Arizona
Five Arizona Cardinals players poised for a breakout
With the NFL offseason in the midst of the only truly slow spot in the calendar, it’s a good time to start taking a look ahead to next season. There’s a lot of optimism around this team lately, so I thought I’d add to it by taking a look at players poised for a breakout in the 2024 season.
Breakouts come in all shapes and sizes. You could have an undrafted player make huge contributions out of seemingly nowhere (think Dennis Gardeck’s 7-sack season back in 2020). Or you could have a young player put it all together like David Johnson back in 2016. Or even an established starter become a star like Kyler Murray making his first Pro Bowl (also in 2020).
I won’t try to predict any “out of nowhere” breakouts—those are so fun precisely because you *can’t* predict them—but I’ve identified a few young players who could be ready to become big contributors and some established starters ready to become stars. Let’s start with a couple players on the defensive side of the ball ready to really contribute to this team.
Note: I’m not considering rookies in this article, as you can’t really “break out” if you haven’t played yet, right?
Young Players Ready to Make a Leap
LB Mack Wilson Sr.
Wilson has taken an interesting path to the desert. He was a 5th-round pick by the Browns in 2019 and started 14 games as a rookie. But he quickly fell out of favor there and has spent the last two seasons mostly playing special teams with the Patriots. But a lot of scouts liked what they saw out of him on defense, and he certainly caught GM Monti Ossenfort’s eye, as he gave him a 3-year deal worth almost $13M (with $6.5M guaranteed). He figures to slide into one of the starting LB spots, where he’ll bring a unique blend of experience and potential (he’s only 26) to the front seven. Could he be the missing piece DC Nick Rallis has been searching for?
EDGE BJ Ojulari
This one is almost too easy. Ojulari, a 2nd-round pick last year, dealt with some injury problems last offseason and took a while to get going. He played sparingly until Week 8 (less than 33% of the defensive snaps), but from that point on he played more than 50% of the snaps on defense and totaled 4 sacks (tied for second on the team for the season), 5 TFLs, 6 QB hits, and 1 pass defended without starting a single game. With a starting gig, a fully healthy offseason, improved D-line talent around him, and natural improvement in Year 2, he looks like a double-digit sack guy waiting to happen—something the player himself is already targeting.
WR Michael Wilson
Here’s another 2nd-year player ready to break out. Unlike Ojulari, Wilson was a starter from the get-go. He played well in his rookie season, even if his final numbers weren’t all that impressive: 38/565/3 TDs. Of course, his QB was Josh Dobbs for most of the season, and then he was injured in a few games when Kyler came back. It took him a couple games to get healthy and click with Kyler, but he went 10/130/1 TD over the final two games of the season. That’s an incredibly small sample size and these numbers shouldn’t be taken entirely seriously as he’ll have more competition for targets this season, but those numbers prorate to 85/1100/9 TDs over a full 17-game season. I don’t think we’ll pass enough for Wilson to really challenge those numbers, but something like 65/900/5 could certainly be obtainable.
Established Starters Ready to Become Stars
TE Trey McBride
This is another no-brainer. And if you wanted to argue that McBride has already broken out, I wouldn’t argue too much. He went 81/825/3 TDs last season with Dobbs, Clayton Tune, and a recovering Kyler throwing him the ball. The 81 receptions are a Cardinals franchise record, and the 825 yards are the second-most in franchise history (behind Jackie Smith’s 1,205 way back in 1967 when the team was in St. Louis). So he’s already one of the best tight ends in Cardinals history. But he should be even better this year with a fully healthy Kyler and an improved offensive ecosystem around him. Many fantasy analysts have him the third TE off the board, and he should challenge for his first Pro Bowl berth this season. McBride is on the very cusp of stardom, and he’ll fully get there in 2024.
LT Paris Johnson Jr.
