Arizona Cardinals named 1 of NFL's most improved teams in offseason
Arizona Cardinals named 1 of NFL's most improved teams in offseason NFL.com listed the seven most improved teams this offseason. The Cardinals make the cut.
The Arizona Cardinals, coming off an 8-9 season in 2024, made great strides in improving their roster this offseason. Almost all their offseason additions, both in free agency and the 2025 NFL draft focused on their defense.
With their moves, they were named one of the seven most improved teams by NFL.com's Nick Shook.
Like another team on this list (New England), Arizona had some money to spend and needs to address. That's how the Cardinals landed edge rusher Josh Sweat, reuniting him with Jonathan Gannon, who helped Sweat enjoy his best seasons in Philadelphia while serving as the Eagles' defensive coordinator. DE Calais Campbell returns to the team with which he spent the first nine seasons of his career. He provides a veteran presence, as does Dalvin Tomlinson, helping to revamp the defensive front in one offseason. Rookie DT Walter Nolen (drafted 16th overall) will play a part, too, along with CB Will Johnson, a first-round talent who slid into Round 2 (No. 47) because of concerns about his knee, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, though Johnson later said he's healthy. Keep an eye on linebacker Cody Simon, who enters the NFL as a fourth-round pick (No. 115) after enjoying an incredible run through the College Football Playoff with Ohio State, starring in a dominant Rose Bowl win over Oregon and juicing his draft stock along the way.
Arizona's offense was solid in 2024. It was their defense that needed work. They were bad at stopping the run, sacking the quarterback and forcing turnovers. With their added talent up front, they should both be better against the run and produce more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. That should lead to more takeaways.
Looking back at the 2021 season, their first-half success was because the defense was better than advertised, which improved the offense, which, in turn, made it harder to run against them.
The offense is largely unchanged in terms of personnel in 2025, but the defense, with major additions to every level, should be much improved.
The other teams named with the Cardinals are the most improved were the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots and New York Jets.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley announces retirement after 11 years in NFL
C.J. Mosley is ready to tackle life beyond playing football. A five-time Pro Bowl selection during an 11-year NFL career with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, Mosley announced Thursday, his 33rd birthday, that he's retiring. Talks of a possible Baltimore reunion Mosley was released by the Jets in March after playing in just four games last season because of a toe injury and later a herniated disk in his neck. A source told WJZ there was mutual interest in a Baltimore reunion, hoping to chase a championship this upcoming season, but Mosley couldn't get cleared with his neck injury. I'm told C.J. Mosley was hoping for a reunion in Baltimore to chase a championship. There was mutual interest there but unfortunately, he couldn't get cleared with his neck injury @wjz @WJZ13sports @CBSSports — Rick Ritter (@RickRitterWJZ) June 19, 2025 Mosley announces retirement on social media A popular playmaker and leader during his career, Mosley made his announcement with a 2-minute, 10-second video post on his Instagram page titled "Once upon a time ..." that included highlights of his playing career. "Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation," Mosley said. "I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it's time to start a new chapter with new dreams. It won't be easy, but I'm here to tell you every sacrifice is worth it. "When you wake up, what will your legacy look like?" Stellar NFL career Mosley, the 17th overall pick by Baltimore in the 2014 draft out of Alabama, had nearly 1,100 tackles with 12 sacks, 12 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, and three touchdowns. He played five standout seasons with the Ravens before signing a five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in 2019 and was the heartbeat of New York's defense during his tenure as one of the NFL's top tacklers. Ravens send their praise Both the Jets and Ravens posted congratulatory messages for Mosley on social media. "Captain! Thankful for the memories we couldn't have asked for a better leader!" former Jets teammate and current Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers commented on Mosley's post. An iconic moment in Ravens history. Congratulations on your career and retirement, C.J. — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 19, 2025 "Half-Man Half-Amazing congrats on a great career bro," former Ravens teammate and current Baltimore assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine wrote.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Former NFL star Adrian Peterson involved in physical altercation during poker game, video shows
Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson appeared to get involved in a physical altercation with a man during a recent poker game. TMZ Sports obtained video of the incident at a May poker event in Houston. At one point, Peterson and another poker player reportedly had a disagreement over playing cards. The situation appeared to escalate quickly with video showing Peterson taking multiple punches near his face. The video lasted for roughly 37 seconds but did not appear to show the fight in its entirety. The former Minnesota Vikings star and the unidentified man both sustained injuries to the face, according to TMZ. Peterson later said he sustained his injury when he fell into a chair. Peterson did acknowledge he had consumed alcohol leading up to the altercation, although he clarified that alcohol was not responsible for the fight. The 40-year-old Texas native compared the incident to "a brother situation." "Me and the guy, we're cool. We've known each other. It was literally like a brother situation," Peterson said. "We agreed to disagree, we had our words and we threw blows — and that was it." The seven-time Pro Bowler added he "felt really bad" about what happened. He also noted that he and the other man involved in the fight were later able to reach an understanding. No one was arrested or charged, and police did not respond. In April, Peterson was arrested on a DWI charge after he attended an NFL Draft party in Minnesota. The Vikings drafted Peterson in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He spent the first decade of his pro career in Minneapolis. Peterson was named the NFL MVP in 2012 and left the Vikings after the 2016 season. Peterson also played for the Saints, Cardinals, Washington, Lions, Titans and Seahawks. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Athlon Sports 2025 Fantasy Football Preview Magazine Now Available
Athlon Sports 2025 Fantasy Football Preview Magazine Now Available originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's no such thing as too much fantasy football preparation. Now is the time to start formulating a gameplan for fantasy drafts. Thankfully, the Athlon Sports 2025 Fantasy Football Annual is on sale now — available online. The magazine will be available at newsstands on Friday, June 20. Advertisement Athlon Sports' fantasy preview is the ultimate fantasy football draft day guide, with in-depth scouting reports, complete positional rankings and a 280-player big board to help you make all the right moves and win a championship. The magazine also features team-by-team analysis from NFL beat writers, injury updates, a look at familiar faces in new places and an entire section dedicated to Dynasty leagues. Our experts share their opinions about who should be the No. 1 pick in your draft — is Saquon Barkley the obvious choice after his monster 2024 season, or should you focus on grabbing an elite receiver? We'll share some of the key trends and lessons learned from last season. There's a rookie rundown to help you figure out which first-year players might make an impact this season, as well as a look at last year's rookie class. Which sophomores are ready to break out and which ones might take a step back in 2025? We've also got a primer on how to play an up-and-coming new fantasy game: Guillotine leagues. Whether you play traditional fantasy, PPR, IDP, Dynasty or Daily Fantasy, the Athlon Sports 2025 Fantasy Football Annual has all the stats and in-depth insight to help you draft and manage a dominant fantasy team. Order your copy now! Related: Athlon Sports 2025 NFL Preview Magazine Now Available This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
