2015 Cardinals Roster Competition

[Mitch]

This year the roster competition is going to very interesting and exciting to watch. Of the current 90 players---12 of them, imho, are the drafted rookies and UDFAs who deserved draftable grades: T Humphries; OLB Golden; RB Johnson; DE Gunter; OLB Riddick; WR Nelson; TE Christian; ILB Fua; OLB Wagenmann; T Crisp; NT Williams; CB Roberts. Could all 12 of these rookie make the Cardinals' roster? Are there any other wild cards? Here is a position by position preview:

#3 QB:

BA really opened up some eyes when he said that the #3 is wide open. Having vowed to give Logan Thomas a "ton of reps" this off-season, could Arians start giving additional and perhaps equal reps to Chandler Harnish and Patrick Sims?

One of the big advantages of running two groups in practice will be to give the young QBs plenty of reps and opportunities to learn the offense. BA was very impressed with Sims' quick ability to pick up the offense---not only in repeating the play calls in the huddle verbatim and w/o stumbles, but in recognizing when to adjust pass pro calls on the fly.

What BA's comments might suggest is Logan Thomas' struggles on both counts---which is why BA couldn't forsee playing Thomas Week 17 versus the 49ers, if he was having troubling commanding the nomenclature and the nuances of pass pro adjustments.

What Thomas, Harnish and Sims all posses is above average mobility---which is a real plus. It would seem a pretty good bet that the QB who manifests the strongest command of the playcalling, ballhandling, coverage reads and passing accuracy will emerge at the #3 QB.

This pre-season, it is most likely that Drew Stanton will play the majority of the first quarters in games 1-2, as it makes little sense to play Carson Palmer much...which means we might see Logan Thomas as early the second quarter in games 1-2...which also means that there could be plenty of action for Harnish and Sims in the third and fourth quarters.

The goal is for BA and the coaches to feel confident this time around about being able to turn to the #3 QB in game action if need be....which means Thomas is going to have to show major improvement and development, as Harnish may be the most NFL ready of the three and Sims may be the most talented.

Your thoughts?

 

[BigRedRage]

sure is nice that the only job up for grabs is #3 instead of our usual camp competition to figure out who sucks the least and they can start at QB.

 

[Mitch]

# 4 RB

I believe that Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams and David Johnson are locks to make the roster.

And because of the depth at other positions, I do not believe the Cardinals will keep 5 RBs this year, although they normally would prefer to.

That said, if indeed the competition came down the rest of the RBs vying for 1 spot---which of these RBs do you think has the best chance?

* Stepfan Taylor---steady, tough runner who lacks suddeness and burst---solid STs.

* Marion Grice---fits the BA all-purpose RB mold, but can he be a pounder between the tackles? Can he surpass Taylor on STs?

* Robert Hughes---most rugged inside runner of the group and doubles nicely as a FB. Solid ST player too. Plus, can catch. QBs have raved about him. But, as with Stepfan Taylor BA didn't seem all to confident in playing him much---and now that TE Gerald Christian is doubling as an H-back, would that limit Hughes' chances?

This is such a tough call---and I think a strong case can be made for each of them. It likely comes down to which player is the best on STs---which right now would appear to be Taylor---but it is very close as Grice is a little faster and Hughes is a little more physical.

 

[juza76]

gerald christain could take hughes spot as FB ,saw a tape of him with louisville,most of the time he was lined up as hb-fb
they ll go with taylor cause he is a good teammate and has better value on special team

 

[JCSunsfan]

I cannot imagine why the #3 QB position would ever be anything else but wide open. Any coach that has all three positions set in stone should have his head examined.

 

[WildBB]

I believe that Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams and David Johnson are locks to make the roster.

And because of the depth at other positions, I do not believe the Cardinals will keep 5 RBs this year, although they normally would prefer to.

That said, if indeed the competition came down the rest of the RBs vying for 1 spot---which of these RBs do you think has the best chance?

* Stepfan Taylor---steady, tough runner who lacks suddeness and burst---solid STs.

* Marion Grice---fits the BA all-purpose RB mold, but can he be a pounder between the tackles? Can he surpass Taylor on STs?

* Robert Hughes---most rugged inside runner of the group and doubles nicely as a FB. Solid ST player too. Plus, can catch. QBs have raved about him. But, as with Stepfan Taylor BA didn't seem all to confident in playing him much---and now that TE Gerald Christian is doubling as an H-back, would that limit Hughes' chances?

This is such a tough call---and I think a strong case can be made for each of them. It likely comes down to which player is the best on STs---which right now would appear to be Taylor---but it is very close as Grice is a little faster and Hughes is a little more physical.

I think they keep 4 RB's and Hughes because as you pointed out he can bang it in from the 1 Yd. line and contribute very well on ST's. It comes down to either Taylor or Grice as the 4th RB, imo.

