6 Players to Watch in Cardinals-Bengals Preseason Week 1: Rondale Moore Ready To Go For Arizona

While starting quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow are not going to play in Friday’s preseason NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals there are still some players who can take advantage of the opportunity to get into game action.

Here are six players to keep an eye on for Friday’s Cardinals-Bengals preseason game:

Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona

A blazing fast playmaker, Moore caught 54 passes for 435 yards and one touchdown last season, a season in which he was under-utilized.

Now, with DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games and Christian Kirk gone to Jacksonville as a free agent, Moore is going to have ample opportunity to be a significant piece in the Cardinals offense.

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Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona

The 23-year-old from Arizona State did not make a big impact as a rookie, accumulating a total of 160 yards from scrimmage in nine games. However, he has an opportunity to earn the backup job behind James Conner this season.

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Benjamin is facing a battle with veteran Darrel Williams for that No. 2 RB role, so getting off to a strong start in the preseason would help Benjamin’s case.

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Brandon Allen, QB, Cincinnati

Not that he would be playing a lot in the first preseason game anyway but starting quarterback Joe Burrow is still recovering from an appendectomy, so Allen should get plenty of action and it wouldn’t hurt his case to have some preseason success.

The 29-year-old has appeared in 14 games, starting nine, and has completed 56.2% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. With the Bengals expecting to be contenders this season, it would be nice to know that they have a viable option at quarterback should Burrow miss any time.

Hayden Hurst, TE, Cincinnati

Although he was overshadowed by star rookie Kyle Pitts in Atlanta last season, Hurst did have 56 receptions for 571 yards and six touchdowns during the 2020 season, so he could end up playing a significant role in the Cincinnati attack.

Tight end C.J. Uzomah was targeted 63 times in 16 games for the Bengals last season, before signing with the Jets as a free agent, so Hurst is the leading candidate to get those looks.

Trace McSorley, QB, Arizona

With Kyler Murray and Colt McCoy both nursing injuries, McSorley will have a chance to start Friday against the Bengals. The 26-year-old quarterback out of Penn State has appeared in three NFL games, completing three of 10 passes for 90 yards.

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It is not as though McSorley is going to challenge for the starting job, but if he performs well in the preseason, that could help secure his place as the No. 3 QB.

Dax Hill, FS, Cincinnati

Taken with the 31st pick in the first round, the Michigan product is getting lots of reps in camp with star safety Jessie Bates out due to a contract dispute. The Bengals put the franchise tag on Bates, and he would prefer to sign a long-term contract, whether in Cincinnati or somewhere else.

As long as Bates is out, there is an opportunity for Hill to start for the Bengals and Hill could make things easier on the club if he shows that he is up to the challenge.Make sure to keep an eye on our Live Odds page throughout the week to get the best lines possible and connect with others in the SBR community on our popular sports betting forum.