The Arizona Cardinals have finished the first week of voluntary OTAs (organized team activities). It is part of the offseason where they practice offense vs. defense and it is the time when position battle begin in earnest before the summer break and then when they heat up in training camp.
What position and roster battles are there on the offensive side of the ball?
Desmond Ridder vs. Clayton Tune for backup QB
This is not a heavy battle because it will take an absolute upset for Tune to unseat Ridder as the primary backup to Kyler Murray. However, it is a competition.
Backup running backs
James Conner is the unquestioned starter. After that, there will be a battle. DeeJay Dallas is a lock fro the roster. They still have Michael Carter and then drafted Trey Benson in the third round. Emari Demercado played well as a rookie last year.
The battle is for the roster and then their roles.
Conner and Dallas are locks, as is Benson (probably).
Who will be the primary backup? Will it be Carter or Benson? Will Dallas be in the mix?
Who will handle the third-down back role?
Every role outside of the starting job is up for grabs.
Left guard
Unless Hjalte Froholdt’s job is being challenged, four of the five starting jobs on the offensive line are set.
Left guard is not. Four guy started there last year and all four of those guys are still on the roster. To that group, they signed veteran Evan Brown and drafted Isaiah Adams in the third round.
A hunch has me leaning Brown at left guard to win the job.
All the WR roles
With Marvin Harrison Jr., Zay Jones, Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch expected to be the main four who play, what roles will they have?
Will Dortch get pushed out of the rotation now that Jones is on the roster, and he has played a lot in the slot.
Will Harrison and Jones be the top two and then Wilson come in for three-side sets, pushing Jones or Harrison inside? Will it be Harrison and Wilson with Jones coming off the bench? Can Dortch push into the top three?
The tight end roles after Trey McBride
McBride is the clear No. 1. Elijah Higgins played well down the stretch. Tip Reiman is a ready-made blocking tight end.
But who will play more — Higgins or Reiman? And who will win the fourth spot on the roster?
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