Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A rundown of the performance of the Cardinals’ rookies in their 38-10 preseason loss on Saturday.
The Arizona Cardinals lost on Saturday night 38-10 at home to the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason. It wasn’t a good overall team performance, but the preseason is more about individual play than team play.
The Cardinals’ draft picks and other rookies got a decent amount of playing time.
Let’s go over what each player did.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
We take a look at Johnson’s place on the team as training camp begins.
The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.
Next up is OL Paris Johnson.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
The Cardinals’ first open practice of training camp had their top draft pick playing right tackle with the first-team offensive line.
The Arizona Cardinals held their first open and public practice of training camp and both fans and media members were able to see how the practice rotations were divided up and who was with the first team and beyond.
Of course, the player many have their eyes on is rookie tackle Paris Johnson, the Cardinals’ first-round draft pick this year, selected sixth overall.
According to AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban and other media members in attendance, Johnson is, for now, on track to be the team’s starting right tackle.
He got first-team reps at right tackle.
Veteran Kelvin Beachum, who re-signed with the team on a two-year deal, had been the starting right tackle for the last three seasons.
But it is Johnson who is getting those first-team reps, at least at the present time.
Johnson played a season at right guard and a season at left tackle in college at Ohio State. There was some thought that he could end up playing left guard, where there was a vacancy this offseason after Justin Pugh was not re-signed.
With Johnson running with the starters, Kelvin Beachum and Josh Jones now will have a battle to be the Cardinals’ backup swing tackle.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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There are likely going to be two new starting right tackles in the division in 2023.
On the offensive line, left tackles get the most attention. However, right tackles are equally as important in the NFL now with many teams having a pair of good edge rushers and because good pass rushers often switch sides.
We looked at the right tackles in the division already. In 2023, the San Francisco 49ers will have a new starter as Mike McGlinchey signed with the Denver Broncos, and the Cardinals have a battle for the starting right tackle job.
How do the right tackles in the division stack up?
Previous NFC West rankings:
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
NFL.com has him making the All-Rookie team as a guard, although he seems on track to play tackle as a rookie.
The Arizona Cardinals are preparing for first-round pick Paris Johnson, an offensive lineman, to have a starting role in his rookie season. Because of his draft status, getting selected sixth overall, there are high expectations.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter projected this coming season’s All-Rookie offensive squad and he has Johnson included on the offensive line, albeit at guard.
It’s unclear where Johnson will line up as a rookie after playing both guard and tackle during his college career. He worked at right tackle during minicamp, but head coach Jonathan Gannon was non-committal when asked recently about which position the rookie will play come Week 1. Veteran Kelvin Beachum could get the nod at right tackle, bumping Johnson to left guard, where he would move defenders on run plays and protect Colt McCoy until Kyler Murray returns from injury.
There is a small chance he could play guard, but his lack of reps there suggests the plan is at tackle. He and Beachum will compete for the job.
Even still, it is a completely reasonable thing to expect Johnson, arguably the best linemen in the draft, to be good enough as a rookie to make the All-Rookie team.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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He will help distribute 8,000 water bottles on Sunday.
It hasn’t been long but Arizona Cardinals rookie offensive lineman Paris Johnson, the team’s first-round pick in the draft this year, has found a way to participate in community work.
The team announced Johnson is holding a summer water drive.
He is teaming up with a local bottler, Swire Coca-Cola and will distribute more than 8,000 water bottles to the residents of the UMOM New Day Center on Sunday, July 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Per the press release:
Founded in 1964, UMOM is an innovative provider of shelter, housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. Every night they provide safe shelter and supportive services for nearly 700 individuals experiencing homelessness – 155 families and 130 single women. They also offer over 550 units of affordable housing across the Valley.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Murray appeared to be the only teammate as part of the welcoming party as Johnson, Arizona’s top draft pick, entered the facility the first time.
Offensive lineman Paris Johnson was the player that quarterback Kyler Murray wanted the Arizona Cardinals to select in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
Murray shows his excitement for the selection.
As can be seen in the new episode of “Cardinals Flight Plan,” Murray was part of the welcoming party when Johnson was flown in and introduced to the media the day after he was drafted.
