Last night was another lively practice as the team moved over the Lumberjack Stadium to practice under the lights. These practices are always capped off by a live goal line or 11-on-11 drill and this practice was no different. The red zone 11-on-11 produced a couple of scrums and was the hardest hitting part of training camp to date.

Round One: The first 'dust-up' of the night was a smaller one and was a result of Travis LaBoy putting a hit on Brian St. Pierre. Since hitting any quarterback in practice is a definite no-no, Whisenhunt was quick to pull LaBoy aside. Kurt Warner though took exception to the hit though and looked visibly aggravated and tried to talk to LaBoy himself, to no avail.

Round Two: Towards the end of practice, emotions ran even higher. During a Hightower run, he and Aaron Francisco got tied up and A-dub came in and knocked Hightower to the ground. Levi Brown instantly shoved Wilson back and within seconds most of the team was in the middle of a scuffle.

In the end coaches may say that they don't like seeing fights or skirmishes during practice but I look it as a good sign and I'd be surprised if most coaches didn't secretly like them as well. These guys are ultra-competitive and practicing against the same guys for a couple of weeks often wears on your patience.

Injury Update: The good news is that DRC returned to practice yesterday but didn't do much in the night session. That's a good sign considering that nearly every news outlet was reporting that he was carted off the field earlier in the week.  Roderick Hood and Brandon Keith also returned to practice but Darnell Dockett (shoulder) was held out. Antrel Rolle (ankle) was also held out of practice again and he's probably not going to play in Saturday's game.

If you signed up for the Revenge of the Birds fantasy league be sure to check you e-mail, AOL Fanhouse has finally completed the random drawing and has sent an email to those who registered. If anyone hasn't signed up but is still interested, email me and I'll try and get you into the league. For everyone else who's already in, stay tuned and we'll talk about draft details (when & how) very soon.

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The Cardinals had Friday and Saturday off after Thursday nights' game but they have had three practices in the past two days. Sunday's practice had to be moved indoors because of rain but both practices yesterday were outside. They have four practices over the next three days (two practices tommorrow) and a walk-thru on Friday before  traveling to Kansas City for Saturday's game against the Chiefs.

Rookies Getting Praised: I honestly can't remember a draft class ever getting praised as much as this year's class. Some of the people who cover the team are already talking that it might be the best class ever and they didn't do anything on Thursday to slow that wildfire. The jewel of the class, Tim Hightower, continues to impress in practice and is getting plenty of reps considering that Edge's reps are somewhat limited. Both rookie defensive ends and DRC continue to perform well and Brandon Keith is making some noise for his solid performance at guard. He continues to impress just about everyone in practice, especially in one-on-one drills against the linebackers and defensive lineman where he's been stone-walling Chike Okeafor on a regular basis. The forgotten man has been Chris Harrington but Darren Urban says that the coaching staff has been encouraged by his progression from defensive end to linebacker but that the depth at the position will make it difficult for him to make the roster. We can't forget about Ali Highsmith either, and just about everyone has written a story on his performance against the Saints and how he's making a push for a roster spot, and if he does, I'll gloat as one of first ones to make that prediction.

Blitzing the Offense: Clancy Pendergast started installing his blitz packages this week and he's been putting constant pressure on whoever lines up at quarterback. The defense has a deep unit of pass rushers and it should be very interesting to see how Pendergast utilizes his resources. He's trying different way of getting more of them on the field, but unfortunately we probably won't see any exotic blitz packages until the regular season, after all there's no reason to show your hand until the bullets are flying for real.

Q Back on the Field: Anquan Boldin returned to practice on Sunday and continued to practice on Monday. He's still not participating in every single drill but he seems to be fully recovered and any limitations are just a precaution at this point. He's should play on Saturday and the team is also hopeful that Early Doucet will be able to suit up. He hasn't returned to practice yet but he's thought to be close. The only other new injury is Antrel Rolle's ankle but it's not considered serious (not the dreaded high ankle sprain) and he hasn't been ruled out of Saturday's game.

