ESPN's Weinfuss' 53 Man Roster

[Mitch]

Cardinals' 53-man roster projection includes deep rotation of defensive linemen
AP Photo/Matt York
Jun 17, 2016

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  Josh WeinfussESPN Staff Writer

The Arizona Cardinals wrapped up its offseason program on June 8 and open training camp on July 29 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Here’s a 53-man roster projection:

Quarterbacks (3): Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Matt Barkley

Analysis: Palmer and Stanton are gimmes. With a full offseason in the system, Barkley will be ready in case of an emergency.

Running backs (4): Chris Johnson, David Johnson, Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor

Analysis: The only thing different in this year’s running-back room compared with last year’s may be the order in which they sit, with David Johnson leaping past Ellington in order of importance.

Wide receivers (6): Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown, J.J. Nelson, Jaron Brown, Brittan Golden

Analysis: The Cardinals have had the right pieces at wide receiver for the last few years. It’ll take a star to break into this room.

Tight ends (4): Darren Fells, Jermaine Gresham, Ifeanyi Momah, Troy Niklas

Analysis: These are the four best but last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Gerald Christian, may end up knocking Niklas out of the way because of his special-teams ability.

Offensive line (7): C Evan Boehm, C A.Q. Shipley, G Mike Iupati, G Evan Mathis, G Earl Watford, T D.J. Humphries, T Jared Veldheer

Analysis: Watford’s flexibility gives the Cardinals the ability to dress seven players. If they need an eighth, look to Antoine McClain to make the cut.

Defensive line (8): DT Calais Campbell, DT Rodney Gunter, DT Josh Mauro, DT Robert Nkemdiche, DT Corey Peters, DT Frostee Rucker, DT Ed Stinson, NT Xavier Williams

Analysis: Defensive line is, by far, the deepest position on the roster. With Peters returning from an Achilles injury and the maturation of Williams and Gunter last season, Red Bryant may find himself on the outside looking in.

Linebackers (8): ILB Alani Fua, ILB Gabe Martin, ILB Kevin Minter, OLB Markus Golden, OLB Chandler Jones, OLB Alex Okafor, OLB Kareem Martin, OLB Tristan Okpalaugo

Analysis: General manager Steve Keim has a bevy of outside linebackers to choose from to bolster a pass rush that was subpar last season, but in this rendition, Shaq Riddick doesn’t make the cut. I think Okpalaugo will show he’s capable of adjusting to the NFL when the Cards go in pads.

Defensive backs (10): CB Justin Bethel, CB Cariel Brooks, CB Harlan Miller, CB Patrick Peterson, CB Brandon Williams, S Tyvon Branch, S Deone Bucannon, S Tony Jefferson, S Tyrann Mathieu, S D.J. Swearinger

Analysis: Arizona will rely a lot on youth at cornerback but their depth at safety will be among the best in the NFL.

Specialists (3): K Chandler Catanzaro, P Drew Butler, LS Daniel Dillon

Analysis: Picking Dillon over Kameron Canaday was a coin flip. It’s too early to tell which long snapper will make the team because neither has faced a true rush. Wait until training camp for a leader to emerge.

* I think this is a good effort on Weinfuss' part---53 Man Roster Projections this time of year are pretty difficult to make.

* The one curious thing is Weinfuss' listing of Deone Bucannon as a safety.

* Borderline picks:

QB Matt Barkley---not sure if BA will keep 3 QBs on talented roster, but it would be good if he could.
RB Stepfan Taylor---if Kerwynn Williams wins the KR job, Taylor could be odd man out.
WR Brittan Golden---he is well liked, but rookies could unseat him on STs.
Only 7 Offensive Linemen---will dress 7 on game days and could stash reserves on PS, but 8 seems wise.
NT Xavier Williams---if he can match or exceed what Red Bryant can do, he gets the nod.
DT Ed Stinson---crowded position especially with Peters and Nkemdiche added in.
ILB Gabe Martin---he's a guy they can stash on the PS.
OLB Kareem Martin---odd are he sticks, although if Freeney is added, odds lower.
OLB Alex Okafor---has much to prove, was last year an anomaly or a trend?
CB Cariel Brooks---has looked good in OTAs, has to beat out Asa Jackson, Elie Bouka and any FA CB they add.

* Key Omissions:

RB Kerwynn Williams---win the KR job and he's in.
TE Gerald Christian---could prove valuable on STs, more so possibly than Momah or Niklas.
G Antoine McClain---if he dominates in pre-season, they won't risk waiving him.
T John Wetzel---could be stashed again on PS.
G/T Cole Toner---versatility and smarts may make him a risk to try to pass through waivers. Could see the Pats claim him.
DT Red Bryant---was key insertion whenever teams started running between the tackles.
ILB/S Chris Clemons---coaches love his versatility and cover ability.
OLB Shaq Riddick---has more athletic upside than Martin and Okafor, can he stay healthy?
CB Asa Jackson---experience as a starter could give him an edge, especially if they don't sign a FA CB.
S Marqui Christian---as high as Adrian Wilson is on this kid, and with 4 safeties in the final year of their contracts, it would not be wise to expose Christian to waivers. The Bears claimed S Harold Jones-Quartey last year and played him in 12 games, starting him in 4.

