Cardinals give vote of confidence to 2nd-year WRs by not drafting WR

Kingsbury: “We’re excited to see how they take that next step in Year 2, so I would say that definitely had to do with how the draft went.”

The Arizona Cardinals did not draft any receivers this year, which was a surprise to many, considering the perceived quality of the draft class at the position. Many have said it was one of the deepest receiver class ever.

But the Cardinals used three draft picks a year ago to select receivers.

So was bypassing receivers in the draft a sort of vote of confidence in Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson?

“Definitely,” said Kliff Kingsbury in a video call with reporters earlier this week. “We liked a lot of the receivers in the draft but we also like the guys that we took last year. We like how they progressed.”

The 2019 rookie receivers didn’t produce much. Butler spent the year on injured reserve. Isabella had nine catches and Johnson had 21.

Kingsbury expects them to produce more in 2020.

“It was tough getting on the field because we had some guys that were playing really well, but we’re excited to see how they take that next step in Year 2,” he said. “So I would say that definitely had to do with how the draft went.”

They did acquire DeAndre Hopkins using their second-pick, so it isn’t as if the Cardinals completely ignored the position. They added a star. They just didn’t add more young receivers.

2020 will be a big season for the three second-year players. It will again be tough to get on the field, as Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are the top three wideouts on the team.

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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 Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 267

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Ep. 266

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PODCAST: Cardinals schedule breakdown, predictions, more offseason topics

Listen to the lates edition of the podcast.

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With the release of the 2020 Arizona Cardinals schedule, the new episode of the podcast is a schedule breakdown with predictions and other noteworthy offseason happenings.

In the latest edition of the show, which you can listen to above, focuses first on the schedule.

Revenge of the Birds’ Seth Cox and I go through the schedule and break it down. We make predictions. We discuss a roster move they made and one they didn’t. We discuss Kliff Kingsbury’s comments on how the team will use Isaiah Simmons. We finish discussing odds for some big awards like Coach of the Year, MVP and more.

Enjoy the show! Make sure to subscribe to it and to give it a five-star rating.

Here are the approximate timestamps for the different topics of discussion.

(1:00) Intros and reactions to schedule release and whether we believe the season will start as scheduled

(8:10) Rundown of the Cardinals’ schedule and what we like about the schedule

(18:10) What we don’t like about the schedule

(27:28) Game-by-game predictions, the toughest games and the must-win games

(45:36) Roster move reactions

(57:19) The plan for Isaiah Simmons

(1:05:00) Cardinals’ odds for big awards

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Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray tied for fifth-best odds to win 2020-21 NFL MVP

The hype train for one of OU’s quarterbacks in the NFL isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And no, it’s not Baker Mayfield this time around.

The hype train for one of Oklahoma’s quarterbacks in the NFL isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

And no, it’s not Baker Mayfield this time around.

After winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award after the 2019-20 season, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray has already put away those who thought he wouldn’t make it at the quarterback position in the NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals’ have surrounded Murray with superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins and drafted extremely talented offensive tackle Josh Jones from Houston in the 2020 NFL Draft. All of that combined with Murray blowing up the NFL in his first season have led him to being listed high amongst potential NFL MVP honors.

As high as being tied with Tom Brady for fifth for the best odds to win NFL MVP in 2020-21.

The top four is rounded out by stars Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson. Even Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson trail Murray. Mayfield is listed at 50-1 odds.

Murray was a part of the most efficient offense in college football history during his Heisman Trophy winning season at Oklahoma in 2018. He was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingbsbury and Arizona.

The 2020-21 NFL season is still on time to start in Sept.

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Arizona Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury talks offseason, development of Kyler Murray

Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury thinks Kyler Murray could have a big season ahead.

Kyler Murray should be primed and ready for a big year two.

The 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year saw streaks of stardom strewn throughout his first season, and with newly added offensive weapons and depth, head coach Kliff Kingsbury thinks he could have a big season ahead.

“More than anything it’s being around his teammates and doing all those things off the field that you wanna see,” Kingsbury said in a press conference Monday. “The face of your franchise, the leadership, the work ethic, the study habits and all those things you really learn after year one that you have to do to be an elite player. I think the biggest steps he’s gonna take outside of that is his decision-making.”

The Cardinals added star receiver Deandre Hopkins in possibly the biggest trade of the offseason thus far, and added some much needed offensive depth across the board with the 2020 NFL Draft.

Murray threw for 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns in his rookie season., completing 64% of his passes and throwing 12 interceptions. He also ran for 544 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground. 