Rotating Quarterbacks: After not playing at all against the Saints, Kurt Warner opened Sunday's practice by running with the first team and he continued to rotate with Leinart during Monday's practice. Of course, we all know that they'll continue to rotate during practice all preseason and probably even during the regular season, but it doesn't mean anything. It's still Matt's job to lose and he took the first step towards writing his name atop the depth chart in something other than a pencil on Thursday.

Cap Position: Kent Somer's latest blog updates the Cardinals current cap position and by his accounts they're currently 3.75 million under the cap. He thinks that they probably won't make any significant moves until other teams start making cuts in order to see if an interesting offensive tackle hits the market.

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Thoughts? That's all I've got for now, but check back later as we'll try to update the projected 53-man roster. Gather your thoughts and post  your own, if you feel like it, or just blast mine for being completely wrong.

We've broken down the first and second half of the loss to the Saints but you may be asking, what about individual players? Well here's who stood up and had a good game and who stood out as having a sub-par game, in my opinion. The players aren't listed in any particular order other than the order that they popped into my head. Disclaimer: I re-watched the first half after the game last night but couldn't force myself to sit through the second half again. So if I say something about a guy who played predominately in the second half that you don't agree with, feel free to jump in and correct me if you didn't see it the same way.

-----------------------------Players Who Stood Up:-----------------------------

Matt Leinart: I have to start with Matt because I thought he had a really good game. Granted he only threw eight passes and took mostly checkdowns, but I thought he looked patient in the pocket and was comfortable enough to take a short gain instead of holding onto the ball and trying to force something or taking a sack. I've heard some people downplay his performance because he 'just threw short passes' but such a big part of the game is putting the ball in the hands of  your playmakers so that they can make plays. His yards per attempt was an amazing 11.4 and it's worth pointing out that no quarterback has broken ten yards per attempt since 1954.

Tim Hightower: What can I say the kid, other than he looked pretty good. He ran between the tackles with authority and showed a nice burst to the outside on his touchdown run. He showed good vision on a couple of cutbacks and does a good job keeping his feet under him when he runs so that he can make quick cuts. He whiffed at a blitzer in pass protection allowing a sack on St. Pierre. His pass protection will need some work but he didn't do anything last night to take the shine off his impressive training camp.

Terrelle Smith: Smith is supposed to be the blocking fullback who can't contribute in other areas but he made a nice adjustment on a pass above his numbers and turned the short pass into a 15 yard gain. Smith is in a battle with Tim Castille for the starting fullback job but if can contribute a play or two a game like that he just might hold onto the job for another season.

Steve Breaston: Breaston certainly made the reports of his progression ring true with his performance. He looked quick and elusive with the ball in his hands and he showed some feisty-ness by getting in a shoving match with Aaron Glenn after a short reception. His 34 yard reception on a shallow crossing route was a promising sign of things to come. Only time will tell if he develops into a complete receiver but he seems capable becoming a weapon out of the slot.

Ali Highsmith: Highsmith not only led the team in tackles and caused a fumble but
he was all over the field. He showed some toughness during the goal line stand and also was decent in pass coverage. He's up against a lot of depth at linebacker but if he continues to perform like this, they'll be forced to find a spot for him on this roster.

Rookie Defensive Ends: Calais Campbell and Kenny Iwebema combined for six tackles and a sack. Iwebema showed some decent agility avoiding a cut block to bring down Brunell for his sack. Campbell's four tackles included two for no gain and one tackle for loss. Iwebema also added a special teams tackle.

Safeties: Antrel Rolle and Adrian Wilson both showed up with big plays during their limited playing time. Rolle had one of the bigger hits during the game with a hard shot to tight end Mark Campbell and he weaved through some traffic to make a nice tackle on a screen pass. Wilson's one tackle in limited playing time was to drop Reggie Bush for a one yard loss on the first drive of the game.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: There's no way that this list couldn't include DRC. He didn't have a pick or a pass defense but he did have the biggest hits in the game when he flattened Mark Campbell. Campbell held onto the pass but had to be helped off the field.

