Arizona Cardinals: Familiar names on practice squad

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The Arizona Cardinals announced their initial practice squad on Monday

The Arizona Cardinals practice squad was announced on Monday and it includes some players familiar with the team.  Of the 10 players announced for the squad, six of them spent the preseason with the team.  Four other players including a former Arizona State Sun Devil were named to the squad.

Cornerback Robert Nelson, who played for the Sun Devils in 2012 and 2013 and led the Sun Devils in interceptions with six in 2013, will get another shot in the NFL.  He was released this past weekend by the Cleveland Browns.

Amongst the familiar names making it to the practice squad are CB Cariel Brooks, LB Gabe Martin, RB Kerwynn Williams, G Antonie McClain, WR Jaxon Shipley, and T Rob Crisp.  The others were TE Brandon Bostick, CB Leon McFadden, and DE Lawrence Okoye.

Brooks had played well enough in the preseason I thought to make the 53-man roster for the Cardinals.  Williams was on the fence and when it was decided the Cardinals were keeping six receivers, that meant only four at running back.

Speaking of receivers, Shipley had a very nice preseason.  He played so well to the point you wanted him on the 53-man roster but knew he wouldn’t make it because of the depth there.  I think both Williams and Shipley are destined to get a shot in the regular season this year, if not with the Cardinals, some other team that can pluck them from the Cardinals practice squad.

Bostick you might remember.  He was the Green Bay Packers player that coughed up the onside kick in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks back in January.  He was cut after the season and was then signed by the Minnesota Vikings.  The Vikings cut Bostick last week and now the Cardinals are giving the tight end a shot.

Leon McFadden was cut by the San Francisco 49ers this past weekend.  He played for the 49ers in seven regular season games in 2014.  He also played in all 16 regular season games for the Browns in 2013 before a stop in between with the New York Jets.

Lawrence Okoye competed for Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the discus.  He too was released by the 49ers last week in the first round of cuts to get to the 75-man limit.  Okoye was on the 49ers practice squad for all of 2014.