Latest news with #MarvinHarrisonJr.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Top 100: Jaguars WR Brian Thomas is No. 61, plays Cardinals in Week 12
Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr. had the rookie season that people wanted Marvin Harrison Jr. to have. This week, the NFL had its fourth week of revealing players in the "NFL Top 100." This week was about revealed Nos. 61-70. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride came in at No. 65. On Friday, two Cardinals opponents for 2025 rounded out the week. Coming at No. 61 was Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas, who was a rookie last season. In his rookie campaign, he had the season Cardinals fans hoped that Marvin Harrison Jr. would have had. He had 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl and was fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. He was the fourth rookie since the NFL-AFL merger to have at least 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Fellow 2024 rookie receiver Malik Nabers of the New York Giants, Thomas' college teammate at LSU, called him "a freak of nature." Teammate Travon Walker, a defensive end, said Thomas is "a good route runner" with "exceptional speed." The Cardinals will have to find a way to slow Thomas in 2025. The Jaguars come to State Farm Stadium in Week 12. He isn't the only Jaguars player in the top 100, as defensive end Josh Hines-Allen made the list just behind Thomas at No. 63. 'NFL Top 100' opponents for Cardinals in 2025 Of the 30 players in the top 100 revealed as of the end of last week, the Cardinals face the following: 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
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
1 huge fantasy football question for every NFL team in 2025
The 2025 fantasy football season is now squarely in sight, with leagues beginning to come up with fun ideas for their draft order and devious concepts for the last-place punishment. And there's also the fact that NFL training camps have opened up this week. So we decided it was a great time to come up with some questions that every team needs to answer under the lens of fantasy football. BEST FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM NAMES: We have 11 funny ideas Let's run through them one by one, with my take on answering some of them, as your draft prep officially begins: Arizona Cardinals: Is Marvin Harrison Jr. going to break out in Year 2? It wasn't pretty for the 2024 rookie who we thought could live up to his draft hype. But he's packed on some weight and has a year of experience under his belt. Maybe it was just getting used to the speed of the NFL? I like him to rebound this year. Atlanta Falcons: You're going to talk yourself into Kyle Pitts again, aren't you? SIGH. I'm probably not, but you go ahead. Baltimore Ravens: Is THIS the year Derrick Henry slows down? Maybe he's just built different. And, well, you knew that -- at an age when many a running back takes a step back, Henry is still a fantasy and real-life MVP threat. He nearly ran for 2,000 yards last year with 16 scores on the ground. Who cares that he barely catches passes? Or that he rushed 325 times in 17 games? But I will worry a little more about Father Time with him given that he'll turn 32 by the end of the year. There's no indication he's taking a step back, so do with all of that what you will. Buffalo Bills: Why are Bills pass-catchers ranked so low? Really! I'm asking! Someone has to catch passes from Josh Allen. Khalil Shakir was basically their WR1 by midseason, Keon Coleman was a second-round pick in real life last year, and Dalton Kincaid might be in line for a breakout. I see value in here with at least Shakir and Kincaid. Carolina Panthers: Are we going to trust Chuba Hubbard again? Hubbard was a top-12 running back in fantasy last year despite hiccups from the Panthers' offense. But Rico Dowdle is now in town, which might be a hit to Hubbard's value. Me? I'm not buying that. Hubbard is going to be really good behind that offensive line and with improvements on the Panthers' O. Chicago Bears: Is anyone going to be a fantasy superstar on this team (besides Caleb Williams)? Here's what I see: an offense that might break out in real football with Ben Johnson at the helm. Here's what else I see: a lot of question marks for fantasy purposes. The receiver room -- DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden -- is crowded. Cole Kmet will compete for playing time with intriguing rookie Colston Loveland. I'm not sure what to make of D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. If anything, I might take a few chances on Oduzne and Loveland to break out. Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown is totally gonna break out ... right? There's always a chance that the guy EVERYONE thinks is going to be an RB1 completely busts or there's an injury. But the resume and situation from Brown indicates that he's got a chance to best his ranking that's just outside the top-10 backs or so. Cleveland Browns: Should you trust anyone in fantasy? My summary of the Browns' fantasy situation: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I do think David Njoku is a fine back-of-the-pack tight end pick and that Jerry Jeudy could have his moments. That's... all I've got. Dallas Cowboys: Is George Pickens worth the headache? If you had Pickens on your fantasy team while he was in Pittsburgh, you know it was frustrating. The skill was there, but the numbers were not. All he needed was a change in scenery, right? Except now he's WR2 to CeeDee Lamb. I'm willing to take a flier if he's my WR3 or Flex ... but I'm wary. Denver Broncos: What do we do with this running back room? The answer is probably: "Draft rookie R.J. Harvey, who might catch a lot of passes in addition to running the ball." Just don't be surprised if J.K. Dobbins plays more than you think he will. Detroit Lions: Is THIS Jameson Williams' year? My answer: Given all the offseason hype, I'm almost there. But my issue is there are a lot of mouths to feed in that offense and OC Ben Johnson is gone. Don't go overboard here. Green Bay Packers: Should you draft any of their wide receivers? I'll say