-----------------------------Players Who Stood Out-----------------------------

Alan Branch: A "flickering light" as described by Coach Whisenhunt, looked completely off last night. Somehow he still managed two tackles but for the most part he looked like very lackadaisical. He, at times, seemed quite content just standing up and leaning against whichever blocker engaged him. It's way to early to write him off but if you watch him closely, you can see why the coaching staff is down on him right now.

J.J. Arrington: Arrington didn't really have a bad game, especially by his standards, but he didn't do anything in my opinion to prove that deserves to play ahead of Tim Hightower. He still can't break a tackle and his just isn't the dynamic force out the backfield that you'd expect for a guy with his speed. Now that I think about it, he might be best described as a "poor-mans" Reggie Bush.

Aaron Francisco: Francisco had a rough game and one of the most visible Cardinals who struggled. He was the point man on two deep passes and was also the closest defender on the first touchdown scored by the Saints. He had trouble adjusting to the ball in air, but he'll have better games because he's a better player than he showed last night.

Brian St. Pierre: St. Pierre started out decent and at halftime had a decent line of 6 of 8 for 46 yards but after halftime he really struggled He would go 6 of 10 for just 28 yards in the second half. He knows Whisenhunt's system but that's about all he brings to the table. He's an average to below average athlete and his arm strength and accuracy are not anything to get excited about. Hopefully he'll spend another season the sidelines wearing a baseball cap and collecting a paycheck.

Sean Morey: He only had one catch for five yards so it's hard to pick his game apart but for that four or five seconds that he had the ball in his hands, I was pretty unimpressed. In fact, I thought it was a tight end running with the ball at first. I know he makes his living on special teams but if Rector and Urban continue to stand out, he could be on the outside looking in.

Anthony Morelli: He only played two series at the end of the game but it was pretty clear that he doesn't have the mental part of the game down. He wasn't able to dial back his big arm on a dump off pass to Baylark and he doesn't have a sense of when to get rid of the ball. These are things that we already knew but it'll be interesting if he's able to get any better over the next four weeks.

Tight Ends: I was hoping that both tight ends would come out and have really good games considering that they're both fighting to be the starter, but they both disappointed. Pope jumped offsides on the touchdown drive and his only catch was Leinart's first pass, a one yard dump off pass. Patrick had a better game when you compare the two but he dropped a short pass from St. Pierre at the start of the second half. His one reception did go for 16 yards though. They'll both have better games considering that Pope is still trying to get back to 100% and Patrick is still fine tuning his craft.

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So what do you guys think? Agree/Disagree? Who else stood up or out to you guys?

We covered the first half earlier today and while it wasn't amazing, there were plenty of areas that should give fans some hope. The Cardinals come out of the lockerroom with a 10-7 lead and for the most part, they're down to third team players and a good deal of these players are fighting for a roster spot instead of playing time. Here's a look at the second half action and we'll look at the who excelled and who struggled later this afternoon.

3rd Quarter:

  Cards 5th Drive: The Cardinals got the ball coming out of halftime and get a decent return from Jerheme Urban (23 yards) but they wouldn't keep it very long. A quick three-and-out would consist of a six yard run by Arrington, a drop by Ben Patrick and a one yard pass from St. Pierre to Rector.

Saints 5th Drive: The Saints offense got off to a fast start in the second half with the combination of Aaron Stecker running and Mark Brunell throwing. Stecker gained 37 yards on 6 carries and a touchdown on the drive but he also fumbled when Ali Highsmith wrapped him up (the Saints recovered obviously). Brunell only threw three passes but they were all complete and went for 29 yards. The highlight of the series though would be Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie lighting up tight end Mark Campbell. Campbell held onto the pass but had to be helped off the field.

Cards 6th Drive: The Cardinals would come out and have their second consecutive three-and-out series. Pierre would complete the first down pass for six yards and Arrington would pick up two more on second down but a third down incompletion would lead to another punt.

