GLENDALE — Another year, another joint practice for the Arizona Cardinals.
After getting a day of practice in Tuesday, the Cardinals are off to Denver for joint work and a preseason game against the Broncos.
It’s a tradition spearheaded by the current regime, and one that gives the team that much more film to work with in a near-live setting.
Arriving Wednesday, Arizona will get one joint practice in before branching off for a Friday walkthrough. Then it’s game day on Saturday.
From the moment the wheels touch down, it’s go time. Whether someone’s a starter or fighting for a roster spot, there’s plenty to get done this week.
A look at who could really take advantage of the next few days.
How much can the Cardinals starters show in joint practice?
Among the biggest questions heading into this week center around Arizona’s starters.
After getting some run against the Kansas City Chiefs, how much more (if any) preseason snaps will they see the rest of the way?
“I’m going to wait until Thursday. The players know that,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday when asked about his Week 2 plan. “I’ll wait until Thursday and see how that kicks out, make a decision.”
The two big things to watch here are:
– Play on the practice field
– Injuries
Joint practices mark about the closest thing to live games there are in the NFL.
If the Cardinals starters show enough to Gannon and the rest of the coaching staff, there’s a really good chance at least some earn the weekend off.
“Obviously, the quarterbacks will be off limits. We don’t tackle. We’ll protect Denver and they’ll protect us, too,” Gannon said Monday. “It’s not much different with kind of the rules of engagement I would call it. But you’re going against different schemes, different people. It’s a new stress to your central nervous system. It’ll be at altitude. It’ll be hot. So I’m looking forward to it.”
The same can be said on the injury front. If injuries happen ahead of Saturday, that could impact Gannon’s thinking for game day.
There’s no point in risking further injury or missed time over an exhibition game.
Better to be safe than sorry if the injury bug strikes during joint practice.
Still, seeing two series from the starters would be nice this weekend. A touchdown drive wouldn’t hurt, either.
Which Cardinals need a good week of work in Denver?
With one week down, those looking to solidify their role on the team or spot on the roster have limited time to flash.
That includes inside linebacker Owen Pappoe.
With Akeem Davis-Gaither and Cody Simon coming aboard this offseason, Pappoe’s spot on the roster isn’t as safe as it has been in recent seasons.
That makes Saturday’s tilt an important one for Pappoe, who clearly has the athleticism but needs to show more consistency at the point of attack.
“Make some plays,” Gannon said when asked what Pappoe needed to do this week. “Schematically, I thought that he had a few plays that he would probably want back. I thought he’s had a really good training camp. He’s excited to practice and play.”
The same goes for wide receivers Simi Fehoko and Tejhaun Palmer.
The backend of Arizona’s wide receivers room still needs to be rounded out behind Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Zay Jones, Greg Dortch and Xavier Weaver.
And with Trishton Jackson’s placement on injured reserve Monday, the battle for what could be the final roster spot in the room is mainly coming down to Fehoko and Palmer.
With Fehoko dealing with a quad injury during the last week of training camp, Palmer stepped in with a couple of deep catches from backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
That success didn’t bleed into the first preseason game, with Palmer ending the night with two targets and zero catches. More good on tape against someone not in a Cardinals uniform could really help the young wideout.
Fehoko, meanwhile, needs to show that he’s past his injury.
Early on in camp, the wide receiver made a couple of nice plays working with the second-team offense.
If he can show that in a game setting this weekend, the position battle could be close to over.
Speaking of Cardinals coming off injury, interior lineman Jon Gaines II made his way back on the practice field on Monday.
It’s good timing after the lineman missed multiple days with a thumb wrapped up in a cast.
He should be fine roster spot-wise, but his role as a potential primary backup option might have taken a hit.
While he still has plenty of work to do, rookie Hayden Conner has gone from a trio of botched snaps in a day of training camp practice to having a decent showing at center against the Chiefs.
There’s also Will Hernandez lurking in the shadows, too. For the veteran, it’s a matter of when not if he’ll find a role within the line.
Maybe that’s becoming a starter once more. Maybe that’s being a legit swing guard.
Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to put some good on the tape this week for Gaines.
Sticking with the O-line, the door for undrafted rookie tackle Josh Fryar to crack the initial 53-man roster appeared to open a little more on Tuesday.
According to Gannon, second-year pro Christian Jones is going to miss some time with a knee injury picked up against the Chiefs.
If the missed time extends into the regular season, there will be a roster spot up for grabs.
It’s on Fryar to take it.
And once again, Elijah Simmons gets a shoutout.
With Justin Jones still dealing with a knee issue and both Walter Nolen III and Bilal Nichols yet to practice while on the PUP list, the backend of the D-line room remains up for grabs.
Will it be Simmons or a guy like P.J. Mustipher, whom Gannon has been impressed with this offseason, that comes up and snags a roster spot?