Arizona
Predicting 2024 Arizona Cardinals roster before cut day
![Predicting 2024 Arizona Cardinals roster before cut day Predicting 2024 Arizona Cardinals roster before cut day](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/08/25/PPHX/74946823007-usatsi-24078432.jpg?auto=webp&crop=1791,1008,x0,y357&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Who stood out for the Arizona Cardinals with (most) starters sitting in preseason opener?
Theo Mackie and Bob McManaman react to the Cardinals’ preseason loss to the Saints
The Arizona Cardinals preseason was, for the most part, an ugly affair. They went 0-3, played few starters, and often looked lost offensively. But a handful of players on the roster bubble showed impressive flashes, with head coach Jonathan Gannon particularly encouraged by his rookies.
That creates some roster conundrums for the Cardinals ahead of Tuesday’s cut-down day. The 53 players that the Cardinals have at the end of those moves will likely not be their final 53 as they bolster their roster with claims from other teams. But for now, here is a projection of what the 53-man roster could look like on Tuesday afternoon:
Offense
Quarterback (2)
Kyler Murray, Clayton Tune
After Sunday, when both Tune and Desmond Ridder struggled to create any offense of note, it seems increasingly likely that the Cardinals will look to acquire a backup quarterback from outside the organization. That could take the form of a waiver claim or a cheap trade, like the one they executed last August to acquire Joshua Dobbs from Cleveland. For now, though, Tune has the upper hand. He looked more comfortable than Ridder throughout training camp and preseason, earning the starting nod Sunday.
Running back (4)
James Conner, Trey Benson, Emari Demercado, DeeJay Dallas
Sunday’s running back usage was quite strange. Gannon opted against using any of these four running backs or veteran Michael Carter — outside of a few special teams snaps for Demercado and Dallas. That seemed to indicate that the Cardinals could go with five running backs. But when asked why Carter didn’t play, Gannon responded, “Saw enough from what we needed to see for him.” That comment did not come across as encouraging for Carter’s chances, especially given that he only saw two late-game carries in the second preseason game. So now, it once again looks as if the Cardinals will go with four backs. Demercado’s role — if he makes the roster — will mainly be on third downs and special teams, while Dallas is set to primarily be a return man.
Wide receiver (6)
Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal, Chris Moore, Xavier Weaver
With veteran Zay Jones suspended for the first five games of the season, the Cardinals will likely want a steady veteran to fill his place on the roster. That seemingly creates an opening for Moore, who had 22 catches for 424 yards with the Titans last year. Weaver, meanwhile, has impressed on offense and special teams after signing as an undrafted free agent in the spring. He looks likely to have a role alongside Dallas in the return game. Sixth-round pick Tejhaun Palmer should clear waivers and land on the practice squad.
Tight end (3)
Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins, Tip Reiman
The tight-end group is cut and dry. The Cardinals could conceivably go with four tight ends, but it probably makes more sense to use that spot elsewhere on the roster. Reiman, in particular, has had a nice month, showing the blocking chops that made him a third-round pick. He adds some versatility to a room led by two players who excel as pass catchers.
Offensive line (9)
Paris Johnson, Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, Will Hernandez, Jonah Williams, Kelvin Beachum, Jon Gaines, Isaiah Adams, Christian Jones
It was a rough preseason for the Cardinals’ reserve offensive linemen, which makes keeping only nine a plausible option. That said, they could still easily choose to go with 10. Beachum is a steady backup swing tackle, but the only backup interior options here are Gaines and Adams — two players who have never played a regular-season snap. Adams, a third-round pick this year, looked excellent as a run blocker in preseason but struggled mightily as a pass blocker. So, if the Cardinals don’t trust Gaines as their top reserve on the interior, they could opt to keep a veteran like Elijah Wilkinson or Trystan Colon. Wilkinson entered camp looking like an important backup but allowed six pressures and two sacks in three preseason games.
Defense
Interior defensive line (7)
Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols, Darius Robinson, Roy Lopez, L.J. Collier, Dante Stills, Khyiris Tonga
None of these seven interior defensive linemen played on Sunday — a strong indicator that their roster spots are safe. The wild card is Robinson, who is dealing with a calf injury. If he avoids the injured reserve to start the season, the Cardinals will likely want seven players here to help provide cover. If he goes on the injured reserve, they could opt for six and use his spot on the 53-man roster to provide help elsewhere.
Edge rusher (5)
Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, Xavier Thomas, Victor Dimukeje, Cameron Thomas
Xavier Thomas, a fifth-round pick, did not play Sunday, a reward for his excellent preseason. Dimukeje only played 12 snaps early on and should be a member of this rotation. That likely leaves one roster spot for Cameron Thomas or Jesse Luketa. Both players had strong preseasons but Thomas was slightly more consistent at generating pressure. He earns the final spot here, but it’s close to a toss-up.
