Big Red
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- Mar 16, 2019
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With July here and training camp beginning in just a few weeks, azcardinals.com will take a look at the Cardinals’ individual position groups during this very quiet time in the NFL, and give our opinions about the groups stand prior to camp. Today, it’s the offensive line.
LOCKS: D.J. Humphries, Justin Pugh, Mason Cole, A.Q. Shipley, J.R. Sweezy, Marcus Gilbert
For all the concern of the offensive line, it seems fairly settled already. The only position in question is at center, where Mason Cole and A.Q. Shipley will battle. Shipley sounds confident he will be the guy, and he has fended off young competition before. There is less about the battles to play in the starting lineup than the battles to stay healthy -- Humphries, Pugh, Shipley and Gilbert all ended last season on injured reserve.
WORK TO DO: Korey Cunningham, Lamont Gaillard, Max Garcia, Jeremy Vujnovich, Desmond Harrison, Rees Odhiambo, Colby Gossett, Joshua Miles, Will Holden, William Sweet, Tariq Cole, Coleman Shelton
There are a lot of unknowns when it come to depth. Cunningham is still a work-in-progress, but the Cards liked what they saw from him as a raw rookie and he’s in prime position to be one of the tackles in 2020, if Humphries or Gilbert exit (both are in the final years of their contract.) What can rookies Gaillard and Miles show? What are the expectations for Garcia, coming off an ACL tear? Can Harrison, the waiver-wire pickup who has tools, impress enough to get a look-see for the future? The Cardinals continue their seemingly unending search to make the line better, and they have plenty of candidates to see if one sticks.
UPGRADE ODDS: Medium
The Cardinals seem to have made plenty of moves to rearrange the room already. But the O-line seems primed for a potential addition via the waiver wire, given all the linemen that will be out there. And if the Cards like a rookie or two, it wouldn’t be surprising if nine linemen were on the active roster.
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