2 months agoArizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado (shoulder) has returned to practice and participated in Wednesday's joint session with the Colts. After missing the previous week of practice and the Cardinals' first preseason game against the Saints due to a shoulder injury—evident by the brace he wore—Demercado is now working to get back up to speed. He will have a few days to prepare for Saturday's exhibition game against the Colts. It will be interesting to see whether Demercado or rookie third-round pick
Trey Benson will receive the initial running back touches if Demercado is cleared to play. Before his injury, Demercado had been mixing in with the first-team offense and spelling starter
James Conner, suggesting he could regain his role if Conner sits out again.
--Martin Grisko - RotoBallerSource: Tyler Drake @Tdrake4sports
2 months agoArizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has confidently stated that first-round rookie defensive end Darius Robinson has a "1,000 percent" chance of earning a starting role. The rookie defensive lineman, selected 27th overall by the Cardinals, made a strong impression in his preseason debut against the New Orleans Saints. Robinson's performance included a tackle and a quarterback pressure in ten snaps during the Cardinals' 16-14 loss on Saturday. His first play saw him tackle running back
Alvin Kamara, marking his initial impact on the game. Robinson reflected on this moment, saying, "I'm ready to give my all each day, but it really hit me when I tackled Kamara. It was like, 'Alright, I'm here, ready, and focused.'" While Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones seem to be the leading candidates for the starting defensive end spots, Robinson's high draft position suggests he will be a crucial player for the Cardinals in the future. When he assumes a starting role, it may depend on his continued performance and development.
--Martin Grisko - RotoBallerSource: Around The NFL @AroundTheNFL
2 months agoArizona Cardinals tight end
Tip Reiman "should carve out a role" this season, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Even though the third-round rookie is clearly a notch below
Trey McBride on the depth chart, the expectation is that Reiman will still get looks within Arizona's offense. The insiders note that Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing previously spent three years in Cleveland where he supported solid production from both
David Njoku and
Harrison Bryant. In their analogy, Graziano and Fowler likened McBride to Njoku and Reiman to Bryant. Bryant caught 24 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. Perhaps we should expect similar production from Reiman in 2024.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler
2 months agoESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Arizona Cardinals running back
James Conner, who is in a contract year, will very much remain the focal point for the team's backfield for the foreseeable future. Fowler thinks Conner still has untapped potential as an RB2 for fantasy managers after coming off a career-best 5.0 yards per carry and his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign in 2023. The only thing that could hold him back from a volume standpoint is durability. The 29-year-old has never played a full season in the NFL, so the Cardinals might manage his workload accordingly. But if his health cooperates, another 200-plus-carry season should be in the cards for Conner. Fantasy managers that roll with Conner as their RB2 would be wise to handcuff him later in drafts with rookie third-rounder
Trey Benson, who should eventually leapfrog
Emari Demercado as the primary backup in Arizona.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 months agoArizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said quarterback
Kyler Murray has gone "above and beyond" in responding to challenges from his coach, which coupled with his competitive spirit and immense talent, gives the Cardinals hope for the future. Murray completed 65.7% of his passes for 1,799 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games after coming back from a torn ACL in 2023. The former first-rounder was urged by Gannon to get "submerged with the group," particularly on offense, including offseason throwing sessions. The Cardinals will hold the 27-year-old signal-caller out of preseason action this year. With a fully healthy offseason under his belt, Murray is rising as a fantasy QB1, especially after the addition of rookie first-round receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. as his new No. 1 weapon in the passing game.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 months agoArizona Cardinals rookie first-round wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. will play in the team's preseason opener on Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. Harrison will take his first official snaps in the NFL this weekend, but he won't be working with starting quarterback
Kyler Murray, who won't play at all this preseason. Harrison, 21, has one of the highest ceilings of any rookie wideout in recent memory and will be taken as a WR1 in fantasy drafts despite having yet to play in a regular-season NFL contest. The fourth overall pick probably won't play more than an offensive series or two on Saturday with either QB
Desmond Ridder or
Clayton Tune. Harrison will instantly become Arizona's No. 1 receiver this year and should be targeted heavily by Murray.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
2 months agoArizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado (shoulder) was spotted after Wednesday's training camp practice wearing a brace covering his right shoulder and going across his torso.
