Arizona Cardinals Rookie Report: Preseason Week 1
By Jeremy Meek
The Arizona Cardinals rookies had a solid showing overall in their first preseason game
The first preseason game of the 2017 season promised to be a showcase for young players. With the starters being held out, it was a chance for a number of guys who won’t play much in the regular season, to shine.
It’s always interesting to track the rookies in particular. They are the guys chosen to be the future of the franchise, and watching them progress is always enjoyable for fans.
Though the Hall of Fame game ended in defeat for the Cardinals, the rookies had an impact on the game.
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Haason Reddick is learning a new position, so bumps in the road are inevitable. In his first outing, he recorded three tackles, but more importantly, he flashed the closing speed that made him a first round pick. He’ll need to keep working on how to navigate traffic on the field, as he found himself swallowed by linemen a few times.
Second round pick Budda Baker had a good showing, with a total of six tackles. His effort was also noteworthy. He played with a relentless quality that coaches were sure to notice.
Perhaps the best showing was from running back TJ Logan. The day three selection gave fans some of the most exciting moments of the night. He had a couple of long kick returns, where he showed of his speed. His toughness was a nice surprise for many, though. Two of the biggest hits of the night were on plays where he put his head down and initiated contact. He was the team’s leading rusher as well.
Rookie offensive linemen Will Holden and Dorian Johnson held their own, albeit against the Cowboys’ second and third-stringers.
The two leading tacklers on the night, for the Cardinals, were both rookies. Rudy Ford had ten tackles and Ironhead Gallon had nine of his own. This was largely a result of the Cowboys offense getting down the field quite a bit later in the game.
Two players who didn’t have the debuts they would have liked were third round receiver Chad Williams and quarterback Trevor Knight. Williams had just one catch, though he flashed some skills in turning it into a 19-yard gain. Knight went 5 of 14 for 68 yards.