logo
Cardinals training camp: WR3 is one of top position battles to watch

Cardinals training camp: WR3 is one of top position battles to watch

USA Today27-07-2025
The battle appears to be primarily between Greg Dortch and Zay Jones, but Xavier Weaver could be a wild card.
The Arizona Cardinals have a number of notable position battles as they have begun training camp. Some battles are for starting jobs, while others are for key reserve spots. A pair of position believed to have key battles — right guard and "Mike" linebacker — seem to be set with new starters.
Others, though, have intrigue.
Cardinals training camp position battle: Wide receiver
The top two receiver spots are set with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. The position battle is at No. 3.
Last season, Greg Dortch began the season as the clear No. 3, playing in the slot. However, as the season progressed, Harrison and then, more so, Wilson played more in the slot, and Zay Jones got more snaps as the third receiver.
Dortch is dynamic when he gets the ball in his hands. Wilson in the slot and Jones on the outside gives the Cardinals both speed on the outside (Harrison and Jones) and size at all three spots (all are at least 6-2).
A possible wild card in the WR3 mix is second-year player Xavier Weaver, who made the team out of camp last year as an undrafted rookie and got a little playing time at the end of the year. He, too, is a good fit in the slot.
Dortch probably has one job secure as the team's punt returner and as the second kick returner with DeeJay Dallas.
But as camp progresses, watch the way both Dortch and Jones are used in the preseason and in camp practices.
This will be one of the more fun positions to watch.
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

John Harbaugh says Ravens starting O-Line is set; Final 4 roster spots set for evaluation
John Harbaugh says Ravens starting O-Line is set; Final 4 roster spots set for evaluation

Yahoo

time26 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

John Harbaugh says Ravens starting O-Line is set; Final 4 roster spots set for evaluation

The Ravens will have two more practice sessions before their Saturday afternoon preseason finale against the Washington Commanders. Baltimore will start Andrew Vorhees at left guard, along with four holdovers from the 2024 season. Following the Ravens' Tuesday practice, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed the starting unit, while confirming the team is still evaluating four or five backups that'll make the 53-man roster. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: John Harbaugh says Ravens starting offensive line is set for Week 1

Texas QB Manning says NFL plans not taking shape yet despite grandpa's prediction of 2026 in Austin

time27 minutes ago

Texas QB Manning says NFL plans not taking shape yet despite grandpa's prediction of 2026 in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas -- There's so much speculation about Texas quarterback Arch Manning's future, in the media and even within his own family, that it can be hard for him to keep up. On Tuesday, Manning insisted he's not plotting out how long he'll stay at Texas or when he'll enter the NFL draft, despite his grandfather's recent prediction to Texas Monthly magazine that he'll be with the Longhorns through the 2026 season. 'I don't know where he got that from,' Arch Manning said in his first meeting with reporters since SEC media days in mid-July. 'He texted me to apologize about that. I'm really just taking it day by day right now.' Arch Manning has been careful while talking about his future as he leads the No. 1 Longhorns as the full-time starter after playing behind Quinn Ewers the past two seasons. Manning enters this season as the early favorite for the Heisman Trophy, has endorsement deals worth millions and comes from the most famous quarterbacking family in football. Grandfather Archie played in the NFL and uncles Peyton and Eli combined for four Super Bowl victories. Add that together and Arch Manning is shouldering the biggest spotlight of any player in the country. Texas opens the season Aug. 30 at No. 3 Ohio State after losing to the Buckeyes in the national playoff semifinals last season. Manning is also very close to his grandfather, despite any confusion about whether he's destined for one or two seasons as the Texas starter before heading to the NFL. Manning noted Tuesday how Archie is always giving him advice on how to avoid taking big hits to prolong his career. 'Those hits add up,' Arch Manning said. 'My grandfather, he's hobbling around these days. He ends every call with 'get down or get out of bounds.''

Stephen A. Smith makes ridiculous argument suggesting Rams should start Stetson Bennett
Stephen A. Smith makes ridiculous argument suggesting Rams should start Stetson Bennett

USA Today

time27 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Stephen A. Smith makes ridiculous argument suggesting Rams should start Stetson Bennett

Matthew Stafford is practicing, but there are still a lot of concerns as to whether or not he'll be available for the Los Angeles Rams' Week 1 showdown with the Houston Texans on Sept. 7. If Stafford to to miss that game, the prevailing theory is that Jimmy Garoppolo would start at quarterback, considering he hasn't played a preseason snap this summer and has ample NFL experience. ESPN's Stephan A. Smith has a different idea for who should start if Stafford can't suit up: Stetson Bennett. Smith noted that while he hasn't watched Bennett's tape over the past two preseason games, he thinks Bennett's box scores speak for themselves and that the Rams should give him the starting role ahead of Garoppolo if needed. "I get the experience factor [with Garoppolo]. I get the fact that you can lean on what's done in the past, " Smith said on First Take. "The point is, at the end of the day, can we definitively say that he's looked better than Stetson Bennet thus far? I'm just going with the best — who's looked the best? I haven't seen Stetson Bennett, I know his his stats ... but his numbers look good. We're just ignoring that because we're going to lean on Jimmy G's experience? What if this brother is balling during the preseason and he can ride that momentum into the first part of the season? This is a wild argument for starting the 2023 fourth-round pick over the 11-year veteran. Now, Bennett has looked good through two preseason games: He's completed 68.8% of his passing attempts (44-of-68) for 512 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Bennett also won both games, including a game-winning score against the Los Angeles Chargers. But does that mean he should just start over Garoppolo? Absolutely not. For one, Bennett has zero regular-season experience. Garoppolo has 82 games and 64 starts under his belt, as well as 17 playoff appearances. We also can't forget how Bennett played in the prior two preseasons, where he passed for 784 yards, three touchdowns and eight interceptions in five games. Momentum is nice, and Bennett has been much improved since he entered the league in 2023. But to suggest he's ready to face a DeMeco Ryans defense in Week 1 that features 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. and five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter is laughable.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store