Linebacker (4)
Kyzir White, Mack Wilson Sr., Owen Pappoe, Krys Barnes
There’s no more settled group on the Cardinals’ roster outside of the specialists. White and Wilson will start; Pappoe and Barnes will back them up.
Cornerback (6)
Sean Murphy-Bunting, Garrett Williams, Max Melton, Starling Thomas V, Kei’Trel Clark, Elijah Jones
If the Cardinals opt for five corners, Clark could be a roster casualty. But the second-year player has flashed some positive signs over the past month and only played nine snaps Sunday, indicating that he’s in position to earn a reserve spot. Plus, Jones doesn’t look like a player the Cardinals can trust right now. The third-round rookie has enticing raw tools but is a likely candidate to be inactive early on as he acclimates to the speed of the NFL.
Safety (4)
Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Joey Blount
It was an encouraging summer for the Cardinals’ safeties. Baker and Thompson performed at their usual high standard during training camp and Taylor-Demerson impressed in preseason. He could be the future of the position if Baker hits free agency after the season. Behind those three, the final roster spot comes down to Blount and Andre Chachere. Chachere saw significantly more playing time last year, but Blount is a special teams standout. If the Cardinals are comfortable with Taylor-Demerson as their primary backup safety, Blount could have the edge due to his special teams role. Sunday’s usage suggested that could be the case, with Blount sitting out while Chachere played 48 snaps.
Special teams
Kicker: Matt Prater
Puner: Blake Gillikin
Long snapper: Aaron Brewer
The Cardinals released undrafted free agent long snapper Joe Shimko last week, finalizing this group of veterans as their specialists.
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Arizona
I sent an Arizona man to prison for 290 years. His case still haunts me
![I sent an Arizona man to prison for 290 years. His case still haunts me I sent an Arizona man to prison for 290 years. His case still haunts me](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/5b7cfddc7ddf44b162fac949b03528fbd1106995/c=0-2258-4749-4941/local/-/media/2017/05/10/Phoenix/Phoenix/636300278324228927-radiostation.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=1200)
I sent plenty of people to prison during my career as a judge. Now I’m working to get one man out, and not because I think he’s innocent.
How the bail system increased wealth and racial inequalities
There have long been calls to end money bail in the U.S. prison system. Here’s what some jurisdictions are doing to reform it.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
I participated in hundreds of sentencing hearings in my 44-year career as a prosecutor and as a judge.
Most of the sentences imposed were within the range I thought reasonable given the crime committed and the defendant’s background.
Occasionally, the law mandated an excessive sentence, which I had to impose.
By far the most egregious example of an excessive mandated sentence that I was ever required to impose came in 2007. The defendant, Carl Ray Buske, was a 47-year-old aviation mechanic with no criminal record other than a 15-year-old conviction for drug possession.
His offense: the possession of 29 printed images of child pornography.
I was required to sentence him to 290 years
Buske did not create the images, sell them or even share the images with anyone.
Yet Arizona law required that his sentence be not less than 10 years for each image, with each sentence to be consecutive to the others — that is, one stacked on top of the other — for a total of 290 years in prison.
Like most people, I abhor child pornography. The possession of such images should be illegal and severely punished.
However, one of the guiding principles of our criminal justice system is that the punishment should be proportionate to and commensurate with the crime.
A sentence of 290 years in prison (a life sentence, in effect) for this conduct is not only disproportionate, it’s unconscionable.
Average sentence in other states is about 5 years
This is not a question of guilt.
It is a question of whether the 17 years the convicted man has already spent in prison is an adequate penalty for his conduct.
To me, the obvious and inescapable answer is yes. This opinion is shared by eight other retired Pima County Superior Court judges who signed a petition in support of Buske’s application for commutation, seeking his release.
It is further supported by the fact that federal law, unlike Arizona law, mandates no prison time and provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years for similar offenses.
Tougher mandatory sentences: Won’t save anyone from fentanyl
A 2022 Federal Sentencing Commission report found that the federal sentences imposed for possession of child pornography for 1,435 defendants with profiles similar to Buske’s was an average of about five years.
It is astounding to realize that his sentence far exceeds the minimum sentence provided in Arizona law for many crimes involving serious violence and physical injury to the victim, such as second-degree murder (10 years), rape (seven years) and sexual assault of a child under 12 (13 years).
Arizona’s harsh sentencing scheme is out of step with all other states. In no other state would he have been exposed to as severe of a sentence as he received here.
Child porn offenses rarely lead to escalated crime
Some worry about releasing those convicted of possessing child pornography, believing that they may graduate to sexual contact offenses. But this same Federal Sentencing Commission report found that for those convicted of non-production child pornography offenses, the overall sexual recidivism rate was 4.3% and for contact sex offenses it was 1.3%.
This is miniscule compared to the overall recidivism rate of 43% for all released federal prisoners and approximately 40% for all Arizona released state prisoners.
