro Day in March.

Tagovailoa originally sought a waiver to receive a sixth year of college eligibility in order to play a final season at Alabama, where he began his college career behind his brother. The NCAA denied the request, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The Seahawks passed on Tagovailoa, at least for now, after already signing one undrafted quarterback. The team signed former San Jose State signal caller Chevan Cordeiro on Friday.

The Cardinals' quarterback depth chart is already full after the team signed Desmond Riddler to compete with Clayton Tune for the backup spot behind Kyler Murray, but Tagovailoa could potentially earn a spot on the team's practice squad with a strong rookie camp performance as he continues to fight for a way to follow his brother into the NFL.

Cardinals rookie camp is set to take place from May 10 to May 13.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has still not signed the NFLPA's group licensing agreement, although he has a large memorabilia deal with Fanatics in place.

According to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, Harrison signed a contract with Fanatics worth just over $1 million before his final season at Ohio State. The deal includes autographs, signed trading cards, game-worn apparel and other marketing opportunities.

Ahead of the 2024 draft, ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported on Harrison's unwillingness to sign the NFLPA licensing agreement, which meant that his jersey would not be available for purchase and he will not be featured in video games.

Weinfuss reported that Harrison is attempting to renegotiate the Fanatics deal for more money and is trying to use the fact that he has not yet signed the group licensing agreement as leverage.

When asked by reporters about his decision to not sign the licensing deal after the draft, the 21-year-old said he would talk with his camp and "do what's best for me moving forward."

Harrison's college Fanatics contract worth just over $1 million isn't hard to believe, as he entered the 2023 season as one of the top wide receivers in the country.

He exceeded expectations, hauling in 67 passes for 1,211 yards in 12 games. Harrison won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the most outstanding wide receiver in college football, after he was a finalist in 2022. During his final two years at Ohio State, he racked up 28 touchdown catches.

Harrison didn't have to wait too long to hear his name called on draft night, as the Cardinals used the No. 4 overall pick on him. He became the highest-drafted receiver since 2015, when five-time Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper was selected by the Raiders.

Given his college production and high draft range, it's possible that Harrison is focused on his memorabilia deal before the preliminary NFL Players' Association licensing agreement.

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 318

HAND: 10 3/8"

ARM: 34 7/8"

WINGSPAN: 83 3/8"

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40-YARD DASH:

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL:

BROAD:

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POSITIVES

— Stiff, jolting strikes with big hands and very good length.

— Firm, stout anchor to grind down and quickly dissipate the bull rush.

— Good upper-body strength with heavy hands to displace and feed as the drive man on double-teams.

— Ties up and secures defenders on down blocks and at the second level once latched.

— Adept at sorting through and handling basic line games and stunts with clear eyes and decision-making skills.

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NEGATIVES

— Choppy, heavy feet with marginal lateral quickness and redirect ability.

— Susceptible to drifting and oversetting against speed off the edge, opening the door for inside counters.

— Doesn't adjust his aiming points quickly enough and gets edged against post-snap movement, gap exchanges and slanting.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 starts at right tackle

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NOTES

— 3-star recruit from the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Played soccer during his youth and first two years of high school before starting football as a junior at Cypress Woods High School in Texas

— 48 career starts at Texas split between left (13) and right (35) tackle

— Seven-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll

— Accepted his invite to the Senior Bowl

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OVERALL

Christian Jones is a four-year starter with 48 career starts primarily at right tackle, including 13 starts at right in 2023 inside the Longhorns' balanced (52-48 run-pass split), multiple run scheme centered around zone, counter and pin-pull concepts. Jones has a high-cut frame, long arms, a muscular, thick and evenly dispersed build, below-average athletic ability and good play strength.

Jones wins as a run-blocker by creating jolt and lateral displacement on down blocks and feeding his target over as the drive man on double-teams. He has big, strong hands to tie up defenders once latched while straining hard to finish through the whistle. Jones does have choppy, heavy feet that leave him stranded once edged, leading to compromising positions that he struggles to escape from without getting grabby.

As a pass protector, Jones wins against power moves when rushers attempted to go through him, showcasing a firm, stout anchor to quickly dissipate the bull rush. He is adept at recognizing and passing off basic line games and stunts with proper spacing and timing. However, Jones will drift, overset and invite inside counters without the lower-body twitch to recover. He also sets short against wide-rush alignments with middling range to expand his set points and protect the corner once his feet are stopped.

Overall, Jones is a big, physical, durable and strong college tackle with middling athletic ability who will struggle to consistently mirror and match up athletically on an island. That should make him more of a depth piece with swing potential at tackle or guard.

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GRADE: 6.2 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 153

POSITION RANK: OT14

PRO COMPARISON: Vederian Lowe

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 244

HAND: 9⅛"

ARM: 32⅞"

WINGSPAN: 78¼"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.62

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 10'0"

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POSITIVES

— Has a nice burst off the line of scrimmage to win with speed around the edge.

— Sets up his pass-rush moves well by getting to square to give himself a two-way go and by using head/shoulder fakes to get offensive tackles to stop their feet.

— Solid bend at the top of the rush.

— High pass-rush motor to help get coverage sacks.

— Looked comfortable dropping into coverage.

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NEGATIVES

— High pad level, and he lacks the lower-body strength to avoid getting widened when setting the edge.

— Doesn't get much extension on blocks as a run defender, making it difficult for him to escape and make tackles.

— Inconsistent accuracy with his chops to begin pass-rush moves. Often misses and doesn't defeat the hands to defeat the man.

— Lacks the strength to win with power as a rusher and tries to use it too much.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 25 TOT, 3 SK, 4 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

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NOTES

— Born Dec. 20, 1999

— 5-star recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2019 (Undisclosed, missed 3 games), 2021 (Undisclosed, missed 1 game), 2022 (Broken foot, offseason surgery, only played in 3 games)

— Suspended 1 game for violation of team rules in 2023, per Greenville News

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OVERALL

Coming out of high school, Xavier Thomas was the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2018 class. His potential is evident on tape.

Thomas is a good athlete who has some impressive quickness/suddenness as a pass-rusher to help build on his arsenal in the NFL if he becomes more consistent with his use of hands. Offensive tackles often make the first significant contact and ride him past the quarterback.

Thomas can win with speed right now, and he has a solid rip move to win around the edge paired with decent bend to help corner at the top of the rush. He's also flashed cross-chop and inside spin moves that he might be able to flesh out in the NFL.

The Clemson product does lack some lower-body strength, which is most noticeable when he tries to set the edge as a run defender. He gets widened and struggles to hold his ground, which could be a bigger issue in the NFL. His arms are also on the shorter side, which limits how much extension he gets on blocks and makes it difficult to escape.

Overall, Thomas could be a good fit as a standup outside linebacker who contributes on passing downs for a team that uses a lot of odd fronts and is looking for an edge-rusher. However, his injury history and the fact he'll be 25 years old by the end of his rookie season could lead to teams to believing his ceiling is capped or lower.

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GRADE: 5.8 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 201

POSITION RANK: EDGE20

PRO COMPARISON: Gerri Green

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.