James Conner is Arizona's clear lead back entering the 2024 season, but Demercado so far has been working with the first-team offense as his primary complement in the Cardinals' backfield. It's unclear if the 25-year-old's shoulder injury is serious enough to keep him out of practices moving forward, but if it is, it could give both
Michael Carter and rookie
Trey Benson opportunities to unseat Demercado as the RB2 in the desert. Demercado had 58 rushing attempts for 58 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games in his first NFL season in 2023 after going undrafted out of TCU. He could open the year as the No. 2 RB, but Benson has a fairly good shot at surpassing on the depth chart sooner than later.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cards Wire - Howard Balzer
2 months agoArizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said that wide receiver
Greg Dortch is going to have "a big year." "He speaks softly and carries a big stick," Gannon said. With
Rondale Moore no longer in town, Dortch has been working with the first-team offense in training camp this summer after being a backup receiver each of the last two seasons. The 26-year-old slot receiver has had his moments as an injury replacement, though, especially in 2022, when he had a career season with 52 receptions on 64 targets for 467 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (four starts). The former undrafted free agent has injury concerns himself because of his small 5-foot-7, 175-pound stature, but he could be a sleeper candidate worth looking into, especially with quarterback
Kyler Murray fully healthy to begin the 2024 campaign.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: PHNX Cardinals
3 months agoArizona Cardinals quarterback
Kyler Murray will not play during the preseason. This comes as no surprise as many high-profile quarterbacks sit the entirety of the preseason, especially in recent years. Murray is coming off a season in which he threw for 1,799 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games. Murray added 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns despite coming off a torn ACL. While it is a bummer that we will not get to see Murray throw to
Marvin Harrison Jr. in the preseason, fantasy managers should know what to expect from Murray at this point. The Cardinals' offense should be serviceable, with Murray behind center. As the current QB10 in fantasy drafts, Murray should be a target in fantasy drafts.
--Quincy Milton III - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
3 months agoAccording to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins agreed to a two-year, $14 million extension with the team. The Cardinals declined his fifth-year option a few months ago, saving the club some cash. However, the latest deal will keep the 25-year-old in Arizona for at least a few more seasons. Collins, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has appeared in 50 games for the Cardinals over the last three seasons, totaling 166 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two interceptions. With that in mind, he may be in line for his most productive season to date, so he will see interest from IDP managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
3
months
agoCardinals
outside
linebacker
BJ
Ojulari
(knee)
suffered
a
torn
ACL
in
his
left
knee
during
practice
on
Friday.
The
2023
second-round
pick
had
a
solid
finish
to
his
rookie
season
with
four
sacks
and
was
projected
to
be
a
top
pass
rusher
for
Arizona
this
year.
In
Ojulari's
read more...
3 months agoArizona Cardinals wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. is hopeful to be out there playing in the preseason. The rookie wideout told reporters on Thursday that he wants to play during the preseason games. Head coach Jonathan Gannon agreed with Harrison saying that the first-round pick should be out there. Obviously, the Cardinals don't want to risk injury to their prized rookie receiver, but Harrison also needs game action to learn his new playbook. The assumption is that Harrison is going to have a significant target share during his rookie campaign.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: azcentral.com
3 months agoArizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado has firmly placed himself as a player in the training camp battle to be the team's RB2. Demercado has been subbing in for
James Conner during first-team work with
Michael Carter taking second-team work and 2024 third-round pick
Trey Benson spelling Carter. Demercado was a regular contributor last season for the Cardinals thanks to his pass-blocking work but he also started two games for the team in Weeks 7-8. Demercado's skillset is valuable and looks to be in line for a roster spot for the Cardinals, but it's only a matter of time before Benson moves up the depth chart considering the draft capital the team spent on him this past April. Demercado shouldn't be drafted in fantasy for this upcoming season but could find some waiver wire buzz if injuries strike the Cardinals' backfield.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: Tyler Drake
3
months
agoArizona
Cardinals
wide
receiver
Michael
Wilson
has
been
running
with
the
starting
offense
early
in
training
camp
practices,
even
after
the
team
added
Zay
Jones
in
the
offseason.
Wilson
led
the
starting
unit
on
Thursday
with
three
catches
read more...
3 months agoArizona Cardinals running back
Trey Benson is signing his four-year rookie deal on Thursday, according to a source. The two-time All-ACC RB from Florida State with 4.3-second speed never fumbled during his collegiate career and is expected to play a prominent role for the Cardinals' offense in 2024 alongside lead back
James Conner. The 21-year-old 66th overall pick tore multiple ligaments in his knee while at Oregon in 2020 but scored 24 total touchdowns in 2022 and 2023 with the Seminoles. There are questions about his durability, but Benson's combination of power and speed give him plenty of upside at the next level in the long-term. In single-year fantasy leagues, Benson will be worth a late-round flier as a handcuff for managers that take the plunge on the oft-injured Conner.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
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