Arizona Cardinals: 2015 Training Camp QB's

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Dec 11, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton (5) throws a pass during the first half of a football game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

Stanton, who played in nine games last season, completed 55.0% (132 out of 240) of his passes for 1711 yard at a clip of 190.1 yards/game. Compared to Palmer, who played in 2/3rds of the number of games, Stanton’s totals are much lower over the course of a full season. Stanton had one 300+ yard game and threw for seven touchdowns and five interceptions. The last regular season game that he played in was in 2010 in Detroit, that season, playing in six games, he averaged 130 yards/game, threw for 58% and hit four touchdowns and three picks. Career backup numbers if there ever was any doubt.

This is where things get interesting.

The most intriguing option is a kid from Winston-Salem State who the Cardinals signed after the draft. The 6-4, 210 pound Phillip Sims completed 118 out of 198 (60%) for 1560 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions last season.

Why bring in Sims when you have three quarterbacks on the roster who played in NFL games, and a clear journeyman sitting fourth on your depth chart currently?

Simple math of low risk, high reward. Sims was originally recruited by Nick Saban at Alabama, where he never started, eventually transferring to Virginia and then to Winston-Salem State (Div. II). His stats don’t scream “awesome” when you think about the quality of opposing talent in Div. II. But you look at the diamond in the rough that Keim and Arians found in John Brown from Pittsburg State (also a Div. II school) and a “why not” attitude comes into play, could they strike gold twice?

I clearly have high hopes to see what Sims can do in camp if I’m listing him here above Thomas and Harnish, so much so that I truly believe that Sims could unseat Thomas from the third position on the depth chart to where the Cardinals have to cut Thomas and carry three QBs, or decide to carry four and the fourth would be the first cut player after other teams put their cuts out on the curb.

My “love” for Logan Thomas is apparent at this point, he is what he is, a big arm, who occassionally hits a reciever, more often than not, he hits grass and then the bench. Thomas played in one game last season, against the Denver Broncos, he was 1 for 8, 81 yards (all to Andre Ellington who ran most of those 81 yards) for one lone touchdown (again, most of this should be Ellington’s stat). I honestly see Thomas as a 75-man cut, but the Cardinals may keep him in camp as an arm until the 53-man cut.

Arizona Cardinals: 2015 Training Camp QBs

By Erich Becker | Jul 28, 2015