As the Arizona Cardinals prepare to slash the roster to 53 players by Tuesday at 1 pm Arizona time, head coach Jonathan Gannon provided some clarity to a few issues developing over the last few days during a media session Monday morning.
Darius Robinson
Front and center is rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson, who suffered a calf injury of unknown severity in practice last Thursday.
Various reports have indicated the injury is not believed to be serious and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Friday he is expected to miss multiple weeks, which is vague.
Asked about Robinson, Gannon said, “I’m not gonna speculate on how much time off or how much time he’s gonna miss. But he’s dealing with a calf and when he’s ready to go, he’ll go.”
As for whether Robinson could be placed on injured reserve in the cut to 53, Gannon said, “There’s got to be decisions on all that.”
It’s possible Robinson could be kept on the roster while his health is monitored in the next two weeks. Whether he goes on IR now or just prior to the season opener would still require him to miss a minimum of four games. Placing him on IR now if it’s believed he will be out for four games would preclude someone else from being cut by tomorrow.
Gannon did say he likes the depth on the defensive line and said, “Have some versatile guys in there that can wear a couple different hats.”
Ridder cleared
There might have been a complication in determining the third quarterback decision after Desmond Ridder was placed in concussion protocol late in Sunday’s game against the Broncos.
However, Gannon said, “He cleared concussion protocol already, so that’s good.”
That happened a mere 16 hours after the injury occurred.
Asked about the competition between Ridder and Clayton Tune, Gannon said, “They’ve both battled. They’ve both operated well. Both guys have done a good job with the operation and playing on time, making decisions quick. I thought they both closed out the way they needed to close out.”
Whether the Cardinals could keep both Tune and Ridder and while addressing other roster battles, Gannon said, “Everything’s on the table. We’re gonna try and keep the best 53 as it relates to us to beat Buffalo.”
He also said some roster cuts could occur today.
Zay Jones’ suspension
The five-game suspension for wide receiver Zay Jones creates an extra spot for those competing at the position. While with the Jaguars, Jones was arrested last November on a domestic battery charge. In March, the assistant state attorney declined to prosecute Jones.
However, the NFL did their own investigation and announced the suspension Friday. It’s not known whether Jones appealed, but it’s likely.
He was released by the Jaguars on April 30 and signed by the Cardinals 13 days later.
Gannon said the team was aware the NFL would investigate the situation and when asked if there was surprise the discipline was five games, he said, “That was what they decided to do and we’ll adapt and adjust accordingly.”
Christian Jones
Rookie tackle Christian Jones is undergoing imaging for an unknown injury suffered against Denver on the play where Ridder was concussed. Jones left the field on a cart.
Glancing at the clock Monday morning, Gannon said, “Still running through some tests right now. They’re doing that as we speak. The X-ray was negative to my knowledge when we got on the bus yesterday.”
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