Yep, another second-year player—that Ossenfort guy must’ve had a pretty good first draft as GM. Johnson’s play wasn’t especially impressive in his rookie year (an average 60 PFF grade, for whatever that means to you), but he did play every single offensive snap, which *is* quite impressive. He also played most of the season at RT instead of LT, which was his projected position coming out of college. Well, he’ll be switching to LT this year and is saying all the right things. The man wants to be the next D.J. Humphries, which is hopefully his floor. If we can get steady LT play for the better part of a decade, we’d take it. But PJJ could—should?—be even better than Hump. And that will hopefully start with him fully coming into his own this year in an all-around improved Cardinals offense.
Final Thoughts
If all of these players break out like they could, it could be a good season of football in the desert. Especially if we get one or two of those “out of nowhere” breakouts. It’s a good time to be a Cardinals fan.
Speaking of which, it’s time for you to weigh in. What do you think of these breakout candidates? Do you have any others in mind? Vote in the poll and drop a comment.
Poll
Which Cardinals player do you think is most ready to break out in 2024?
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0%
LB Mack Wilson Sr.
(0 votes)
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0%
EDGE BJ Ojulari
(0 votes)
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0%
WR Michael Wilson
(0 votes)
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0%
TE Trey McBride
(0 votes)
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0%
LT Paris Johnson Jr.
(0 votes)
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0%
Other (explain in comments)
(0 votes)
0 votes total
Vote Now
Arizona
18 members of Arizona human smuggling ring indicted, prosecutors say
YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — The bust of a human smuggling ring based in Yuma has resulted in 18 indictments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Friday.
The suspects are allegedly part of the organization named La Mesa, which worked on behalf of the Mexican crime organization Los Rusos.
Investigators say the group is responsible for smuggling, or trying to smuggle, hundreds of people across the U.S.-Mexico border and further into the U.S.
Twenty-four-year-old Carlos Moreno-Serrano from Yuma was the leader of Le Mesa, prosecutors said.
Other alleged members coordinated the smuggling runs, scouted for drivers, ran stash houses, distributed the money for the drivers, rented cars and ran enforcement for La Mesa.
Detectives said as drivers got arrested, members started to take smaller groups of illegal immigrants to Southern and central California to avoid law enforcement.
Leaders in La Mesa would kidnap, threaten and beat up members and drivers who had been arrested.
The 18 suspects were federally charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens for profit and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. They are:
- Victor Eduardo Araiza-Ponce, 24, of Yuma;
- Antonio Aparicio III, 24, of Somerton;
- Alonzo Esparza, 27, of Yuma;
- Carlos Moreno-Serrano, 24, of Yuma;
- Xasiel Noriega-Gonzalez, 21, of Somerton;
- Joshua Guillermo Leon-Fuentes, 21, of Somerton;
- Angel Rodriguez, 23, of Yuma;
- Crystobal Figueroa, 23, of Somerton;
- Saul Ponce Jr., 23, of San Luis;
- David Leon-Pallanes, 23, of Yuma;
- Manuel Uriel Alvarado, 26, of Yuma;
- Elian Lopez, 24, of Yuma;
- Raymundo Delgado-Diaz, 35, of Yuma;
- Isreal Zeveda, 23, of Salinas, California;
- Francisco Javier Esparza-Macias, 21, of Somerton;
- Alex Chiquete, 25, of Yuma;
- Hector Eduardo-Valdez, 31, of Yuma; and
- Jose Gabriel Marquez-Mendiola, 32, of Yuma.
The maximum penalty for each charge is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
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Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
Arizona
Energy bills, solar power dominate Arizona Corporation Commission candidate debate
Fossil fuels, emissions, electricity rates and other energy topics headlined a debate among candidates seeking seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission. Six contenders are vying for three openings.
Six candidates vying for three open seats on Arizona’s utility-regulatory panel sparred on Sept. 26 over the state’s long-term energy policy, with the three Democrats urging a more rapid embrace of solar power and their three Republican counterparts stressing the need for a broader mix including natural gas to ensure reliability.
Democrats including Ylenia Aguilar attacked the current Republican-dominated Arizona Corporation Commission for allowing electricity bills to increase. One of the commission’s most visible actions earlier this year was approving a rate hike for Arizona Public Service that boosted electric bills for the utility’s residential customers by around 8% on average.
