The Arizona Cardinals are heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys ready to mix and match, and that means a few familiar names could still see the field even if the lineup won’t look anything like a regular-season depth chart.
Head coach Mike LaFleur made it clear the situation isn’t locked in yet.
"I don't want to say that all quote unquote starters [won't play] because we don't have our starters yet, per se. Obviously, I'm not going to sit here and say we don't know who's going to be our left tackle and who's going to be our center and stuff like that,"
"But it's not like 22 guys are going to be sitting out. There's going to be guys that are going to be out there on day one, that are going to be starters, that will be playing in this game."
Two names already ruled out are Jacoby Brissett and Jeremiyah Love, but beyond that, the picture is still cloudy. That leaves room for several veterans and borderline starters to get reps against Dallas, including a few players trying to steady their standing in the competition.
Cornerback Kei’Trel Clark Melton is one of them. The former second-round pick is currently behind Will Johnson, Denzel Burke and Garrett Williams in the cornerback battle.
His speed and versatility help him, and his value on special teams keeps his roster spot secure. The bigger question is his role, especially after he was benched late last season.
He hasn’t separated himself much during camp or preseason, so he may need live action this week to make his case.
At defensive line, Myles Robinson is another player who could use the snaps. The former first-round pick has slipped well below the expectations that came with his draft status, even though his training camp has again been solid.
Preseason play, though, has not matched that momentum. He still carries starter status and has upside, but Arizona’s frequent rotation up front means there are alternatives ready to cut into his workload.
After a quiet performance against Las Vegas, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him out there against Dallas.
Then there’s safety Rabbit Taylor-Demerson, who appears to have lost ground with the coaching staff. The path looked open this offseason after Jalen Thompson left, but Andrew Wingard’s arrival changed the equation.
Arizona does lean on three-safety looks, so Taylor-Demerson should still get on the field, just not as a clear starter. His game in Las Vegas didn’t help much, while Wingard now looks like the safer option next to Budda Baker.
Saturday could give Taylor-Demerson a chance to regain some confidence, even if the role battle is still working against him.
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