The injustice of this sentence has haunted me for the 17 years since it was imposed.
It is an embarrassment to our criminal justice system. To rectify the injustice, I have been working with the University of Arizona Law School on an application for commutation of sentence, which is now pending before the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency.
The board represents the last chance for the Arizona criminal justice system to correct this injustice by recommending that the governor commute Buske’s sentence to time served.
Furthermore, if this injustice is not to be repeated, the Arizona Legislature must amend the mandatory sentencing law that allowed it to happen.
Both acts will require political courage. I hope that justice will not be sacrificed for political expedience.
John Leonardo is a retired Pima County Superior Court judge and a former assistant United States Attorney and United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.
Arizona
Judge to hear arguments over whether to dismiss Arizona's fake elector case
PHOENIX (AP) — A judge will hear arguments Monday in a Phoenix courtroom over whether to throw out charges against Republicans who signed a document falsely claiming Donald Trump won Arizona in the 2020 election and others who are accused of scheming to overturn the presidential race’s outcome.
At least a dozen defendants are seeking a dismissal under an Arizona law that bars using baseless legal actions in a bid to silence critics. The law had long offered protections in civil cases but was amended in 2022 by the Republican-led Legislature to cover people facing most criminal charges.
The defendants argue Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes tried to use the charges to silence them for their constitutionally protected speech about the 2020 election and actions taken in response to the race’s outcome. They say Mayes campaigned on investigating the fake elector case and had shown a bias against Trump and his supporters.
Prosecutors say the defendants don’t have evidence to back up their retaliation claim and they crossed the line from protected speech to fraud. Mayes’ office also has said the grand jury that brought the indictment wanted to consider charging the former president, but prosecutors urged them not to.
In all, 18 Republicans were charged with forgery, fraud and conspiracy. The defendants consist of 11 Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won Arizona, two former Trump aides and five lawyers connected to the former president, including Rudy Giuliani.
So far, two defendants have resolved their cases.
Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, who worked closely with Giuliani, signed a cooperation agreement with prosecutors that led to the dismissal of her charges. Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino also became the first person to be convicted in the Arizona case when she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation.
The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Former Trump presidential chief of staff Mark Meadows is trying to move his charges to federal court, where his lawyers say they will seek a dismissal of the charges.
Trump wasn’t charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator.
In a filing, Mayes’ office said as grand jurors were considering possible charges, a prosecutor asked them not to indict Trump, citing a U.S. Justice Department policy that limits the prosecution of someone for the same crime twice. The prosecutor also didn’t know whether authorities had all the evidence they would need to charge Trump at that time.
Eleven people who had been nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claimed Trump had carried the state in the 2020 election.
President Joe Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document later was sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.
Prosecutors in Michigan, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme. Arizona authorities unveiled the felony charges in late April.
Arizona
Arizona Wildcats Still Considered Playoff Contenders Under New Staff
![Arizona Wildcats Still Considered Playoff Contenders Under New Staff Arizona Wildcats Still Considered Playoff Contenders Under New Staff](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5724,h_3219,x_0,y_516/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_wildcats/01j65mqabc8vefqn0sw8.jpg)
The Arizona Wildcats are one of the hardest teams to project in the country.
They have a couple of the best returning players on offense, but have undergone a coaching overhaul since last season.
That was reflected when David Hale of ESPN made his tier list, ranking each team in college football. The Wildcats found themselves in the fourth tier, which was deemed “a playoff berth or 7-5 is equally possible.”
While sitting in tier four might not sound too great on the surface, this is the list of teams joining them with that designation:
A few years ago, being in the conversation with those teams would be considered a major step forward for the program.
When Arizona hired San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan following Jedd Fisch’s departure for Washington, that created some question marks about how the Wildcats might look in the future. While Brenan didn’t turn the Spartans into a national powerhouse, he did have them consistently hovering above bowl eligibility, which was not the case before he took over there.
Upon his hiring at Arizona, he then brought in Dino Babers, fresh off a stint as head coach with the Syracuse Orange, to run his offense. Duane Akina was promoted from analyst to defensive coordinator this past offseason, so he’s at least been around the program before.
Despite all the turnaround, the stars stayed put with the Wildcats, which is where most of the excitement around the program lies.
Though the coaching staff isn’t bad, it doesn’t scream playoff contender on its own.
Quarterback Noah Fifita is one of the top returning passers in the country. He had 2,869 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions through the air last season.
His top target at wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, is also back with the team. He’s widely considered one of the best players in the country at 6-foot-5 and still being a downfield threat.
Jacob Cowing, a 90-catch receiver, is gone to the NFL. That’s a lot of production that they’re going to need to replace.
The good news is that the running back room should be as good as it’s ever been with two solid transfers in Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Quali Conley.
The defense, which is undergoing a lot of changes on it’s own, should be good. The fate of this team, whether it be playoffs or bust, lies on the shoulders of the offense.
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