“People are suffering and can’t pay their bills,” Aguilar said.
But Republicans including Lea Marquez Peterson, the only commissioner seeking re-election in the Nov. 5 vote, said the commission sliced APS’ funding request by more than $200 million from what was requested. She also stressed the need for high energy reliability, along with the investments needed to ensure it.
Arizona can’t afford temporary power disruptions that, she said, have plagued neighboring California. “If we lost power in Arizona in the summer, it would be a life-or-death issue,” Peterson said.
Fellow Republican Rene Lopez endorsed an “all-of-the-above” approach. The energy-mix debate largely focused on natural gas plants that can run well into the evening, after the Sun sets. Aguilar complained about air pollution around metro Phoenix and said the natural-gas plants aren’t desirable near any neighborhoods. But Republican Rachel Walden noted that these generating stations can be turned on quickly, at any time of day or night.
Energy policies and APS’ rate hike dominated the debate, though the discussion also veered into water availability and the struggles facing many small water utilities in rural parts of Arizona that have been hiking rates yet, in many cases, have not made necessary infrastructure improvements. Democrat Joshua Polacheck said the dire conditions of many of these companies shows the need for “change, a different approach,” at the Commission.
Candidates from both political parties spoke out in favor of solar energy, but the enthusiasm from Republicans was more measured.
“Solar doesn’t work at night, and the wind doesn’t always blow,” Peterson said.
That drew a rebuke from Democrat Jonathan Hill, who advocates for storing solar energy during low-demand periods of the day in industrial-scale battery parks for release later, as APS, Salt River Project and other utilities are doing. “Of course we know the Sun goes down at night,” Hill remarked, sarcastically.
The hour-long program sponsored by Arizona PBS and moderated by Ted Simons, host of “Arizona Horizon,” was more cantakerous, with more interruptions, than a Sept. 2 debate involving the same six candidates and sponsored by the Arizona Clean Election Commission.
Republicans hold a 4-1 edge currently on the comisssion, with Republicans Nick Myers and Kevin Thompson not up for re-election this November. Democrats urged voters to set a new course by electing candidates from their party.
Democrat Joshua Polacheck implied that Republicans on the panel are too cozy with “rapacious corporations that are picking our pockets.” Arizona residents, he said, “know their rates have been going up.”
Republican candidate Lopez said Arizonans pay the second-lowest rates in the nation, but Hill criticized that finding because it came from WalletHub, a personal finance app that, he said, “most people have never heard of.”
Walden said it’s important to embrace a broad energy mix and to let market forces dictate prices, as that will lead to the “cheapest options.” She also said it’s important for voters to realize that utilities like APS, in their rate-application cases, are largely seeking to recoup costs on investments they already have made. And because rate cases come up only every few years on average, the increases seem larger compared to more, minor adjustments along the way, she explained.
Both sides have focused on the need to keep rates affordable for consumers and businesses while ensuring that Arizona has the power-generation capacity to support population increases and economic growth. Much of that is coming from relatively new entities such as semiconductor-plant expansions and data centers, a power-intensive industry where metro Phoenix has emerged as a national leader.
The Arizona PBS date was held on the same day that SRP and NextEra Energy Resources unveiled a new wind farm on private land halfway between Flagstaff and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. All of the clean energy from that project, enough to power around 40,000 homes, has been allocated to a new Google data center in Mesa.
Candidates from both parties largely steered clear of presidential politics, though Walden in her closing statement blamed the Biden-Harris Administration for regulations and other policies that, she said, have worsened pricing pressures in the utility industry.
Reach the writer at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.
Arizona
Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for September 26, 2024
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Arizona offers Powerball, Mega Millions, The Pick, Triple Twist, Fantasy 5 and Pick 3 as well as Scratchers, Quick Draw and Fast Play.
Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history. Money raised from Arizona lottery games goes toward funding higher education, health and human services, environmental conservation and economic and business development in the state.
Pick 3
1-9-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Fantasy 5
11-12-21-29-36
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Triple Twist
04-17-21-27-28-37
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy Arizona lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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