Saints 6th Drive: The Saints would bring in their 3rd string QB, Tyler Palko, and he'd lead the Saints to another three points. The big play of the drive was another long pass that Aaron Francisco couldn't stop Adrian Arrington from bringing down for a 33 yard gain. Calais Campbell was also flagged for 15 yard, roughing the passer, penalty but Joe Tafoya stalled the Saints drive when he sacked Palko for a 10 yard loss. 

Cards 7th Drive: First downs were hard to come by for the Cardinals in the second half but St. Pierre completed a 16 yard pass to Ben Patrick to pick up the first one of the half. Unfortunately a sack, an imcomplete pass and a dump off pass to Hightower would lead to another punt.

Saints 7th Drive: Palko couldn't duplicate his success on his second drive and three quick incompletion led to a three-and-out. Linebacker, Chris Harrington almost recorded his second pick of  the season though when he broke up a pass intended for Lynell Hamilton.

Cards 8th Drive: St. Pierre came back out for his final drive but couldn't do anything more than another three-and-out. Steve Baylark got his first carry of the preseason, picking up a yard, but an incompletion and a four yard pass to Rector would lead to yet another punt.

Saints 8th Drive: Two Saints runs netted four yards before Palko found Robert Meachem over the middle and a horrible display of tackling allowed Meacham to take the pass 60 yards to pay dirt. Several Cardinals had a chance to bring him down but the most blatant missed tackle was Michael Adams who had the last chance but dove into Meachem's legs instead of attempting an actual tackle.

Saints 9th Drive: Anthony Morelli was brought into the game in place of St. Pierre but the results would be pretty much the same. After a short run by Baylark, an incompletion and a sack, Dirk Johnson would be back out for another punt.

Saints 9th Drive: Palko would come back out and lead the Saints to a first down with a short pass and a seven yard gain from Hamilton. After a holding penalty on the Saints though, Palko would bobble the snap and Keilen Dykes would recover for the first turnover of the game.

Cards 10th Drive: Morelli's second drive would be a bit more successful but ultimately the result would be the same. After a false start penalty and an incompletion, Morelli completed his only two passes of the game for a total of 13 yards. Facing a fourth and two, the Cardinals went for it and Baylark rattled off his best run of the night with a seven yard gain. Three bad plays later though (2 incomplete passes and a sack) Dirk Johnson would be back out for his seventh and final punt of the game.

Saints 10th Drive: Eh, Palko and the Saints picked up two first downs then kneeled on the ball.

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All in all, not great but it could have been much worse. The Cardinals didn't have a single injury or turnover and that is enough of a reason to be thankful.

Obviously the game didn't turn out the way that we all hoped but it wasn't nearly as bad as the 14 point deficit would indicate. While the game wasn't pretty at times, I think it's about what you'd expect out of a first preseason game. There were plenty of sloppy, bone-headed plays but several players, young and veteran alike, had good games and flashed the abilities that we've heard so much about during training camp. The best thing about the game though, no injuries reported. Here's a recap of the first half of the game and we'll look at the second half and highs and lows, later today.

1st Quarter: 

Saints 1st drive: The Saints got the ball first and it didn't take them long to punch the ball in the endzone going 80 yards in 13 plays. The Cardinals defense killed themselves with three penalties resulting in 25 total yards, including two penalties (for 20 yards) in the first 3 plays. The biggest penalty was a 15 yard face mask penalty (all face mask penalties are 15 yarders this year) on Darnell Dockett. The defense did a good job of bottling up Reggie Bush though allowing him just 10 yards on 5 carries during the Saints first drive but the problem was stopping Drew Brees who was 6 of 7 for 40 yards and a touchdown.

Cards 1st Drive: The Cardinals first offensive series only lasted seven plays and included another Cardinal penalty (delay of game on the punt team). The Cards tried to run twice with little success but Leinart did a good job of showing patience in the pocket and finding his receivers. He connected Rector on a 3rd and 8 that resulted in a 23 yard gain and the only first down of the drive. The downer of the drive though came when Levi Brown couldn't stop a blitzing linebacker from dropping Leinart for four yard sack. On the next play (3rd and 10) Leinart could only find a check down reciever and got 7 yards on a pass to Urban. 

