Big Red
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Zaven Collins was left in tears on draft night when the Cardinals took him with the 16th pick of the first round.
Six weeks later, the emotions weren't quite as intense Tuesday as the inside linebacker signed his first NFL contract, but it didn't make it less meaningful of a step.
"It's special," Collins said. "You know it's coming, but until it's here, you don't know how you're going to feel. It's still a big milestone."
Only second-round pick Rondale Moore remains unsigned among the Cardinals' draft class.
The money part -- Collins is slated to earn about $14.7 million and an $8 million signing bonus on his four-year deal, with the Cardinals holding a fifth-year option for 2025 -- was a foregone conclusion. The fact the Cards have given him the starting job wasn't necessarily a given, but Collins is going to team with Isaiah Simmons in the middle of the Cardinals' defense.
"I'm somewhat settled, but I haven't played my first game yet," Collins said. "After one of those preseason games, I'll be settled in."
The Cardinals began their three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. That runs through Thursday, and veterans will be off until training camp. Rookies will remain at the facility for another couple of weeks of meetings.
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