Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
It seems like a very good year for the Cardinals to have 5 pre-season games, especially in light of all the free agents they lost this off-season. Steve Keim has been diligently trying to turn over the bottom third of the roster while amassing 4 compensatory draft picks for 2018.
Keim hopes to win this year, but he's trying to look ahead with the thought of being consistently good year to year.
However, what Keim's strategy has meant is that the Cardinals' coaches no longer have the luxury of red-shirting rookies. The time for integrating the youth into the lineups is now. Thus, having an extra week of training camp and 5 pre-season games in which to develop the newcomers (rookies and the few free agents) the Cardinals signed, is auspicious.
Equally auspicious is the timing of the new rule that teams can keep 90 players all the way through the pre-season. BA and SK won't have to worry about over-extending the starters and key backup players in the final pre-season game.
The trade and waiver wire frenzy on the weekend of September 1st should be fast and furious. Keim and all the GMs will be glued to their cellphones from dawn to midnight.
The biggest question mark about this pre-season for the Cardinals is whether the young depth that Steve Keim has been building on the roster is better than average. Last year we were told that the depth on the Cardinals' roster was the deepest and most talented ever -- and yet the pre-season was a colossal disappointment. Part of the reason was the highly ineffective play of backup QB Drew Stanton -- the second team offense sputtered and the opponents took advantage and pretty much dominates the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
As one takes a good look at the Cardinals' second teams, it should be exciting to see them in action. The depth here is potentially very good -- hopefully good enough to tap into and not miss a beat when injuries to starters occur.
It should be fascinating to see Blaine Gabbert get his shot at QB. With that in mind, let's see what he'll be working with when he gets his chance with the 2nd team:
QB Blaine Gabbert
RB Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington, Elijhaa Penny, T.J. Logan
TE Ifeanyi Momah, Troy Niklas, Hakeem Valles, Ricky Seals-Jones
WR Chad Williams, Aaron Dobson, Jeremy Ross, Marquis Bundy, Chris Hubert, Krishawn Hogan, Carlos Agudosi
LT Will Holden (Givens Price)
LG Dorian Johnson (Kaleb Johnson)
C Cole Toner (Marcus Crowley)
RG John Wetzel (Tony Bergstrom)
RT Ulrich John (John Wetzel)
This offense should be able to put up some good numbers, chiefly because the offensive line, as 2nd string lines go, is athletic and talented. There is speed (Williams, Ellington, Logan) and power (Penny) at RB, and size (Williams, Dobson, Bundy Hogan, Agudosi) and speed (Ross, Hubert) at WR. At TE there are big targets in Momak, Niklas, Valles and Seals-Jones.
On the other side of the ball, there should be much excitement generated by the second team defense --- primary because it will be led by two excellent young tackler in ILB Scooby Wright and FS Budda Baker.
LDE Robert Nkemdiche, Ed Stinson
NT Xavier Williams, Pasoni Tasini
RDE Rodney Gunter, Olsen Pierre
LOLB Kareem Martin, Cap Capi
LILB Scooby Wright, Gabe Martin
RILB Haason Reddick, Alani Fua
ROLB Jarvis Jones, Alex Bazzie
LCB Elie Bouka, Jumal Rolle, Sojourn Shelton
SS Ironhead Gallon, Rudy Ford
FS Budda Baker, Harlan Miller
RCB Brandon Williams, Rudy Ford, Gump Hayes
NCB Rudy Ford
NCB Budda Baker
NFS Harlan Miller
This unit should play fast and very physical -- there are some good, hard-charging tacklers in the mix here, which is exactly what the team needs. The biggest questions are whether this unit can generate a good pass rush and display improved coverage in the secondary.
Of course, it will be very interesting to see whether the special teams have improved and which players emerge as STs aces -- which gives them a great shot at making the roster. It would seem that T.J. Logan will be the kickoff returner. Will someone emerge as a new punt returner? The punting battle between Matt Wile and Richie Leone should be one of the great camp competitions -- and it should be interesting to see how new placekicker Phil Dawson improves the kicking game.
