Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Cardinals had three undrafted rookie make the team initially on offense.
The Arizona Cardinals will be relying on youth in 2023. They did not cut any of their draft picks, although two are not on the 53-man roster (OL Jon Gaines went on season-ending injured reserve and CB Garrett Williams is on NFI to start the season).
They also had three undrafted rookies make the team initially.
Who are they?
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
We take a look at undrafted rookie WR Daniel Arias and his prospects for the team entering training camp.
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 receiver Daniel Arias.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Some information about undrafted receiver Daniel Arias.
Receiver Daniel Arias was one of the rookie free agents the Arizona Cardinals signed this offseason. Let’s find out more about him.
Here is his bio from the team’s press release when he was signed.
Colorado wide receiver Daniel Arias (6-3, 216) appeared in 50 games (21 starts) during his five-year career with the Buffaloes, the most by a wide receiver in school history. He had 48 receptions for 750 yards and four TDs in his career while also excelling on special teams. According to the school, Arias finished his career with 77 special teams points, the seventh most in Buffaloes history. In 2022, Arias played in all 12 games and had 19 receptions for 309 yards and a TD while also collecting 14 special teams points. He was selected as the recipient of the Tom McMahon Award, given annually to a Colorado offensive player for their dedication and work ethic.
What else is there 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 Spotify.
Brady Russell was among a few former #cubuffs who were able to sign NFL deals post-draft
The 2023 NFL draft has come to an end, and the Colorado Buffaloes were one of just seven Power Five football teams to not have a player selected in the seven-round draft. However, a few Buffs did earn undrafted free agent contracts and minicamp invites, so there is some hope that one of these players can crack a spot on a 53-man roster.
Plus, former Colorado cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon and Christian Gonzalez were both drafted.
Tight end Brady Russell was perhaps the most notable former Buff who heard his phone ring after the draft concluded.
Here’s a quick rundown of which recent Buffs standouts were able to crack a deal with an NFL team:
A few pro day Buffs compared well to NFL combine players
The Colorado Buffaloes held their 31st annual pro day on Wednesday with nine players participating. Pro days are held across the country for college players hoping to make the NFL. Scouts from 16 different NFL teams were in attendance to watch the Buffaloes’ talent showcase their skills.
College pro days are a great way for anyone who may not have been invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis to get in front of scouts. No CU player was able to snag an invite to the NFL combine, but that doesn’t mean the NFL is not in their future. A breakout performance at a college pro day can propel you into a tryout, or even better, becoming a draft pick. But how did this year’s CU group stack up against the players who were at the combine?
Thanks to Horton Barbell, we can compare each pro day Buff to the average NFL combine numbers for their position:
Daniel Arias was a reliable target for the Buffs on Friday
Pac-12 insider Jon Wilner said it was “insulting” that TCU was favored over Colorado by about two touchdowns. Others also had the Buffs starting the 2022 season off with a victory over the Horned Frogs.
Yet, it was all TCU on Friday evening in front of a packed house at Folsom Field. The Horned Frogs used a 31-point second half to defeat the Colorado Buffaloes, 38-13, in the season opener.
The quarterback situation will be worth examining in depth in the coming week as JT Shrout impressed in the second quarter, yet Karl Dorrell didn’t start him in the third.
So, who is the offensive player of the game? That belongs to wide receiver Daniel Arias, who capped off his 24th birthday in style.
Arias was expected to have a big role this season, and he wasted no time getting acclimated to the new offense.
Arias finished the game with four catches for 66 yards to lead the Buffs in both categories. His night also included a nifty 35-yard catch from Shrout.
JT Shrout ➡️ Daniel Arias for 35 yards! #Buffs pic.twitter.com/ufRq2NtymC
— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) September 3, 2022
Arias was easily the best offensive player of the night and emerged as the top pass-catcher, which was a nice way to celebrate his 24th birthday.
The next-highest receiver was Jordyn Tyson, who had just two catches for 26 yards and a score — the only Buffs touchdown of the game.
Let’s see if Arias’ strong play can continue over the next couple of weeks leading up to conference play.
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Three Buffs were recognized on the @SuperWestSports preseason All-Pac-12 teams
The college football season is a few weeks away, and now is the time for preseason conference teams to be announced.
While the Colorado Buffaloes aren’t expected to make much noise in the 2022 season, there are a handful of players to keep an eye on and some that might make some noise leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.
The staff at SuperWest Sports (formerly SportsPac12) compiled its preseason All-Pac-12 teams and the Buffs have three players who made the list, with one player on each of the three teams.
Let’s run down one by one and recognize the Buffs players who earned a spot:
The Buffs’ offense will be relying on a few wide receivers to take the next step
Colorado has more of a history at the wide receiver position than one might notice given its history of running the football. The Buffs have consistently developed playmakers on the outside and have pushed that talent to the NFL. The 1990s saw eight different Buffs receivers drafted, including four first-round picks in a seven-year span.
Now in 2022, Colorado is looking for new faces to fill the void left by a few players departing via either graduation or the transfer portal.
Will a new Buff be able to join the ranks of the Michael Westbrooks, the Paul Richardsons and the Laviska Shenault Jrs. of the world?
Daniel Arias is taking steps forward this spring
The Colorado Buffaloes’ wide receiver corps looks much different than it did a few months ago. After a ton of players left via the transfer portal, the options for Brendon Lewis aren’t too familiar.
However, with spring ball fully underway, senior wide receiver Daniel Arias has broken out early on in camp and just might become one of Lewis’ go-to weapons.
After making a few catches in Saturday’s scrimmage, head coach Karl Dorrell walked away more than impressed with Arias (h/t Brian Howell of Buffzone).
“A guy with his size and speed, you would hope that when he gets a chance to get one-on-one coverage we’re expecting him to win those battles,” Dorrell said. “He had a great battle down here with a jump ball the early part of the scrimmage, so he’s doing the things that we expect him to do.”
The performance from Arias included a touchdown in the scrimmage, and it is encouraging to see the senior WR take a step forward with a lot of different faces in Boulder.
Daniel Arias with a 16-yard touchdown reception from Brendon Lewis. Good day at the office for Arias so far.
— Justin Guerriero (@GuerrieroCU) April 9, 2022
Even though R.J. Sneed II is in town after moving over from Baylor, the Buffs need to find another pass catcher, and perhaps Arias walks away as that guy.
It is awfully early, but nonetheless, it has been an encouraging spring thus far from Arias.
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Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
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Buffaloes Wire applauds five Colorado players who stood out positively in the Buffs’ narrow loss to Texas A&M.
It took a team effort on Saturday to hang with the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies. Even though a win wasn’t quite achieved, the Buffaloes’ effort was nearly impeccable all afternoon. Below are five players who I believe played a key role in turning an expected blowout into a white knuckler.
Karl Dorrell’s near upset was aided by a stellar defensive performance from the D-line to the defensive backs. We saw breakout performances for some and a return to greatness for others. Two of the players listed below even began their college careers at the junior college ranks before transferring to CU. Regardless of their background, these Buffaloes united for one of the most memorable CU games in recent memory.
