Arizona
What will Cardinals do at pass rusher following BJ Ojulari injury?
GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals on Friday suffered a serious blow defensively with the loss of second-year pass rusher BJ Ojulari to a reported torn ACL.
Consistently earning first-team reps after making a noticeable jump this offseason, all signs pointed to Ojulari commanding a starting role come Week 1.
Arizona Cardinals OLB Zaven Collins touches on his relationship with BJ Ojulari and how tough it was to see his fellow pass rusher go down with a torn ACL on Friday: pic.twitter.com/Vr0RRJW4ku
— Cardinals Corner (@AZCardsCorner) August 3, 2024
Now with that thought firmly out the window in 2024, general manager Monti Ossenfort, head coach Jonathan Gannon and the rest of Arizona’s coaching staff are left to pick up pieces at a position that didn’t see a massive revamp like other spots on the roster.
But as Gannon said on Saturday, “the sun’s up now and we gotta go to work.”
A look at the paths Ossenfort and Co. could take following Ojulari’s season-ending knee injury:
In-house options
The Cardinals did little in adding to the outside linebackers room this offseason. Some of that could have been the free-agent market. Confidence in the guys already on the roster was likely a factor, as well.
The latter thought was made even more apparent with the two-year contract extension pass rusher Zaven Collins inked ahead of Friday’s Red & White Practice.
Ossenfort had said months ago he would like to keep Collins around after deciding against picking up the inside-turned-outside linebacker’s fifth-year option. And while the timing of the extension coincides with Ojulari going down for the year, Ossenfort was true on his word and had been working with Collins’ camp on a new deal well before Friday’s development.
Collins has taken steps forward in the pass-rushing department since working through the switch while also providing a voice in the room for players like Ojulari to lean on, especially when working through coverages.
His role in the defense looks even more solidified now given the extension.
As for who lines up across from him, there’s a clear candidate in Dennis Gardeck, who was already firmly in the discussion before the Ojulari injury.
“He is one of the more complete players I’ve honestly ever been around,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said in July. “I think he’s an extremely good pass rusher. He can cover as good as any outside linebacker can cover. And he can win with leverage in the run game.
“He can provide value for us along the line of scrimmage, in space, all of that. If he takes strides in all parts of his game, he’s going to bring that much more value to our defense.”
As for the depth immediately behind Gardeck and Collins, the two names to keep in mind are Victor Dimukeje and Jesse Luketa.
Dimukeje is coming off a career year highlighted by four sacks (tied for second on the team), five tackles for loss and eight QB hits across 16 games played (six starts).
Luketa meanwhile showed off his versatility last year, playing both fullback and outside linebacker in 14 games (one start).
He also turned in one of the better pass rushes during Saturday’s Red & White Practice during 1-on-1 work.
Dimukeje could very well be the first sub in for Collins and Gardeck with Luketa not that far behind.
A dark horse in all of this is 2024 fifth-rounder Xavier Thomas.
Picking up the phone
Simply for depth purposes, Arizona is bound to bring another body in one way or another.
How that happens is anyone’s guess. What we do know is those discussions are already underway.
Ossenfort has a few options to consider.
He can scour what’s left of the free agent market in the hopes of adding depth sooner than later. With training camp nearing its final phase ahead of preseason action, any extra time within Arizona’s system is a plus.
Then again, if players are still looking for a team at this time of the year, it’s likely for good reason, whether it’s centered around pay or performance.
Ossenfort getting on the phone with other GMs around the league to gauge any trade interest is on the table, too.
There’s also the possibility Ossenfort waits for the league’s 53-man roster cutdown day on Aug. 27 before making a decision.
Either way, the options are aplenty.
Don’t miss these 5 metro Phoenix hidden gem restaurants
From Ethiopian cuisine to mesquite-grilled chicken, check out these five restaurants in metro Phoenix that have flown under the radar for too long.
A former candidate for Gilbert mayor has opened the first Arizona location of a Founding Fathers-themed ice cream shop in Chandler.
Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is a Utah-based ice cream shop centered around the early history of the United States. Female employees scoop cones in bonnets and dresses; male employees wear tricorn hats and coats. The ice cream flavors have names like Martha Washington’s Colonial Cotton Candy and Alexander Hamilton’s Not Throwing Away My Scoop.
On a trip to Utah in 2019, Arizonan Shane Krauser went to a Brooker’s and was blown away.
“I walked out of that, called my wife Janelle and I said, ‘We will own one of these,’” Krauser said.
