The Arizona Cardinals end their exhibition schedule against the Green Bay Packers tonight. None of the starting players will suit up for the contest. Head coach Mike LaFleur has already stated that his starting offense and defense will not play, along with RB Jeremiyah Love and punter Blake Gillikin.
What both the Packers and the Cardinals want to accomplish is to see which players to keep and which to send on their way to seek employment elsewhere. The final cutdown is this Sunday, August 30, at 4:00
p.m. (Eastern).
RELATED: UPDATE FROM PACKERS-CARDINALS JOINT PRACTICE
There are plenty of storylines that need to be solved. Will this final preseason game address those concerns, or will there be little resolution?
Here are four questions that need answers this weekend:
Who will play right guard?
During training camp, rookie Chase Bisontis and Isaiah Adams were in a heated battle for the starting role. Then Bisontis suffered a knee injury against the Las Vegas Raiders and had surgery. Next, he was placed on season-ending IR.
This left Adams (6’-4”, 315 pounds) as the default starter at right guard. However, he recently started having knee issues on his own during the joint practice sessions with the Packers. He did not travel to Green Bay and missed the Monday practice.
Now what?
His replacement on the depth chart is listed as Oli Udoh, but for the Green Bay game, it appears backup center Jon Gaines (6’-4”, 320 pounds) will either replace Adams or split time with Udoh. Gaines has had a very good training camp. He has looked really good when the second-team offense plays against the opponent’s second-string. Which is not really an apples-to-apples comparison, but it does show he has consistency.
Udoh (6’-6”, 320 pounds) is fighting for a roster spot and played extensively against the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. He could become the starting right guard or become quality depth. He is entering his eighth NFL season with 74 games played and 22 starts, so the experience is there.
It appears the job is Adams’ unless he cannot go due to an injury. But you can’t look past what Gaines has done so far this preseason and training camp.
What will the coaching staff do with LB/DE B.J. Ojulari?
The Cardinals did not choose Ojulari in Round 2 a few short years ago just to release him. But where is his production?
This is his third year since being drafted in 2023, and he has a grand total of zero starts. He sat out all of 204 with a torn ACL, then began last year on the PUP list. He finally suited up in Week 11. So far, his NFL career consists of 49 total tackles, 5 sacks, 9 QB hits, and 11 pressures, among other stats.
This is a guy who was named First Team All-SEC in his final college season. At LSU, he was a beast at rushing the passer with 16.5 sacks, 129 total tackles, and 25 tackles for loss.
In his rookie year, he didn’t tear up the league or be named to the NFL All-Rookie Team, but he showed a lot of promise. He was good against the run and had a huge array of pass-rushing moves. Mostly, Ojulari (6’-2”, 248 pounds) was impressive with his change of direction and quickness. He needed some tutelage in losing bigger offensive linemen and consistency in the use of his hands. But again, he showed promise that better days were ahead of him and that he was coachable.
This year’s training camp, he has shown flashes. But are flashes enough to keep him? Other hybrid players such as Jordan Burch, Eku Leota, and Owen Pappoe are outplaying him. So far in the preseason, Ojulari’s numbers are:
- Panthers: 3 tackles
- Raiders: 1 tackle, 1 QB hit
- Cowboys: 3 tackles
This Cardinals coaching staff does not care for one second where a player was drafted. They want the best 11 guys on the field at all times. These coaches did not draft Ojulari, so they have no skin in his game.
What will the coaching staff do with DE Darius Robinson?
Another guy drafted high and yet has not fulfilled his destiny.
In this year’s training camp, Robinson (6’-5”, 290 pounds) has been a roller coaster. He will dominate one day and then disappear in the preseason games. Maybe he has learned how to outplay his Cardinals’ offensive counterparts, but can’t do anything against the talent in the league. Yes? No? Maybe?
He has excellent size and agility. 12 sacks and 78 tackles in his final two years at Missouri, where he was a pass-rushing demon in a difficult conference. 21.5 tackles for loss tell you about his run-stopping ability.
And right now, Robinson is listed as a starter on the defensive line. In most media projections of the final 53-man roster for Arizona, every single one has Robinson listed. So far in preseason, he has one tackle, and that’s it.
Coming to the Cardinals, Robinson’s role was to wreak havoc in the opponent’s offensive backfield. But so far, he has just two sacks in two seasons, along with 5 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, and 6 pressures. He has struggled to consistently rack up sacks or explosive pass-rush plays.
Maybe DC Nick Rallis should keep him at one position instead of moving him to various spots along the defensive line like he was a “Swiss Army knife.” Keep him at one position, and let him live or die there.
One word? Underperforming. He was taken with the 27th pick in the first round, for goodness ‘ sake. He is not fulfilling the idea of him coming in and becoming that complement to Josh Sweat.
What kind of depth do the Cardinals have at cornerback?
Arizona has a really good defensive backfield. They better, because the NFC West Division is full of exceptional receivers and quarterbacks who can place the ball.
However, name a player in the Cardinals’ cornerback room who has never been hurt?
Exactly. So, the depth machine has got to be there and become a plug-and-play. Will Johnson could become one of those league-wide known corners – if he can remain on the field. Garrett Williams has solidified this group with his veteran presence – if he can remain on the field. Denzel Burke took over last year because of an injury and proved that he belonged in a starting role.
Behind them has been a quagmire of talent.
Max Melton has shown flashes but has had issues adjusting to the speed at the NFL level. He has had several injuries to his heel and knee.
Sean Murphy-Bunting has provided entertainment in that he is a roller coaster himself. He is coming off a horrific knee injury from last year involving a torn ACL plus MCL damage that required surgery. The year before that, it was a neck issue plus a dislocated elbow. The Cardinals’ fanbase was surprised when the front office restructured his deal to a more incentive-laden contract and lowered his salary instead of releasing him.
Kei’Trel Clark had found a groove after being drafted in Round 6 last year before ending up on IR with a back injury. He is fighting for the sixth and final roster spot in this room. He sustained a hip injury in the preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys but was playing well in training camp and had five total tackles in the preseason.
The surprises from the group include undrafted rookie Elijah Culp and Elijah Jones. Culp is a feisty player who runs a 4.4 in the 40 with a vertical leap of 36.0”. He balled out against the Panthers with five tackles, ranking fourth most in this contest.
Most NFL clubs will keep six cornerbacks. The coaching staff has to hit on the final two guys because attrition is a virus in the Cardinals’ defensive backfield.
