Preseason Week 3 Roster Battles and Questions

[BritCard]

My guess is that the Cardinals will likely use more 12 personnel sets, less 13 personnel sets, and more 11 personnel sets in 2024. My guess is they will be as comfortable with the blocking of Wilson as they are with Higgins, and they won't want MHJ off the field. I would also expect Dortch to get more run in the offense which will lock in 65% rate of 11 personnel sets. Week 1 should be a nice gauge.

I agree on Wilson and MHJ.

We were 65% 11 personnel last year and still had 1650 TE snaps to go around. I expect Reiman to be TE2 because he can do much more than Higgins, who I expect will be more of a situational player on 3rd downs or used as a big slot, where Reiman will have both blocking and receiving packages.

I can see Raiman taking 520-550 snaps. I think because McBride is a large part of our passing game (and has no real backup) they will ride him less on blocking downs to keep him fresher and avoid injury and he takes Swaims snaps and some from Higgins. And to not telegraph a running play when Raiman is in for McBride he'll need his fair share of routes.

If anything I think that 11 will decrease a little. I would expect 12 to go from 20% to around 22-23% and we lead the league in 13 already last year at 10% and I don't think that drops.

 

[BritCard]

I think it's also worth noting that Elijah Higgins isn't even dressing for these preseason games. I think he could be more involved than we expect.

I think it's more we only have 3 TE's on the roster worth having on a roster and Higgins is already a known quantity with NFL experience.

 

[kerouac9]

I think it's more we only have 3 TE's on the roster worth having on a roster and Higgins is already a known quantity with NFL experience.

Then why is Jesse Luketa playing?

 

[BACH]

Then why is Jesse Luketa playing?

What we have seen in pre-season would IMO be testing the back end of the roster + giving extentive for rookies that need playing experience.

For the TE position I take it as Higgins is a lock and they want Reiman to get game experience to understand and execute the blocking scheme.

Luketa got playing time to fight for the final OLB position vs. Cameron Thomas vs. someone not on the team. I doubt he makes it.

 

[kerouac9]

What we have seen in pre-season would IMO be testing the back end of the roster + giving extentive for rookies that need playing experience.

For the TE position I take it as Higgins is a lock and they want Reiman to get game experience to understand and execute the blocking scheme.

Luketa got playing time to fight for the final OLB position vs. Cameron Thomas vs. someone not on the team. I doubt he makes it.

Higgins saw fewer than 200 offensive snaps last year. This theory just doesn't add up.

 

[Chopper0080]

I agree on Wilson and MHJ.

We were 65% 11 personnel last year and still had 1650 TE snaps to go around. I expect Reiman to be TE2 because he can do much more than Higgins, who I expect will be more of a situational player on 3rd downs or used as a big slot, where Reiman will have both blocking and receiving packages.

I can see Raiman taking 520-550 snaps. I think because McBride is a large part of our passing game (and has no real backup) they will ride him less on blocking downs to keep him fresher and avoid injury and he takes Swaims snaps and some from Higgins. And to not telegraph a running play when Raiman is in for McBride he'll need his fair share of routes.

If anything I think that 11 will decrease a little. I would expect 12 to go from 20% to around 22-23% and we lead the league in 13 already last year at 10% and I don't think that drops.

We will see. I do believe you aren't factoring the difference in the quality of the WR room to start the season. Some of our increased TE snaps were because Wilson played 13 games, Brown played 14, and then our next best were Rondale Moore, Pascal, and then Dortch (who was buried for whatever reason). Obviously injuries can happen, but even if Dortch is the same guy, Zay Jones is better than Moore and Pascal so the need to use multiple TEs should be less.

 

[Goldfield]

5 - Jones continues to look like a weird pick at CB. They took a guy in the 3rd round who is battling with undrafted Starling Thomas and 6th round doghouse resident KeiTrel Clark for a roster spot and probably losing which will cause them to keep 6.

