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Arizona Cardinals DST

Player Outlook
Arizona completely renovated its defense this offseason -- between that and their early-week schedule, it would make sense for Fantasy managers who don't mind streaming defenses to give the Cardinals DST some consideration. The Redbirds brought back veteran beast Calais Campbell and signed ex-Eagles pass rusher Josh Sweat and ex-Browns D-tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. They also drafted cornerback Will Johnson to boost a decent secondary. Rookie linebacker Cody Simon and veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither also qualify as improvements. When this aggressive unit, led by head coach and defensive playcaller Jonathan Gannon, takes on the Saints in Week 1 and the Panthers in Week 2, they could end up being helpful to Fantasy managers. And who knows, maybe they'll end up being a reputable option all season long, even against the 49ers and Rams. You can count on adding this DST with a final-round pick.

Fantasy News

  • Cardinals' J.J. Russell: Placed on IR

    Rotowire
    Russell was placed on injured reserve by the Cardinals on Tuesday, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports. Russell suffered a concussion at practice in late July, ultimately remaining sidelined throughout the entirety of the preseason. The linebacker is now set to miss the entirety of the 2025 campaign while on IR, unless he's able to reach an injury settlement with the team.
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  • Cardinals' Bilal Nichols: Out until October

    Rotowire
    Nichols (neck) was moved to the reserve/PUP list by the the Cardinals on Tuesday, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports. Nichols has been been sidelined since the beginning of training camp while nursing a neck injury. Nichols will now be forced to miss at least the first four games of the 2025 campaign, and in his absence, Dante Stills is a candidate to see an increase in workload on the defensive line.
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  • Cardinals' BJ Ojulari: Sidelined until October

    Rotowire
    Ojulari (knee) was moved to the reserve/PUP list by the Cardinals on Tuesday, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports. Ojulari has been working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in training camp in 2024, and he will now be forced to miss at least four games to open the 2025 season. In his absence, Baron Browning will operate as the primary backup option behind Zaven Collins at strongside linebacker.
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  • Cardinals' Walter Nolen: Set to miss early action

    Rotowire
    Nolen (calf) was moved to the reserve/PUP list by the Cardinals on Tuesday, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports. Nolen has been sidelined since late July with a calf injury, and he will now be forced to miss at least four games to open the season while on the PUP list. The defensive tackle was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft in April, and once healthy, he'll challenge for a starting role on the Cardinals' defensive line.
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  • Cardinals' Jaylon Jones: Exits early Saturday

    Rotowire
    Jones exited Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders with a head injury, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports. Jones went to the locker room to be examined for a concussion. He appeared in eight regular-season games for the Bears last season, making one start.
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  • Cardinals' Dalvin Tomlinson: Likely facing short absence

    Rotowire
    Tomlinson (knee) won't practice Thursday, but coach Jonathan Gannon doesn't expect him to be sidelined for an extended period, Theo Mackie of AZCentral.com reports. "He's doing well but I didn't think it was the right thing to do to put him out there today," Gannon said. Tomlinson's availability for the regular season doesn't appear to be in jeopardy, though he may sit out Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos. He's expected to start on the interior of Arizona's defensive line after signing a two-year, $29 million contract with the Cardinals in March.
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  • Cardinals' Jaylon Jones: Two tackles in preseason debut

    Rotowire
    Jones (shoulder) recorded two solo tackles in Saturday's 20-17 preseason win over the Chiefs. Jones signed with the Cardinals in the offseason after he underwent shoulder surgery in January, but he was able to give it a go in the team's preseason opener. The 27-year-old is expected to serve as a depth option behind Garrett Williams at slot cornerback in 2025.
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  • Cardinals' Joey Blount: Four tackles versus KC

    Rotowire
    Blount (illness) recorded four total tackles (two solo) in Saturday's 20-17 preseason win over the Chiefs. Blount was battling an illness ahead of the team's preseason opener, but he was ultimately active for the contest. The safety is expected to operate as a top reserve option behind Budda Baker, while also continuing to operate as a contributor on special teams in 2025.
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  • Panthers' Krys Barnes: Signs with Carolina

    Rotowire
    Barnes and the Panthers agreed on a one-year contract Sunday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official website reports. Barnes will head to Carolina after starting all 17 regular-season games with the Cardinals in 2024, recording 35 total tackles (19 solo), including a career-high 2.0 sacks. The 27-year-old will now compete with Christian Rozeboom, Trevin Wallace and Jacoby Windmon for snaps at inside linebacker in 2025.
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  • Cardinals' BJ Ojulari: Uncertain for Week 1

