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The Arizona Cardinals are days away from having to trim their roster down to 53 players. They have several injured players whose standing will impact that final 53.
Will they start the season on injured reserve and be designated to return? Will they be out the whole season? Will they need to carry an injured player on the roster? What about the PUP list?
In all, there are seven players right now, whose injuries impact the final roster.
Jones, who missed 14 games last season with a torn triceps, has been out with a knee injury and hasn't played in the preseason. He has a fully guaranteed $7 million salary, so he isn't going anywhere.
The question is whether he will be able to play in Week 1 or whether they will have to carry him on the roster while recovering.
If he is going to miss more time, he could go on injured reserve and be designated to return, missing at least the first four games. The Cardinals can designate up to two players on IR to return without having them be on the 53-man roster first.
Nolen is on PUP and has not practiced in training camp. He suffered a calf injury before camp. If he isn't activated from PUP before final cuts, he can go on the PUP reserve and miss at least the first four games. He wouldn't count against the final 53. But if they want him to play at the start of the season or at least before Week 5, he has to be part of the 53, which potentially could bump a capable defensive lineman off the roster.
Nichols is also on PUP but is dealing with the same neck injury that ended his season last year after six games. There has been no indication for his return and, if I had to guess, he might not return to football. But he is under contract and has a guaranteed $5.7 million in salary this year, so he simply will be on PUP probably.
Ojulari is a forgotten man. While head coach Jonathan Gannon says his progress is going well, he has missed over a year since he tore his ACL. He also has guaranteed salary. He can start the season on PUP, meaning he must miss at least four weeks, but with a competitive OLB room, where does he fit? If he is activated, it might mean Xavier Thomas doesn't make the roster.
Hernandez was signed late into camp and is on PUP as well. He is coming off a torn ACL and Isaiah Adams is now the starting right guard. He also could miss the first four weeks and then be a future roster decision, but if he is taken off, he will burn one of the nine or 10 offensive line spots for the roster while he recovers.
Neither of these players was guaranteed to make the roster, but both had a good shot. Jones is a second-year tackle and Conner was the Cardinals' sixth-round pick this year.
Both suffered preseason knee injuries the last two weeks and, per Gannon, are going to miss some time, which translates to many weeks.
Are they season-ending injuries? We don't know. If they are, then it doesn't matter, they won't impact the 53. However, the Cardinals can designate up to two players on IR without them occupying a spot on the final 53. Will they be part of that?
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: 7 injured players impacting roster cuts, 53-man roster for Cardinals
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Will they start the season on injured reserve and be designated to return? Will they be out the whole season? Will they need to carry an injured player on the roster? What about the PUP list?
In all, there are seven players right now, whose injuries impact the final roster.
DL Justin Jones
Jones, who missed 14 games last season with a torn triceps, has been out with a knee injury and hasn't played in the preseason. He has a fully guaranteed $7 million salary, so he isn't going anywhere.
The question is whether he will be able to play in Week 1 or whether they will have to carry him on the roster while recovering.
If he is going to miss more time, he could go on injured reserve and be designated to return, missing at least the first four games. The Cardinals can designate up to two players on IR to return without having them be on the 53-man roster first.
DL Walter Nolen
Nolen is on PUP and has not practiced in training camp. He suffered a calf injury before camp. If he isn't activated from PUP before final cuts, he can go on the PUP reserve and miss at least the first four games. He wouldn't count against the final 53. But if they want him to play at the start of the season or at least before Week 5, he has to be part of the 53, which potentially could bump a capable defensive lineman off the roster.
DL Bilal Nichols
Nichols is also on PUP but is dealing with the same neck injury that ended his season last year after six games. There has been no indication for his return and, if I had to guess, he might not return to football. But he is under contract and has a guaranteed $5.7 million in salary this year, so he simply will be on PUP probably.
OLB BJ Ojulari
Ojulari is a forgotten man. While head coach Jonathan Gannon says his progress is going well, he has missed over a year since he tore his ACL. He also has guaranteed salary. He can start the season on PUP, meaning he must miss at least four weeks, but with a competitive OLB room, where does he fit? If he is activated, it might mean Xavier Thomas doesn't make the roster.
OL Will Hernandez
Hernandez was signed late into camp and is on PUP as well. He is coming off a torn ACL and Isaiah Adams is now the starting right guard. He also could miss the first four weeks and then be a future roster decision, but if he is taken off, he will burn one of the nine or 10 offensive line spots for the roster while he recovers.
OL Christian Jones, OL Hayden Conner
Neither of these players was guaranteed to make the roster, but both had a good shot. Jones is a second-year tackle and Conner was the Cardinals' sixth-round pick this year.
Both suffered preseason knee injuries the last two weeks and, per Gannon, are going to miss some time, which translates to many weeks.
Are they season-ending injuries? We don't know. If they are, then it doesn't matter, they won't impact the 53. However, the Cardinals can designate up to two players on IR without them occupying a spot on the final 53. Will they be part of that?
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: 7 injured players impacting roster cuts, 53-man roster for Cardinals
Continue reading...
