Is Arizona Cardinals OL Ready for Starting Job?

The Arizona Cardinals are preparing for a big, yet exciting upcoming season with raised expectations and plenty of hype surrounding the team. A team that was close to the playoffs a year ago and certainly hoping to finish the job this time around, and a lot of what’s on the roster is running it back from a year ago.

That includes the offense - which saw little to no changes across the board. Only a small handful of moves were made, and nothing was even slightly substantial. So for better for worse, The Cardinals are trusting this offense to be better than they were a year ago. 

Players who were forced into action may be asked to do so once again, such as offensive guard Isaiah Adams.

The Illinois prospect was forced into the lineup due to injuries and was up and down. He will contend forthe starting role for this season and has an excellent chance to win the gig.

But is he ready?

We are going to break down reasons why I am buying Adams to start and play well this season as well as reasons to sell before I hand out my verdict.

Why I am buying

Adams is a very talented and more than capable player and the Cardinals clearly believe that as well. There’s plenty of athleticism for him to work with and continue improving and live action from last year will help get him ready for year two.

As long as he’s able to build off those reps he had last year then I can be sold into buying him as a full-time starter year two. It also helps that we know how much upside is present with Adams, which helps make it an easier sell.

Also, there’s not much competition anyways, so he start by default. 

Why I am selling

Adams is certainly talented, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to start yet. His live reps last year were important for his future development, but there were several ups and downs and the way he performed. There is a very realistic chance he simply is not ready yet.

We knew that Adams was a project coming out of college, and that means we can’t rush the process for him to become a full-time contributor. That problem could become exacerbated due to the Cardinals lack of true starters at right guard as of now. That in itself could force him to start even if he isn’t ready.

And again, he may be forced to out of necessity… 

Verdict: Buy

Just to be clear, when I say buy, I’m more referring to him being a week one starter. I’m still not sure if I believe he’s ready to go just yet, but that might not matter considering where the team stands.

Adams is definitely perceived as the future of the position until further notice and this year is his opportunity to prove he’s worthy of that notion.

One way or another… Right, wrong, or indifferent… ready or not, here comes a starting position, Mr. Adams.