We’ve looked at winners and losers from the Arizona Cardinals first preseason game. We also discussed position battles that grew more intense, and we even talked about seven huge takeaways from that first game.
Now, we’re looking at our final piece before we move on to Week 2 and start talking about the Redbirds upcoming matchups vs. the Kansas City Chiefs: Three notable players who will likely move up or down the depth chart.
Who caught our eye in Week 1, and where should they stand coming into Week 2? Keep reading for a rundown on three notable players whose stock either skyrocketed or dropped following Friday night’s game.
3 Arizona Cardinals who could move up the depth chart for Week 2
1 - Andre Baccellia moving up at SWR
Andre Baccellia has bounced around a few different teams and practice squads since his rookie season in 2020, and has just seven catches and 45 receiving yards to his name. He also looked like more than one of the odd men out in the receiving unit thanks to the numbers game.
Following a strong performance in Preseason Week 1 when he logged 45 receiving yards and caught three of his four targets, finishing second on the team in both categories, Bacellia’s stock is on the rise. His numbers beat out Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch, the latter of whom was shut out after quarterbacks targeted him three times.
Moore snagged one catch for 13 yards early in the game. But when quarterback Clayton Tune targeted him again, Moore fell at the wrong time, which led to an interception. Baccellia is still behind Dortch and Moore, but it wouldn’t hurt to move him up the depth chart to see how he fares in front of his peers in Week 2.
2 - Geoff Swaim moving down at TE
One of the Arizona Cardinals more recent pickups, Geoff Swaim looked like he was going to be the TE3 on this football team. Then Noah Togiai started impressing coaches in training camp, and served as early competition for Swaim.
To make matters worse for the veteran tight end, undrafted rookie Blake Whiteheart showed up in a huge way in the preseason opener, vastly outperforming Swaim, intensifying the TE3 battle. At this point, Jonathan Gannon and Drew Petzing need to ask themselves who gives the team more value: An aging journeyman or a pair of youngsters, one of whom has gotten very little chances to succeed in the NFL.
3 - Marquis Hayes moving down at G
There are few words you can use regarding Marquis Hayes’ play on Friday night, but I would be surprised if he wasn’t released before the official cutdown following that kind of performance. Hayes had little going for him as it was, but if he’s playing anywhere near the top two units starting next week, then I’m not sure what Jonathan Gannon or anyone else sees in him.
If Hayes toils through another poor contest, there is no way he should get another chance at playing for this team. He needs a dramatic improvement for any hope to remain part of this team’s lineup going forward.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference and ESPN.com)