Who shined, struggled for Arizona Cardinals at scrimmage with Denver Broncos
Trey McBride, Darius Robinson had good days for the Cardinals while others are still looking for preseason spark.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The Arizona Cardinals‘ preseason is heating up. They take on the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High at 6:30 p.m. Arizona time for their second preseason game, ahead of their finale against the Las Vegas Raiders back in Glendale next week.
Decisions, as Jonathan Gannon likes to say, are being made with every snap. That holds true even after Broncos coach Sean Payton revealed this week that neither teams’ starters would play in the game. There are, after all, 53 roster spots that have to be decided by Aug. 26, and dwindling opportunities for players to earn them.
Even if Kyler Murray and Co. are watching from the sidelines, those decisions are crucial. As the Cardinals showed last season, players near the bottom of the depth chart on cut day can make an outsized impact once the season kicks off.
Here, then, are five things to watch in Cardinals-Broncos.
Who actually plays?
No, it doesn’t matter whether the Cardinals win this game. But it’s worth monitoring who plays because it provides insight into how Gannon views his roster.
For example, Will Johnson is entrenched as a starter at outside cornerback. But Gannon might opt to play the rookie to get him more live reps before the season starts. If Johnson does play, it’s a sign that the Cardinals believe he still needs more work to be ready for the season opener.
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A similar idea goes for their running backs room. James Conner almost certainly won’t play, but what does Trey Benson’s workload look like? If he only plays a drive or two — or sits out entirely — it’ll be an indication that the Cardinals’ split backfield might come to fruition. If he plays an entire half, it means the Cardinals think he needs those snaps, an indication that he’ll be more of a true backup to Conner.
Some other names to watch, along the same thinking: Defensive end Darius Robinson, safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, tight end Tip Reiman.
How does the wide receiver depth perform?
With Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson surely sitting out, this game offers an opportunity to get a look at the Cardinals’ wide receiver depth.
On paper, it’s a bit concerning. Zay Jones is a proven veteran as their third receiver, but it gets thin fast. The rest of the Cardinals’ outside receivers have 10 combined career receptions, all by Simi Fehoko.
That’s a concern if Harrison or Wilson miss time in the regular season. One day in training camp, both receivers were absent. In their place, the Cardinals had to rely on a cast of Jones, Fehoko and 2024 undrafted free agent Xavier Weaver.
Weaver, in particular, is worth watching. He has better deep speed than any other receiver on the roster. If he can prove himself to be worthy of regular-season snaps, that could add a new element to the Cardinals’ passing game.
During training camp, Gannon challenged him to work on his consistency. A strong performance in the preseason opener was a good first step, and he’ll be looking to build on it in Denver.
Can Jordan Burch have another big day?
Jordan Burch, the Cardinals’ third-round draft pick, was perhaps the star of their preseason opener. Although both his sacks were negated by flags downfield, they still showcased an impressive burst off the edge, as did another snap when he generated instant pressure.
For the Cardinals’ defensive line, that was an exciting sign. Beyond Josh Sweat, they lack proven pass rushers. Burch won’t immediately be at the top of that depth chart, but his emergence can help complement a group led by Sweat, Baron Browning and Zaven Collins.
The best way that he can prove he’s ready for that emergence is by continuing to shine in his preseason opportunities.
Will the offensive line bounce back?
The Cardinals’ starting offensive line was stellar against the Chiefs. It didn’t allow a single pressure and created some nice push in the run game. Overall, it was an encouraging sign for a unit widely projected to be near the middle of the pack league-wide.
The backup offensive line, though, was less encouraging. Jacoby Brissett, the backup quarterback, was pressured three times on nine dropbacks. He averaged 0.59 fewer seconds to throw than Kyler Murray did with the starting offensive line.
The performance only amplified concerns about the Cardinals’ offensive line depth. Outside of Kelvin Beachum, they do not have any healthy backup linemen who have proven themselves as reliable options at the NFL level. Even after the signing of Will Hernandez, it’s a somewhat unnerving proposition, given how prone offensive linemen are to injuries.
A strong performance against the Broncos would help assuage some of those fears.
How do key roster battles unfold?
This is the time of year when roster battles come into focus. And while players near the bottom of the depth chart might not make an immediate impact when the season begins, they can become key pieces later in the year — or in future seasons.
Here are some battles to track:
At cornerback, 2024 third-round pick Elijah Jones needs to begin proving his value to the roster. He hasn’t done that in any of his four career preseason games, and he missed all of last year with an injury. Without signs of improvement, the Cardinals may keep a more experienced option like Darren Hall or Jaylon Jones. That would make Elijah Jones the first truly wasted early pick of Monti Ossenfort’s tenure.
At safety, seventh-round rookie Kitan Crawford is trying to show that he deserves a roster spot. He impressed in the opener, with an acrobatic interception, but he’ll have to unseat Joey Blount, another safety who excels on special teams.
On the offensive line, sixth-round rookie Hayden Conner and 2023 fourth-rounder Jon Gaines II are likely competing for a roster spot, especially if Will Hernandez is healthy enough to occupy an active roster spot. That could come down to Conner’s versatility, so he’ll aim to prove himself as a viable center.