The couple had no previous restaurant experience, but decided to open up the chain’s first location outside of Utah, choosing a storefront near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The store opened on June 6.
Krauser loves how the shop creates conversation among customers about American history.
“I love history. I love the Founding Fathers. I love the ideals of America,” Krauser said. “It’s an amazing concept.”
Opening Founding Flavors isn’t political, it’s a ‘labor of love’
Krauser is a retired lawyer turned motivational speaker who addresses topics including “freedom, the proper role of government and the parameters of the U.S. and state constitutions,” according to his website.
In 2024, Krauser ran for Gilbert mayor, but withdrew his candidacy amid scrutiny over involvement with a past investment fraud scheme and his son’s appearance in a video with the Gilbert Goons, The Arizona Republic reported.
Although the shop plans to host events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., such as one for Constitution Day in September, Krauser said he does not see the ice cream store as related to his political career.
“The mayoral run was something to be involved in politically. This is more of a labor of love,” Krauser said. “This is not political in nature at all. It’s an ice cream shop with an American theme.”
Details: 2560 W. Chandler Blvd. #3, Chandler. brookersicecream.com, 480-881-6100.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
Arizona CEO accused of stealing millions
Jeffrey Gottfurcht, the now-former CEO of Mesa startupo Cyber Dive, is accused of stealing at least $1.5 million from the company to buy gifts for his girlfriend. FOX 10’s Brian Webb has more.
PHOENIX – An Arizona chief executive officer is facing major legal trouble after being accused of embezzling money from his company.
What we know:
Cyber Dive is an Arizona startup that sells child-safety smartphones, designed so parents can monitor their children’s online activity. The company is run out of a business complex in Mesa, but the startup is barely hanging on after the CEO allegedly took off with the money to spend on his girlfriend.
Jeffrey Gottfurcht is facing federal embezzlement charges. He stands accused of lying and doctoring documents to trick investors before running off with at least $1.5 million.
On the company Facebook page, Gottfurcht claimed to be the first rheumatoid arthritis sufferer to scale Mount Everest.
Local perspective:
Red flags first popped up at the company on Feb. 13, with strange occurrences coming into the office.
Derek Jackson, who co-founded Cyber Dive, recalled the moment the discrepancies came to light.
“They mentioned to me something about getting routing documentation for funds from an acquisition deal,” Jackson recounted. “They said ‘where are those documents?’ He said he was gonna send him at 3 p.m. today, and my response was what deal are you talking about?”
Dig deeper:
Court documents show Gottfurcht used the money to buy his escort girlfriend a Lamborghini, a four-bedroom house in Miami, and a diamond ring. The girlfriend has posted videos on TikTok, but her identity is hidden because she has not been charged with a crime.
When asked to confirm if Gottfurcht purchased the car, the diamond ring, and the house, Jackson responded, “Yes. So it gets deep. Yes, it gets very deep.”
“It’s a huge gut punch,” Jackson said regarding the impact on the startup. “I think it’s been challenging to stay motivated to keep the company going because when this happened, Jeff drained the account to zero.”
At the Cyber Dive headquarters, half the workforce was let go. Jackson is now serving as the interim chief executive officer, looking for new investors to keep the lights on while coming to grips with the loss of a partner and friend.
Jackson stated that the total amount of money taken is closer to $4 million.
“I was in the army. I was an intelligence officer. I was targeting people in ISIS. I don’t even hate terrorists as much as I hate Jeff right now,” Jackson said.
The other side:
No one answered the door at the Paradise Valley home Gottfurcht shares with his wife and three children. Court paperwork shows that his wife is seeking a divorce, and helped turn her husband in to the authorities.
What’s next:
Gottfurcht was previously arrested in Scottsdale in May over allegations of domestic violence. He remains behind bars on a $250,000 bond.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Derek Jackson, and from court documents.
-
New York4 minutes agoVideo: Fans Show Up to the Parade in Their Best Knicks-Themed Attire
-
Los Angeles, Ca12 minutes agoVictims sought after man allegedly points gun at passing cars in Santa Clarita Valley
-
Detroit, MI35 minutes agoBest barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best
-
San Francisco, CA44 minutes agoHow to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Miami Marlins
-
Dallas, TX50 minutes agoDrivers in North Texas struggle with Friday floods
-
Miami, FL57 minutes agoThree wildfires burn more than 20,000 acres in Miami-Dade, force road closures
-
Boston, MA59 minutes agoMBTA, state transportation chief apologizes for ‘insensitive’ employee hair-pulling incident
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoMan arrested on suspicion of murder in Denver shooting near South Park Hill, Hale
