Arizona Cardinals sign former Cowboys, Chargers WR Simi Fehoko
Arizona Cardinals sign former Cowboys, Chargers WR Simi Fehoko The Cardinals are adding a 6-foot-4, speedy receiver who played for the Chargers last season.
The Arizona Cardinals have added a wide receiver to their roster. The team announced Friday that former Los Angeles Chargers receiver Simi Fehoko was signed to a one-year contract.
Fehoko has some physical traits the Cardinals will like. He is 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds with speed. His 40 time entering the NFL draft in 2021 was 4.44 seconds.
He was drafted in the fifth round in 2021 by the Dallas Cowboys, where he played two seasons before spending two years with the Chargers.
Through four seasons, he has not played more than eight games and that was last season. He started twice in 2024. He had six receptions for 106 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch. He played a career-high 244 offensive snaps last season after logging a total of 67 in his three previous seasons.
He figures to compete for a spot on the roster and potentially a place in the playing rotation. His size and speed potentially give the Cardinals another deep threat.
His contract is not likely for much, as he has not yet proven much in the league, but there is some potential for some upside. He will be a guy to watch as the offseason progresses and when training camp begins.
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.
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NBC Sports
38 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
The NFL's most important newcomers for all 32 teams in 2025
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Walker had 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks his final season at Georgia. Baltimore Ravens: S/CB Malaki Starks Starks and Kyle Hamilton could be a truly devastating safety combination. With Hamilton as the launch pad, Starks' boom-or-bust tendencies will be given the chance to blast off knowing he's got a steady, Pro Bowl presence capable of erasing messes behind him. That doesn't only apply to the safety spot, however. Head coach John Harbaugh could deploy him akin to how the Detroit Lions use Brian Branch, sliding him close to the line of scrimmage in the slot or effectively serving as a Swiss Army Knife for a defense that's perpetually terrifying. Buffalo Bills: CB Maxwell Hairston OK, phew. 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The franchise badly needs both players to prop up a sagging defense that sacrificed coordinator Lou Anarumo at the altar of high expectations this offseason. The Bengals' non-Hendrickson players had 18.5 total sacks last fall and the team ranked 22nd in overall pressure rate despite Hendrickson letting loose the dogs of war each Sunday. Cleveland Browns: Whomever is playing quarterback this fall Deshaun Watson, formerly accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what the NFL described as "predatory behavior," will likely miss the 2025 season with a torn Achilles (and he wasn't especially good before this). That leaves a four-way competition for the starting role between guys who weren't on the roster last season. Kenny Pickett, a 40-year-old Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will compete for the QB1 role in northeast Ohio. That's, uh… phew. Dallas Cowboys: WR George Pickens Yes, the Cowboys are quietly negging their own Pro Bowl quarterback. But Prescott is set up to succeed despite the Brian Schottenheimer of it all (and continued lack of an efficient run game). Pickens' ability to play along the sideline pairs logically with CeeDee Lamb's work from the slot. The last time Dallas had a duo like that was Lamb and Amari Cooper -- and Prescott threw for nearly 4,500 yards and 37 touchdowns in 16 games that 2022 season. Denver Broncos: S Talanoa Hufanga Denver added a 25-year-old former All-Pro to its already stellar defense at the low cost of $39 million over three years. However, Hufanga has played only half the potential regular season games since his breakthrough 2022 (17) and his 2024 campaign saw his coverage and tackling both fall off (a passer rating allowed of 118.6 and a missed tackle rate of 11.4 percent. Neither are entirely damning as iffy statistics for a safety, but they are concerning). If healthy, the former 49er fills a need at strong safety. But his reliability is in question after the last two seasons. Detroit Lions: Coordinators John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard Sheppard isn't technically a new arrival -- he's instead been promoted after serving under former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn after spending four seasons with the team as an assistant. Morton steps into the void Ben Johnson left behind after helping Bo Nix exceed expectations as the Broncos' passing game coordinator. Each has huge shoes to fill after their forebearers maximized Detroit's potential on both sides of the ball to turn the Lions into a contender. Green Bay Packers: WR Matthew Golden There's some pressure on Nate Hobbs to stabilize a secondary set to rely on Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as its primary boundary corners -- both were solid in 2024 but lack the ceiling Jaire Alexander leaves behind. But that's not nearly as interesting as Green Bay's receiving corps. The Packers continue to field one of the youngest, deepest groups in the league, but the lack of