maybe I'll take rookie Matthew Golden late in some drafts, hoping that he emerges from the committee that the Packers form. But it feels like we're in for another week of explosions for one WR a week again. Houston Texans: Can Joe Mixon do THAT again? For him: he's consistent and good. Against him: he's got more competition in the room and is getting older. I'm leaning no. Indianapolis Colts: Is Tyler Warren Brock Bowers 2.0? It used to be that rookie tight ends were a bad bet in fantasy as they acclimated to the league. These days? Nope! Bowers went off in Year 1 for the Raiders, Kyle Pitts had a good rookie year in 2021 and Sam LaPorta was awesome in his first season. So, yes, I could see Warren being a top-five option. Remember: Bad QBs with limited receiver options look to their tight ends. Jacksonville Jaguars: How much WR volume are we expecting from Travis Hunter? This is the role of the dice. Hunter has all the talent in the world on both sides of the ball, but we won't know how much he plays on offense or defense until Week 1. He also has Brian Thomas to contend with for catches. Here's what I'm doing: I'll draft Hunter as my WR3 or FLEX and bet that Liam Coen wants him to play more snaps on offense. Kansas City Chiefs: Where do you draft Rashee Rice? It seems likely that he'll receive a suspension at some point this year, which could mean a drop in value. I still think he'll be a focal point of the passing game, so I'm happy to take him as a WR2 or WR3 and hope for the best. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty is him, right? Pretty much. He's a first-round pick, without a doubt, in the RB4-5 range. Couple that with Pete Carroll's love of running the ball and I'm in. Los Angeles Chargers: What's the deal with the running backs? I can already feel the annoyance coming on. You draft rookie Omarion Hampton, figuring that he'll be first up for carries. And then? Najeh Harris steals a bunch of them. Given the possible run volume, I'd be OK with drafting either as long as the pick isn't TOO high in redraft leagues. But don't expect a massive workload for either unless there's an injury. Los Angeles Rams: How much volume will Davante Adams steal from Puka Nacua? Some things to note here: Adams is getting older, Nacua is clearly WR1 in Los Angeles... but here's my thing. I think this offense can have two top fantasy wideouts in it. I'm not downgrading either of them. Nacua is a late first-rounder, and I'd be happy with Adams as my WR2. Miami Dolphins: Are there red flags for Tyreek Hill? Ah, remember 2023? That was a glorious season for the speedy wideout. Because last year was ROUGH. With Hill at 31 and questions about Tua Tagovailoa, I worry about rostering him as anything but a WR2 at best. Minnesota Vikings: Are we hyping up J.J. McCarthy or not enough? We've got a former first-round pick who has some serious talent surrounding him and a head coach who can do wonders with the offense (see: Darnold, Sam). Feels like we're not hyping him up enough as a possible back-end QB1 this year. New England Patriots: Is Drake Maye exploding in Year 2? I love him this year. Dude runs more than you think, and he's got improved help at the line and at WR. Breakout coming. New Orleans Saints: Is Alvin Kamara having another Alvin Kamara season? This is somewhat tricky. He's not the youngest of RBs, but this is a back who has caught 573 receptions in his career. And he's on team where he might catch another 70 passes or so if he stays healthy. But that last part gives me concern. I'm cool with drafting him if he's your RB2 in a PPR league. New York Giants: Will Malik Nabers best his numbers from last year? The issue here isn't the talent with 109 catches and 1,204 last year. No, it's about the Giants offense as a whole and the O-line. Russell Wilson is somehow a bit of an upgrade over the Giants' QB situation last year, but that's not saying much. My confidence in him isn't that shaky, but maybe I pause for 20 seconds before hitting the "DRAFT" button. New York Jets: Does Garrett Wilson finally deliver WR1 numbers with Justin Fields? We know Wilson is good. But HOW good has been the question. And his situation has been muddled by middling QB play and depth chart issues. Now? He's the top receiver with his college teammate. I'm intrigued. Philadelphia Eagles: There's no worries about Saquon Barkley repeating at least a some of last season... right? I'm going to burst your bubble here: dude had his hands on the pigskin 482 times over the entire Eagles Super Bowl run. I don't think he's going to have another RB1 season with over 2,000 yards on the ground and another 278 through the air. However! He's reliable, still in his prime and plays in one of the league's most balanced offenses. So, yes, you're drafting him top-3 and not regretting it, no matter what happens. Pittsburgh Steelers: Is Arthur Smith going to continue to ruin your fantasy dreams? I dunno. Are you really excited by Smith helming an offense with D.K. Metcalf catching passes from Aaron Rodgers? Or having Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson run the rock? Me neither. San Francisco 49ers: Which receivers should you truly trust? Brandon Aiyuk may not be back for a while. Jauan Jennings sounds unhappy and hopefully Ricky Pearsall is healthy. Me? I'm drafting the latter two as sleepers and hoping for the best. Seattle Seahawks: Is Jaxon Smith-Njigba a real-deal WR1? I say: Not yet. I think the Seahawks are going to run a ton, and JSN isn't built to be a workhorse top wideout. Temper expectations. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: You're not going to doubt Mike Evans again, right? Who else is significantly catching passes in this offense? Age be damned, he's as consistent as they come in a world of uncertainty. Tennessee Titans: Will Calvin Ridley mesh right away with Cam Ward? I think we're underrating the wideout too much with a rookie QB. I'm taking him as a WR3 and assuming the volume will be there. Washington Commanders: Will Deebo Samuel Sr.'s change of scenery help? Let's assume Terry McLaurin gets the money he's looking for. Samuel was used A LOT in San Francisco, and I'm curious about his usage in Washington. I'm fading.
