Arizona Cardinals: Another day, another injury

A familiar face was on the sidelines again Wednesday for the Arizona Cardinals

At what point in a player’s development, career, whatever you want to call it, is it time to reassess whether or not said player can make it in the NFL.  It’s a tough business.  There is a reason why only so many people even get a crack at a training camp and even fewer ever crack a roster.

For tight end Troy Niklas you have to wonder what he is thinking tonight?  Will the injury madness ever end for me?  Can I ever reach my potential in the NFL?

These are just guesses on my part of course, however after being sidelined indefinitely, again, by a hamstring injury, you just sit and wonder, is this guy worth the trouble?  Tight end isn’t exactly a deep position for the Cardinals.  If they were healthy at the position, you’d have to like what you see on paper.

This game is not played on paper though, as many of us so rudely find out Sunday after Sunday each September through January.  Teams can only work with what they know now and what they hope for in the future.

In the case of Niklas right now they know he is injured again but they hope he can come back soon in the near future.  No timetable has been provided.  If you mix that with the disappointment of no Jermaine Gresham so far, you are left once again without much depth at tight end.

Sure, we’ve seen positive moments from Darren Fells.  We’ve gotten to know Ifeanyi Momah a bit this preseason.  Outside of either one of them though, what do we know?  That answer right now is unfortunately not enough.

True story.  He hasn’t been able to stay healthy very long in a Cardinals uniform.  I don’t think I would go as far as calling him a bust, yet.  I think it is still too early to call him that.  Right now he’s just started his second season in the NFL.  However, as I said earlier, the thought does cross one’s mind about his durability going forward and when is the tipping point for the Cardinals coaching staff?