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Should Cardinals Pursue Trade for Star WR?

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Should Cardinals Pursue Trade for Star WR?


ARIZONA — With so much cap space and an even bigger need to start improving, the Arizona Cardinals often find themselves as a common trade destination for some of the league’s brightest stars looking to start anew and receive a lucrative contract.

After just one season under head coach Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals appear to be on the right path despite winning just four games last season.

Kyler Murray’s back and healthy. There’s legitimate weapons around him, including an improved offensive line. If Arizona’s defense can see a handful of players step up on the edge and in the secondary, the Cardinals may be better than some anticipate.

Yet the NFL is a star-driven league, and one of the brightest in the constellation available on the trade market soon.

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Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is looking to get paid. Given his performance since being drafted as a first-round pick just a few years ago, it’s certainly warranted.

Whether Dallas will ultimately pay up or not remains to be seen, as Lamb is one of multiple stars the Cowboys must juggle in terms of future contracts as Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons also look to secure their deserved money.

“For the second consecutive year, there’s a possibility a key starter will hold out of training camp. Lamb missed the entire offseason program and is expected to miss training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal,” wrote Calvin Watkins of the The Dallas Morning News.

Lamb could net a contract worth around $30 million per season – whether that’s in Dallas or elsewhere.

Lamb earned All-Pro honors with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. His impact on the field can’t be overstated, and his potential presence changes dynamics for coordinators far and wide throughout the NFL.

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Trade speculation around the former OU pass-catcher has grown as his missing extension remains prevelant.

Once upon a time, Murray and Lamb took the field together at Oklahoma, shredding defenses while the two respective players reached admirable accolades such as Murray’s Heisman trophy and Lamb’s All-American honors.

It was a dream for the connection to be established again at the professional level. Murray departed after the 2018 season and was made the No. 1 overall pick by the Cardinals while Lamb needed one more year with the Sooners.

The following offseason, the Cardinals were in position to draft Lamb, reuniting the dynamic duo and even better, laying the foundation to establish one of the best QB-WR connections in the league.

Murray reportedly lobbied heavily for Arizona to draft Lamb, and with the Oklahoma receiver available on the board, the Cardinals opted for versatile Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons instead.

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Nine picks later, Dallas drafted Lamb as the third receiver taken, and the rest as been history.

Now, the cost of acquiring Lamb will be significantly more – but there’s still some vocal on trying to lobby his presence in the desert.

You can never have enough weapons, especially in today’s NFL.

Adding a talent such as Lamb to a core that already possesses the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Zay Jones, Trey McBride, James Conner and others would only create more headaches for defensive coordinators while also bolstering Arizona’s arsenal of weapons.

With that many capable bodies, the Cardinals would be a strong candidate to finish near the top of the league in most offensive categories. Lamb’s presence would also further the organization’s commitment to Murray, who they’ve been quite vocal about as a staple of the franchise moving into the future.

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It would be an embarrassment of riches – quite honestly.

But that would come with a price.

First, let’s look at what the actual cost of Lamb would be.

A recent similar trade to compare a potential package would be Tyreek Hill, who was dealt from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins for a 2022 first, second, fourth-round pick plus fourth and sixth-round picks in 2023.

Lamb is a couple years younger, so the premium may jump when assessing his worth.

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Then, you’d have to extend Lamb. As previously mentioned, he’ll likely net somewhere between $30 million annually, though it’s a league where players continually leapfrog the previous top contract.

While it’s tough to imagine Justin Jefferson’s $35 million annual average being beat, Lamb’s camp can make an argument to jump AJ Brown’s $32 million yearly wage.

Brown received $84 million in practical guarantees with $51 million promised at signing, too.

Lamb’s going to need a few Brink’s trucks for his pending payday.

And so here the Cardinals sit – training camp is just weeks away and they’ve got draft resources and cap space aplenty to make a splash if they so desire.

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In all reality, general manager Monti Ossenfort has shown no signs of swinging for the fences this early in his tenure. The Cardinals have optimism surrounding the team – for very good reason – but make no mistake about it: Arizona has so much work to do on the overall outlook of its roster.

Offensively, the Cardinals appear fine without Lamb. Should all parties produce as expected, Arizona already expects themselves to be near the league’s best in terms of offensive production. Lamb would be a great addition to any offense, though he’s not necessarily needed to push Arizona’s offense to the next level.

Arizona believes they have a star and eventual top wideout in Harrison – who was just drafted and is on a cost-controlled contract for at least the next three years before extension talks can take place.

The Cardinals would be better off allocating those resources elsewhere – both in terms of draft capital and salary cap space.

As great as Lamb is (and projects to be in the future), the Cardinals are not one wideout away from planning a Super Bowl parade. Fixing other areas of the team and continuing the ideology of building the franchise through the draft will ensure Arizona remains on schedule with where they want to be.

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Autopsies show Arizona teens were both shot in the head while camping

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Autopsies show Arizona teens were both shot in the head while camping


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  • Two teenagers were fatally shot while camping northeast of Phoenix in May 2025.
  • Both Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were shot in the head, autopsy reports said.
  • A 31-year-old man was arrested and indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths.

A 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot while camping with a female classmate northeast of Phoenix died from gunshot wounds to the head, according to the first page of his autopsy report.

Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were camping just off State Route 87 near Mount Ord when the two were shot and killed. Investigators discovered their bodies, which had been moved into nearby brush to conceal them, on May 26, 2025.

