Arizona Cardinals: Meet the 2019 special teams

The Arizona Cardinals decide to keep the same core of special teamers in 2019

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  Well if you’re the Arizona Cardinals, it may not get better than this right now, so take it or leave it.

Certainly from a punting aspect the Cardinals are going to be just fine.  They have Pro Bowler Andy Lee back in the fold.  He had some training camp competition in Ryan Winslow, a fellow Pittsburgh Panther.

It did look like for awhile early in camp Winslow was going to really give Lee a run for his money.  In the end, Winslow had a good preseason and camp but it wasn’t enough to overtake the 16-year veteran.

At kicker, the Cardinals keep local college star (Arizona State) Zane Gonzalez for another season.  He took over for the now-retired Phil Dawson towards the end of the 2018 season.  Gonzalez had a rough go of it with the team that drafted him in the Cleveland Browns.

Gonzalez had no competition in camp.  He didn’t appear to need it at all.  He had a great preseason and looks ready to be the kicker that the Browns drafted two years ago.

At long snapper, the Cardinals continue to go with Aaron Brewer.  He really solidified the position for the team after the diasterous start the team had with a couple of rookies in 2016.  Since then it has been Brewer’s job.

The only change in the special teams this season is one of the kick returners will be speedster Andy Isabella.  For now it may be the best chance for him to touch the ball, as he is seventh on the receiver depth chart, missing half of camp with an injury.

The punt returner will be Christian Kirk once again.  However newcomer Damiere Byrd will backup on both kick returns and punt returns.  He had a good camp at receiver and showed some of his prowess returning punts in the preseason.