DL Allen put on IR; J. Murray practicing
The Cardinals placed rookie defensive lineman Zach Allen on the injured reserve Wednesday. Along with that, they elevated defensive lineman Miles Brown from the practice squad to the active roster.
Perhaps Brown got more reps now that he’s stepped up from practice squad, but he also may have gotten more reps due to working at a particularly thin position group. Of the six defensive linemen on the active roster, only three were full participants in Wednesday’s practice.
As the Cardinals switched back to a 3-4 defense, that would give them exactly the right number for a defensive line, as long as no one got injured or needed a break or wanted to rotate or had literally anything else happen to them either ahead of or during Sunday’s game. Basically, it’s not what you want.
Rodney Gunter (calf) eventually joined the group on the field, but was limited. Zach Kerr (knee) worked on the side with an athletic trainer, but did not participate in practice. Jonathan Bullard (foot) also did not practice.
It wasn’t all bad news on defense. Cornerbacks Patrick Peterson (calf) and Tramaine Brock Sr. (hamstring) both practiced, though each in a limited role. Safety Deionte Thompson (knee) was a full participant.
But the notable missing players also were not limited to the defensive line. Linebackers Terrell Suggs (back/hamstring) and Chandler Jones (non-injury related) did not practice.
When Allen was first drafted, he cited playing alongside pass rushers like Suggs and Jones as a big reason he was excited to join the franchise. Now, he’ll be learning more from watching their film.
Allen, a third-round draft pick out of Boston College, had his rookie season cut short after just four games. In that time, he had eight total tackles, one for loss. Coach Kliff Kingsbury had been asked about his status and how the bye could affect that. Initially, the hope was to get him back for valuable reps as a rookie before the end of the season. Even prior to putting Allen on the IR Wednesday, Kingsbury said he was unsure on Allen’s status.
“We’re working through that,” Kingsbury said Wednesday. “I’m not sure exactly when the decision will be made, but that’s something we’re working on.”
The decision came about an hour later, when the team announced that Allen would indeed be headed to the injured reserve.
Brown played in three games with the Cardinals earlier this season, after originally joining the team as an undrafted rookie free agent. He had been on the practice squad since Oct. 3. While he did not play against the 49ers in the last meeting, he feels he’s used his time with the organization to effectively prepare.
“Just understanding the game, understanding the types of blocks I’m going to get,” he said. “Just trying to be a sponge, learn and grow, over these last few weeks.”
RT Murray returns to practice
The more Justin Murray talked about returning to practice, the more you could sense some excitement in his voice. The right tackle has been sidelined with a knee injury, but on Wednesday, he took the field in a limited capacity.
“For what I did today, it felt good,” he said Wednesday. “So (Thursday), I’m gonna be full pads, so going to get more of a live rush, one-on-one pass. See how it feels if they possibly bull rush me, so I can try to brace up and stuff.”