Dray Leaves Coaching Staff for Bears; Ledbetter Signs Future Contract

Since the Cardinals disappointing finish to the 2021 season, much of the outside noise has “suggested” there be changes on the team’s coaching staff.

Nothing major appears to be happening, but there has been one departure as offensive quality control coach Jim Dray has landed in Chicago on new head coach Matt Eberflus’ staff as tight ends coach.

Dray spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Cardinals after being an offensive assistant at Stanford in 2018 and offensive quality control coach with the Browns in 2019.

He played in college at Stanford and was selected by the Cardinals in the seventh round of 2010 draft. Dray was with the Cardinals from 2010-2013 and 2017, his final NFL season. In between, he was with Cleveland in 2014 and 2015 and with Buffalo and San Francisco in 2016.

Dray played 56 games with the Cardinals, of which 18 were starts and played in 38 other games with 20 starts. For his career, Dray had 56 receptions for 605 yard and three touchdowns.

The Cardinals also signed defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.

Ledbetter was signed to the team’s practice squad on Sept. 3 after being waived three days earlier by Miami in the cutdown to 53 players.

Except for one game he played against the Browns, Ledbetter was on the practice squad all season and his contract expired Jan. 25.

The game he played was as an emergency COVID-19 replacement for defensive tackle Corey Peters, who tested positive the morning of the Cardinals Oct. 17 game in Cleveland.

Defensive lineman Zach Allen had tested positive two days before the game and it was suggested that one of the team’s practice-squad defensive linemen make the trip in case someone else on the line tested positive.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was told about Peters on his way to the game, and he quickly called Ledbetter in the team hotel to inform him he would be active for the game.

Ledbetter played 10 defensive snaps (17%) in the game and also played two snaps on special teams.