Arizona Cardinals Roster 2018 Cardinals Roster

The Cardinals went out and setup their roster for the future, but still have some veteran presence. Sam Bradford was an expensive free agent purpose, and they drafted Josh Rosen. Bradford’s health is always a hot topic, and Rosen will end up starting some games at some point whether Bradford is healthy or not. David Johnson missed 99% of the season, but is looking ready to go for 2018. The battle in camp for his backup role will be between Chase Edmonds and Elijha Penny. Larry Fitzgerald is still leading this team, but John and Jaron Brown are both in other places. The Cardinals made a couple under the radar moves. Brice Butler should some promise in Dallas when given the chance, and Christian Kirk is a rookie with a promising future. It is easy to assume these three will be the guys worth noting, while JJ Nelson could get some work at times.

Tough Position in the NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals are in a tough spot when it comes to competing within the NFC West. The rich get richer, and the poor also are working their way back to contention. This places a team who finished 8-8 last season in a tough position. Most of their positional players are in good spots, limiting the call for upgrade. One major area of concern for the team heading into the 2018 off-season was the quarterback position.

The team wanted to bolster the position after the loss of Carson Palmer to retirement. They started with free agency, acquiring Sam Bradford. Bradford joined Mike Glennon as the only two quarterbacks on the roster. Than came the NFL Draft. The Cardinals selected at the 10th position. They were gifted a present when Josh Rosen fell to them. Rosen was touted as the highest pro-ready talent at the quarterback position. This kid has got it all going for him: accuracy, a strong arm, and defensive reading capabilities. His skill set is vast and still shows room for improvement. Throughout camp, both Bradford and Rosen have gone back and forth with first team repetitions. Placing the cap on the starter will be a key announcement heading into the season.

The team also went up against the odds once they lost David Johnson early in the season. This young back was an all-purpose player, catching out of the backfield, pass blocking, and excellent running capabilities. Replacing this large piece of the offense was handed to Andre Ellington and company. While their performance was helpful, it failed to amount to the output that Johnson provides. A healthy Johnson heading into camp keeps the team poised for improved coverage and assistance from this offensive position.

The receiver position has also lacked depth beyond Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz is rounding out the end of an illustrious, hall of fame career. The tail-end of his production years are still helping the team win ball games and bolster stats, which makes us wonder if he should ever hang them up. Regardless, past this talent, the team has rotated many different players throughout their wide receiver collections. The team drafted Christian Kirk to gain some consistent production at the position. Aside from this addition, the team lost out on some bodies with John Brown and Jaron Brown being relocated. This will be an interesting area to watch. If Larry continues to perform like the ageless wonder he is, the team won't need additional prospects for support.

The defense also creates a nice find with the addition of Chandler Jones. Jones is a speed burst guy who can plunge through the opposing line with ease. If he finds a nice partnership with opposite side talent Robert Nkemdiche, it will be scary to see what these two game-changers can provide. Working back to the secondary the team finds Patrick Peterson performing do-it-all duties. He hits, he intercepts, he is instrumental in the return game, and he even makes appearances in the offense. He is forced into a position that shoulders a larger load due to the departure of Tyrann Mathieu. He is the mentor type, allowing the team to place a player they need to develop alongside the tenured Peterson.