The Arizona Cardinals kicked off their preseason with an 18-17 win over the Denver Broncos. While the result of the game may not matter in the preseason, what happens during the game does matter. How coaches are deploying certain players, what formations are they lining up in, etc, that stuff is important and can help decipher who is moving up or down a depth chart.

Of course, what also matters is how a player performs. If that player struggles, well his playing time might change. If a player impresses, then the coaches will see that and perhaps give him a bump in playing time.

With those two factors in mind, there are two Cardinals players to keep an eye on whose playing time and status as a starter could shift for the worse as training camp and the preseason progress.

2. Colt McCoy

Colt McCoy is the veteran in the room. He's filled in for Kyler Murray before and while Murray is rehabbing his torn ACL, McCoy is the one in line to fill in for him again.

McCoy had a nondescript preseason performance to kick off the 2023 preseason; he completed all four of his passes for a measly 17 yards. He also added five yards on the ground. But who did show things in this preseason? Rookie backup quarterback Clayton Tune.

Tune went 13-23 for 135 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first-ever NFL action. Yes, he did this mostly against backups and third-stringers, but he showed solid pocket presence and an ability to push the ball down the field. The game didn't look too fast for him. In fact, Tune had one of the better performances by a rookie quarterback in Week 1 of the preseason.

Murray is still the starting quarterback when he's healthy, but it still is likely he isn't healthy by the time Week 1 rolls around. The Cardinals project to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season and are one of the youngest. If Tune continues to show promise, what's to stop him from leapfrogging McCoy? Why wouldn't the Cardinals want to see what they have in Tune? McCoy is still the backup quarterback at the moment, but Tune can make it interesting with more strong practices and preseason games.

1. Rondale Moore

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Kliff Kingsbury emphasized having three or four wide receivers on the field at the same time. The Cardinals had three receivers on the field on 60% of their first down snaps last season, which ranked 12th in the NFL according to nfelo.com. The Cleveland Browns did that on 55% of their first down snaps last season. That's notable because their offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, came from the Browns' coaching staff. So that means either Rondale Moore, a 5-foot-7, 180 pound receiver who normally plays in the slot, has to play outside more (something he isn't as comfortable doing) or he just has to play less frequently.

It turns out Moore is probably going to play less frequently.

Rondale Moore played on at least 86% of Arizona's offensive snaps in every game he played and wasn't forced to leave injured in last season. But he played on only 44% of Arizona's snaps with the starters in the first preseason. Michael Wilson, a third-round rookie receiver listed behind Moore on the depth chart, played more than Moore. And looked good doing so.

Michael Wilson only had two receptions for eight yards, but he did do a good job of getting open and helped as a blocker in the run game. With Marquise Brown also being a slender receiver at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, it makes sense for the Cardinals to put more size on the field at that position. Wilson has that. And because of that, he just might make Rondale Moore take a backseat in this offense.

Moving Forward

It's important not to overreact too much to a preseason game, but they can tell us a lot. Clayton Tune's path to overtaking Colt McCoy seems a bit more arduous than Michael Wilson overtaking Rondale Moore, but this new regime drafted both of those players for a reason: they think they're good players. They can help the Cardinals. And for that reason, McCoy and Moore should keep their head on a swivel as training camp ensues.