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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
4 bounce-back candidates on offense for Arizona Cardinals in 2025
4 bounce-back candidates on offense for Arizona Cardinals in 2025 We looked at some defensive players for the Cardinals to bounce back in 2025. Here are some offensive players who could as well. The Arizona Cardinals are in the final phase of their offseason program with two weeks remaining, one of OTAs and one of minicamp. They are hoping to bounce back from their 8-9 2024 when they lost five of their final seven games. To do so, they will need some individual players to bounce back from 2024. PFF named linebacker Baron Browning as the Cardinals' top bounce-back candidate for 2025. But there are a number of players who could use a bounce-back season, whether coming back from an injury, low production or simply not meeting expectations. We went over some bounce-back players for the defense. Here are some offensive players to watch for improvement in 2025. Cardinals bounce-back offensive candidate 1: OT Jonah Williams Williams played well when he played. The problem was that he only played in six games because he injured his knee twice. He still is their best option at right tackle and staying healthy all season would be huge. Cardinals bounce-back offensive candidate 2: QB Kyler Murray This is more about how things went down the stretch. His season stats were fine, but of his 11 interceptions, eight came in the final seven games when the Cardinals lost five of their final seven, going from 6-4 and in first place in the division to third place and 8-9. Cardinals bounce-back offensive candidate 3: WR Zay Jones Jones was re-signed to a one-year deal after he only had eight catches in 2024. His suspension to start the season really set him back, but by the end of the season, he was getting the third-most offensive snaps among the receivers. Expect him to have a much better year than eight receptions. Cardinals bounce-back offensive candidate 4: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. This might seem disingenuous because his rookie season was far from bad. It was one of the best the Cardinals have ever had from a rookie receiver. But people expected more, and it was disappointing because there were other rookie receivers clearing 1,100 and 1,200 yards. Bouncing back would mean becoming the true WR1 threat and being a guy defenses have to worry about. 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.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
4 bounce-back candidates on defense for Arizona Cardinals in 2025
4 bounce-back candidates on defense for Arizona Cardinals in 2025 After PFF named Baron Browning as a bounce-back candidate, here are four other defensive players the Cardinals need to improve. The Arizona Cardinals are in the final phase of their offseason program with two weeks remaining, one of OTAs and one of minicamp. They are hoping to bounce back from their 8-9 2024 when they lost five of their final seven games. To do so, they will need some individual players to bounce back from 2024. PFF named linebacker Baron Browning as the Cardinals' top bounce-back candidate for 2025. But there are a number of players who could use a bounce-back season, whether coming back from an injury, low production or simply not meeting expectations, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Here are some defensive players to watch in 2025. Cardinals bounce-back defensive candidate 1: OLB BJ Ojulari Ojulari was expected to be the Cardinals' top pass rusher in 2025 in his second NFL season. He didn't get to play a down, as he tore his ACL in training camp. Now he joins Browning, Josh Sweat, Zaven Collins and rookie Jordan Burch in a much-improved outside linebacker room. Cardinals bounce-back defensive candidate 2: DL Justin Jones Jones was the Cardinals' top free agent acquisition in 2024 but only logged three tackles in three games before tearing his triceps, ending his season. With the addition of free agents Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell and drafting Walter Nolen in the first round, Jones is not on anyone's radar. He now is part of a very talented rotation. Cardinals bounce-back defensive candidate 3: S Jalen Thompson Thompson was basically invisible in 2024 despite 98 total tackles. He had no interceptions and only broke up three passes. In 2023, he picked off four passes, broke up nine, forced a fumble and had a sack. Entering the final year of his contract, having him be a playmaker is needed. Cardinals bounce-back defensive candidate 4: DL Darius Robinson Robinson's rookie season was ruined by a calf injury before the season and then the death of his mother as he was coming back. That and some discomfort after he was brought back to practice led to only six games as a rookie and he had 10 tackles and one sack. 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.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
OLB Baron Browning named Arizona Cardinals' bounce-back candidate in 2025