Saints 2nd Drive: The Saints next possession lasted just three plays and was dominated by two holding penalties resulting in 18 lost yards. Other than those two plays the Saints managed two yards on a run by Bush and a short pass to David Patten. 

2nd Quarter:

Cards 2nd Drive: The Cardinals second drive actually started at the very end of the first quarter but most of the action was in the second. The drive started with consecutive passes to J.J. Arrington that totaled 5 yards (one complete, one incomplete) but the best offensive play of the night happened on third and five. Leinart took the snap and hung in the pocket until Breaston streaked across the middle and took a short pass for 34 yards up the sideline. The Cardinals got two more first downs behind six yard gains by Hightower and Fitzgerald and an impressive 15 yard reception by Terrelle Smith that got the offense down to the one. Hightower would score a Cardinals touchdown on first and goal from the one when he bounced outside and showed a good burst to get to the pylon.

Saints 3rd Drive: The second string Cardinals defense would shut down the Saints on their next drive after a big return on the kickoff. The Saints started at the Cardinals 42 but after three plays (one run, two passes) the Saints were facing a fourth and one from the 33. The Saints went for it but Kenny Iwebema fought through a cut block to sack Brunell and give the ball back to the offense.

Cards 3rd Drive: The Cardinals would take over at their 41 they'd quickly be in position to take the lead. After a quick mix of Hightower runs (two runs for 7 yards) and St. Pierre passes (3 of 5 for 25 yards) the Cardinals would kick a 30 yard field goal to take a 10-7 lead.

Saints 4th Drive: The Saints next drive would be dominated by the passing game again. Mark Brunell would take the offense from the Saints 20 to the Cardinals 3 in just five plays. The Cardinals stuffed the run again but Brunell would connect on three passes for 77 yards. The biggest completion took the Saints to the 3 when Aaron Francisco couldn't seem to find the ball in the air and Robert Meachem brought down a 49 yard completion. The Saints would ultimately get shut down on the goal line though and after a couple of runs, a pass and a false start penatly, they failed to punch it in on fourth and goal from the one. Ali Highsmith was the first defender to hit the ball carrier on fourth down but a host of Cardinals took him down including Francisco.

Cards 4th Drive: The Cardinals would get the ball one more time in the first half with 2:27 left on the clock, but they'd have to start from the one. Brian St. Pierre would bring the offense out midfield before the clock expired with a combination of decent scrambles (2 carries for 15 yards) and several passes. He completed three short passes to Breaston, Urban and Morey but couldn't get a pass over 10 yards.

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Ultimately it's hard to get too excited or too disappointed with the first half. The offense looked decent but the defense didn't answer many of the questions that we had going into the game. I was encouraged by Leinart's confidence in the pocket and Hightower's quickness, but the offensive line didn't do much to inspire confidence. The stories about Steve Breaston being improved as a receiver certainly seem to ring true. As for the defense, the first drive was pretty brutal and they'll have to play better against top offenses if they want to be a good defense. The Saints are pretty good at keeping Brees upright though (just 16 sacks last season) and they got pressure on him at least once during that drive (Chike's pressure led to the only imcompletion). Adrian Wilson and Chike certainly looked healthy and Wilson had a nice play when he shut down Bush behind the line for a one yard loss. So what did you guys think about the first units? Impressed with Leinart or want to see more before you feel comfortable?

This is exactly what it sounds like, a place to make any prediction that you want concerning tonights game. You can be an realistic, off-the-wall or down-right ridiculous as you want. It's game day so we're all allowed to act a little crazy today. You think Matt will come off the bench in the fourth quarter to ensure Whiz's first preseason victory?....put it down on paper..err the computer. You think Rolle will return four interceptions for touchdowns?....put in on the record.

My predictions:

Leinart leads the 1st string offense to a TD on their first (and his only) drive.

Hightower has most rushing yards of anyone in the game.

Dockett and Okeafor get a sack despite limited playing time.

That's all I got for now but I'm sure I can come up with some better one's before the days out.

