Four of five spots for the Arizona Cardinals' offensive line are set in stone. D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum will man the tackle spots, while center Rodney Hudson and left guard Justin Pugh complete the left side of the offensive line.
The lone spot up for grabs? Right guard, where a handful of players find themselves in the mix.
For much of camp, tackle-converted-guard Josh Jones manned the right guard position with fellow offensive linemen Brian Winters and Justin Murray out. Winters hadn't practiced since Aug. 2 and Murray Aug. 10. However, it appears Jones' lone presence in the interior has come to an end.
On Monday, both Murray and Winters returned to practice ahead of Arizona's final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.
The Cardinals believe all three players are capable of starting, and with Pugh still on the reserve/COVID-19 list, both Murray and Winters may be starting in New Orleans to gain as many snaps as possible prior to the first week of the regular season.
So, who do the Cardinals roll out in Week 1?
- Winters has the most experience out of the trio, as the nine-year veteran has started over 100 games since being drafted in 2013.
- Murray is most familiar with the offense, as he was featured in 27 games over the past two seasons, 19 of those being starts including seven at right guard last season.
- Jones has the hot hand in the race, starting at right guard in both preseason games and exclusively playing inside throughout training camp.
With plenty of options and only one preseason game left, it will be interesting to monitor how the Cardinals dictate playing time among the three linemen.
However, with the re-emergence of Murray and Winters back on the field, the battle for the right guard position in Arizona is heating up quickly.
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