The Cardinals knew all along they were going to be active on the waiver wire, and Wednesday, they did not disappoint.

Of the the 24 players claimed from waivers across the league, the Cardinals took a league-high six: Safety K'Von Wallace, cornerback Starling Thomas, tight end Elijah Higgins, centers Trystan Colon and Keith Ismael, and offensive tackle Ilm Manning.

To make room on the roster, the Cardinals released wide receiver Daniel Arias, offensive lineman Marquis Hayes, safety Jovante Moffatt, defensive lineman Ben Stille, and tight end Blake Whiteheart. All are candidates to return on the practice squad if they clear waivers.

"The roster is in flux all of the time," coach Jonathan Gannon said. "We're going to try to do what's best for the team, always. I think the main thing to note of that is pieces get shuffled around, and pieces move up on game day. It's not just the 53 (active players), it's the practice squad, how many guys are going to get a jersey in Washington, the roles that they serve. There's a lot of things that go into that and our guys know that."

Gannon has previously said that the players they bring in off of the waiver wire can have an immediate impact.

The starting center spot belongs to Hjalte Froholdt, but after Jon Gaines II suffered a season-ending knee injury, a backup center was needed. Colon and Ismael will compete for those second-unit snaps.

Out of the two centers claimed, Colon has more game experience over his three years with the Ravens. He's played in 20 total games, with a season high of 12 in 2021. Colon was most recently with the Jets before being released. Like Colon, Ismael's most productive season was in 2021. As a member of the Commanders, he started five games at center. Last season, he was on the 49ers practice squad.

Ismael isn't the only former 49er claimed by their NFC West foe.

Manning is an undrafted rookie out of the University of Hawaii who didn't make the 49ers initial 53-man roster. The only other addition on the offensive side of the ball is Higgins, who was drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth-round out of Stanford University. Higgins joins fellow Stanford alumnus, Zach Ertz, along with Geoff Swaim and Trey McBride in the tight end room.

While rookie cornerback Garrett Williams remains on the NFI list, Wallace and Thomas join a secondary unit anchored by Marco Wilson and Budda Baker.

Out of the players claimed, Wallace is arguably the most notable name, having earned a reputation on the special teams unit in Philadelphia. During his three years with the Eagles, he collected 64 tackles and a fumble recovery. Wallace also reunites with Gannon, who was his defensive coordinator last season.

Thomas reportedly had a very strong camp with the Detroit Lions. The rookie cornerback was taking second-team reps and was also performing well on special teams. Once he hit the wire, general manager Monti Ossenfort swooped in to claim Thomas.

This is Gannon's first time constructing a 53-man roster as a head coach. He's heavily relied on Ossenfort and his scouts during this process.

"It goes to show you how much preparations helps you for decision that you have to make," Gannon said. "If we have to take a U-turn, or a left turn, or a right turn, this is what we're going to do. Really the whole personnel side, they've done a great job of setting the table for us, getting the coaches opinions on it, and then we go from there."

WAITING ON PRACTICE SQUAD

The Cardinals have not finished putting together their practice squad yet, but there were a handful of players noticed during the open portion of Wednesday's practice that look like they will return in that capacity: long snapper Aaron Brewer, running back Corey Clement, wide receiver Andre Baccellia and quarterback Jeff Driskel.