“Everything was happening for him really fast at times last year.” Kingsbury said. “Second year in the system, very familiar with his O-line, his running backs, his receivers, I just feel like some of those negative plays taken early in the season are gonna be erased and it’s really gonna help us an offense.”

The Cardinals first game of the season is against the Super Bowl runner-up 49ers on Sunday, September 13 at 3:35. 

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Cardinals projected to finish last in division, struggle on defense in 2020

They have a productive offense and terrible defense in ESPN’s Mike Clay’s projections.

The Arizona Cardinals are beginning to get some attention as a team that could surprise people in 2020. They believe they will be able to compete in the NFC. However, projections from ESPN’s Mike Clay has both an optimistic and a pessimistic outlook.

He released his team projections after the 2020 draft.

He has the Cardinals finishing last in the NFC West, projecting a record of 7.5 wins and 8.5 losses. They come in just behind the L.A. Rams, who are projected to have 7.6 wins and 8.4 losses.

Essentially, they end up around .500, which is a very reasonable projection for the Cardinals.

There are a couple of notable tidbits in the projections.

Clay projects they will score 390 points, the 12th-highest total in the league. That would be an average of nearly 25 points a game.

This, of course, is a positive outlook.

However, they are also projected to allow 404 points, the fifth-highest total in the league, based on the projections.

Those are not good projections, especially considering the investment the Cardinals made defensively in free agency and the draft.

If the Cardinals are to make real improvements in 2020, they will need to make the projected offensive jump, but they can’t afford — and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph can’t afford — a bottom-five defense again.

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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 Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 266

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Ep.265

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Cardinals believe giving Isaiah Simmons 1 main position will unlock his potential

“We just think the sky could be the limit for what he can be if we really lock him into one position for a majority of the time.”

When the Arizona Cardinals drafted Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick of the draft last month, his versatility was universally applauded. He played so many snaps at different positions and played at a high level.

The Cardinals believe giving him one main positional focus will allow him to develop into a potentially limitless player.

One thing that impressed the team and the coaches was his mental acuity and ability to learn game plans for multiple positions.

“That was definitely a big part of the fascination with him, his ability to learn all those different positions and execute them in college at a high level.”

He played safety, cornerback, slot cornerback, linebacker and on the edge.

The Cardinals don’t necessarily want him to play multiple positions. They want to use him in a number of ways but put him at one position to learn well.

“Our thought process is if he is able to really focus on one position, having the flexibility to still move around but really focus on one, what does that look like,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said in a video conference with the media this week. “The sky really be the limit and that’s why we’re so excited.”

They believe that giving him only one position will allow him to grow more as a player.

“His ability to play so many positions and not really having a chance focus on one, we just think the sky could be the limit for what he can be if we really lock him into one position for a majority of the time,” he said.

That could be critical to his performance as a rookie with an offseason that will have limited on-field reps because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It makes sense to have him learn just the linebacker concepts but then give him specific assignments from week to week. That way, he is in one set of positional meetings. His versatility allows him to do safety things or pass rusher things, but he will do them within the context of being an inside linebacker.

The Cardinals are not limiting his use. They just want to limit how many positions he has to know.

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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 Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 266

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Ep.265

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Former Cardinal Matt Shaughnessy now a Phoenix firefighter

He and other former athletes now work for the Phoenix Fire Department.

Arizona Cardinals might remember Matt Shaughnessy, who played outside linebacker for the team in 2013 and 2014. Retired from the NFL in 2016, he is back in Phoenix as a first responder.

He is a Phoenix firefighter now, as Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic writes.

Shaughnessy played two seasons for the Cardinals in 2013 and 2014. He played in 24 games, starting 19 of them, and had 53 tackles, 12 for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and a touchdown.

He was known as a very good run defender.

After being cut after the 2015 preseason, he didn’t get re-signed until August 2016 by the New Orleans Saints. He was cut before the season began and he retired.

It was then Shaughnessy “ventured into his fire apprenticeship.”

He is now a rover for the Phoenix FD and lives in Chandler with his wife and three children.

He is one of several former professional athletes who are now firefighters.

Shaughnessy was always intrigued by the profession.

“It was something that I was always interested ever since I was a kid,” said Shaughnessy in the article. “I lived right down the street from the Central (Fire) Station on Chestnut Street, walking by it to the YMCA with my mom and wanted to see what was going on at the fire station.”

He now is part of another team, another brotherhood.

Many view athletes as a sort of hero. He is in another hero sort of job with the phoenix Fire Department.