It's finally here fellas, GAMEDAY. The best day of the week and what we've been waiting for since the final day of 2007. One of the great things about SB Nation is that it's a network with so many other NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA among other blogs and new blogs are added all the time (case in point the newest blog covering the Arizona St Sun Devils). In what will hopefully be a weekly feature, I exchanged some questions with the Saints blogger, Saintsational, of Canal Street Chronicles in an effort to better understand our opponent each week. You can also check out my answers to his questions and let me know if I'm completely off base.

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The Saints have loaded up on Pro Bowl talent this off season with the additions of Jonathon Vilma and Jeremy Shockey, which of them will have the biggest impact for the Saints and what other additions have flown under the radar? Do they offset the players that have departed?

Thats a tough question. I would say they both have the opportunity to make a very large impact on their respective sides of the ball. Vilma is back in a 4-3 where he should thrive again. His knee seems to be fine and he has been participating in all training camp activities since it started. As far as Shockey is concerned, the tight end position figures to be a large part of Sean Payton's West Coast offense, and with a quarterback like Drew Brees, I expect him to get a lot of touches. We know what a threat he can be with the ball, but it's also the fact that he takes some defensive pressure off our other receivers like Marques Colston that should also make him incredibly valuable. As far as other additions that might have flown under the radar, I would maybe say Bobby McCray. He gives us a lot of speed at the end of the defensive line. The biggest loss the Saints suffered this offseason was Jeff Faine, but with Jonathan Goodwin looking like a solid replacement, I don't see his loss as too great.

Sean Payton's had one magical season in which he seemingly could do no wrong followed by season that they just couldn't seem to put it all together. Which Saints team will show up in 2008 and which team is closer to reality?

This years team should look much more like the 2006 team, only better!

Duece is coming off his second ACL surgery in three seasons, Reggie's success in the NFL has been spotty but last season Aaron Stecker and Pierre Thomas looked like they had something. How would you describe the Saints  backfield at this point and how do you see it playing out during the season?

Good questions. I am a big Pierre fan and I am hoping the team gives him his due. I think the health of Deuce will pretty much determine how much of Pierre Thomas we see. Deuce is looking okay after a minor scare with his knee about a week and a half ago. He may not get as many touches as he used to, but he should definitely be able to contribute. Reggie will probably get used more for screens, pitches, quick slants etc. and not as a between the tackles, every down back. As far as Stecker is concerned, if I am being honest, I have no idea where he will fit in, but I am confident that he can shine if he needs to.

The Saints draft class took a hit when Pressley was lost for the season with a fractured foot, how will the rest of the class play out? Is Ellis a day 1 starter?

Losing Pressley was disappointing, but not heartbreaking. He wasn't blowing anyones socks off while he was healthy and he probably wasn't going to see much time, if any, this season. The rest of the class is actually looking pretty darn good. 7th round pick Adrian Arrington is looking like the next Marques Colston and might actually make this team. K Taylor Mehlhaff also has a shot to beat out Gramatica for a spot and offensive lineman Carl Nicks has also been a bright spot during training camp. Tracy Porter is also doing a good job battling for a spot with the other cornerbacks. Sedrick Ellis got to camp late and just this week got reps with the first team. I think he starts week 1.

What position battles are raging in Saints camp this year who are the front runners? Who is a guy that no one outside of the Big Easy has heard of that will be a breakout player for the Saints this year?

Wide receiver and cornerback are the two major battles going on. Colston, Patten and Meachem should have spots at receiver locked up with Terrance Copper, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Adrian Arrington, Skyler Green and Todd Blythe all battling it out for the last remaining spots. It will inevitably come down to their ability to contribute on special teams.

At cornerback, the race is wide open. Mike McKenzie are Randall Gay are sure things, but Tracy Porter, Aaron Glenn, Usama Young, Jason David and Jason Craft all are fighting for their jobs.

I would keep my eye on WR Adrian Arrington, CB Usama Young and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

What are Saints fans expecting out of their team this year and what are they expecting out of this game, if anything? How many starters won't play at all?