BA has vowed to make this training camp more intense and more physical. There promises to be a greater focus on the fundamentals of blocking and tackling.
Let the race to 53 begin!
Keim hopes to win this year, but he's trying to look ahead with the thought of being consistently good year to year.
However, what Keim's strategy has meant is that the Cardinals' coaches no longer have the luxury of red-shirting rookies. The time for integrating the youth into the lineups is now. Thus, having an extra week of training camp and 5 pre-season games in which to develop the newcomers (rookies and the few free agents) the Cardinals signed, is auspicious.
Equally auspicious is the timing of the new rule that teams can keep 90 players all the way through the pre-season. BA and SK won't have to worry about over-extending the starters and key backup players in the final pre-season game.
The trade and waiver wire frenzy on the weekend of September 1st should be fast and furious. Keim and all the GMs will be glued to their cellphones from dawn to midnight.
The biggest question mark about this pre-season for the Cardinals is whether the young depth that Steve Keim has been building on the roster is better than average. Last year we were told that the depth on the Cardinals' roster was the deepest and most talented ever -- and yet the pre-season was a colossal disappointment. Part of the reason was the highly ineffective play of backup QB Drew Stanton -- the second team offense sputtered and the opponents took advantage and pretty much dominates the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
As one takes a good look at the Cardinals' second teams, it should be exciting to see them in action. The depth here is potentially very good -- hopefully good enough to tap into and not miss a beat when injuries to starters occur.
It should be fascinating to see Blaine Gabbert get his shot at QB. With that in mind, let's see what he'll be working with when he gets his chance with the 2nd team:
QB Blaine Gabbert
RB Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington, Elijhaa Penny, T.J. Logan
TE Ifeanyi Momah, Troy Niklas, Hakeem Valles, Ricky Seals-Jones
WR Chad Williams, Aaron Dobson, Jeremy Ross, Marquis Bundy, Chris Hubert, Krishawn Hogan, Carlos Agudosi
LT Will Holden (Givens Price)
LG Dorian Johnson (Kaleb Johnson)
C Cole Toner (Marcus Crowley)
RG John Wetzel (Tony Bergstrom)
RT Ulrich John (John Wetzel)
This offense should be able to put up some good numbers, chiefly because the offensive line, as 2nd string lines go, is athletic and talented. There is speed (Williams, Ellington, Logan) and power (Penny) at RB, and size (Williams, Dobson, Bundy Hogan, Agudosi) and speed (Ross, Hubert) at WR. At TE there are big targets in Momak, Niklas, Valles and Seals-Jones.
On the other side of the ball, there should be much excitement generated by the second team defense --- primary because it will be led by two excellent young tackler in ILB Scooby Wright and FS Budda Baker.
LDE Robert Nkemdiche, Ed Stinson
NT Xavier Williams, Pasoni Tasini
RDE Rodney Gunter, Olsen Pierre
LOLB Kareem Martin, Cap Capi
LILB Scooby Wright, Gabe Martin
RILB Haason Reddick, Alani Fua
ROLB Jarvis Jones, Alex Bazzie
LCB Elie Bouka, Jumal Rolle, Sojourn Shelton
SS Ironhead Gallon, Rudy Ford
FS Budda Baker, Harlan Miller
RCB Brandon Williams, Rudy Ford, Gump Hayes
NCB Rudy Ford
NCB Budda Baker
NFS Harlan Miller
This unit should play fast and very physical -- there are some good, hard-charging tacklers in the mix here, which is exactly what the team needs. The biggest questions are whether this unit can generate a good pass rush and display improved coverage in the secondary.
Of course, it will be very interesting to see whether the special teams have improved and which players emerge as STs aces -- which gives them a great shot at making the roster. It would seem that T.J. Logan will be the kickoff returner. Will someone emerge as a new punt returner? The punting battle between Matt Wile and Richie Leone should be one of the great camp competitions -- and it should be interesting to see how new placekicker Phil Dawson improves the kicking game.
BA has vowed to make this training camp more intense and more physical. There promises to be a greater focus on the fundamentals of blocking and tackling.
Let the race to 53 begin!
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