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The first page of Clark’s autopsy report, which The Arizona Republic obtained March 3, found that his death was a homicide with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. The first page of Kjolsrud’s autopsy report also ruled her death a homicide with her cause of death being gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detectives ultimately arrested Thomas Brown, 31, of Chandler on Oct. 2, 2025, in connection with their deaths. Brown was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and remained in jail on a $2 million cash-only bond.

Detectives found Brown’s DNA on gloves inside Clark’s SUV that had Kjolsrud’s blood on them as well, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Partial autopsy reports made available following legal fight

While The Republic has obtained the first pages of both Clark’s and Kjolsrud’s autopsy reports, the remaining pages appeared to remain sealed as of March 3 since Simone Kjolsrud, Pandora’s mother, petitioned to have the autopsy reports sealed or redacted. Simone Kjolsrud argued that various details about her daughter and aspects of her personal life, potentially included in such documents, should remain private and outweigh the public’s right to know.

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A Sept. 25, 2025, motion that sought to block the report’s release argued the report could contain information law enforcement hasn’t yet shared and could impair the ongoing criminal investigation.

“Simone Kjolsrud fears that, if released, her daughter’s Medical Examiner’s Report may end up on the internet or be broadcast on the news, which would undoubtedly cause additional trauma and even jeopardize her constitutional right to justice in this case,” the motion stated.

Kjolsrud asked that Clark’s autopsy be sealed as well, arguing that it would likely contain details similar to her daughter’s.

Matthew Kelley, an attorney representing The Republic and other Arizona media outlets, previously objected to the autopsies being sealed and asked that the temporary protective order be vacated.

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“To be sure, these killings are particularly traumatic for a surviving family member,” Kelley wrote in his objection. “But the pain felt by a family member cannot override the public’s right to inspect public records reflecting the performance of law enforcement and other public agencies entrusted with investigating such crimes. A veil of secrecy only raises unnecessary speculation about such public performance.”

It was not immediately clear whether Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Fish, who initially ordered the autopsies remain sealed as he reviewed their contents, would unseal additional pages in their entirety or with redactions.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-2474. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell.





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No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title

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No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title


TUCSON, Ariz. — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas had 13 and No. 2 Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night.

The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.

Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.

“The Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country,” Lloyd said while addressing the home crowd after the game, “and to win it by a couple of games, it’s pretty impressive. So take your hats off to these guys right here.”

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Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the field, including 7-of-30 from 3-point range.

During his postgame news conference, Lloyd called out the narrative surrounding his team when discussing the Wildcats’ toughness and physicality.

“I think the narrative that we were soft is lazy. I mean, look at our stats, look at our analytics — we’ve always been a great rebounding team, we’ve always pounded the paint,” Lloyd said. “If you want to just be lazy and not pay attention and say we’re soft because we’re on the West Coast, be lazy, and I’d love to play against you.”

Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, Momcilovic went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.

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Neither team could make much of anything, due to good defense and poor shooting.

Iowa State shot 9-of-33 from the field and 4-of-20 from 3 in the first half.

Arizona labored most of the half as the Cyclones focused on defending the paint before the Wildcats closed on a 15-3 run to lead 37-25 at halftime.

It only got worse for Iowa State to start the second half. The Cyclones missed their first eight shots as Arizona stretched the lead to 16.

Iowa State briefly found an offensive rhythm, using a 10-1 run to pull to within 44-37, but didn’t hit a field goal for more than five minutes as Arizona stretched the lead back to 15.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability

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Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability


PHOENIX — The Arizona NAACP is responding to the violent arrest of Israel Devoe, a Phoenix man who was acquitted of all charges stemming from a 2024 traffic stop in which officers punched, kneed, and elbowed him.

Sarah Tyree, president of the Arizona NAACP State Conference, said the case is part of a broader and familiar pattern.

“What happened here reflects a pattern our communities know all too well. Time and again, we see policing tactics that are dangerous and deeply harmful to civilians, yet are later justified as ‘within policy’ through carefully crafted reports and the broad protections afforded under Graham v. Connor,” Tyree wrote in an emailed statement following an ABC15 investigation.

RELATEDPhoenix man to file lawsuit after dangerous game of ‘Simon Says’ with police

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Phoenix police officials found all four officers involved in Devoe’s arrest to have acted within policy, records show.

After a two-day trial, jurors unanimously found Devoe not guilty on all four of the felony charges against him — including aggravated assault on officers and resisting arrest.

In her statement, Tyree said true accountability is not possible without changing state law.

“Accountability remains out of reach in Arizona because the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights continues to insulate misconduct from meaningful oversight, too often shifting blame onto the very communities most impacted by these encounters,” she wrote. “We also encourage Arizona voters to engage their state legislators and advocate for the repeal or amendment of the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights to ensure systems of public safety are truly accountable to the public they serve.”

Devoe’s case again highlights problems with policing in Phoenix, which has been under scrutiny following a Department of Justice investigation that found the city had a pattern and practice of using excessive force, discrimination, and weak oversight.

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The push for federal oversight ended in 2025 after the Trump administration ended such efforts across the country.

Devoe’s civil attorney, Jesse Showalter, also represents Tyron McAlpin, a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy who was violently arrested by Phoenix officers in July 2024. Showalter has said both cases reflect what he described as an accepted norm of extreme violence within the Phoenix Police Department.

A Phoenix police spokesperson said the department declines to comment because Devoe is set to file a lawsuit against the city.

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This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com). Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. 





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