I think Saints fans are expecting a trip to Tampa this year, seriously. They are very excited and optimistic, and I think they should be. As far as this game is concerned, it will not be an accurate gauge of how this team will perform during the season. Fans will really be looking at the position battles and seeing who is going to win a spot on this team. Personally, I will be checking out our secondary and making sure it looks vastly improved from last season. Shouldn't be too difficult to do.

The starters that aren't playing for certain on Thursday are: Jeremy Shockey, Deuce McAllister, Tracy Porter, Mike McKenzie, Jonathon Vilma, Brian Young, Josh Bullocks and Devery Henderson. Colston probably won't play either just to be on the safe side with his knee.

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Well it's obvious that neither team will be at full strength but the Saints will still be a decent measuring stick. Thoughts? Any questions that you've got about the Saints?

The clock is ticking down to the official start of the preseason for the Arizona Cardinals. The Saints will be in town tomorrow and the two teams will lock up on national television. Now granted, this is just a preseason game so it'll have very little baring on the regular season but to see the Cardinals run back on the field for the first time in eight months will be enough to give me chills. Keeping in mind though that this will be a game played predominantly by guys who won't make either roster, here are some things to keep an eye on:

Rookies: There haven't been many bad reports about the draft class or undrafted rookies from camp so far but this will be the first chance to see how they respond to being hit by a true opponent. First round pick, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will likely be a starter tomorrow night since Roderick Hood isn't going to play because of a bad foot. Other defensive rookies like Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema and Chris Harrington should see plenty of playing time with the second and third units. Seventh round pick, Brandon Keith will likely see time on both guard and tackle with the recent injury to Carlton Medder. I can't wait to see how early Tim Hightower gets into the game either. I would imagine that if Edge plays at all, it won't be much and that could open the door for Hightower to get reps with the first team. Early Doucet is the only rookie of note who won't play. There are several undrafted rookies who could stand out as well including Lance Long (who's had a great camp), Ali Highsmith, Hercules Satele and Keilen Dykes. I also can't wait to see how Anthony Morelli looks in his first game action. I'd imagine he'll play at least the whole fourth quarter if not part of the third as well.

Vets Returning from Injury: We all know how many veterans ended the season on the IR last year and it'll be great to see the defense back at full strength. Of course guys like Adrian Wilson, Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry won't play much more than a single series but it'll be nice to see them back on the field. Leinart also recently said that he's looking forward to his first hit to reassure everyone that his shoulder is fully healed. Hopefully he'll be able to keep his jersey clean during the one or two series that he plays, but a hit or two won't be the end of the world.

Antrel Rolle's New Role: Ok if you can forgive me for a horrible and painfully obvious play on words, I'm sure nearly every Cardinals fan can't wait to see how Antrel Rolle will handle the move to free safety. Much has been made of the move this offseaon and even though we'll see a very 'vanilla' defense, it should still be an indication of things to come. Coach Whisenhunt also said recently that he'll try Rolle out as a punt returner, which should be worth watching.

Steve Breaston: Breaston's almost developed a 'cult-like' following this offseason with countless stories chronicling development as a receiver. He's the favorite to win the #3 receiver job and he'll certainly get an opportunity to take a step in the right direction tomorrow night. With Boldin and Doucet out, he'll not only be starting opposite of Larry Fitzgerald but could stay in the game longer than if the receiving corps were at full strength.

Tight End Position: There wasn't supposed to be much of a battle at tight end this season but Ben Patrick has had a great camp and he's starting to put some pressure on Leonard Pope. Pope partially opened the door since he was limited at the start of camp but both tight ends have been standing out in practice. It's rare to read a practice report that doesn't include a great catch by one these two. Pope will start but both should see a couple of series of action.

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I might be making too much of the first preseason game of the year, but hey we're all craving some football, right? It's worth remembering that no matter how bad or good someone or the entire team looks, it's just preseason. No one is going to win a job or lose a job with their performance in this game but it is another step towards the start of the regular season. Also remember that if you're watching the game close to your computer, you can log on to ROTB and comment in the live game thread and discuss the game as it happens with fellow Cards fans.