Cardinals Hopeful, Excited for Rondale Moore's Return
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TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals are 1-2, in small part thanks to a lack of receiving weapons around quarterback Kyler Murray.
Greg Dortch and Marquise Brown have stepped up in a big way, yet the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore and Antoine Wesley have not played thus far for various reasons.
When A.J. Green went out with a bone bruise last Sunday, the Cardinals took another hit to their receiving corps.
While Green was classified as doubtful by head coach Kliff Kingsbury on Wednesday, there was some potential good news: Moore was spotted working at the open portion of practice.
After nursing a hamstring injury, the Cardinals are hopeful he'll make his season debut in Carolina this week:
"He was limited some but good to have him back out there and hopefully he progresses to the point that we can get something out of him Sunday. I don't know to what extent yet," said Kingsbury.
"He's a playmaker. He had a really good training camp. We're looking forward to utilizing him in some different ways. But coming off, whatever he's been out, three or four weeks, we'll be smart and limit what he does but he's definitely got some juice and was playing at a high level in camp, so hopefully he can go."
Quarterback Kyler Murray also echoed that same sentiment:
"Looked good. Looked fresh, rejuvenated. I know he's been itching and scratching to try to get back out there but you know with injuries, gotta take your time. It's a long season," said Murray.
Last season, Moore played 14 games and caught 54 of his 64 targets for 435 yards and one touchdown.
Not gaudy numbers in any stretch, but there were certainly flashes of what the Purdue product brought to the table.
Working in a Kingsbury offense that will utilize his speed in space, Moore has the potential to be a true wild card in Arizona.
Dortch, who has essentially filled Moore's role in his absence, has played exceptionally well. Through three games, Dortch has reeled in 20 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown. His 113 yards after catch leads the team.
With Moore now potentially being in the mix, it's up to Kingsbury to ensure all available weapons are utilized.
"I think he's filled in and done some nice things. Like I said, Rondale can do a lot of things. He's a unique player and we want to be able to utilize all that he can do. But I think Dortch has stepped in and performed as well as we could have hoped. So it'd be nice to have them all back and find a way to utilize all those guys," said Kingsbury.
It's still early in the week, as we're still far from Sunday. Kingsbury was somewhat hesitant to declare what Moore's potential role would be on Sunday. The Cardinals have taken their time with Moore knowing it's a long season, and if that means putting him on a pitch count, they'll do what they need to do.
Yet there's a genuine sense of excitement here at Arizona's practice facility that despite a tough start, the band is slowly starting to get back together.
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