Players with possible trade value (if teams become desperate at certain positions due to injury of lack of depth):

QB Matt Barkley
RB Andre Ellington*
WR Michael Floyd*
TE Troy Niklas
DT Ed Stinson
OLB Alex Okafor
OLB Kareem Martin
OLB Tristan Okpalaugo
S Tony Jefferson*
S D.J. Swearinger
S Chris Clemons

* For significant value in return.

 

[kerouac9]

Is there any reason to think that Kerwynn Williams can or would win the kickoff return job? He wasn't competitive for it last season with J.J. Nelson. There's nothing to lose if you cut Williams from the Final 53; he's an utterly replaceable player.

 

[Mitch]

BA favors Williams over Taylor when it comes to giving him carries, and his stats indicate why:

2014 53/246/4.6/11 first downs
2015 27/144/5.3/6 first downs

Totals 2014-2015: 80/388/4.9/17 first downs

His 35 yard TD scoot up the middle versus the Rams last year was sweet.

I am not sure if J.J. Nelson can handle the KR job physically---sure he's got blazing speed, but he's so slight of build. Kerwynn has a decent shot of winning that job, because he is stronger and more aggressive.

 

[Jetstream Green]

I agree with you Mitch on everything but Okafor. The guy was not hampered by not being athletic at UT (it was actually obvious he was the best football player on the team and it was not even close for a Division I school that has had a hell of a pedigree but as fallen on hard times) and I will say this now with complete confidence, he has more athletic ability than Golden has and I am not saying Golden cannot play either. Matter of fact I think it is sweet we have Okafor and Golden on this team. Okafor is going to surprise some people this year and do not equate Acho to him since they where both from UT because Okafor is a lot more powerful and athletic... I am a realist and UT has sucked of late (no thanks to recruiting an athlete over a actual QB) but Okafor is legit

 

[kerouac9]

BA favors Williams over Taylor when it comes to giving him carries, and his stats indicate why:

2014 53/246/4.6/11 first downs
2015 27/144/5.3/6 first downs

Totals 2014-2015: 80/388/4.9/17 first downs

His 35 yard TD scoot up the middle versus the Rams last year was sweet.

I am not sure if J.J. Nelson can handle the KR job physically---sure he's got blazing speed, but he's so slight of build. Kerwynn has a decent shot of winning that job, because he is stronger and more aggressive.

LOL. That was almost a reply to anything that I wrote.

Kerwynn Williams was the best KR last preseason in terms of YPR, and it wasn't enough to have him keep a job. There's little reason to think that's going to change this year.

It's clear at this point that Stepfan Taylor brings more value in other ways than running the ball—particularly when the runner is going to be needed less than twice a game on average.

The Cards had 32 kick returns in 2015 altogether. Oh, how can J.J. Nelson stand up to an additional two hits per game???

 

[CFLredzoned]

I agree with you Mitch on everything but Okafor. The guy was not hampered by not being athletic at UT (it was actually obvious he was the best football player on the team and it was not even close for a Division I school that has had a hell of a pedigree but as fallen on hard times) and I will say this now with complete confidence, he has more athletic ability than Golden has and I am not saying Golden cannot play either. Matter of fact I think it is sweet we have Okafor and Golden on this team. Okafor is going to surprise some people this year and do not equate Acho to him since they where both from UT because Okafor is a lot more powerful and athletic... I am a realist and UT has sucked of late (no thanks to recruiting an athlete over a actual QB) but Okafor is legit

Don't forget the most important reason Okafor will have a great season. Contract year.

 

[Veer]

Weinfuss is a horrible beat writer. He gets things wrong all the time. E.g. he still states CJ will be the lead back. No draft picks will fail to make the final 53. Marqui Christian will play a role on defense next season with Swearinger and Jefferson probably gone. He will contribute on special teams right away along with Brandon Williams and Harlan Miller. That's why Brittan Golden will be cut and our 6th WR will focus on return game. I think it will be Shipley since he has shown juice on returns in preseason. Nelson is lightning fast but hesitates too much on returns, while Kerwynn lacks juice to break big gains.

 

[Mitch]

LOL. That was almost a reply to anything that I wrote.

Kerwynn Williams was the best KR last preseason in terms of YPR, and it wasn't enough to have him keep a job. There's little reason to think that's going to change this year.

It's clear at this point that Stepfan Taylor brings more value in other ways than running the ball—particularly when the runner is going to be needed less than twice a game on average.

The Cards had 32 kick returns in 2015 altogether. Oh, how can J.J. Nelson stand up to an additional two hits per game???

