The Arizona Cardinals are down to their final practice of training camp, and the roster picture is starting to come into focus. After weeks of sorting through the group at State Farm Stadium, the team is narrowing in on its 53-man answer for the regular season. That process has already pushed some players into strong positions - and left a couple of recognizable names hanging by a thread.
The most immediate uncertainty surrounds running back Trey Benson. A former third-round pick, Benson has shown the kind of burst that suggests he can be a big-play threat, and he has flashed that ability at times over his first two seasons in Arizona. But injuries and uneven play have made his hold on a roster spot shaky as the preseason winds down.
Arizona’s offseason additions changed the equation. Tyler Allgeier and Jeremiyah Love were brought in to handle the backfield, and with James Conner already on the roster, Benson is no better than a fourth-running-back candidate.
Right now, even that spot is not secure. Bam Knight is ahead of him, helped by Benson’s recent knee injury keeping him out of practice while Knight has taken the reps.
Knight’s work on special teams only strengthens his case, since that phase often ends up deciding who sticks and who goes.
The question has shifted from which of the two backs wins the job to whether the Cardinals would even keep a fourth runner at all.
"Versatility comes into play there. Whether it's versatility on what they can do positionally, whether it's first and second down or third down. When it comes to special teams, that starts weighing into it," Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said.
Unless Benson delivers a major turnaround, a trade or outright release looks like a real possibility in the coming weeks.
Outside linebacker Darius Robinson is in a similar spot, even if his path has been more complicated. Injuries derailed what once looked like a promising start to his career, with a severe knee injury sidelining him for 1.5 seasons. He began working his way back in the second half of last season, but he still hasn’t looked quite like the player who arrived out of LSU.
The Cardinals didn’t make any major outside-linebacker additions this offseason, choosing instead to roll with essentially the same group: Josh Sweat, Baron Browning, Jordan Burch, Zaven Collins and Ojulari. That gives him a lane, but it has not solved the bigger issue - he still hasn’t separated himself in camp.
Last week’s preseason game against Carolina made that clear. Arizona sat its starters, but Ojulari stayed on the field deep into the second half and still didn’t make much of a dent.
"He's a fast rusher off that edge right there, and I just think it's just for him just continue to get time on task, value received. Continuing to practice," head coach Mike LaFleur said on Ojulari.
"Obviously, there's history in terms of just some of the injuries with him obviously, and just getting back out there, getting his feet underneath him, getting comfortable, using his fastball - which he has a fastball."
That fastball hasn’t shown up in 2026, and with Eku Leota continuing to move up the depth chart, Ojulari is also staring at a serious chance of being left off the roster.
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