Should be a very competitive pre-season. Looking forward to seeing the youngsters.

I think the team is in much better shape to endure an injury or two. Just worried about PP mainly, holding up. But we're so much better along the OL than in, forever.

 

[kerouac9]

I think they keep 4 RB's and Hughes because as you pointed out he can bang it in from the 1 Yd. line and contributes very well on ST's. It comes down to either Taylor or Grice as the 4th RB, imo.

Should be a very competitive pre-season. Looking forward to seeing the youngsters.

I think the team is in much better shape to endure an injury or two. Just worried about PP mainly, holding up. But we're so much better along the OL than in, forever.

i don't know how you can say this. Hughes was dreadful in short yardage situations last year, and scored 0 TDs. Taylor is a much more reliable short yardage back.

 

[Balboa]

sure is nice that the only job up for grabs is #3 instead of our usual camp competition to figure out who sucks the least and they can start at QB.

So true.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

i don't know how you can say this. Hughes was dreadful in short yardage situations last year, and scored 0 TDs. Taylor is a much more reliable short yardage back.

+1

 

[Garthshort]

Couple of things:
1. QB-It will be an interesting battle for the 3rd QB spot. With last year in mind, this spot becomes very important. An improved running game should take a ton of pressure off of the QB's. Hopefully the improved OL should make that happen. And imo that improvement depends on how well our center (whoever?) performs. In the past BA said that he wasn't in favor of having three QB's on the "53" and another on the PS. Just not enough reps. So if we keep Sims on the PS, it wouldn't be a good sign for LT.
2. RB-Also, like WildBB, think we'll go with four plus Hughes. Only way Christian replaces Hughes, is IF we sign another TE to along with Niklas and Fells. Just don't see a TE roster of three TE's, one of which is expected to play H-Back.

 

[Mitch]

i don't know how you can say this. Hughes was dreadful in short yardage situations last year, and scored 0 TDs. Taylor is a much more reliable short yardage back.

Hughes had 7 carries for 11 yards---6 carries on FB dives---of which he converted 3 first downs (running behind Larsen, Sendlein and Fanaika). His one carry from the TB position went for 5 yards. His receiving numbers: 8/140/17.5. 7 of his 8 catches converted first downs. These numbers are actually pretty good, all things considered. Plus, BA doesn't run a conventional FB dive (as in a straight line plunge), his FB dive is off a QB reverse pivot and a handoff at a 60 degree angle.

 

[Mitch]

Swing Tackle

Thanks to the additions of D.J. Humphries and Rob Crisp, the Cardinals now have 3 players (Veldheer, Humphries and Crisp) who are suited to play LT.

The first question will be whether Humphries will win the RT job---if not, he becomes the swing tackle.

The second question is if Bobby Massie gets beat out at RT, will he be moved to guard (there have been "whisperings" of this according to PFT)? Or will he be kept as the third tackle? Could he be traded, if BA&HG are really high on keeping Rob Crisp as the swing tackle?

Also in the mix is veteran T Bradley Sowell.

The wild card here is Rob Crisp. With Massie in a contract year, they probably will not want to risk putting Crisp on waivers.

Crisp had quite a number of teams interested in him after the draft. He chose the Cardinals because of Steve Keim's sustained interest in him and their NC State Wolfpack connection.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Thanks to the additions of D.J. Humphries and Rob Crisp, the Cardinals now have 3 players (Veldheer, Humphries and Crisp) who are suited to play LT.

The first question will be whether Humphries will win the RT job---if not, he becomes the swing tackle.

The second question is if Bobby Massie gets beat out at RT, will he be moved to guard (there have been "whisperings" of this according to PFT)? Or will he be kept as the third tackle? Could he be traded, if BA&HG are really high on keeping Rob Crisp as the swing tackle?

Also in the mix is veteran T Bradley Sowell.

The wild card here is Rob Crisp. With Massie in a contract year, they probably will not want to risk putting Crisp on waivers.

Crisp had quite a number of teams interested in him after the draft. He chose the Cardinals because of Steve Keim's sustained interest in him and their NC State Wolfpack connection.

I found this ranking interesting Mitch, and it includes Crisp. It is a look at the draft if their rankings where based on their recruitment rating coming out of high school...
http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...73/nfl-draft-2015-high-school-recruit-ratings

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I found this ranking interesting Mitch, and it includes Crisp. It is a look at the draft if their rankings where based on their recruitment rating coming out of high school...
http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...73/nfl-draft-2015-high-school-recruit-ratings

So, according to that list, the Cards signed about the biggest under-achiever in college.

 

[kerouac9]

Hughes was 50% at converting 3rd and 1 for the season.
Stepfan Taylor converted 80% of his opportunities on 3rd and 1.

Let's deal in reality here, not what we feel is probably true.