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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 Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 266

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Ep.265

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Cardinals’ season opener has Kliff Kingsbury’s attention

“When you look and its the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on the road, that gets your attention.”

The NFL schedule was released last week and the Arizona Cardinals now know when they play their 2020 opponents. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury sees a schedule full of talented teams but doesn’t want to look too far ahead, especially with how the schedule begins.

“It’s always challenging anytime you look at it,” he said in a video conference Monday. “There are some really good teams on there. That’s the NFL and that’s why people love it.”

The very first game of the season has his focus and he wants the team to have the same focus.

“With us, it starts Week 1,” he said. “We’re trying to take it one week at a time. I know that sounds cliche, but when you look and its the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on the road, that gets your attention.”

The opener is one of the Cardinals’ toughest games on the schedule.

A win could set the tone for the season and make a statement to the NFL that they are ready to compete. They played the 49ers well in both contests in 2019, although they lost both games.

That game has the Cardinals’ attention. It should have the attention of Cardinals fans, too.

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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 Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 266

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Ep.265

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2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds, best bets

Analyzing the NFL betting odds to win the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year award, with NFL betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award has been dominated by pass rushers in recent history. Since 2010, seven of the last 10 winners have been pass rushers in some form, whether on the edge or at defensive tackle.

The New England Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore broke the mold last year by winning it as a cornerback, but it’s rare for a defensive back to take home this award.

In 2020, there’s a host of quality candidates, many of whom are unsurprisingly pass rushers. However, among the top eight favorites, there are two defensive backs.

We take a look at the best bets for Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Defensive Player of the Year odds

Below are the eight favorites. Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Monday, May 11 at 2:20 p.m. ET.

  • Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams +750
  • Khalil Mack, OLB, Chicago Bears +1000
  • Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers +1300
  • Stephon Gilmore, CB, Patriots +1500
  • T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers +1500
  • J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans +1700
  • Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos +1800
  • Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers +2000

Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM, or play in their online casino. Bet now!


Best bet: Aaron Donald +750

Donald is the favorite, and for good reason. He’s won the award twice in his career and although his numbers dipped a bit last season, he was still deserving of consideration for the award because of the impact he has that doesn’t show up on the box score.

With DTs Michael Brockers back and A’Shawn Robinson also on the defensive line, Donald has a decent supporting cast – even though the loss of LB Dante Fowler Jr. will hurt from a pass-rush perspective. But Donald has had double-digit sacks in four of the last five years and should eclipse 10 in 2020.

Value play: T.J. Watt +1500

Watt had a strong case to win the award last season, but was beat out by Gilmore, who had a phenomenal season on arguably the best defense in the NFL. Watt had 14.5 sacks and tied for the NFL high with eight forced fumbles, hitting the QB 36 times in 16 games.

He’s durable and productive and his numbers have only improved each season he’s been in the NFL. Next season should be his best yet and he’ll certainly be in the running to win the award. At +1500, there’s a ton of upside, too.

Long shot pick: Chandler Jones +3000

The Cardinals’ Jones has never won Defensive Player of the Year, despite leading the NFL with 96 sacks since arriving in Arizona in 2016. He had a career-high 19 sacks and an NFL-leading eight forced fumbles last season, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting with only seven fewer votes than Gilmore.

The Cardinals should be much-improved in 2020, too, which will only help Jones’ exposure as an impact player.

Want action on the 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year prop or any other NFL futures bets? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Cardinals bring back CB Kevin Peterson on one-year deal

He played in 14 games (three starts) last season with the Cardinals and had 16 tackles, two passes breakups and six special tackles.

The Arizona Cardinals added a familiar cornerback to the roster. The team announced Tuesday cornerback Kevin Peterson re-signed with the team, agreeing to a one-year contract.

Because the offseason roster was already at 90 players, they had to cut a player. They released cornerback Andre Chachere.

Peterson was a free agent after the Cardinals did not use a restricted free agent tender.

After he was claimed off waivers before the start of last season from the Los Angeles Rams, he played in 14 games (three starts) last season with the Cardinals and had 16 tackles, two passes breakups and six special tackles after joining the team. He has played 20 games in his NFL career with both the Cardinals and Rams after entering the league with Chicago as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2016 from Oklahoma State.

In his career, Peterson has 26 tackles, two interceptions and seven special teams tackles.

The move brings back yet another player from last season. He is the first cornerback the Cardinals have added in free agency this offseason.

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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 Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 266

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Ep.265

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