Several Arizona Cardinals veterans sitting on roster bubble

The Arizona Cardinals’ front office could be saying goodbye to some familiar players when roster cuts begin to take place

The Arizona Cardinals have been no strangers to change in recent years. For example, Kliff Kingsbury is the franchise’s third head coach in three seasons. As a result of that hiring, the Cards’ roster will be undergoing a fairly drastic shake-up in 2019 as well.

The latest organizational transformation will not be welcomed by all. Arizona is going in a totally different direction with Kingsbury, a plan that may fail to include several of the players they currently employ. Veterans who have been with the team for a decent amount of time, who’s services will no longer be needed.

A.Q. Shipley will be involved in an interesting competition at training camp, where he’ll do battle with Mason Cole for the first-team center gig. Coming out on the losing end of that encounter could spell the end of the 33-year old’s days in the desert. Shipley is coming off of a torn ACL he suffered in 2018, and could conceivably be replaced by rookie Lamont Gaillard if Cole is named the starter.

Robert Nkemdiche, a first-round draft pick in 2016, may have punched his ticket out of town with his two arrests last month. Management had already declined a fifth-year option in 2020 on the defensive tackle when the pair of incidents took place. Nkemdiche has been both inconsistent and injury-prone during his time in the NFL, so his release would not come as a complete surprise at this point.

How cornerback Brandon Williams has lasted for three seasons with the Cardinals is anybody’s guess. It was clear from the beginning that the 2016 third-round selection could not cover the league’s wide receivers. Williams has produced some on special teams, but his inability to contribute in the secondary could finally cost him his job.

Chad Williams appeared to be loaded with potential when he was chosen in the third round of the 2017 draft. The wide receiver has been a disappointment, however, with just 20 receptions in two campaigns for the Cards. The additions of Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler, Kevin White, KeeSean Johnson and Damiere Byrd could spell doom for Williams in 2019.

The four individuals mentioned in this article could ultimately be playing elsewhere this fall. Nothing is written in stone, but it would not be surprising to see the entire quartet move on. Change is once again taking place in Arizona, and not all of the current Cardinals will be staying around to see it.