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The First (Unsurprising) Depth Chart, And Camp Practice Aftermath

Team remains down multiple defensive linemen

The depth chart is always an interesting concept. Teams are obligated to put one out each week. It may or may not reflect what is actually happening on the field. Many call it unofficial, but it's not like it's a depth chart from the local paper – the team is putting it out, so it feels official. Maybe inaccurate, but official.

When you look at the Cardinals' initial depth chart, there aren't really any surprises. The only thing that caught my attention – and no, not a surprise – has Jonathan Ward listed third right now and Eno Benjamin fourth among running backs. That can easily change as preseason games play out, but as I am mentioned before, I thought Ward has had a good camp.

Other than that, I can't find anything on the list that made me pause. I think we have a pretty good feel of how this team is going to look. The question is how it plays when the games count.

-- Wide receivers Rondale Moore and A.J. Richardson were back at practice Tuesday. The top four defensive linemen are still sidelined though – Watt, Phillips, Lawrence, Allen – and A.J. Green is still not out there either. Cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Darqueze Dennard also weren't practice. Kliff Kingsbury said Butler, Dennard, Lawrence and Allen weren't too serious, although he stayed vague in what that meant. With a game just a couple of days away, you have to wonder if they are going to be available on Friday.

-- Left guard Justin Pugh went to the locker room on his own midway through practice Tuesday. Sean Harlow stepped in with the first unit. Pugh was walking fine and had no training staff with him, so we'll see if it is anything.

-- As for practice, it felt like especially early, there were a lot of drops by pass catchers. The ball was there often, guys just weren't coming down with them.

-- Linebacker Kylie Fitts had a nice interception of Colt McCoy, much to the delight of the fellow defensive players. And I have to say, it's been fun to watch DeAndre Hopkins wander over to the defensive sideline and engage in some chatter with the other side of the ball after the ones get done with an 11-on-11 battle. He's done it a few times in camp.

-- Kingsbury said the Cardinals looked into having co-practices with other teams but it didn't work out. "It's a little warm in Phoenix, there are not a lot of teams interesting in practicing outside." Usually you set something up with one of your preseason opponents on one side of a game or the other. (The Cardinals practiced against the Titans in 2010 in Nashville following the two teams playing a preseason game there.)

-- There was an actual teaching moment unfolding on special teams. Working on punts landing inside the 5 with a return man, there was a punt dropped inside the 5 and was headed into the end zone. KeeSean Johnson, who is trying to replace departed special teams ace Trent Sherfield, jumped and managed to knock the ball back so it didn't go in the end zone. The only problem: Fellow gunner and rookie Marco Wilson didn't down it, allowing returner Andy Isabella to grab it and race upfield. Another special teams standout, Charles Washington, let Wilson know it was a mistake.

-- Kyler Murray executed a successful no-timeouts, 60-seconds-left-from-your-own-30 field goal drive near the end of practice (despite the Cardinals twice getting flagged for false starts. I suppose it's possible one of his multiple completions to Christian Kirk might've been a sack, but it was hard to tell with no QB-hitting and it would've been close. But considering the penalties, Murray did a nice job.

-- Colt McCoy hit tight end Ross Travis down the middle for a long TD when the second units tried the same thing.

-- Wherever Benjamin is on the depth chart, I thought he had a good day Tuesday, including breaking off one run early. The key block on that play was tight end Maxx Williams, who continues to impress in camp.

Kirk placeholder practice

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