Owner Michael Bidwill greeted him, followed by general manager Monti Ossenfort and then head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Murray was next before Johnson went through a gauntlet of Cardinals employees cheering Johnson on as he entered the building.
As far as can be seen, Murray was the only player to welcome him outside the building.
Murray’s visibility in Tempe has been noticeable. He has been training in Tempe, rehabbing in Tempe and has been on the field during practices during OTAs despite being able to practice right now as he recovers from his torn ACL.
Johnson is excited to block for Murray and Murray is ready for Johnson to block for him.
Once it begins happening, it should be fun to see.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Johnson’s mother gets emotional as her son is introduced to the Cardinals because Johnson’s father was also drafted by the Cardinals.
The latest episode of “Cardinals Flight Plan” focuses on the NFL draft and particularly the selection of offensive lineman Paris Johnson.
In one part of the video, he and his mother are flown and driven to Tempe for the first time since being drafted.
His mother, Monica Daniels, gets emotional on the drive to the team facility because it was not her first time going there.
Johnson’s father, Paris Johnson, was a defensive back drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 1999 draft. Johnson never played a game in the NFL but the younger Johnson’s mother was moved upon showing up for the second time.
“I was just here,” she said. “I was just here literally 23 years ago and honestly I just feel like God was just giving me a glimpse.”
She started crying.
“I didn’t mean to get emotional. I’m sorry. It’s just tears of joy because I just think God was giving me a glimpse of what the future was going to be like and prepare me for this moment so I would know how to support you, how to guide you, how to love you and to understand. And I’m just so grateful for this second opportunity. I just think it’s incredible.
“You’re going to do amazing things.”
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Head coach Jonathan Gannon won’t say what the plans are for Johnson moving forward but has him currently at tackle.
The Arizona Cardinals’ top draft pick this year was offensive lineman Paris Johnson. He is expected to start somewhere on the offensive line as a rookie.
The question is where.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon won’t really answer the question about what he thinks will happen but did give us perhaps a clue.
When asked on Wednesday if he saw Johnson as a tackle, a swing guy or an inside guy, Gannon responded by asking, “When’s the first game? That’s when we’ll know.”
He did expand a bit, saying that Johnson was working outside at tackle “today.”
You can find photos on the official team site from different practices with Johnson lined up at right tackle.
“He’s played both positions (tackle and guard) in college, so he has versatility, but I think he has what you’re looking for in a starting tackle,” he added.
Johnson started a season at right guard and one at left tackle for Ohio State.
Arizona’s starting left guard job appears open, while Kelvin Beachum, the starting right tackle for the last three seasons, re-signed in the offseason to a two-year deal.
Gannon has said throughout the offseason program that they are moving linemen around to give them reps at different positions, evaluating where they fit best and teaching them versatility.
But the reps at tackle suggest that he will be battling either Beachum or left tackle D.J. Humphries for a starting job outside once training camp begins at the end of July.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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First-round pick Paris Johnson seems to be on track to replace Beachum in the starting lineup.
After three seasons with the Cardinals as their starting right tackle, Kelvin Beachum re-signed with the team as a free agent, inking a two-year contract.
He was set to be the Cardinals’ starting right tackle again.
However, since then, they selected Paris Johnson with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Johnson has practiced at right tackle (as well as left guard) thus far.
Johnson was the player quarterback Kyler Murray hoped the Cardinals would draft in the first round.
Beachum also made comments in the offseason, saying Murray needed to grow up. While the comments were not meant to malign Murray, at least one teammate was upset at what was said.
Arizona has only six players in their 30s on the team. Beachum is one of them.
They are making a youth movement.
Beachum’s salary is fully guaranteed for 2023 so he isn’t really at risk of being cut, but, with his ability to play both left and right tackle, he would make a nice backup swing tackle.
The Cardinals did not draft Johnson not to play him.
While other rookies could end up starting, they are at positions where there is not a clearly established veteran as the starter.
Beachum isn’t really in danger of losing his spot on the roster, but he is the most likely to lose his spot in the starting lineup.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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