I wondered if we drafted a DB thinking he would make a good Safety. It just seemed like too many bodies. It will be interesting to see how it shakes up. I’m still a fan of Clark.

 

[BACH]

Higgins saw fewer than 200 offensive snaps last year. This theory just doesn't add up.

We'll find out on tuesday. Meanwhile, what are you thinking? Do you have an explanation for the lack of playing time for Higgins, Dortch, Zay Jones and Beachum (1Q)?

 

[kerouac9]

We'll find out on tuesday. Meanwhile, what are you thinking? Do you have an explanation for the lack of playing time for Higgins, Dortch, Zay Jones and Beachum (1Q)?

Yeah. I think they've all made the team and are likely to get significant playing time (25% or more of snaps on the offense).

I don't think lack of PS playing time needs to be explained at all, really. The presumption should be that players who will play in the regular season aren't going to play in the preseason. I have the same question about Benson playing so much rn. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was a healthy inactive early in the year until other guys get bumps and bruises. I know you have to have bodies out there, but that's a lot of exposure for someone you expect to get a lot of playing time.

Carter might be getting showcased for a potential trade.

 

[BACH]

Yeah. I think they've all made the team and are likely to get significant playing time (25% or more of snaps on the offense).

I don't think lack of PS playing time needs to be explained at all, really. The presumption should be that players who will play in the regular season aren't going to play in the preseason. I have the same question about Benson playing so much rn. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was a healthy inactive early in the year until other guys get bumps and bruises. I know you have to have bodies out there, but that's a lot of exposure for someone you expect to get a lot of playing time.

Carter might be getting showcased for a potential trade.

You are conveniently leaving out that Higgins didn't take a single snap in the first 6 games, hardly played in the next 5 and then played around 35% in the last 6 games.

So using his season snap count is about as usefull as the fact that my dog is named Luna.

On Benson and Robinson, REiman, Melton. They are rookies and needed the playing time more than a veteran

 

[MadCardDisease]

Yeah. I think they've all made the team and are likely to get significant playing time (25% or more of snaps on the offense).

I don't think lack of PS playing time needs to be explained at all, really. The presumption should be that players who will play in the regular season aren't going to play in the preseason. I have the same question about Benson playing so much rn. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was a healthy inactive early in the year until other guys get bumps and bruises. I know you have to have bodies out there, but that's a lot of exposure for someone you expect to get a lot of playing time.

Carter might be getting showcased for a potential trade.

I agree 100%.

The Cardinals are using pre-season games to identify who makes the bottom half of the roster. Players who didn't get much playing time are pretty much locks to have a spot on the roster.

I also think that Carter is a strong candidate to get traded.

 

[CardNots]

I agree 100%.

The Cardinals are using pre-season games to identify who makes the bottom half of the roster. Players who didn't get much playing time are pretty much locks to have a spot on the roster.

I also think that Carter is a strong candidate to get traded.

In addition there are some who are destined to the PS but the coaches don’t want anymore film exposure.

If I had a UFA or late round guy that impressed me in camp and I knew it was unlikely to make the 53 but I wanted to slip him onto the PS roster I might not play him in the preseason to reduce his tape exposure.

 

[Shane]

I agree 100%.

The Cardinals are using pre-season games to identify who makes the bottom half of the roster. Players who didn't get much playing time are pretty much locks to have a spot on the roster.

I also think that Carter is a strong candidate to get traded.

If the Jets Weren’t able to trade them what makes anybody here think that the Cardinals would be able to?

 

[MadCardDisease]

If the Jets Weren’t able to trade them what makes anybody here think that the Cardinals would be able to?

He was cut mid season for making a mistake that cost them a game. It was after the trade deadline had already passed.

 

[BirdGangThing]

shiiiiiiiiiiiiii..... if we want to play it so safely i think we should bench tune too this week

 

[kerouac9]

You are conveniently leaving out that Higgins didn't take a single snap in the first 6 games, hardly played in the next 5 and then played around 35% in the last 6 games.

