We round out the defense in our training camp positional previews looking at the safety position, one where all the battling is done outside the starting lineup.
Let’s have a look at the roster, the expectations, the questions and the roster outlook moving forward.
The players
The Cardinals enter camp with eight safeties on the roster.
- Budda Baker: He enters his third year in the league and with the Cardinals.
- Rudy Ford: He also is in his third year with the Cardinals and in the NFL.
- Jonathan Owens: He is in his second year in the league and with the team.
- Josh Shaw: This is his fifth season in the NFL and first with the Cardinals.
- Tyler Sigler: He is an undrafted rookie.
- D.J. Swearinger: He is in his seventh season in the NFL and begins his second stint with the Cardinals. This will be the third year with the team but first in this stint.
- Deionte Thompson: He was drafted in the fifth round in April.
- Jalen Thompson: He is a rookie, selected in the fifth round of the supplemental draft in July.
The expectations
The starting lineup is expected to be solid. Swearinger has put of Pro Bowl numbers without the recognition, while Baker is on the verge of becoming a star. The two rookie Thompsons get to cut their teeth on special teams.
The questions
There aren’t many questions. Swearinger is who he is and he should produce. However, Baker, who has played great near the line of scrimmage and in the slot, now moves back to free safety. Baker’s main weakness coming out of college was his playmaking skills. He has dropped a lot of potential interceptions.
Roster outlook
Locks for the roster are Swearinger, Baker and Shaw.
The two Thompsons are expected to make the team, meaning Ford could be out after being a solid special teams player in 2018. It will be a numbers game as to how many safeties they keep on the roster.
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