Cardinals 53-man roster projections ahead of final cutdown day

TEMPE — With preseason play out of the way, it’s time to look ahead to the regular season.

But before we can get to Week 1, there are still serious decisions left regarding Arizona’s 53-man roster.

That final picture was cleared up a bit more Monday morning, with the Cardinals releasing 10 players ahead of practice, most notably wide receiver KeeSean Johnson and rookie offensive lineman Michal Menet.

Before Arizona locks in its 53-man roster, here’s a projection of what that could look like by the time 1 p.m. rolls around on Tuesday.

Projections based solely on the players currently on the Cardinals roster.

Cardinals 53-man roster projection

Quarterback (3)

– Kyler Murray

– Colt McCoy

– Chris Streveler

The quarterback room has taken a noticeable step forward from a year prior with the addition of McCoy this offseason.

“There’s really no way to replicate 12 years of NFL experience and just the knowledge that he has,” Streveler said of McCoy during training camp. “Honestly, having him in the room, getting to learn from him, being in meetings every day, he just brings a lot of good knowledge and good leadership to the room that I think has been good for everyone.”

Running back (4)

– Chase Edmonds

– James Conner

– Jonathan Ward

– Eno Benjamin

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said during training camp that the thought of keeping four running backs on the roster wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. And with how much more improved both Ward and Benjamin have looked, both find a spot on the 53-man.

“Like I’ve mentioned about Eno, he’s come back a different guy and Ward has come back with a lot more confidence than last year as well,” Kingsbury said last Wednesday. “They both know they belong, so it’s been fun to watch those guys compete.”

Wide receiver (6)

– DeAndre Hopkins

– A.J. Green

– Christian Kirk

– Rondale Moore

– Andy Isabella

– Antoine Wesley

With Johnson’s release earlier Monday, Wesley slides into the final spot in the wide receiver room.

And after getting a full week of camp following his second stint on the COVID-19 list, Isabella finds himself back on the roster.

“He did some good things the last couple days,” Kingsbury said last Thursday. “You can tell he’s dialed in and he’s really got a chip on his shoulder after missing 15 days. He works really hard at his craft and you can tell he was mad he had to miss those days. He’s come back and executed at a high level.”

Tight end (3)

– Maxx Williams

– Darrell Daniels

– Ross Travis

While Demetrius Harris was right there throughout training camp, Travis secures the final tight end spot on the roster.

“That’s an interesting group, bringing in Demetrius I thought was a big boost,” Kingsbury said Thursday. “Darrell, we know what he can do. Maxx has played at a high level. I think Ross has made plays when he’s had an opportunity.”

Offensive line (9)

– LT D.J. Humphries

– LG Justin Pugh

– C Rodney Hudson

–  G/T Josh Jones

– RT Kelvin Beachum

– G Brian Winters

– G Justin Murray

– T Josh Miles

– C/G Max Garcia

Miles was dubbed the most improved lineman this training camp, while Garcia has solidified his role as the team’s backup center. Then you have the right guard spot between Jones, Winters and Murray.

“I really thought when we took him three years ago, it was probably gonna take about three years,” run game coordinator and offensive line coach Sean Kugler said of Miles during camp. “I really felt Year 3 you would start to see the dividends of him paying off. He’s an outstanding athlete, he’s long, he can bend and he plays with an edge.”

Defensive line (6)

– DE J.J. Watt

– DT Rashard Lawrence

– DE Jordan Phillips

– DT Corey Peters

– DE Zach Allen

– DT Leki Fotu

With an extra running back on the roster, that leaves Michael Dogbe on the outside looking in when deciding on defensive lineman. Allen has had a strong camp, while Fotu has seen visible growth after getting down to business days after last season’s finale.

Outside linebacker (4)

– Chandler Jones

– Markus Golden

– Devon Kennard

– Dennis Gardeck

Inside linebacker (5)

– Isaiah Simmons

– Zaven Collins

– Jordan Hicks

– Ezekiel Turner

– Tanner Vallejo

Cornerback (5):

– Byron Murphy

– Malcolm Butler

– Robert Alford

– Marco Wilson

– Tay Gowan

Wilson and Gowan showed enough this camp to earn the last two spots on the roster over the likes of Darqueze Dennard and Daryl Worley.

“I mentioned it beginning of training camp, I thought some of the additions we made through the draft and free agency late were big,” Kingsbury said mid August. “It’s been good competition, they’re all learning the system.”

Safety (5)

– Budda Baker

– Jalen Thompson

– Chris Banjo

– Charles Washington

– Deionte Thompson

Special Teams (3)

– P Andy Lee

– K Matt Prater

– LS Aaron Brewer

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