With CJ coming off injury and Ellington being so injury prone, BA has had to use the #4 RB in a more prominent role the past two years---and when that was the case, on both occasions, he turned to Kerwynn Williams.

Stepfan once had a role as a 3rd down blocker and short yardage runner/FB. But, his actual playing time in those roles has steadily decreased---and BA used A.Q. Shipley as the FB last year.

Stefan's biggest role has been on STs---where he has been solid. With the addition of numerous ST candidates, Stepfan may not make it because of STs this time.

 

[Mitch]

I agree with you Mitch on everything but Okafor. The guy was not hampered by not being athletic at UT (it was actually obvious he was the best football player on the team and it was not even close for a Division I school that has had a hell of a pedigree but as fallen on hard times) and I will say this now with complete confidence, he has more athletic ability than Golden has and I am not saying Golden cannot play either. Matter of fact I think it is sweet we have Okafor and Golden on this team. Okafor is going to surprise some people this year and do not equate Acho to him since they where both from UT because Okafor is a lot more powerful and athletic... I am a realist and UT has sucked of late (no thanks to recruiting an athlete over a actual QB) but Okafor is legit

J-Green: I want to believe you about Okafor. Two years ago I thought he looked much more focused, aggressive and quicker than he did as a rookie---last year, he was still aggressive, but he did not show nearly the same quicks, and then, as we all know, he had the mystery injury during the bye week of the playoffs. Bill Parcells always said, "When a player shows you who he is, believe him."

if the answer is he's the player we saw two years ago, then everybody wins.

 

[Mitch]

Weinfuss is a horrible beat writer. He gets things wrong all the time. E.g. he still states CJ will be the lead back. No draft picks will fail to make the final 53. Marqui Christian will play a role on defense next season with Swearinger and Jefferson probably gone. He will contribute on special teams right away along with Brandon Williams and Harlan Miller. That's why Brittan Golden will be cut and our 6th WR will focus on return game. I think it will be Shipley since he has shown juice on returns in preseason. Nelson is lightning fast but hesitates too much on returns, while Kerwynn lacks juice to break big gains.

I think Weinfuss is starting to grow on the job---but I still believe that there are numerous posters here who know more about the Cardinals and have far more insight about the management and the team.

The thing is---BA&SK speak to the media often, but they don't give away inside info to the beat writers the way other Cardinals' staffs did. MJ is nowhere near as well-informed as he used to be. Urban, Somers and McManaman all seem to have to guess as much as we do. And I think we at ASFN are much more knowledgeable about the NFL Draft than they are---same with MJ, he really doesn't study the draft. The guy who spends the most time at it is McManaman, and he hasn't had a very good sense of what players the Cardinals were targeting. Not his fault---because BA&SK keep their cards very close to their vests.

I agree with your assessments about the CBs and Brittan Golden, but while Kerwynn Williams isn't a burner like Nelson is, he has much more juice on kickoff returns than Shipley. Shipley is a good punt returner because he has great hands and is slippery enough to make the first guy miss, and the vision to find a crease. But on kickoff returns, Shipley can't get to the blocks fast enough.

 

[CFLredzoned]

I'm wondering if BASK go back to their original approach to building ST. If you remember their first year, BA said the last player in each spot will be the best ST player. Now I think that may have just been the narrative then because it fit where the team was with rebuilding and flipping half the team. You're going to have alot of bubble level players at that point and bubble players are more accustomerd to playing ST. So it worked at the time and ST were good.

Then as they built depth, we know what happened. The deeper each position got with quality players, the less bubble players and the less guys that are used to playing ST. Well this year, BA talked about how that's gotten them in trouble with ST. Or more specifically, he said the one year contracts got them in trouble with ST. But either way, I wonder if they go back to their original approach. So the 6th receiver, for instance, instead of being the 6th best receiver on the team, will be the best ST player who won't get you killed if he ever does have to play receiver.

 

[Mitch]

I'm wondering if BASK go back to their original approach to building ST. If you remember their first year, BA said the last player in each spot will be the best ST player. Now I think that may have just been the narrative then because it fit where the team was with rebuilding and flipping half the team. You're going to have alot of bubble level players at that point and bubble players are more accustomerd to playing ST. So it worked at the time and ST were good.

Then as they built depth, we know what happened. The deeper each position got with quality players, the less bubble players and the less guys that are used to playing ST. Well this year, BA talked about how that's gotten them in trouble with ST. Or more specifically, he said the one year contracts got them in trouble with ST. But either way, I wonder if they go back to their original approach. So the 6th receiver, for instance, instead of being the 6th best receiver on the team, will be the best ST player who won't get you killed if he ever does have to play receiver.

I think you are 100% correct. This year they started addressing the STs in the 3rd round with CB Brandon Williams, then with the additions of Marqui Christian, Cole Toner (who could fill in Sowell's ST role up front) and Harlan Miller. Plus...look at UDFAs: Farkey, Louis, Canaday, Dillon, Swanson, just to name a few.