UPDATE: Due to Hurricane Ida making its way to Louisiana, the Cardinals-Saints game has been moved up to 1 PM eastern time.
The final Cardinals preseason game of 2020 comes from the Caesars Superdome this Saturday. It’s the last chance for several Cardinals to try and make the cut.
Here are five Cardinals to keep tabs on as Arizona locks horns with the Saints.
TE Ross Travis
Travis made an excellent case for himself last week against the Chiefs. Back-to-back hauls, including a touchdown, made just the right amount of noise for him. Those two catches were the only targets of the night for him and he got 100 percent.
The New Orleans game may present a spot for the former Penn State Nittany Lion to overtake Darrell Daniels as tight end number two. Travis has bounced around teams since coming to the NFL undrafted in 2015. This game could be his best chance yet to stay in one spot.
LB Victor Dimukeje
The sixth-round rookie by the Cardinals was drafted as a defensive end this season. Now, he has been assigned to the linebacker position and Dimukeje certainly had promise against the Chiefs.
His five tackles in the loss tied him with fellow LB Ezekiel Turner for third on the team. He can stand to make more noises against New Orleans, especially since he’s competing against Dennis Gardeck who is coming off the PUP list.
S Shawn Williams
Much like his longtime teammate in Cincinnati, A.J. Green, Shawn Williams is out to prove he’s still got it. The 30-year-old veteran led Arizona in total tackles with seven (four were solo) in the Chiefs loss last Friday.
Williams is not far removed from his solid 2018 and 2019 seasons. In that time, Williams had back-to-back 110+ total tackles. But 2020 saw him take a deep dive in results due to the Bengals going forward with Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates. Now he has to compete with rookie James Wiggins to start behind Budda Baker.
WR Andy Isabella
The former UMass Minuteman has not played a single preseason snap due to COVID-19. After small numbers last season and an arguably faster receiver of his stature in Rondale Moore present, Isabella’s got to make the most of his reps Saturday.
Not to mention Isabella’s return duties have been taken by Eno Benjamin, who has not disappointed during returns. Even with such missed time, there is still a chance Isabella is safe. But a substantial time on the field Saturday can help ensure that is the case.
RG Josh Jones
Now, this is an interesting one, Brian Winters signed with Arizona in the offseason Some expected him to lock in the starting spot at right guard. However, Winters has been injured for the past few weeks, leaving Justin Murray and Jones, a right tackle to fill in.
Jones’ chances of staying on the team are likely increased now as a result. If he can continue to grow in the right guard spot as the safety valve it will pay dividends for him. Every rep in New Orleans matters more now.
You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Jose!
“From Our Haus to Yours”
