Cardinals Pre-Season 2017

[Mitch]

I don't know about you, but I am very excited about the upcoming pre-season games.

There is no question in my mind that last year's lackluster and lethargic pre-season set a poor tone for the regular season. Sure, the ultimate object in pre-season games is not necessarily to win the games, but it is to play fast and efficiently.

This year, I am guessing that BA and the coaches will treat this pre-season much differently. They will want to play these games with some renewed energy and enthusiasm.

The things that excite me the most are:

1. Getting a good look at QBs Gabbert, Dysert and Knight.

2. Seeing how the tackle flip with Humphries and Veldheer looks -- and seeing whether Boehm is indeed the front runner at RG.

3. Watching what could be a highly effective 2nd team offensive line of LT Will Holden, LG Dorian Johnson, C Cole Toner (Tony Bergstrom), RG John Wetzel and RT Ulrich John (John Wetzel). Even the 3rd string offensive line will be interesting to watch: LT Givens Price, LG Kaleb Joseph, C Lucus Crowley, RG Tony Bergstrom, RT James McLaughlin.

4. Getting a good look at the RB and WR depth -- very anxious to see Elijah penny, James Summers, T.J. Logan, Chad Williams and Krishawn Hogan in particular.

5. Seeing how ell TEs Niklas, Momah, Valles, Seals-Jones play.

6. Seeing how improved Robert Nkemdiche, Rodney Gunter and Xavier Williams are.

7. Seeing how well Haason Reddick can play at $LB and getting a good look at Scooby Wright as the backup to Karlos Dansby at the Mike LB.

8. Seeing if we have backup edge pass rushers in Jarvis Jones, Kareem Martin and Cap Capi.

9. Watching how the young depth in there secondary shakes out, with the likes of Brandon Williams, Rudy Ford, Elie Bouka, Sojourn Shelton at CB and Budda Baker, Harlan Miller, Ironhead Gallon and Drico Johnson at safety.

10. Seeing Phil Dawson as the placekicker and watching the competition at punter between Matt Wile and Richie Leone ---and seeing which players emerge on STs and in the return game with Logan at KR and whomever emerges as the punt returner.

I am hoping that this is a very spirited camp and that all 5 pre-season games are fun to watch.

What's great for the Cardinals (especially in a year with 5 pre-season games) is the new rule that teams can keep the roster at 90 until the final cuts. This will allow them to the flexibility to keep all the players fresh heading into Week 1.

Man, what a fast and furious couple of days it is going to be when the rosters are trimmed from 90 to 53. It may very well be an auspicious time to be in the early half of the waiver wire pecking order if they want to claim a couple of players.

GO CARDINALS!

 

[Snakester]

The page reloaded and wiped out Twenty minutes of typing so this will be shorter.

I want to see how BA is going to run things this year. The starters need to play twice as much as last year for the team to gel and be ready game one.

On offense I'm hoping to see Gabbert getting most of the reps that Palmer doesn't get. Don't really care about any of the other QB's.

I will be mainly watching Dorian Johnson and Boehm on the line. I believe they are our future at RG and Center.

At receiver I'm looking to see if John Brown is really back 100 percent. If Chad Williams is really worth that third round pick and can Krishawn Hogan be that big receiver that we need.

I would prefer us to sign Chris Johnson but it doesn't look like they will so TJ Logan is the guy I'm most interested in watching.

I'm just hoping our tight end group can stay healthy.

On defense it's all about three players. Robert Nkemdiche, Hassan Reddick and Buddha Baker. They have to make an impact this year if we're going to have a top ten defense.

 

[Ronin]

11. No injuries.

 

[oaken1]

yeah

 

[Garthshort]

Mitch, I appreciate your post, but like Snakester said, Gabbert is the only QB I'm inerested in seeing. I also think you're overlooking a couple of guys, including Dobson at WR. I don't see any way Hogan makes the roster, but he MIGHT make the PS. On the OL, you mentioned Bergstrom, but not very prominently. I believe BASK wants an experienced back up center, and I think (assuming we don't bring in another vet) he'll be on the final 53. But I love to see your posts. Keep em coming.

 

[Mitch]

Garth, you might be right about WR Aaron Dobson seeing as Carson Palmer recently said that he is having excellent days during the OTAs. If Krishawn Hogan is anywhere near as good as Dobson, the team keeps Hogan because they can have him for 4 years. Dobson is on a one year deal.

