Let’s take a look at the latest out of Arizona…
- Although 2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries is the Cardinals’ presumptive starter at right tackle, there’s no guarantee that the club simply hands him the role, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Humphries didn’t play a single snap during his rookie season, and frustrated Arizona management to the point that head coach Bruce Arians began referring to him as “knee deep” (re: Arians’ knee vs. Humphries’ posterior). Per Urban, the Cardinals could add a veteran free agent during camp to compete with Humphries, and while Eugene Monroe is no longer an option after announcing his retirement, I did point to former Giants tackle Will Beatty as a potential option earlier this summer when analyzing the best available offensive free agents.
- Cornerback is also a position with question marks in the desert, as career special-team Justin Bethel is slated to start opposite All Pro Patrick Peterson. But general manager Steve Keim says that Bethel will have to earn playing time, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. “Obviously, Justin is the current starter, but it’s always going to be an open competition,” Keim said. “Knowing Bruce Arians and his staff, we’ll play the best 11 out there, so whoever gives us a chance to succeed. But we have expectations for Justin. He’s got great athleticism and movement skills.” The Cardinals signed veteran corner Mike Jenkins earlier this week, and are also scheduled to meet with former Redskins defensive back Chris Culliver next week.
- Red Bryant signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract earlier this offseason to remain with Arizona, but Weinfuss writes that the veteran defensive tackle could be on the roster bubble because of the club’s depth up front. As Roster Resource shows, the Cards have many options on the defensive line after acquiring Chandler Jones and drafting Robert Nkemdiche to play alongside Calais Campbell, Rodney Gunter, Frostee Rucker, and others. As such, Bryant, whose main specialty is stopping the run, might not be a lock of the 53-man roster.
- Earlier this month, we reviewed the Cardinals’ offseason, looking back at every notable signing, loss, draft pick, and trade by Arizona over the past several months.