So using his season snap count is about as usefull as the fact that my dog is named Luna.

On Benson and Robinson, REiman, Melton. They are rookies and needed the playing time more than a veteran

I don't understand what your point is. Higgins isn't less of a veteran than Jesse Luketa or Victor Dimukeje are, but those guys are playing.

I think that Trey Benson "needing playing time" is an assertion without evidence. Robinson didn't play in game 2 but Benson played 15 snaps. How do you explain the difference?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Based on the information available.

So… coach speak during pre-season? Sorry… I need more than smoke blown up my butt and seeing something actually on the field before I start crowing about HUGE STEPS forward.

It’s your biased interpretation that is at play here. When I write HUGE step forward you are thinking that I’m claiming He’s an all-Pro CB. [/QUOTE]

Nah. You just have no basis to say this. He was atrocious last year and we’ve seen nothing on the field to even say he’s adequate this year.

I’m saying that an undrafted player with close to zero expectations took a HUGE step forward and looks like he Could be a really good #3 Or pontentially a #2 CB. All indications so far points to that.

Bach… we have literally seen NOTHING on the field to indicate either one of those things, ESPECIALLY as a 2nd CB. No matter how much you value coach speak, talk is cheap.

If you disagree, just go look at how our Coaches talked up Colt McCoy as a legit starting QB last offseason and even into the preseason… before they cut him ten days before the season.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I assume it's based on Gannon saying "he's not seen much separation between Max Melton, Starling Thomas and Kei’Trel Clark in the battle for the No. 2 spot opposite Sean Murphy-Bunting".

Which suggests a huge step forward considering he was like CB5 last year.

Gannon lauded Colt McCoy as our starting QB all offseason and preseason… right up until they cut him ten days before the season.

Talk is cheap.

Also, none of the guy you listed above have shown diddly squat on the field either so for Starling to be amongst the unproven doesn’t say much to me… except for the fact that our CB room might totally suck again. It’s not like he’s comparing him to legit NFL proven starters.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

We have a total of 0 proven CB's on the roster...a couple of journeymen vets and some young guys with something to prove, but it's wild that we're going into the season with no above average players at the two most important positions on D. (Edge/Corner) You could probably say the same at LB and DLine in general. But we have two above average safeties (the most fungible position on D), so there's that!

 

[BritCard]

Then why is Jesse Luketa playing?

Because we don't only have 3 OLB's on the roster and Gardeck, Zaven, and Robinson are sitting.

And also Luketa is on the bubble, Higgins isn't.

 

[Totally_Red]

He was cut mid season for making a mistake that cost them a game. It was after the trade deadline had already passed.

And at least two other teams put in waiver claims.

I'd like to keep him. You can never have too many running backs. It is a high attrition position.

 

[CardNots]

I don't understand what your point is. Higgins isn't less of a veteran than Jesse Luketa or Victor Dimukeje are, but those guys are playing. Garrett WIlliams

I think that Trey Benson "needing playing time" is an assertion without evidence. Robinson didn't play in game 2 but Benson played 15 snaps. How do you explain the difference?

We can’t, just playing darts right now

 

[BACH]

I don't understand what your point is. Higgins isn't less of a veteran than Jesse Luketa or Victor Dimukeje are, but those guys are playing.

I think that Trey Benson "needing playing time" is an assertion without evidence. Robinson didn't play in game 2 but Benson played 15 snaps. How do you explain the difference?

Same reason as Zay Jones is not playing. Higgins is the back-up to McBride in the 11/primary receiving TE role and my claim is that he is fixed in that role and not on the bubble as Zay Jones is fixed in the back-up outside WR role and not on the bubble.

That is my claim. We will know on tuesday.

Luketa and Dimukeje are both on the bubble and fighting against eachother for a roster spot, hence the playing time.