Cardinals 2023 preseason roster preview: LB Owen Pappoe

We look at rookie LB Owen Pappoe and his chances of making the final roster.

The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.

Next up is rookie LB Owen Pappoe.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Cardinals sign former USFL RB Stevie Scott

The Cardinals added a running back after placing Marlon Mack on injured reserve.

The Arizona Cardinals announced a pair of roster moves on Wednesday on the final day of training camp at State Farm Stadium. Running back Marlon Mack was placed on injured reserve after tearing his left Achilles in practice on Tuesday.

To replace him on the team announced the addition of running back Stevie Scott.

Scott most recently played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers, rushing for 295 yards and a touchdown in 71 attempts.

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound back played collegiately for Indiana in 2018-2020 and then entered the league as an undrafted rookie with the New Orleans Saints. He spent part of the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos.

His addition is needed because Mack is out and second-year running back Keaontay Ingram also has been out with an undisclosed injury. With a preseason game on Friday and starter James Conner likely only getting a few snaps, the Cardinals need bodies to make it through the game.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Free agent RB Kareem Hunt still available after leaving Colts without deal

The Arizona Cardinals need a veteran back and Hunt has ties to OC Drew Petzing, although he might be asking for too much money.

The Arizona Cardinals will likely be in the market for a veteran running back. After signing Marlon Mack last week, he suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the entire season.

What is next?

A quality back with connections to the team is still available.

Former Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt, despite recent visits with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, is still a free agent.

He left both teams without an agreement, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The Colts made him an offer but could not reach an agreement.

Hunt knows Arizona offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Petzing was on the Browns’ staff from 2020-2022. Hunt played for Cleveland from 2019-2022.

Hunt rushed for 468 yards and three touchdowns in a backup role to Nick Chubb for the Browns in 2022.

Pelissero says there is still plenty of interest in Hunt around the league.

The Cardinals viably could be one of those teams, although it would depend on Hunt’s price tag.

Mack was signed to a league-minimum contract. If Hunt were willing to take that, he likely would have already signed with a team.

So we will wait and see.

Are the Cardinals one of the interested teams? It would make sense.

They plan on having potentially a run-heavy offense. Starter James Conner does not have a history of great durability and no one else on the roster is a proven back in the league. Hunt’s production and connection to Petzing makes him a seemingly clear option.

However, if the Cardinals are not looking to pay a backup running back more than the league minimum, Hunt probably will not end up getting a call.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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RB Marlon Mack tears Achilles, out for season

Mack, who tore his right Achilles in 2020, tore his left Achilles in practice on Tuesday and will be out for the entire year.

Veteran running back Marlon Mack, signed by the Arizona Cardinals last week, sees his season come to an end before the preseason begins. Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Tuesday that Mack tore his Achilles and is out for the season.

He will be placed on injured reserve.

Mack was hurt in Tuesday’s practice, his third with the team.

This is not his first Achilles injury. After a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2019, he tore his right Achilles in 2020.

This time, it is his left Achilles.

Since 2020, he has played in only 15 games and rushed for 211 yards.

Mack signed a one-year, $1.08 million contract, but according to Over the Cap, it would appear he had a two-tier contract with an injured reserve clause. OTC has him counting $500,000 against the cap since the injury.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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PODCAST: Marlon Mack, 1st depth chart, Isaiah Simmons

Jess Root ad Seth Cox talk about the latest about the Arizona Cardinals in this edition of the podcast.

The Arizona Cardinals play their preseason opener on Friday night. They added running back Marlon Mack, who immediately got hurt.

They released their first preseason depth chart with a few surprises.

Isaiah Simmons had things to say about his new position and previous role last year.

Seth Cox and I discuss it and break it all down in this edition of the podcast.

Enjoy the show!


Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show on Apple PodcastsSpotify or your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss a show. Make sure as well to give it a five-star rating!


The topics and times

(1:00) Marlon Mack’s signing and injury

(15:30) The first preseason depth chart

(37:31) Isaiah Simmons’ recent comments on new and previous roles

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RB Marlon Mack with walking boot after injury

Mack suffered an injury on Tuesday, his third practice with the Cardinals since signing.

The Arizona Cardinals added veteran running back Marlon Mack last week, giving the running back room some depth behind James Conner. That depth didn’t last long, as he suffered an injury in practice on Tuesday to his left leg.

While no details of his injury have been released and head coach Jonathan Gannon had not addressed the media as of early Wednesday morning, but it would appear that Mack has either a left foot or left ankle injury.

AZCentral Sports’ Bob McManaman saw Mack after practice wearing a walking boot on his left foot.

This doesn’t tell us how severe the injury is, but it does give reason for concern.

Mack, a former 1,000-yard rusher in 2019, has struggled to stay healthy since then. He tore his Achilles in 2020 and in the last three seasons has appeared in a total of 15 games, rushing for only 211 yards.

Since 2019, he has carried the ball more than five times in a game only once.

If he can stay healthy, he will give the Cardinals a nice option behind starting running back James Conner. However, considering he is hurt after only three practices and hasn’t stayed healthy over the last three seasons, that might be too much to ask.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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RB Marlon Mack suffers apparent leg injury in practice

The veteran back injured his leg. He has played in 15 games over the last three seasons.

The Arizona Cardinals bolstered their running back room last week with the addition of veteran Marlon Mack. However, it is possible he misses some time.

On Tuesday, his third practice with the team, he went down with an apparent leg injury, according to reporters present at State Farm Stadium.

He had to be helped off the field and taken to the locker room.

Mack has struggled with durability since 2020. In 2019, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the Indianapolis Colts.

He tore his Achilles in 2020 and has only played in a total of 15 games over the last three seasons, rushing for 211 yards.

The Cardinals are also down second-year running back Keaontay Ingram with an undisclosed injury, although head coach Jonathan Gannon did say Ingram would be back soon.

This injury could keep Mack out of the Cardinals’ preseason opener Friday night.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Cardinals training camp roster preview: LB Krys Barnes

We look at LB Krys Barnes and where he fits on the Cardinals’ roster in 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.

Next up is LB Krys Barnes.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Cardinals’ first preseason depth chart released for 2023

Take a look at the Cardinals’ first preseason depth chart of 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals will play their preseason opener at home against the Denver Broncos this Friday evening. In typical NFL fashion, they released their first depth chart of the preseason.

It is, of course, unofficial.

But it does give us an idea as to what head coach Jonathan Gannon and the rest of the staff think about the state of the roster at the moment.

Below is the Cardinals’ depth chart

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Cardinals activate rookie LB BJ Ojulari from PUP

Ojulari was sidelined with a knee injury but will be able to ramp up for the regular season and hopefully play some in the preseason.

The Arizona Cardinals will get some help at outside linebacker. Rookie linebacker BJ Ojulari, the team’s second-round pick, is finally eligible to practice in training camp.

The team announced he was activated from PUP (physically unable to perform list), making him able to participate in practices for the first time in camp.

He was placed on PUP at the start of camp. He was dealing with a knee issue and had a minor procedure to clean it up.

He missed practices in OTAs and minicamp as well.

With his return, it probably isn’t in time for him to get playing time in the team’s preseason opener on Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

His return will allow him to get valuable practice reps and hopefully carve out a role on defense as a rookie.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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