Arizona Cardinals: 5 position battles to watch
By Scott Allen
Defensive Line
Currently the Cardinals have 13 players on the roster on the defensive line. Seven of those 13 are defensive ends.
With the conversion of Chandler Jones and Markus Golden from linebacker to defensive end thanks to a defensive scheme change, spots may be more scarce than in seasons past. The Cardinals also have six defensive tackles.
Those defensive tackles include Rodney Gunter, Robert Nkemdiche, Corey Peters, and Olsen Pierre. They are all holdovers from the Bruce Arians era.
The question is, who stays and who goes? You will likely see a cut down to nine or 10 players total on the defensive line. Is there a chance for guys like defensive ends Bryson Albright and Alec James?
The Cardinals are still waiting for Nkemdiche to reach potential. There is doubt among Cardinals fans that will happen. He too may be sitting on his last chance.
Would the Cardinals part ways in the preseason with Nkemdiche if he isn’t performing? At this point, given the roster, unless he is injured, which with him is always a possibility, look for him to be given one more season to show what he can do.