Guru's IDP Notes: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals sat Budda Baker and Josh Sweat but played most defensive starters. There is, however, one significant discrepancy between the team's recently released depth chart and the lineup they put on the field. The DC shows Cody Simon starting next to Mack at linebacker. Jack Gibbens opened against the Raiders while Simon saw action with the second team. This is one we will have to keep a close eye on.
The depth chart tells us that Andrew Wingard is ahead of Dadrion Taylor-Demerson at safety. With Baker sitting out, Taylor-Demerson got the start against Las Vegas.
Guru's IDP Notes: Atlanta Falcons
Things are already getting ugly in Atlanta. Jalon Walker is out for the season with a torn ACL, and James Pearce Jr. is suspended for eight games. Cameron Thomas and Brandon Dorlus are the starting edge defenders on the initial depth chart, but it was Thomas and Samson Ebukam on the edge versus Denver. Dorlus started at the outside tackle position. This discrepancy can probably be chalked up to a mistake by whoever put together the DC.
As anticipated, Christian Harris had the lead role at linebacker. Kendal Daniels stood in for Divine Deablo, who is nursing a minor injury.
Guru's IDP Notes: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens were all about backups and guys fighting for roster spots in their game with the Eagles. There is a bit of good news for the team, and possibly for ours as well. It was once feared that the neck injury might end the career of Nnamdi Madubuike. With his recovery trending upward over the last few months, he was activated in late July, has been practicing, and could return to action in week one.
Madubuike was good for 56 tackles, 13 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles in 2023. He followed that with 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in 2024, and was off to a fast start last year before the injury. A healthy Madibuike should be at least a quality DT2 for us, with top-ten upside.
Guru's IDP Notes: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo's starters made a cameo appearance against Carolina. There were no lineup surprises, and they were not in the game long enough for anyone to stand out. Backup edge Mike Danna had a great outing, though, landing a pair of sacks. The former Chiefs starter could earn a bigger slice of the playing time pie if he continues to excel.
If he could stay healthy, C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be an IDP stud. Unfortunately, he couldn't even make it through the first week of training camp. Gardner-Johnson has been out with a calf injury that is not thought to be serious, but he missed a couple of weeks of practice and did not play against Carolina. The team is optimistic that he will be ready for week one. That said, calf injuries tend to linger and are easily aggravated. If he is not ready for the opener, look for Dee Alford to see action in the slot.
Guru's IDP Notes: Carolina Panthers
There is no depth chart on Panthers.com to use for comparison, but there were some interesting situations with their lineup against Buffalo. With Nic Scourton lost to a knee injury, Tershawn Wharton nursing a sore neck, and the team being cautious with Derrick Brown, Princley Umanmielen moves into the starting lineup at edge, and Jared Harrison-Hunte stepped in at tackle. Those are not unexpected, but Claudin Cherelus playing ahead of Trevin Wallace at linebacker is. Wallace played later in the game, so this is not an injury issue. The other note is more of a confirmation that Nick Scott continues to work ahead of Lathan Ransom at safety.
Guru's IDP Notes: Chicago Bears
The Bears have a bunch of guys already banged up. They sprinkled in a few starters against Cleveland. Most of those who did play were not in the game for long. There are a couple of injury situations that could have some fantasy impact. Safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss much of the season with a knee injury, and often-injured slot defender Kyler Gordon is already on the PUP list with a sore groin. Xavier Woods is listed as Bryant's backup on the depth chart, but Josh Blackwell filled in against Cleveland. Cam Lewis worked in the slot and would likely be the starter there until Gordon returns.
Guru's IDP Notes: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals opened with the starting defense minus safety Bryan Cook and corner Dax Hill. The unit looked great, but working against the Lions' backups likely had a lot to do with it. There was nothing personnel-wise to speak of, but there is one very interesting note. Cincinnati opened in a 3-4, which is not something we have seen from them in the past.
Guru's IDP Notes: Cleveland Browns
The Browns were without a few starters against the Bears. Most notably, Carson Schwesinger had the night off. Quincy Williams ran at middle linebacker with Easton Mascarenas-Arnold on the strong side and Winston Reid covering for Schwesinger.
Maliek Collins landed on the PUP earlier in camp and is not a lock to be ready for week one. Adin Huntington made the start for him.
Guru's IDP Notes: Dallas Cowboys
The only starter Dallas fielded on defense was rookie Caleb Downs, so there was not much to learn from their first preseason game. There was one bit of good news for those who have drafted Downs or plan to. He worked in what I call the rover role when the defense was in a nickel. When they were in the base 5-2-4, Downs lined up as a box safety.
Von Miller signed with Dallas on Monday. He will bolster the pass rush, but Miller brings marginal fantasy value at best. At this stage of his career, he is not much more than a third-down specialist.
Guru's IDP Notes: Denver Broncos
Denver played the starting defense with no surprises.
Guru's IDP Notes: Detroit Lions
The Lions fielded no starters on either side of the ball. So the game in Cincinnati tells us nothing. There is some interesting news out of Detroit, though. Rookie Jimmy Rolder will miss some time with a leg injury. It's unclear if that is related to the signing of Devin White. White worked with the second team and is listed as the backup to Jack Campbell on the team's depth chart. Could he be in play to push Derrick Barnes for the weakside job?
The biggest question with the Lions is at safety, where both starters are in question for the start of the season. Both are currently on the PUP list, but a recent report suggests that both could be available by early September. For that to happen, they would need to come off the PUP and start practicing within the next two or three weeks.
Guru's IDP Notes: Green Bay Packers
The Packers played a mix of starters and backups. There was not much to learn from the personnel breakdown, but we may have an answer to the glaring question of how this defense will generate a pass rush. Green Bay recorded three sacks against the Steelers. The first two were recorded by an off-ball linebacker and the second by a safety. It would appear the plan is to blitz much more often than in the past. The sample is not big enough to tell what effect this will have on player values, but it can't be a bad thing for the linebackers.
Guru's IDP Notes: Houston Texans
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