OLB Baron Browning named Arizona Cardinals' bounce-back candidate in 2025 With a few possible candidates, PFF names OLB Baron Browning as their top bounce-back player in 2025 The Arizona Cardinals hope to bounce back from a bad end to their season, going from 6-4 and in the NFC West lead to losing five of their final games. They also have players who could bounce back. Who is their most likely bounce-back candidate? PFF gave a bounce-back candidate for each team. For the Cardinals, it is linebacker Baron Browning. On the surface, the Cardinals extending a player who earned just a 58.0 PFF grade last season may not seem wise. However, Baron Browning found his groove as a pass rusher after being traded to Arizona and could be poised for a return to his 2023 form. From Weeks 10 through 18 last season, Browning ranked 16th among qualified edge defenders with a 77.3 pass-rush grade. He also ranked sixth among that same group with an 18.6% pass-rush win rate. A full season of that level of production would significantly improve the outlook of Arizona's pass rush. Browning gradually increased his playing time late in the season and the Cardinals re-signed him for two more seasons. They hope he can be the player who had 9.5 sacks in 24 games in 2022-2023. His issue has been staying healthy. He is now in an improved outside linebacker room with Josh Sweat and with BJ Ojulari returning. And Zaven Collins, who led the Cardinals with five sacks, remains on the roster and could improve in his third year playing off the edge. Browning isn't the only player who could bounce back. Ojulari, who missed all last season, is another possibility, as is tackle Jonah Williams, who went down twice with knee injuries. If Browning can produce five to seven sacks in a rotational role, he will be well worth his two-year deal and the trade to acquire him last season. 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.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
1 glaring weakness for every NFL team in summer 2025
1 glaring weakness for every NFL team in summer 2025 The 2025 NFL offseason has died down from a roar to a whisper. With free agency and the draft come and gone, most teams have settled into cutting talent rather than adding it. That doesn't mean every team can be happy with where it's landed, however. All 32 franchises still have weaknesses to address, whether they're the minimal concerns of a reigning champion or the dire straits of the Cleveland Browns. Let's try and break down what could be the fatal flaw for each of the 31 teams who'll stop short of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the confetti falls on Super Bowl 60. What does every NFL franchise have to worry about heading into the doldrums of the offseason? Arizona Cardinals: The linebacking corps Consider this an overarching question about the team's pass rush AND ability to create stops from the second level. Adding Josh Sweat will punch up the league's 26th-ranked pressure rate, but his support will come from high potential/low production teammates like Baron Browning and Zaven Collins. The inside linebacker duo of Mack Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither won't help a defense that was a bottom-six unit against the run. Each brings concerns in coverage as well. Atlanta Falcons: The defensive front (particularly up the middle) The Falcons invested heavily to punch up a unit that finished 31st in the NFL in both sacks and pressure rate last fall. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. will bring value in the pass rush, but they may not get a ton of help. Troy Andersen is still working to turn his prodigious athleticism into production at linebacker. Morgan Fox and David Onyemata are each on the wrong side of 30 years old, while Ruke Orhorhoro needs to live up to his second round draft billing from 2024. Baltimore Ravens: The edge rush (and kicker) Baltimore got the most productive season of Kyle Van Noy's career when he exploded for 12.5 sacks in his age 33 season. Even if he can do it again, this is a team whose 31.4 percent pressure rate ranked only 24th in the NFL. Drafting Mike Green should help on passing downs, but a Ravens team that doesn't blitz often may have to dial up its aggressiveness to maximize chaos in Maryland this winter. Also, Justin Tucker was released after his worst season as a pro, which the Ravens used as a shield to replace him rather than directly addressing the 16 masseuses who have accused him of sexual misconduct. Buffalo Bills: Safety Buffalo is hoping its wideout depth can make up for the lack of a true WR1 arrow in Josh Allen's quiver (pending any Keon Coleman leap). There's a different fix on the other side of the ball, where the Bills beefed up their pass rush (Joey Bosa, T.J. Sanders) to relieve pressure from a bottom 10 secondary against the pass. The biggest liability is the safety duo of Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin. Each gave up a passer rating of at least 103.0 in coverage. A glow-up from 2024 second round pick Cole Bishop would work wonders here. Carolina Panthers: About 70 percent of the defense Let's give Bryce Young the benefit of the doubt; he improved significantly over the back half of head coach Dave Canales' debut season. Now he's got a big life raft in the form of Tetairoa McMillan to help bail him out of bad situations. The defense, however, can rely on Jaycee Horn and a back-from-injury Derrick Brown. I'd put free agent addition Tre'Von Moehrig in the circle of trust as well. Everyone else in the lineup will be tasked with