    Rotowire
    Ojulari (knee) is progressing well, but Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon wasn't ready Saturday to commit to the defensive end being ready for Week 1 of the regular season, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. Ojulari is currently on the PUP list as he works his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in training camp last August. While multiple reports have indicated Ojulari is doing well in his recovery, it's not a guarantee that he'll be ready for Week 1. The 2023 second-round draft pick recorded 4.0 sacks over 17 regular-season games in a promising rookie campaign.
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  • Jaden Davis: Done in Arizona

    Rotowire
    The Cardinals waived Davis (undisclosed) with an injury settlement Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. Davis' stint on Arizona's injured reserve list turned out to be short-lived, and now he's a free agent after not seeing the field during his rookie season. He'll have to look for his next opportunity with a different club.
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  • Cardinals' Elijah Jones: Participating at camp

    Rotowire
    Jones (ankle) is practicing at the Cardinals' camp this week, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports. Jones was selected in the third round of the 2024 Draft by Arizona but missed his entire rookie season due to an ankle injury he suffered in the preseason last summer. Getting Jones back healthy is a big boost to a secondary that lost Sean Murphy-Bunting to a season-ending knee injury earlier in the offseason.
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  • Cardinals' Mack Wilson: Operating as starting Mike LB

    Rotowire
    Coach Jonathan Gannon said that Wilson has done an "excellent" job manning middle linebacker in the Cardinals' first-team defense during the early stages of training camp, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports. Arizona moved on from MLB Kyzir White this offseason, and Wilson was among the top candidates to take on his role ahead of the 2025 campaign along with Akeem Davis-Gaither. Gannon more or less confirmed that Wilson will be the starting Mike linebacker moving forward, so an increase in his tackle count (75 in 16 regular-season games in 2024) and snap share (74.3 percent) seem likely, assuming he's able to stay on the field. Stud safety Budda Baker is coming off a career-high 164 tackles last year, but White was second among Cardinals defenders with 137 stops, which may be the baseline for Wilson in his new gig.
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  • Cardinals' Jaden Davis: Placed on injured reserve

    Rotowire
    The Cardinals placed Davis (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday. Davis was selected by the team in the seventh round of this year's draft but will miss the entirety of his rookie season. He will now shift his focus to getting healthy and look to make his NFL debut during the 2026 campaign.
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  • Cardinals' Starling Thomas: Placed on injured reserve

    Rotowire
    The Cardinals placed Thomas (knee) on injured reserve Sunday. Thomas was coming off a strong season during which he recorded 47 tackles (31 solo) across 17 games played but will now be forced to miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign after tearing his ACL during practice Friday. Max Melton and Will Johnson will now likely serve as the team's starting outside cornerbacks during the 2025 season.
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  • Cardinals' Steven Gilmore: Signs with Cardinals

    Rotowire
    The Cardinals signed Gilmore on Sunday. Gilmore signed with Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2023 but never appeared in a regular-season game for the team and ended up playing in the UFL during the 2024 campaign with the Birmingham Stallions. The 25-year-old could have an ample opportunity to land a spot on the team's final roster, as both Starling Thomas (knee) and Jaden Davis (undisclosed) were placed on injured reserve Sunday.
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  • Cardinals' Starling Thomas: Suffers torn ACL

    Rotowire
    Thomas tore the ACL in his left knee during practice Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Thomas had to be carted off the field Friday after going down with a left leg injury that has since been diagnosed as a torn ACL. This is brutal news for Thomas, who played in all 17 games for Arizona last season and started 15 of those contests. With the third-year corner now expected to miss the entire 2025 campaign, the Cardinals' secondary depth could be tested. Max Melton and Will Johnson seem like the most likely candidates to start at cornerback this season.
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  • Cardinals' Starling Thomas: Carted off practice field

    Rotowire
    Thomas was carted off the field during Friday's practice after injuring his left leg, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. Thomas was on the ground for several minutes while being checked on by trainers before being carted to the locker room. He'll undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury, but his initial reaction isn't good news for the third-year corner. Jaylon Jones (shoulder), Max Melton and Elijah Jones (ankle) are among candidates who would battle for reps at outside corner were Thomas to be sidelined for an extended period of time.
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  • Cardinals' J.J. Russell: Enters concussion protocol

    Rotowire
    Russell was placed in concussion protocol Friday, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports. Russell suffered a head and neck injury during Thursday's practice, which led to him being carted off the field. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, but he was cleared to re-join training camp after undergoing tests. Russell will be limited in his activities until he is able to clear the league's five-step concussion protocol.
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  • Cardinals' J.J. Russell: Carted off practice field

    Rotowire
    Russell was transported to a local hospital after injuring his neck and head during Thursday's practice. Russell suffered the injury after a hard collision with Kitan Crawford during team drills. Russell was eventually carted off the field but was alert and had movement in his extremities. He'll undergo further testing to determine the severity of his injury, but he appears to be in jeopardy of being sidelined for an extended period of time.
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