Linebacker Kyzir White, defensive lineman Leki Fotu and cornerback Antonio Hamilton all exited the game on Sunday with injuries.
The Arizona Cardinals lost on Sunday 21-16 to the Houston Texans. The defense struggled in the first half and then locked things down in the second. However, the defense took hits with injuries, losing three starters by the end of the game.
Linebacker Kyzir White, who had played every defensive snaps of the season for the first 10 games, left the game in the first half and did not return. IT was reported initially that it was an elbow. The television broadcast said it was his shoulder.
Later, in the second half, defensive lineman Leki Fotu, who had a sack in the first half, exited with a hand injury. He was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game.
While making a critical fourth-quarter interception, cornerback Antonio Hamilton suffered a groin injury and had to be helped off the field.
We probably won’t know until at least Monday what the prognosis for any of them.
These four players, expected to start, were not on anyone’s radar when the offseason began.
The Arizona Cardinals have cut their roster down and are now on the path of preparing for their season opener on the road against the Washington Commanders.
While head coach Jonathan Gannon refuses to name starters yet, the preseason depth chart and the playing rotation in the preseason give us an idea of what the starting lineup will look like.
There are a handful of surprises, based on expectations entering the offseason. Four projected starters were not expected to be starters when the offseason began.
He is only playing nose tackle but appears to be on track to hold the starting job.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Leki Fotu quietly has found himself in position to win a starting role on the team’s new defense. The key might be limiting his role while increasing it.
He is listed as the team’s No. 1 nose tackle. He was used that way in the team’s preseason opener.
It was the only way he was used on Friday. He played nose tackle in base defensive sets and came out for nickel packages in the few snaps the starters were on the field.
The 6-foot-5, 334-pound defensive lineman has not been limited to the one role since college.
He was drafted in the fourth round in 2019 out of Utah. He was used exclusively as a space-eating nose tackle.
However, his raw athleticism and movement skills led the Cardinals to believe he could be much more than a nose tackle. He rarely lined up as a nose tackle, especially with fellow fourth-round pick Rashard Lawrence playing there.
However, Fotu’s impact in three NFL seasons has been minimal.
It appears that head coach Jonathan Gannon has focused on Fotu playing nose tackle only, allowing him to potentially thrive as the guy he is and not worry about the player he didn’t become.
He has the size to be good. He did it very well in college.
Of the defensive linemen the Cardinals returned from last season, Fotu was probably the one least likely to make the team and contribute.
We take a look at DL Leki Fotu and his chances for making the final roster this year for the Cardinals.
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.
Let’s have a look at some of the players over the years to wear No. 95 for the Cardinals.
The Arizona Cardinals are now 95 days away from their 2022 regular-season opener. They will open the season on Sept. 11 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The No. 95 has not changed in a little while because it belongs to third-year defensive tackle Leki Fotu. Who else has worn No. 95?
We make the Cardinals’ 2020 draft selections with the benefit of hindsight.
A year later, we can look at the Arizona Cardinals’ draft class and wonder if they made the right selections. The Cardinals didn’t get many contributions from their rookie class. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons played a limited role. Running back Eno Benjamin was never active. Linebacker Evan Weaver spent the year on the practice squad. Tackle Josh Jones played very few snaps all season. Defensive linemen Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence missed time with injuries and got some playing time.
Should the Cardinals have made other selections?
Let’s go back to each pick in last year’s draft and do a redraft.
The Arizona Cardinals announced three roster moves Saturday on the eve of their Week 13 battle against the Los Angeles Rams. They get back another defensive lineman but will not have receiver Larry Fitzgerald for the second week in a row.
Fotu, who was designated for return this week and practiced, has been activated from injured reserve. He will likely play on Sunday, giving the Cardinals almost all their injured defensive linemen back. Zach Allen was activated last week and Rashard Lawrence was this week. Jordan Phillips remains on IR as well as Corey Peters, although Peters suffered a season-ending injury.
Fitzgerald was not removed from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Running back D.J. Foster was elevated from the practice squad as a COVID replacement. Foster has been brought up from the practice squad every week he has been healthy.
The Cardinals also elevated tight end Seth DeValve from the practice squad as a standard elevation. He will be the Cardinals’ third tight end with Darrell Daniels still on injured reserve.
Kickoff Sunday is at 2:05 p.m. Arizona time. at State Farm Stadium.
Leki Fotu lands on injured reserve and Trevon Coley is signed to the roster.
The Arizona Cardinals made a few roster moves on Saturday, a day ahead of their Week 10 home game against the Buffalo Bills. They get a starter back from injured reserve, place a player on IR and bring three players up from the practice squad.
Rookie Leki Fotu and newcomer Markus Golden both are thrust into the starting lineup.
The Arizona Cardinals released their depth chart for Week 9 as they prepare to host the Miami Dolphins this weekend. There are a few changes, as linebacker Devon Kennard and cornerback Byron Murphy were placed on the COVID-19 reserve and defensive lineman Zach Allen and linebacker Isaiah Irving on injured reserve.
Fotu has tremendous upside and will be a fun player to watch grow and develop into the Cardinals’ defense as an elite run stopper.
The Arizona Cardinals made all the right moves this offseason in both free agency and the draft. One of the main areas of concern for them was their run defense, which ranked well below-average in 2019. However, the Cardinals made a huge addition by selecting Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, who has the talent to be an elite run stopper for the Arizona Cardinals. You may not see an immediate impact from Fotu, as Jordan Phillips and Corey Peters are ahead of him. He may be that exciting role player for Cardinals’ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to plug in on certain plays.
Leki Fotu is a very unique type of player. He was recruited by Utah as a standout rugby athlete and his highlights are not something to mess around with.
Fotu has already been impressing in training camp, and other players like Jordan Phillips have quickly taken notice. Last week, Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Brenton Buckner compared Fotu to Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea, whom Buckner coached in 2018. Fotu is another guy that will be able to create disruption for the Cardinals’ run defense, an area where Fotu is more polished in than the pass rush. He ran a 5.15-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine, which was faster than Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (5.16) and Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Benito Jones (5.26). Fotu also weighed in as the heaviest defensive lineman at the combine, according to NFL Draft. It is actually quite impressive how well he is able to move around given his size and how heavy he is.
Fotu is another big-bodied player the Cardinals can plug in on their front defensive line. The 6-foot-5 and 335-pound tackle has played all around the interior defensive line, but he excels the most as a nose tackle. Fotu has a tremendous amount of upper body strength to create chaos in the run game. At Utah, it was quite easy for him to gain leverage right away because of his size. If you are lined up against him, he is one tough player to move. For his size and as heavy as he is, Fotu plays with a lot of power and explosiveness.
Fotu has room to grow in areas like the passing game, where he currently lacks the quickness to be that effective pass rusher. However, given his size and athleticism, Fotu has tremendous upside and will be a fun player to watch grow and develop into the Cardinals’ defense as an elite run stopper for years to come.
