The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.

Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2024, questions they face and their roster outlook.

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This focuses on running back Emari Demercado.

Emari Demercado background, 2024 season

Demercardo enters his third NFL season. He entered the league as a rookie free agent out of TCU in 2023 when he signed with the Cardinals. He impressed as a third-down back and special teams player and made the team. For the last two seasons, he has held the third-down running back role.

Last season, he played in 13 games before a back injury ended his season, landing him on injured reserve. He logged 164 offensive snaps and another 52 on special teams.

He rushed for 223 yards and a touchdown, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt. He also caught 16 passes for 104 yards.

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Emari Demercado 2025 contract details, cap hit

He enters the third and final year of his rookie free agent contract. He will make $1.03 million in 2025 and count $1.04 million against the cap.

He will be a restricted free agent following the season.

Questions he faces, roster outlook

Demercado is trusted by coaches, but will he come back from his back injury and be able to play the way he did? Will he be able to hold off veteran running back Michael Carter again?

As for making the roster, while he isn’t a lock, he is considered a favorite to be the third running back on the team, again filling the third-down role and getting work on special teams. He excels in pass blocking and has the explosiveness to make plays when given opportunities.

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Expect him to make the roster, but his spot isn’t a lock. He will have to earn it.

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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: RB Emari Demercado