Arizona Cardinals: Gabbert makes early push

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert had himself a nice practice on Sunday

Nothing has changed for now nor will it change soon but Arizona Cardinals backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert could push Drew Stanton for the number two slot down the road.  On Sunday, he showed in practice just why.

Gabbert and Stanton received most of the reps in Sunday’s practice, day two of training camp. Starter Carson Palmer was in street clothes as he was given the day off.

Gabbert threw some nice passes in practice.  They were not the garden-variety 10-15 yard chucks either.  He was throwing downfield with accuracy.

What does that mean in the end?  Nothing more, at least for today, than he had a good day at practice. It does lend credibility however to coach Bruce Arians words over the weekend.

Arians commented that Gabbert had picked up the Cardinals playbook quicker than he had expected. That is the good news.

The bad news, at least from a historical standpoint, is that Gabbert has been touted as a good practice player in the past.  It’s when he gets to Sunday’s in the fall when he struggles.

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Right now, many still believe Stanton will end up with the number two spot behind Palmer.  Even I have to admit there is a chance.  I’ve never been a huge fan of Gabbert.

All that matters in the end is the hope the Cardinals get it right when it comes to the backup competition.  Don’t even count out rookie Trevor Knight.

There is plenty of camp time to go.  We are only into the third day of practice today.  All we want to see is the Cardinals get it right.  Make sure the correct personnel are kept.

The hope though here is neither Gabbert or Stanton need to play any meaningful time during the regular season.  If they do, that means something has happened to Palmer.

As predicted though, the backup competition at quarterback will be one of the most intriguing. That has been proven already and expect it to continue well into August.