5 Losers From Arizona Cardinals Preseason

Tune's use in the preseason was almost entirely due to no other quarterbacks being on the roster, as Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett were locks. This forced Tune into a ton of playing time, and it was a great thing for him as he was on a short leash to make the team, period.

It didn't work out, and Tune looked... not great. Unfortunately, the offense really stumbled under Tune and it hurt others, but we will discuss that later.

DeeJay Dallas

This was one of the biggest "Oh wow" moments I had when the Cardinals were finalizing their 53-man roster. The team made it a point to retain Dallas a season ago, and he rewarded them as a return man. It felt like that would be the same deal again this year, but it ended up not being the case. Dallas didn't look as dynamic as he did last year and coughed up the ball more than once.

That was likely what separated him from the pack and led to him missing the team this year. Nonetheless, it wasn't a cut I anticipated.

The Wide Receivers

I couldn't narrow it down to just one receiver, and it's because it's really not their fault. Unfortunately, these guys suffered at the hands of Tune's erratic (at best) passing through three games and the majority of the 180 minutes available to them. It's difficult to shine when you don't have a chance to catch the ball and make a play.

Yes, the receivers still struggled with drops and other essential aspects of playing the position, but they were done next to no favors by the offense. The depth chart is nearly unchanged from last season, and that's not ideal.

I will acknowledge that I am slightly contradicting myself for my previous statement about not including those who made the practice squad. However, that wasn't the case for everyone and several would've had much better chances had circumstances been better.

Kyon Barrs

Barrs had a second shot to make it to the NFL after previously going undrafted. He spent 2024 in the UFL with the Arlington Renegades and showed enough to get his chance with the Cardinals. Unfortunately, he fell victim to a huge logjam at the position and only a limited amount of spots available.

Barrs was quiet throughout the preseason, but again, the room was stacked, making it hard to get on the field. His NFL career will be put on hold once again.

Denzel Burke

Sure, Burke made the roster, but he made it much more difficult for himself to stick around in the future. We saw plenty of up-and-down play from him during his time at Ohio State, so it wasn't a surprise to see that translate to the pros.

That being said, Burke may have benefited from two key injuries to the position, which opened up extra spots on the depth chart. I'm not advocating that Burke should've been cut, but I have also said many times, and will continue to say, that being drafted doesn't guarantee you a spot on the team. Burke made the roster and that's all that matters, but next summer will be a massive one for his future with Arizona.