a reliable WR1 to target on key downs remains an obstacle. Golden, the fourth wideout drafted in 2025 and the Packers' first first-round receiver in two decades, brings a diverse game and massive expectations to an offense capable of greatness or falling on its face behind Jordan Love's passing attack. Houston Texans: OT Cam Robinson (and the five other new offensive line additions) The Texans weren't content to see if C.J. Stroud could recover from a sophomore slump on his own. Houston got proactive this offseason, firing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik (considered a rising head coach candidate just a year earlier!), trading away offensive linemen Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green and releasing Shaq Mason. Robinson is part of a shotgun blast of potential new starters which includes Laken Tomlinson, Trent Brown, Ed Ingram, Jake Andrews and Aireontae Ersery. There aren't many sure things when your headlining addition is a soon-to-be 30-year-old the Jacksonville Jaguars once considered releasing, but a fresh start makes sense. Indianapolis Colts: CB Charvarius Ward This could have been Daniel Jones, but I don't want to send Colts fans any deeper into a spiral. It could have been Tyler Warren, who is actually great for Jones' litany of short-range targets, but given the unpredictability of Indianapolis's quarterback situation I'll roll with Ward instead. The Colts added a 2023 All-Pro to punch up the league's 23rd-best pass defense (in terms of EPA/dropback). He can serve as a veteran leader to help push 2023 draft picks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones toward their potential, but there's no guarantee he'll be a massive upgrade after struggling through 2024 (a 116.6 passer rating allowed). Jacksonville Jaguars: WR/CB Travis Hunter Shoutout to James Gladstone here as well, who may thrive early on as Jacksonville's general manager merely by not being Trent Baalke. Gladstone is the man who aggressively traded up for Hunter, who stands to have a similar offense/defense impact as he did winning the Heisman Trophy at Buffalo last fall. He's no panacea for everything that ails the Jaguars, but he's a player who can keep opposing AFC South coordinators up at night and, importantly, help push Trevor Lawrence back to the 2022 form that got the Jags to the playoffs and earned the young QB a top 10 MVP voting finish. Kansas City Chiefs: OTs Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore Recent additions of Jawaan Taylor (free agency) and Wanya Morris (2023 draft) have failed to give Patrick Mahomes the franchise tackle Kansas City desires. That led to major assets for blocking help in 2025; two years and $30 million for Moore, who has 12 career starts in four NFL seasons and a first round pick for Simmons, who wrecked shop at San Diego State and Ohio State but enters the NFL rehabbing a torn patellar tendon. Both are high-risk, high-reward gambles. If they pay off, they can reinforce the weakness that saw Mahomes sacked six times and hit 11 more in a Super Bowl 59 blowout. Los Angeles Chargers: G Mekhi Becton There is nothing more in this world that Jim Harbaugh would like to do than grind you into dust on the ground, then ignite those particles with an efficient passing game. Becton helped clear a path for Saquon Barkley's 2,000-yard campaign after coming to Philadelphia and kicking inside to guard. Now he pairs with Zion Johnson to move earth for Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal. The Chargers are gonna throw BEEF at you until you're exhausted, then launch throws over the top of a tired defense with Justin Herbert. It's gonna be fun. Los Angeles Rams: WR Davante Adams Adams pairs with Matthew Stafford in what could be a last dance for both veterans as Pro Bowl-caliber players. Granted, each has avoided the gravity of time to date; Adams' 2.14 yards per route run (YPRR) were a top 25 mark among wideouts and Stafford's savvy play overcame a litany of offensive line injuries en route to another solid season. But both are beyond the point where comparable players at their positions begin to decline. Puka Nacua will boost the passing game, but having Adams to provide a Cooper Kupp-type presence could keep the Rams' Super Bowl window open -- especially with a young defense continuing to improve. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Geno Smith, RB Ashton Jeanty and HC Pete Carroll The Raiders needed a steady hand at the helm. Despite Antonio Pierce's interim success and the best efforts of Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew, they had none at head coach or quarterback last season. Smith's postseason resume is limited (one second half meltdown for the Seahawks) but he can create big gains with his vision and accuracy; his 6.7 completion percentage over expected (CPOE) outside of garbage time was third-best in the NFL last season. Carroll reclaims his throne as the NFL's oldest head coach, but his run-heavy approach gets one of the most prolific backs in NCAA history to lay the foundation for a revival. While the defense has plenty of questions to answer, Las Vegas could quietly field one of the league's most efficient offenses. Miami Dolphins: S Ifeatu Melifonwu and S Ashtyn Davis Miami didn't add much big name talent this offseason -- though a James Daniel-Jonah Savaiinea combo at guard should make life easier for De'Von Achane. But once Jalen Ramsey is traded, the Dolphins' starting