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals' biggest surprise of offseason program is rookie LB, says ESPN
While many have focused on a more muscular Marvin Harrison Jr., this rookie is turning heads. Every NFL team is currently on break as they get ready for training camps to open later this month. They all wrapped up their offseason programs and, as always, players impressed and surprised, even if some coaches won't say who specifically. ESPN compiled a list of the players who were the biggest surprises of their offseason program. For the Arizona Cardinals, believe it or not, it was not receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with his noticeably stronger physique. Reporter Josh Weinfuss wrote that it was a rookie — fourth-round linebacker Cody Simon, their fourth-round pick out of Ohio State. The 2025 fourth-round pick has made a quick impression on coach Jonathan Gannon in a short amount of time. He's taken on the responsibility of wearing the green dot, which has added to the steep learning curve that comes with a player's first year in the NFL, but Gannon has praised Simon's ability to learn quickly from his mistakes. "He's definitely flashed here," Gannon said. "We got him playing a couple different spots, so that's good. He is playing on fourth down right now, so he is learning all that. He's eager to learn. He doesn't make mistakes twice and he's got juice. He's physical, just like all those guys. Long way to go. But I like where he is at." We don't know how much he has practiced with the first team in the offseason, if at all, but we will see in training camp whether he can crack the defensive rotation. With Mack Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither the favorites to start at inside linebacker, Simon has a shot after he was the Buckeyes' leader and defensive quarterback for their national champion team. He, along with second-round cornerback Will Johnson, have the best chances at earning a starting job as rookies. We will see soon what the buzz is about in training camp and the preseason. 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
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals' biggest question mark is at WR, says Pro Football Network
What is the Cardinals' biggest question mark in 2025? Let's see what PFN has to say. As we wait for the start of training camp in late July, we have time to contemplate all the questions we have about the teams we cheer for. What is the biggest question mark for the Arizona Cardinals? There are many, but Pro Football Network put together the biggest question mark for every NFL team, and they picked one that many would agree with for the Cardinals. Arizona Cardinals' biggest question mark entering 2025 PFN says it is the Cardinals' wide receiver group. Marvin Harrison Jr. didn't have a bad rookie season, but after falling short of 1,000 receiving yards, he didn't live up to expectations in his first season with the Arizona Cardinals. Aside from Harrison, Arizona's receiving corps could use some improvement. Michael Wilson is a solid complementary piece, but they don't have a star. With him, Zay Jones, and Greg Dortch competing for touches, one of them will need to take the next step. This is fair. They truly have two position groups that are questionable — receiver and inside linebacker. Now, the question goes deeper than just the position. There are some questions that we might be able to answer by the end of the season. While Harrison wasn't great, he did have good games. But his usage was questionable. There was zero effort to try and get him the ball quickly and let him make things happen. Wilson and Dortch have not yet cracked 600 yards in a season. Jones had eight whole catches. It is certainly the least sure position the Cardinals have on offense. 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
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals 2nd-year player outlook: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Arizona Cardinals 2nd-year player outlook: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. A look 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. and his second-year outlook in 2025 The Arizona Cardinals drafted 12 players in 2024. Some of them had contributions as rookies. Some will have greater roles in 2025. Others will have to battle for the roster. Their first pick in 2024 was receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Let's have a look at his outlook in 2025 Marvin Harrison Jr. 2024 season Harrison entered the season with massive expectations. He fell short of superstar rookie levels but didn't have a bad season. He still had one of the best rookie receiver seasons in Cardinals history. He had 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. He had dominant games, logging two 100-yard games and another with 96 yards. He wasn't consistent, though, looking like a rookie at times not knowing where he was supposed to be. Marvin Harrison Jr. outlook in 2025 Harrison will again be a starting receiver and will be their No. 1 option at receiver. He should be a no-No. 1 target along with tight end Trey McBride this year. He will play a lot, get a lot of opportunities and should be even better than he was as a rookie. It isn't unreasonable to expect over 1,000 yards. 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.
