The Arizona Cardinals just wrapped up their final roster cuts, and GM Monti Ossenfort made some wild calls, but honestly, a lot of the big decisions didn’t even come from those preseason games. How do you evaluate a guy who goes off against another team’s second string? The real answers, the front office said, came from seeing players go head-to-head in practice against their own first-string offense and defense. And some of those practice insights led to some head-scratching moves, especially in the receiver room.
Receiver Room Circus and the Ojulari Shocker
Can we talk about the receiver situation for a second? Seven receivers! That’s just straight-up crazy. Simi Fehoko, Jalen Brooks, and rookie Reggie Virgil apparently lit it up in the preseason, making it impossible for the coaching staff to cut any of them, so they just kept all seven. Devin Duvernay was a given, since he’s their designated returner for both punts and kickoffs, but most teams that have a dedicated return man only carry six receivers. Arizona is going with seven, which means they’re probably short somewhere else, like defensive back depth, which the source hinted seemed to be an issue. It’s a huge gamble to load up like that at one position, leaving another potentially thin.
Then there’s the B.J. Ojulari release. This one feels like a gut punch, even if it wasn’t a total shock. We’re talking about a guy they spent a second-round pick on back in 2023. You expect at least four years out of a top-four round pick, right? Coach Mike LaFleur even talked about it, saying, “I feel for BJ. If you guys saw the work that he put in behind the scenes to try to get back to the level that he knows he’s capable of, you’d root for him too. His journey and his story’s not over. But that was a rough injury that he went through.” The truth is, he hasn’t been the same athlete since that ACL injury last year. He flashed a bit in preseason games, but again, that was against other team’s second-string units. The truly wild part is the Cardinals desperately need a second pass rusher opposite Josh Sweat. This wasn’t a position of luxury for them.
Conner’s IR Stint and Early Season Hurdles
Now, James Conner’s situation is interesting. They put him on IR with a return designation. That means he’s out for at least the first four weeks of the season, and it feels like they’re just pushing off the tough decision of how to keep both him and Bam Knight on the active roster. It’s a creative move, sure, but losing your starting running back for a minimum of four weeks right out of the gate is a huge blow.
These roster decisions are going to set the tone for the Cardinals’ entire early season. With a loaded receiver room, a crucial hole at pass rusher, and their starting running back sidelined for a chunk of games, they’re heading into the regular season facing some serious questions. It’ll be fascinating to watch how these gambles play out in the coming weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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