cornerbacks will be some combination of Kader Kohou, Storm Duck, Artie Burns, Cam Smith and Jason Marshall Jr. Kohou is solid in the slot and Duck has potential to grow, but this has the potential to be one of the league's weakest cornerback rotations. That's going to put a lot of pressure on the team's safety help, where Melifonwu and Davis join Elijah Campbell and 2025 fifth round pick Dante Trader Jr. Together, those four started five total NFL games in 2024. Unless these newcomers can exceed expectations, Miami could be stuck trying to keep up in a 18-week series of track meets. Minnesota Vikings: About 2,000 pounds of BEEF The offensive line added Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Justin Skule in free agency as well as Ohio State standout Donovan Jackson in the first round of the draft. The defensive line brought in Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Minnesota reinforced its trenches to boost first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy and add a little flexibility to defensive coordinator Brian Flores' "unleash hell" approach to blitzing. New England Patriots: OT Will Campbell The Patriots overhauled one of the league's least talented teams this offseason, outlaying more than $211 million in guaranteed money to add 16 new additions to the roster through free agency. The most important addition, however, may be the man tasked with keeping Drake Maye upright. Maye shined despite underwhelming traditional stats as he worked against a 38.3 percent pressure rate -- tied for fifth-worst among starters last fall (he was blitzed only 26 percent of the time. The line was very, very bad). When pressured, Maye had a 62.6 passer rating and averaged -0.53 EPA per dropback. With a clean pocket, those numbers rose to 100.2 and 0.21. Campbell is just one man -- new additions Morgan Moses, Garrett Bradbury and Jared Wilson also need to step up -- but buying his quarterback time would be an immediate way to ingratiate himself to New Englanders. New Orleans Saints: QB Tyler Shough Derek Carr's sudden retirement focused the spotlight on a quarterback room that includes Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and Hunter Dekkers. Shough, a second-round pick, has a clear path to the starting job but a difficult task in front of him, particularly with top wideout Chris Olave working through head injuries (four documented concussions in three years, per the AP) and possible trade drama. The return of Olave and Rashid Shaheed -- a wonderful fit for Shough's downfield throws -- would help, but limited pass-catching depth behind them could ultimately curtail his rookie season growth. Still, he just needs to show proof of concept for a team in dire need of a franchise quarterback. New York Giants: EDGE Abdul Carter Carter joins a solid pass rush attack that already has Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in tow. That should allow him to solidify his Micah Parsons comparisons by raining havoc down upon offenses from the middle of the field rather than exclusively from the edge. No matter where he's lined up, he'll have to be the booster rocket that makes the Giants' defense elite if they have any playoff hopes in 2025. An offense led by Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart will likely have its fair share of off days. New York Jets: QB Justin Fields The Aaron Rodgers trade cost New York a modest first-round pick swap (two slots) and a pair of second round picks and produced five wins in games the four-time MVP was capable of finishing. Now Fields steps into that void after a season that partially rehabilitated him after being shunted aside in Chicago. He set career highs as a Pittsburgh Steeler in completion rate, passer rating, CPOE and EPA per dropback thanks to an offense that dialed back his average pass distance (7.7 yards), incorporated more play-action and generally defaulted to quicker, safer throws. The Jets can take advantage of that, particularly amidst an offense low on game-changing wideouts/tight ends beyond Garrett Wilson. Philadelphia Eagles: LB Jihaad Campbell and S Andrew Mukuba Philadelphia's offseason was defined by subtraction, as players like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Mekhi Becton played their way to bigger contracts than the Eagles could afford. Since most of general manager Howie Roseman's spending comes on the offensive side of the ball, it's vital to find low cost replacements. That can be through the draft -- see Williams, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean et al -- or free agency (the once cheap, now expensive Zack Baun). Campbell and Mukuba fit into the former camp as the team's first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Campbell will vie for a starting role next to Baun in the middle of the field. Mukuba joins Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown in a thin safety rotation. If either can emerge as a trusted starter it will be another massive win for Roseman. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Aaron Rodgers Can the league's 22nd best quarterback, who also happens to be 41 years old, return to MVP form after the least efficient season of his career as a starter? No. Can he be league average and pilot the Steelers to their next Wild Card loss? We'll see! San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Mykel Williams San Francisco shed veteran talent as the salary cap closed in on a team that needed to pay Brock Purdy on top of a cache of stars. That cascaded across the roster, including the typically deep corps of defensive linemen Kyle Shanahan uses to generate pressure without sacrificing extra defenders via blitz. In 2024, the Niners slipped from 10th (38.5 percent) to 19th (32.6) in pressure rate. Leonard Floyd, who finished second on the team in both sacks and quarterback hits, left as a free agent. Williams has a chance to step into his role after three seasons as a solid hand in Georgia's star-studded defense. He needs more reps and bulk to emerge as a three-down Pro Bowler, but a big rookie campaign would go a long way in getting the 49ers back on track. Seattle Seahawks: QB Sam Darnold Darnold goes from throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson in his 2024 breakthrough as a Viking to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Noah Fant and a 32-year-old Cooper Kupp. Fortunately, Seattle doesn't need him to be a game-breaker. If Darnold can engineer an average offense, a young defense head coach Mike Macdonald helped transform into a top five unit over the last half of his first season at the helm should be enough to push the Seahawks back to the postseason. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Haason Reddick Tampa Bay's 35.8 percent pressure rate ranked eighth in the NFL, which seems great before you realize it lags behind the club's 36.5 percent blitz rate -- third-highest in 2024. The Bucs' edge rushers were useful in creating chaos -- this helped Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea combine for 14.5 sacks up front -- but struggled to get to the quarterback themselves. The hope is Reddick can be a closer there, even after a wasted 2024 following his contract holdout with the Jets. Though he had just one sack in 393 snaps last season, his 13.5 percent pressure rate was in line with his 11-sack 2023 with the Eagles (and roughly in line with Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Greenard's numbers for 2024). Tennessee Titans: QB Cameron Ward Ward's arrival allows the Will Levis experience to be the comedy it was always meant to be rather than a Honky Tonk tragedy. Someone's going to need to step up in the Titans' receiving room behind Calvin Ridley -- and it would be especially nice if Treylon Burks could step into the role Tennessee envisioned before drafting him in the first round three years ago. Washington Commanders: CB Trey Amos Trades for Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel were the headliners of the Commanders' offseason. But those veteran additions will bolster an area of strength for one of the NFL's most efficient offenses. Instead, let's look at how Washington worked to overhaul the league's 22nd-ranked defense. The cornerback rotation will rely on Mike Sainristil (solid), Jonathan Jones (headed into his age 32 season and coming off his worst performance as a pro) and Marshon Lattimore (29 years old, has played only 26 games the last three seasons and underwhelming in his brief audition as a Commander). This could throw Amos into the fire immediately for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The second round rookie has the size, speed and physicality to be a valuable press corner along the sideline. If he can escape growing pains, he'd be an immediate boon for a secondary that had just five interceptions last season.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Chargers are confident Justin Herbert will be able to 'attack down the field more'
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh watches Justin Herbert warm up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in November. Harbaugh likes where the Chargers stand as their offseason program wraps up. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Jim Harbaugh shouted out free-agent additions, promising rookies, a former practice squad player and a second-year pro trying to build on his exceptional debut. While trying to highlight only offseason standouts, the Chargers coach instead used a winding answer to mention 12 different players. That type of depth is by design. Advertisement 'The competitive waters are so heated,' Harbaugh said as the Chargers finished minicamp last week. 'As it stands now, to get to 53, there would be some really good players that would have to not be on the 53. … It's in a really good place right now because so many have been added or trained themselves to be in ascending place.' After three phases of organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp that saw nearly perfect attendance minus minor injuries or illnesses, the Chargers enter their summer break with confidence. Here's what we learned about the Chargers during the offseason: Options on offense breed optimism Tre' Harris is among the players at the forefront of the Chargers' new-look receiving corps. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press) Adding just any receiver wasn't going to be enough this offseason. Bringing in second-round draft pick Tre' Harris, fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith and free agent Mike Williams show a clear intention to add a significant vertical threat to an offense that generated the fewest passing yards of Justin Herbert's NFL career. Advertisement 'We're certainly not going to be just bombs away every play,' offensive coordinator Greg Roman said, 'but it's going to allow us to attack down the field more, or at least present the opportunity to. We'll hopefully have that aspect to our offense, as well our ground-and-pound mentality.' Harris, who averaged 17.7 yards per catch and 100.8 yards receiving per game in two years at Mississippi, earned more reps with the No. 1 offense as minicamp progressed, trading positions with Jalen Reagor while Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston remained the top two options. Lambert-Smith was the only player in Penn State history with multiple 80-yard receptions and ranked eighth nationally with 19.62 yards per catch last year for Auburn. He was sidelined for the end of the offseason program with an undisclosed injury. Williams was also working with trainers during practice for most of the offseason, but both are expected to return by training camp, Harbaugh said. Read more: Chargers believe patience helped them win big with picks Tre' Harris and Jamaree Caldwell Rookies poised for instant impacts Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton jogs during practice in May. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press) Harbaugh lauded the 2025 draft class as being, collectively, one of the hardest working groups of rookies he's encountered. Several could carve out immediate roles. Advertisement Harbaugh considers first-round pick Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harris both starting-caliber running backs. In the last two weeks, Harris and third-round defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell showed signs of rapid growth after they digested the playbook, Harbaugh said. The coach said he has to kick Oronde Gadsden off the field after practices to keep the rookie tight end from overexertion. Gadsden became a minicamp star as he turned into one of the busiest receivers during team and seven-on-seven periods. Syracuse's leader in receiving yards and catches by a tight end lived up to the hype in the pass game and impressed coaches with his willingness in the blocking game while arriving to the facility at 5:30 a.m. almost every day. Hours before players are required to be in the building, Gadsden walked through plays on the field by himself every morning, saying the play calls aloud to familiarize himself with the playbook. The next step will be how the 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect performs in pads. Read more: Chargers didn't hesitate to draft Omarion Hampton: 'This is a heck of a back' Defense doesn't let up Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still made quite an impact with the team as a rookie last season. Will he take the next step in 2025? (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press) The Chargers were the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense last season and, with depth at defensive line and in the secondary, they don't intend on giving up the crown. Advertisement Free-agent additions Naquan Jones and Da'Shawn Hand make the defensive line bigger and more skilled athletically than last year's group, defensive line coach Mike Elston said. Former Pittsburgh Steeler Donte Jackson worked at cornerback with Tarheeb Still and the No. 1 defense in minicamp. Cornerback Cam Hart, who was recently cleared to return to practice after offseason shoulder surgery, paired with free-agent signing Benjamin St-Juste as the second team's cornerbacks. The four defensive backs started 47 games last season, a significant step up in experience after the Chargers relied on a combination of rookies and practice squad callups to overcome a rash of injuries. While only entering his second season, Still has become a key leader for the defense. After Derwin James Jr. shouted for undrafted free agent Eric Rogers to come to the sideline after a missed assignment during a team period, it was Still who was the first to put his hand on Rogers' shoulder to explain the play. Offensive line due for a change Chargers offensive linemen Savion Washington, left, Mekhi Becton and center Bradley Bozeman (75) participate in drills in May. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press) Looking for answers on the offensive line, Zion Johnson and returning starting center Bradley Bozeman alternated days at center and left guard during offseason sessions. When left tackle Rashawn Slater joined the team for minicamp, the potential starting offensive line looked significantly different than the one that got steamrolled in the playoffs. Advertisement While Bozeman and Johnson continue to jockey at center and left guard, key free-agent signing Mekhi Becton has solidified the right guard position. The 6-foot-7 Super Bowl champion and 6-foot-8 tackle Joe Alt have the potential to be a dominant right-side duo. Coaches mentioned Jamaree Salyer as someone who could still battle for a major role on the inside with Bozeman and Johnson, along with free-agent addition Andre James, who was a starting center for three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. After starting last season as the team's No. 1 right guard, Trey Pipkins III's role remains unclear. Considering both a player's contribution at an individual position and how well a specific combination works together, Harbaugh said he hopes to set the starting lineup around eight to 10 days into training camp. 'It's always who's playing the best [and] best combination,' Harbaugh said. 'How do we know that? They play the best. It's really that simple.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
