Arizona Cardinals: Ryan Swope Hasn’t Practiced Due to Concussion
By Baily Deeter
May 14, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Ryan Swope (19) catches the ball during organized team activities at the Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Even though Ryan Swope fell to the sixth round, the Arizona Cardinals are confident that he can make a big impact in their offense. However, Swope’s NFL career is off on the wrong foot.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter noticed, Swope has yet to practice this offseason. Swope ran a 4.34 40-yard dash and has the potential to be a deep threat for Carson Palmer, who excels at throwing deep passes. In addition to his ability to get open deep with his speed, Swope can catch short passes and rack up big chunks of yardage after the catch.
The Cardinals hope that’s the case, but if Swope’s concussion issues continue, he won’t be as effective. With Andre Roberts, who led the Cardinals in touchdown receptions last season, in the slot, the Cardinals will be fine at wide receiver. However, the Cardinals want depth, and they would benefit from having Swope.
NFL.com reported that Swope suffered four concussions in college with Texas A&M, and it’s a problem that will stick with him for a long time. The Cardinals hope that Swope returns to practice and doesn’t miss any games, but Swope’s lingering issue could make that hard.