The Arizona Cardinals will miss veteran center Lyle Sendlein for about three weeks with a calf injury. He will be back about the fourth preseason game, according to head coach Bruce Arians.
When Arians talked to the media about it on Tuesday, he did mention the positives of it.
"It's a blessing in a lot of ways," Arians said. "He stays healthier and a lot of young guys get a lot of good reps."
He isn't worried about Sendlein's missing the reps. "He's a veteran, he knows what he is doing," the head coach said.
Assuming he is only out those three weeks, he does avoid a little bit of the wear and tear of camp.
And Arians is right about the younger players. Ted Larsen, signed this offseason, now steps into the first team, getting him some time with other starters. But it is guys like John Estes, Tommie Draheim and perhaps Anthony Steen that benefit, too. Initially, on Monday, only Larsen and Estes got reps, with Estes getting second and third team time, but after walkthroughs and another practice, that could open the third team to Draheim or Steen. Philip Blake, who was on the practice squad last season, could also see time.
So far, Blake, Draheim and Steen have been working at guard in practice, with Blake at left guard on the second team line and Draheim on the left side with Steen on the right side on the third team line.
Hopefully Sendlein's short-term injury is the worst we see on the starting line. In 2012, starting left tackle Levi Brown was lost for the season in the preseason and, in 2013, starting left guard Jonathan Cooper was lost for the season in the preseason.
That is a trend the Cardinals would not like to continue this year.