 

[Mitch]

I found this ranking interesting Mitch, and it includes Crisp. It is a look at the draft if their rankings where based on their recruitment rating coming out of high school...
http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...73/nfl-draft-2015-high-school-recruit-ratings

Great find, Roy! Look at Humphries at #3! Crisp had concussion issues a couple of years ago which scared some teams away. On talent, he's a 2nd-3rd round pick.

 

[Mitch]

Hughes was 50% at converting 3rd and 1 for the season.
Stepfan Taylor converted 80% of his opportunities on 3rd and 1.

Let's deal in reality here, not what we feel is probably true.

Your comparison is flawed because Hughes' carries were from the FB position and Taylor's were from the HB position. We get it---you don't like Hughes. Cool, let's move on.

 

[kerouac9]

Your comparison is flawed because Hughes' carries were from the FB position and Taylor's were from the HB position. We get it---you don't like Hughes. Cool, let's move on.

What does it matter if the result is still a failure? If you want a guy to convert a first or score a TD, do you want the guy who does it 80% of the time, or 50% of the time?

The post I responded to asserted that Hughes was dependable at punching it in in short yardage and on the goal line. 0 TDs in his career belies that assertion.

 

[Garthshort]

Hopefully, the improved OL will help our third and one stats, no matter who the RB is.

 

[Goldfield]

Seriously? Let's argue about who is better a 3rd string rb or a back up swing rb that also plays fb.

 

[AZCrazy]

What it means is that we are blessed with depth in areas that have been damagingly shallow in the past few years for us.

 

[Mitch]

Swing C/G

One would imagine that it will be either Ted Larsen or A.Q. Shipley---but a young 2nd year player with upside who might make a very strong case is Anthony Steen.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/07/alabamas_anthony_steen_hopes_t.html

Steen was an All-SEC guard at Alabama who played through a painful shoulder injury he incurred while lifting weights.

There's a solid chance that Steen will provide good competition at the RG spot for Jonathan Cooper, and thus it is quite possible that Larsen, Shipley and Steen all make the roster.

The question then becomes, will there still be room for G Earl Watford, the Cardinals' 4th round pick in 2013? Watford---who has the physique and feet you want for an offensive lineman has also been given some reps in practice at RT in order to optimize his versatility as a backup. As a rookie he struggled with the mental side of the game---and last year he was unable to beat out Ted Larsen or Paul Fanaika. Thus, one has to wonder what his prospects are heading into this season.

http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and...To-Ready/fdaa3fac-ab1c-4fa0-83e9-18c9ecd1e3b1

Two other guards in the mix who could surprise are:

John Fullington (6-5, 301, 1, Washington St.)---was on 49ers' PS last year.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1749625/john-fullington

Antoine McClain (6-5, 336, 2, Clemson)---was on Saints' and Bears' PS last year.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/antoine-mcclain?id=2532906

One has to wonder as well whether at some point Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell will be given some reps at guard.

 

[Goldfield]

The oline is full of options. Not used to that. Love what Kiem is doing to this team.

 

[Jetstream Green]

You win upfront. I think next year the DL will get even more attention... you control the line of scrimmage, you win

 

[Mitch]

#5 WR

It appears that Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown and Jaron Brown are firmly ensconced in the WR #1-4 roles---what's missing here is a WR who would fill the role of kickoff and punt return man.

The Cardinals drafted the fastest player in the draft in WR J.J. Nelson. Nelson returned 4 kicks for TDs last season---he also fumbled 4 times and UAB lost 2 of those fumbles. Nelson is a super-flyweight at 5-10, 156 pounds---but with his 4.2 speed, he and the Cardinals are hoping that teams can't hit what they can't see!

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Nelson's winning of the #5 WR spot is no slam dunk, however.

Enter WR Brittan Golden---who has been very unheralded up to this point, but for his teammates who play against him very day, they gush at how fast and talented he is as a slot WR and as a return man.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

A potential wild card here is UDFA Jaxon Shipley of Texas whom the Cardinals paid $9K to sign. Shipley isn't quite the blazer that Nelson and Golden are, but he's got 4.4 speed and terrific hands. Check out this draft report on him:

http://www.burntorangenation.com/20...015-nfl-draft-scouting-report-texas-longhorns

The Cardinals really liked Ryan Swope---well, Shipley is very similar---and he's a solid punt returner who has very dependable hands.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Q: Is it possible that the Cardinals keep 6 WRs this year?

A: No, probably not, but it could be possible if the Cardinals keep 4 RBs and 3 TEs (if they consider Larry Fitzgerald as a hybrid WR/TE---and if they use D.J. Humphries as a blocking TE in certain situations, as they did with Bobby Massie two years ago), then the Cardinals could find room for two of these three (Nelson, Golden, Shipley).