Arizona Cardinals: 5 bold predictions for training camp in 2023

Welcome to the last day of the last calendar week without Arizona Cardinals football at least from now until January as training camp is about to kick off.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) watches quarterback Colt McCoy (12) throw a pass
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) watches quarterback Colt McCoy (12) throw a pass / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY
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Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during organized team activities on June 1, 2023, at / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

3 - One of the running backs steps up behind James Conner

In a recent piece, I stated Ty’Son Williams, despite being a potential odd man out, may also have the best chance of stepping in as the RB2 based on previous success with the Baltimore Ravens, albeit a limited sample size. But there are two other backs I can see stepping up into a legit RB2 role - Keaontay Ingram and Emari Demercado.

Not only will someone step up and become a viable force behind Conner, they will also put themselves into position to split carries with the bruising veteran come Week 1. This will help preserve the oft-injured Conner, and it could set the stage for one of the three aforementioned backs to become a potential long-term fixture for this Cardinals team, at least as a role player.

4 - Trey McBride emerges as the best overall pass catcher

Trey McBride has for a while now been one of our second-year players to watch, and he’s in a prime position to win the TE1 job from Zach Ertz, especially if the latter may be limited in camp. McBride looked more than capable at the position when Ertz went down with a knee injury, and even from a bold predictions standpoint, it’s more than realistic that he dominates in camp. 

If that’s the case, then there is no question that McBride will open the season as the starter. And you can also expect him to continue recording the same steady numbers that turned heads during the latter half of 2022.