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Saxon was on the Big Red Rage and gives information about Chase Edmonds, James Conner, Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward and more.
Arizona Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon was recently a guest on the “Big Red Rage,” the team’s weekly radio show. In his segment of the show, he spoke about the running backs on the roster.
Check out what he had to say about them.
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Ward played last week on special teams. Whittaker might be needed for depth if Dre Kirkpatrick cannot play.
The Arizona Cardinals announced two roster moves on Saturday, promoting a pair of practice squad players to the active roster. NFL rules allow teams to elevate up to two players to give teams up to 55 players from which to set their 48-man game day active roster.
They elevated undrafted rookie running back Jonathan Ward for the second week in a row and also undrafted rookie cornerback Jace Whittaker.
Ward was elevated last week and was active for the Cardinals’ loss to the Detroit Lions, playing 14 snaps on special teams. He will likely have the same role against the Carolina Panthers.
Whittaker gives the Cardinals cornerback depth. Dre Kirkpatrick is questionable for the game with a concussion, so he might not be able to play. With only four corners on the roster, Whittaker would give them four for Sunday if Kirkpatrick can’t play.
Kevin Peterson will play as the team’s third cornerback if Kirkpatrick is unable to go.
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Will Ward get to be active or will Eno Benjamin make his NFL debut on Sunday?
The Arizona Cardinals announced a Saturday roster move to elevate a practice squad player to the active roster. While, based on the final injury report having cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and defensive lineman Jordan Phillips both questionable for the game, they could have promoted a cornerback or defensive lineman, they instead elevated a running back.
The team announced undrafted rookie running back Jonathan Ward was elevated to the active roster.
Teams can elevate up to two practice squad players to the active roster for game days, giving them up to 55 players to select their 48 active players for the game.
Ward was one of the four players on the practice squad the Cardinals protected this week.
This suggests that the team doesn’t feel like the ankle injury to Phillips or the neck injury to Kirkpatrick will be a problem. The Cardinals only have four cornerbacks on the roster, so if there were any doubt about Kirkpatrick’s ability to play, they would have promoted Jace Whittaker from the practice squad.
The Cardinals also protected defensive linemen Jonathan Bullard and Michael Dogbe this week.
It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals make Ward active on Sunday. They have had three running backs active each Sunday but it has been Kenyan Drake, Chase Edmonds and D.J. Foster. Seventh-round rookie Eno Benjamin has been inactive both games so far this season.
Foster only played on special teams. Will Ward be active to play special teams or will Benjamin get his NFL debut?
The Cardinals will announced their inactive list about 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday.
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RB Jonathan Ward is in position to be elevated from the practice squad and be active on Sunday against the Lions.
NFL teams are allowed to protect up to four players on their practice squad each week, preventing other teams from signing them to their active rosters. The Arizona Cardinals, in Weeks 1 and 2, did not protect the full four players. They protected only three each week.
In Week 3, preparing to take on the 0-2 Detroit Lions, they have protected four players, based on the NFL transaction report from Tuesday.
This week, the Cardinals are protecting a pair of defensive linemen and two undrafted rookies.
Teams can elevate up to two practice squad players to have 55 players from which to choose to have active on game days. The Cardinals currently only have two running backs and four cornerbacks on the roster. Ward seems destined to be active on Sunday.
Protecting Whittaker is insurance against an injury during the week, as is protecting the defensive linemen. The first injury report of the week will come out Wednesday afternoon.
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