The Arizona Cardinals got a major boost Sunday morning, while the Denver Broncos took a hit they can’t really absorb cleanly in the secondary.
Budda Baker is active for Arizona after entering the weekend questionable because of illness and a groin injury. He missed two days of practice, but he’s in the lineup for a Cardinals defense that was already dealing with the absence of Andrew Wingard.
Denver, on the other hand, will be without Patrick Surtain II. The star cornerback is out with an ankle injury and will miss a third straight game.
Melton is also ruled out after being questionable, while Darius Robinson is set to play.
Arizona added offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun and defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte on Saturday as part of a series of roster moves.
Robinson has drawn praise from Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, who described the defender this way:
“You guys obviously see it Sunday. I see it every day since I’ve been here.
He’s a pleasure to work with too. He is made of all the right stuff in terms of what you want in a worker and a person.
I don’t think he puts any unneeded stress or anything on himself. He just shows up to work and tries to get better.
He’s an extremely coachable dude," he said.
"You can just tell by his teammates’ response in terms of how well he’s played of what he means to them. Because again, I think everyone’s just looking for intentions and his intentions are right.
He just wants to do right. He just wants to play as hard as he can.
I’m happy for the start he’s had and I still think he’s got a long way to go - in a good way.”
Denver’s roster also shifted this weekend. The Broncos activated running back Jonah Coleman and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper to the 53-man roster, then elevated safety Taylor Rapp and defensive back Sean Fresch Jr. from the practice squad for the game in the desert.
This is also the weekend the Cardinals will induct Larry Fitzgerald into their Ring of Honor. Broncos coach Sean Payton offered strong praise for Fitzgerald earlier in the week:
“He was amazing. Fortunately I was able to spend some time with him at the [Pro Football] Hall of Fame.
There are so many things that he represented that are right. So consistent, competitive," he said of Fitzgerald.
"It was an amazing statistic, I never knew they kept track of it. He had more tackles-maybe that’s not a good stat-but he had more tackles than dropped passes.
He was smart, tough, reliable. He knew then that he was going to be at this game and gave me a hard time about it.
Tremendous player. Really, really good.”
In Other News...
Cardinals Forced Into A Defensive Change Before Broncos Game
The Cardinals Week 7 inactive list brought a few expected absences before facing the Broncos, but it also clarified how Arizona would piece together its defense and offensive line going into the matchup. Among the players unavailable were Jeremiyah Love, Jon Gaines, Andrew Wingard, Walter Nolen, Max Melton, Carson Beck and Albert Reese, leaving the team to shuffle both depth and starting roles on a day when availability mattered.
Budda Baker was active despite dealing with a groin injury, giving Arizona an important veteran presence in the secondary. On the other side of the ball, Hayden Conner was set to start at right guard, while Kei'Trel Clark was projected to line up at cornerback opposite Denzel Burke, a combination that shows how quickly the Cardinals have had to adapt their personnel before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Backfield Just Got Murkier Ahead Of Broncos Game
Arizonas backfield picture got a lot thinner this week, with rookie Jeremiyah Love ruled out for Sundays matchup against the Broncos after suffering a high-ankle sprain. The injury leaves the Cardinals without one of the more intriguing young pieces in their offense and forces the team to adjust on the fly heading into a game where rushing production could matter.
With Love unavailable, Arizona is expected to lean on Zonovan Knight and Tyler Allgeier to handle the work in the backfield. The good news for the Cardinals is that Love is not expected to be sidelined for long, with a Week 8 return against the Cowboys on the horizon, but for now the team has to sort through a more uncertain rotation against Denver. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Josh Sweat Decision They Didn't Expect
Josh Sweats situation has become one of the more unexpected subplots around the Cardinals as the trade deadline approaches. The outside linebacker reportedly asked for a trade earlier this offseason, and while Arizona has publicly maintained it is not interested in moving him, the conversation has not gone away as the November 10 deadline gets closer and the team sits at 2-4.
For a Cardinals club trying to steady its season, Sweat presents a tricky decision because a proven edge rusher is not the kind of player a team usually wants to lose in the middle of a scramble. Interest around the league is inevitable when a player of his caliber becomes available, and there has already been buzz about teams with a clear need off the edge, leaving Arizona to weigh its stance against whatever offers may surface. [Read more 🡒]