3 possible changes to Arizona Cardinals depth chart following Preseason Week 2 loss
By Sion Fawkes
If Week 2 served as any indicator, it’s that the Arizona Cardinals need to make serious changes to their depth chart - regarding the backups. The starters came in and, for the most part, looked good vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, but we saw nothing but disaster in the second and third units.
Below, you will find three potential changes to the Cards depth chart prior to the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this coming Saturday. But in all honesty, I could have written a novel regarding how many changes need to be made among the backups following that debacle.
3 potential changes to Arizona Cardinals depth chart for Week 3
1 - Emari Demercado rises to RB3
Emari Demercado and Corey Clement each averaged 1.5 yards per carry, so neither were effective running the football. However, Demercado showed us that he’s the more effective back, and it could be one reason why we saw more of him than Clement on Saturday night.
Clement holds amazing value as a special teamer, but Demercado is the more complete position player. He led all Cardinals players with three catches in Week 2, racking up 22 receiving yards. Keaontay Ingram was the Redbirds best back, but Demercado more than showed his worth.
2 - Zeke Turner falls to Third Team role
Zeke Turner should be a lock to make the team thanks to his ability to play special teams, but linebacker Kyle Soelle has been around the ball often in each of the first two preseason games. He only had one solo tackle, but his four combined stops (three assists) state he was in on a few more plays.
Being a local kid, Soelle is easy to root for, but his performance in camp, practice, and in both preseason outings should warrant him serious consideration not only to move up for a week, but to make the opening day roster. A big game in Week 3 will, at worst, give him a spot on the practice squad.
3 - Jovante Moffatt rises to Second Team safety
Andre Chachere had a terrible outing last weekend and Jovante Moffatt at least showed an edge when given playing time. Last week, Moffatt was listed as Budda Baker’s backup, but that could change after he outperformed Chachere on several fronts.
Overall, the talent behind Baker, Jalen Thompson, and even Isaiah Simmons remains thin. But at this point, Moffatt seems to be the best option to stick around if we’re using Week 2 as the best possible measuring stick.
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(Statistics provided by ESPN.com, depth chart provided by AZCardinals.com)