Key Players Missing Time Early for Arizona Cardinals

Steve Keim blamed himself last year, but in retrospect, you cannot expect to replace some of the commodities the Arizona Cardinals lost in 2015.

Through three days in 2016, the Arizona Cardinals have seen the list of expected key contributors missing time multiply.

On the physically unable to perform list you have three expected defensive starters in Tyrann Mathieu, Frostee Rucker and Justin Bethel.

Well, after the weekend you can add three starters to the offense to the list of Arizona Cardinals that are banged up.  Evan Mathis and John Brown left practice on Sunday with apparent injury issues, Brown took a hard hit from Tony Jefferson and Mathis snuck out without much fanfare, but missed the two minute drills.

Add in Jermaine Gresham, and three players on the offensive side of the ball expected to start join the three starters on the defense.

However, it is not time to panic or worry, until we at least hear the severity.  No, if anything it may be good, outside of Evan Mathis, all five players are returning veterans to the Arizona Cardinals.  Their absence opens up valuable learning time for other players.

While the Arizona Cardinals may not have any one player that can replace Mathieu and John Brown, it will allow other players to show their skills and push them to take their game to the next level.  When the starters are ready to come back, the hope will be that you just don't really want to take the guys who replaced them off the field.

Having a team that is deeper than 2016 needs to be as much of a focus as it is the expected starters taking their games to another level.

Maybe these early injuries can help in growing the talent overall on the team.  At least that is the positive spin on what is an unfortunate situation.