improving a defense that ranked 32nd in points allowed, yards given up and expected points added (EPA) allowed per play in 2025. Chicago Bears: The run game Ben Johnson left the Sonic & Knuckles David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs platoon in Detroit for D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Those are decent enough runners, but in 2024 the Bears ranked 28th in rushing play EPA (-0.142) and 30th in rushing yards over expected (RYOE) per attempt (-0.3). Swift and Johnson return in 2025 with a better offensive playbook and vastly upgraded offensive line (hello, Joe Thuney). Can they capitalize? Cincinnati Bengals: Pass rush, especially if they keep toying with Trey Hendrickson Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks in 2024. The rest of the Bengals' roster combined for 18.5. Despite this, concerns about his age and massive spending on Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have left Hendrickson without a contract extension in what's likely his last chance at a massive multi-year contract. He'd like out of Ohio, and even if he stays his running mate/eventual successor is rookie first round pick Shemar Stewart... who despite a mountain of potential, had 4.5 career sacks at Texas A&M. Cleveland Browns: Quarterback The roster includes: Kenny Pickett, a 40-year-old Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and an injured Deshaun Watson, who was accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what the NFL itself described as "predatory behavior" in his time as a Houston Texan. It's bad. Dallas Cowboys: The run game The Cowboys performance on the ground was similar to the Bears' in 2024; 26th in EPA and 30th in RYOE. Then their 1,000-yard rusher, Rico Dowdle, left in free agency. He wasn't spectacular, but his 0.3 RYOE were 23rd-best in the NFL. His free agent replacement, Javonte Williams ranked 43rd out of 44 qualified runners in the same metric (-0.6). Flier pickup Miles Sanders clocked in at -0.8. It's a good thing Dak Prescott got George Pickens, because he's gonna get minimal support from his run game this fall. Denver Broncos: Depth at the skill positions Who can Bo Nix rely on outside of Courtland Sutton? A soon-to-be 31-year-old Evan Engram who ranked 25th among all tight ends in yards per target last fall? Marvin Mims Jr., whose average target distance came 0.7 yards downfield (484 of his 503 receiving yards came after the catch)? The young trio of Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant? A tailback platoon led by RJ Harvey and Audric Estime? There's talent here, but someone will have to emerge from this peloton of potential to make the Broncos' offense a true playoff threat. Detroit Lions: The coordinators How much were Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson pushing Dan Campbell forward? We'll find out in 2025, as 2024's hottest coordinators were each scooped up for head coaching roles (Johnson to the Bears, Glenn to the New York Jets). In their place come John Morton (offense) and Kelvin Sheppard (defense). They have one season of NFL playcalling between them -- Morton's 2017 stint as head of the New York Jets, where his starting quarterbacks were Josh McCown and Bryce Petty. Now *there* is a man who deserves a second chance. Green Bay Packers: Trustworthy cornerbacks who create confidence to blitz The Packers quickly developed a top 10 defense under new coordinator Jeff Hafley in 2024. One thing his unit did not do well, however, is get to the quarterback. Green Bay ranked 20th in pressure rate despite 45 sacks thanks in large part to Hafley's aversion to the sending extra attackers; the team's 16.8 percent blitz rate was second lowest in the league. That's part design and part necessity. Jaire Alexander played only seven games last season and Keisean Nixon, despite developing as a corner who can play wide or in the slot, wasn't quite in the circle of trust when it came to being left on an island. Alexander is healthy in 2025, Nixon returns and offseason addition Nate Hobbs can handle slot duties full time. If they rise up, does that mean Hafley can send more blitzers and create the negative plays that allow the Pack to beat contenders this fall? Houston Texans: Offensive line cohesion Houston worked hard to overhaul its blocking after CJ Stroud's pressure rate rose to nearly 39 percent in an underwhelming sophomore season. That's led to the following arrivals: Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, Ed Ingram, Trent Brown and Aireontae Ersery. They'll slot in some form around Tytus Howard and Blake Fisher, but there's a lot that needs to come together before this is more than simply a collection of offensive line parts. If they can't jell quickly, it's going to keep Stroud from building meaningful connections with new wideouts Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Christian Kirk. Indianapolis Colts: Quarterback It's Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones for the QB1 role. Richardson's career completion rate is a robust 50.6 percent. Jones' completion rate on throws that travel at least 10 yards downfield the last three seasons is 50.4. It could be a long, long season in Indiana. Jacksonville Jaguars: Most of the secondary, depending on how Travis Hunter is deployed A Hunter-Tyson Campbell pairing