Arizona Cardinals sign DL Damonic Williams

Damonic Williams' signing earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a middling mark that reflects the low-risk, low-reward nature of a roster-depth addition at the bottom of the NFL salary pool. At roughly $1M AAV on a three-year deal totaling $3.1M, this is about as cheap as it gets for a professional contract, which gives the Cardinals meaningful cap flexibility — if Williams doesn't stick, the dead-cap exposure is negligible. As an undrafted free agent coming in at the defensive line, Williams enters the league at replacement-level standing, with his value entirely contingent on what he shows in the preseason and training camp rather than any proven production. The CVI reflects that tension: the contract structure is sensible precisely because the upside is speculative, and Arizona is essentially buying a lottery ticket on a run-defense contributor at an almost inconsequential cost. With the Cardinals sitting at 3-14 and the regular season still months away, this is the kind of low-stakes depth-building that makes organizational sense — you accumulate enough of these swing shots and occasionally one sticks. The risk here isn't financial; it's opportunity cost, specifically whether a roster spot might be better deployed on a player with demonstrated NFL-level production. Until Williams logs meaningful preseason reps, this grades as exactly what it is: a sensible but unexciting flier on developmental potential.