Wide receiver Walt Powell, returning a kick against the Chargers Thursday, was among the players fighting for a roster spot.
The Cardinals have yet to announce any of the 22 cuts/roster moves they need to make by Saturday afternoon.
They will come soon enough, and there will probably be more moves continuing to come long after this weekend, because that's what the Cardinals under General Manager Steve Keim and coach Bruce Arians do.
"You are always searching the waiver wire," Arians said. "There is always a diamond in there you can find. The bottom five guys on the roster are never safe. You want to keep it that way. You are always churning. You don't worry about chemistry yet with those five guys. If there is one better that brings something, especially if you are talking about role
players and finding a guy for a specific role, you go get him."
The team must be at 53 players by 1 p.m. Saturday Arizona time. Anyone who comes in a waiver claim forces another player to be released.
One player who could have been on the bubble sounded safe the way Arians talked about him. Asked how newcomer defensive lineman Tommy Kelly did, Arians praised Kelly's work for playing after signing and jumping on a plane to San Diego.
"Looking forward to seeing him out there some more," Arians said.
There was less optimism from Arians when he talked about the two offensive tackles who are battling for a reserve roster spot. Nate Potter and Bradley Sowell started on the left and right side Thursday, and Arians said their performance was "average at best." Potter suffered a dislocated shoulder in the game as well.
"Both gave up too much pressure, mental errors," Arians said. "(I was) disappointed."
RUST FOR MINTER, COOPER
Arians sounded generally pleased with the first padded play of linebacker Kevin Minter and guard Jonathan Cooper. He said Minter "flew around good" even if he was late on a read or two. The rust was apparent, Arians said, and he liked that Minter was quoted after the game saying he needed to practice.
The same goes for Cooper, Arians said. The guard got better as the game went on, but like Minter, he needs to practice in pads. That kind of work is limited this time of year, however. Teams only have so many padded practices they can have in-season per the collective bargaining agreement. The Cardinals could have two leading into the regular-season opener, but Arians said he wants to save one.
GOODWIN CALLS PLAYS AND THE FUTURE OF THOMAS
Offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, hamstrung by a rookie quarterback and a more-than-vanilla call sheet, did well as a first-time playcaller in Thursday's game, Arians said.
"He was poised and had good communication with a rookie quarterback having to tell him the same play every time two or three times," Arians said. "We had no delay of games, we had no 12 men on the field (penalties). That part of it was pretty solid."
The Cardinals would have liked to do much better with the production. They generated just 98 total yards of offense and were 1-for-12 on third downs. QB Logan Thomas looked like the guy who needs to sit at least a year learning the NFL game.
"He's a project just like we thought," Arians said. "Ups and downs, 'Wow' throws, 'Oh (expletive)' throws. What we thought he'd be. I think he's got a good future."
EXTRA POINTS
Arians said safety Tyrann Mathieu will tackle this coming week in practice. Whether Mathieu has a chance to play in the opener remains to be seen. …
Linebacker James Harrison did meet with the Cardinals Friday at the team facility. Arians said nothing definitive on whether the Cards would sign Harrison. Harrison's agent told the Arizona Republic Harrison wouldn't be signing. …
Safety Curtis Taylor did not break his arm in Thursday's game, instead suffering a serious hematoma. Safety Eddie Whitley did break his foot.