at corner has potential for greatness, even if Campbell's play has declined concerningly since his breakthrough 2022. Behind them, however, things get dicey. A Darnell Savage/Eric Murray combination means two aging starting safeties who are vulnerable in coverage. Jourdan Lewis can handle his business in the slot, but he'll be 30 years old before the season starts. Last season's 32nd-ranked passing defense should be better in 2025, but potentially not in a way that matters. Kansas City Chiefs: The left side of the offensive line Joe Thuney is a Chicago Bear, leaving Kansas City without an All-Pro left guard and a pretty solid left tackle fill-in. Those roles will now be filled by some combination of Wanya Morris, Kingsley Suamataia, free agent signee Jaylon Moore and first round draft pick Josh Simmons. There's a lot of raw talent there, but any hiccups on the way to meeting this potential would be bad news for Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes was sacked six times in a Super Bowl 59 blowout and pressured on nearly 40 percent of his dropbacks. If his blindside protectors can't rise up, opponents will have a chance to collapse his pockets without sacrificing extra blitzers up front. Los Angeles Chargers: Receiving depth Secondary depth is a concern, but it was in 2024 as well and Jim Harbaugh still strung together a top five passing defense. Let's look at the offense instead, where Justin Herbert continues the quest to match his potential to his NFL output. Ladd McConkey outperformed expectations as a rookie. Quentin Johnston began to come around, bumping his yards per route run (YPRR) from a frustrating 0.94 as a rookie to 2.04 in 2025 -- 30th-best among qualified NFL wideouts. After that, Herbert will be left to rely on second round rookie Tre Harris, a 30-year-old Mike Williams, Derius Davis and a tight end corps headed by Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin. Los Angeles Rams: Cornerback Darious Williams allowed a 101.7 passer rating in 2024 -- the highest of his career. Akhello Witherspoon's play declined after a better-than-expected 2023 and, like Williams, he's on the wrong side of 30. While Cobie Durant acquitted himself well in his first season as a full-time starter last fall, concerns exist across the secondary, particularly with a safety rotation that struggled to be the over-the-top eraser Los Angeles needs. Las Vegas Raiders: LInebacker Geno Smith solved Las Vegas' biggest problem. But behind a useful defensive front is a linebacker corps that will rely on Devin White and Elandon Roberts in the middle of the field. White went from All-Pro to Tampa Bay Buccaneers castoff and made a single start for the Texans last season. Roberts is 31-years-old and that's depleted his already iffy coverage skills. There will be room to operate in the second level if you're an AFC West offense. Miami Dolphins: The secondary This goes from "concerning" to "OH NO" quickly if Jalen Ramsey gets the trade he's requested. As is, he and Kader Kohou both bring above-average skills to their positions and Storm Duck proved to be more than just a great name (but maybe less than a full-time starter, we'll see). But the safety spot has been revamped with offseason signings of Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu -- two players who started a combined four games last season. Pair that with a lack of depth and things can get dicey against AFC quarterbacks very, very quickly. Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback experience Whatever concerns may come at running back will be resolved with an in-season trade for or signing of Cam Akers. Rebuilding on both sides of the line has reinforced Minnesota in the trenches. But J.J. McCarthy is the great unknown; a quarterback with zero regular season snaps to his name. New England Patriots: Edge rusher No team in the NFL had fewer sacks than the Patriots last season. Milton Williams will help from the inside and Harold Landry still has juice left to be squeezed. But the Patriots only return a single player who had more than 2.5 sacks last fall (Keion White) and may lack the personnel to be the balanced, aggressive force new head coach Mike Vrabel wants. New Orleans Saints: Quarterback Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener. That's the depth chart, in no particular order. Oof. New York Giants: The right side of the offensive line A Jermaine Eluemunor/Greg Van Roten combination is experienced but uninspiring. Center John Michael Schmitz has struggled to live up to his draft status. With an iffy quarterback rotation of Russell Wilson/Jameis Winston/Jaxson Dart and a receiving corps light on folks who can create their own space (outside of Malik Nabers, who is great), the Giants need stability to keep the pocket clear. New York Jets: Wideout depth Well, they've got Garrett Wilson. That's nice. Their second-most productive returning wideout is Allen Lazard, who will request his release as soon as Aaron Rodgers signs somewhere. Other wideouts and tight ends on the roster include Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, Malachi Corley and 2025 second round tight end Mason Taylor. Good luck, Justin Fields. Philadelphia Eagles: Secondary depth and safety, kinda? The defending champions don't have too many weak spots -- though a cornerback competition between Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks and Adoree Jackson is much higher on potential than production. The help over the top leaves questions. Sydney Brown is a thumper with limited reps. Reed Blankenship put up solid numbers in 2024 but posted a 14 percent missed tackle rate. Second round rookie Andrew Mukuba may be asked to contribute immediately if Philly's gonna be the first repeat NFC East champs in two decades. Pittsburgh Steelers: Quarterback It's Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and Will Howard competing for snaps. And maybe Aaron Rodgers, which is like losing your home in a tornado, then rebuilding with studs made of graham crackers. San Francisco 49ers: Interior offensive line The secondary could see some issues as a young group takes over following the departures of Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga (as well as the useful linebacker coverage of Dre Greenlaw). But the 49ers, vitally, need to get their offense back up and running, particularly with Brock Purdy barreling toward a lucrative contract extension. That means lots of yards after the catch, true to Kyle Shanahan form, but also a dynamic running attack to suck defenders toward the line of scrimmage, create believable play-action scenarios and generally create room for the team's playmakers to thrive. Dominick Puni thrived as a rookie, but the spots next to him clearing room for Christian McCaffrey remain iffy. Seattle Seahawks: Receiving depth Sam Darnold is going from Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a 32-year-old Cooper Kupp and Noah Fant. Kupp remains a chain-moving presence (more than 2.0 YPRR each of the last two seasons) but he hasn't played a full 17-game slate since 2021. Tight end Mason Taylor could help, but the learning curve is steep, even for a second-round rookie in a deep class. Smith-Njigba could be Darnold's huckleberry -- and could be lined up for a ton of contested catches through double coverage. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Linebacker Lavonte David may well play until the heat death of the universe. Still, he's 35 years old and has more than 200 NFL games under his belt. If he loses a step, Tampa will be relying on guys like SirVocea Dennis, Deion Jones and Anthony Walker to step up. That's an invitation to attack the middle of the field. If it means drawing Antoine Winfield closer to the line of scrimmage for support it also takes him away from being the big play eraser he's meant to be. Tennessee Titans: Pass rush, wide receiver The Titans have plenty of holes to fill. Cam Ward will be throwing to a lineup that will be headed by Calvin Ridley and potentially starting two different Day 3 rookies depending on how Van Jefferson, Treylon Burks and Tyler Lockett perform. The pass rush is similarly dire. Arden Key and Jeffery Simmons are the only returning players who have recorded more than 2.5 sacks last season. Washington Commanders: The pass defense Washington fielded 2024's 22nd-ranked passing defense and made it to the NFC title game anyway (please do not ask what happened next). If Marshon Lattimore still has juice left to be squeezed he'll be an asset in the secondary, but that's a tough bet given his recent injury history. That puts extra pressure on the Commanders to create pressure without leaning on the top-six blitz rate that carried them through 2024. The team's defensive front is more "nice pieces" than "star disruptors;" if they can consistently create chaos with a four-man rush, it would be a boon to an overtaxed unit.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arizona Cardinals newcomer cracks top edge defender list entering 2025
The Arizona Cardinals made a concerted effort to improve the defensive interior and the defensive edge. They need to stop the run better and to create a consistent pass rush. They have done that and one of their biggest offseason additions was signing pass rusher Josh Sweat in free agency to a four-year, $76.4 million deal. Advertisement Sweat is ranked in the top 32 edfe defenders in the NFL, according to PFF. He comes in at No. 25. Sweat capped off a stellar seven-year run with the Eagles by recording 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl, then signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in March. He showed improvement against the run in 2024, earning a 67.8 grade after posting a career-low 54.2 in 2023. The Cardinals also have 2023 second-round pick BJ Ojulari, a player the Cardinals were counting on to be their top pass rusher entering last season before his tore his ACL in training camp. They re-signed Baron Browning and still have Zaven Collins, although Collins excels at every other part of being an edge defender other than getting a lot of sacks. In an ideal world, Sweat will not only play well enough to land on this list again in 2026, but someone else will also crack the top 32. Could that be Browning or Ojulari? What about Collins in his third year playing the edge? Advertisement That's the hope, at least. With an improved defensive front across the interior and the edge, there is at least a reasonable chance. 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. This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals newcomer cracks top edge defender list entering 2025