I can't see the Cardinals keeping 10 OL...so, if they decide to keep Bergstrom, as you predict, who do they cut? Toner? Wetzel? Holden? Dorian Johnson?

 

[Krangodnzr]

Garth, you might be right about WR Aaron Dobson seeing as Carson Palmer recently said that he is having excellent days during the OTAs. If Krishawn Hogan is anywhere near as good as Dobson, the team keeps Hogan because they can have him for 4 years. Dobson is on a one year deal.

I can't see the Cardinals keeping 10 OL...so, if they decide to keep Bergstrom, as you predict, who do they cut? Toner? Wetzel? Holden? Dorian Johnson?

Good points. Dobson looked good early in his career with New England, but he went through a period where he dropped way too many passes for New England to play him. Hogan will have to really outplau him to beat him out, and I'd say that is unlikely.

What the Cards might do is only keep three RBs and Ellington at receiver.

1) Johnson 2) Logan 3) Penny. Kerwyn is expendable because of his subpar receiving skills and his poor play on special teams. The team would have two large backs and two scat backs.

1) Fitz 2)John Brown 3) JJ 4) Jaron 5) Ellington 6) Williams. So for Dobson or Hogan or Clark to make the roster, Ellington and or Jaron Brown have to go.

I doubt Bergstrom makes the roster because that means he beats out Dorian Johnson, Toner, or Wetzel.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

Looking forward to a bunch this preseason:

Gabbert and the Dragon
OL depth
RB depth
WR roster battle

ILB depth
DB roster battle

Going to be another good preseason with a few injuries and a few surprises.

 

[Garthshort]

Mitch, my guess is that Toner will be cut and put on the PS. I doubt that he'll be picked up by another team. I just think that Bengstrom, who I know nothing about, was brought in for a reason. As for Hogan, while he might be good, he'll have a lot of competition to even make the PS. As BA said, our WR group is loaded. But you very well might be correct and Hogan is someone who is at the top of the new/young guys. It will be fun to watch.

 

[JeffGollin]

This phase of preseason is like opening up a new book. We've gotten past the Table of Contents and know what to do expect. But we won't know most of the specifics...until we do.

Too many unknowns to even begin to mention now. Just can't wait to turn some more pages. (Right now it's a mystery - just hope it doesn't turn out to be a comedy).

 

[Garthshort]

Mitch, you mentioned Dawson as a FG kicker. And assuming that age hasn't caught up with him, he should be pretty good. My question is, will he be the guy who kicks off? And if the answer is no, which of our punters can fill that role? And if both can, is there much difference between the two?

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, you mentioned Dawson as a FG kicker. And assuming that age hasn't caught up with him, he should be pretty good. My question is, will he be the guy who kicks off? And if the answer is no, which of our punters can fill that role? And if both can, is there much difference between the two?

BA has said that Dawson is the front runner for kickoffs, but that both Wile and Leone can fill that role if necessary. Dawson didn't kickoff in SF, but it was because they wanted their punter to pooch kickoffs to try pin teams deeper than the 25 yard line.

 

[pmacLean]

I think you missed one of the more interesting scenarios (IMO). Bethel will start at CB and he will be good. You can bump this up later if he fails, but I have no doubt I will bump it up because I don't believe that will happen.

 

[Chopper0080]

The offensive line is what I am interested in most this preseason. We have invested a ton of resources into it and are getting to the point where we will need to move on from Iupati and Veldheer and Shipley. The question is do we have the pieces in place to do so with what we have drafted or are we going to need to spend more free agent dollars? LT is not a position that I am really worried about because teams will budget 14 mil per year to fill it. Where it becomes a problem is when you are spending 12 mil on a FA RT and 10 mil on an FA OG who are 28/29/30 years old.

 

[WildBB]

The offensive line is what I am interested in most this preseason. We have invested a ton of resources into it and are getting to the point where we will need to move on from Iupati and Veldheer and Shipley. The question is do we have the pieces in place to do so with what we have drafted or are we going to need to spend more free agent dollars? LT is not a position that I am really worried about because teams will budget 14 mil per year to fill it. Where it becomes a problem is when you are spending 12 mil on a FA RT and 10 mil on an FA OG who are 28/29/30 years old.

Agreed. I think that separates a lot of the winners and losers is developing the OL continuity without having to rely heavily on FA and 1st round picks. It can be done. But you definitely need a couple anchors one way or another or your going nowhere. The Rams just spent big bucks on Whitworth. That could be the right move at the right time for them. They are not too far.