Avoiding the injury imp: Five most irreplaceable Cardinals The Cardinals¡¯ training staff has had a busy past few days. On Friday  http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jamar-tayl or-jersey , there was the first injury scare of the season when LB Deone Bucannon¡¯s knee banged into new WR Brice Butler¡¯s helmet during red zone drills. Fortunately, it seems like the Cardinals dodged a bullet¡ªBucannon will be okay.Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t sound like we¡¯ll be so lucky with starting C A.Q. Shipley, who went down on Saturday at the Red and White practice with a left leg injury and was carted off the field. We¡¯ll be hoping for good news on the ironman offensive lineman (he¡¯s played in every game the past two seasons), but the initial reports didn¡¯t sound good.(UPDATE: Reports are confirming the worst for Shipley¡ªhe¡¯s out for the year.)Of course, training camp injuries are a part of life for NFL teams. And you hate to say it, but more injuries are probably coming. The coaches know it, the players know it, the fans know it. It¡¯s a bit cynical to think about, sure, but it¡¯s worth talking about. And while the Redbirds will most likely survive the Shipley injury (Mason Cole, come on down!), that¡¯s not true of every player. Which leads to the following questions:¡°Who are the most irreplaceable players on the roster? Who can the Cardinals least afford to lose to injury?¡±There¡¯s a lot to consider when answering these questions, including the position of the player, the depth chart behind them, their intangible contributions in the locker room, and their standing with the fans. My list is below, starting with a few honorable mentions. There are guys you can replace, and guys you can¡¯t. These aren¡¯t quite guys you can¡¯t replace, but they¡¯re almost guys you can¡¯t replace.Honorable MentionsLT D.J. Humphries ¨C The other D.J. is the best player on a rebuilt O-line and responsible for protecting the QB¡¯s blind side. The depth chart behind him is also perilously thin.DT Corey Peters ¨C A rock up the middle and the lynchpin of our run defense. Gunter and, hopefully, Nkemdiche behind him are capable but not as potentially dominant.S Budda Baker ¨C Baker is dynamic young playmaker expected to take a leap forward this season. Our safety depth is a strength with Tre Boston now in the fold, but it would be devastating to lose a fan favorite like Baker.5) QB Sam BradfordQuarterback would probably be #1 for most teams, but the Redbirds¡¯ QB situation is a bit different than most. For one, Bradford is a known injury risk, so we made sure to prepare for the inevitable in drafting Josh Rosen in the 1st round and signing capable backup Mike Glennon. While Rosen is unproven and Glennon has proven to be league-average at best, neither is on the Ryan Lindley level of futility, thankfully. And two, Bradford has never played a snap here in the desert, so you can¡¯t really say he¡¯s truly irreplaceable yet. But the complexion of the season would certainly change for the worse if he were to go down.4) RB David JohnsonWere you expecting to see DJ a bit higher on this list? After all, he¡¯s our most exciting offensive playmaker and perhaps the identity of our team moving forward. But there are a few mitigating factors here. One is that DJ missed almost the whole season last year and we still finished a respectable 8-8. Another is that RB is one of the more fungible positions in football, where undrafted free agents and washed-up veterans can contribute right away. Finally, the backfield depth chart is looking stronger than it has in years with rookie Chase Edmonds already turning heads in camp and several usual suspects behind him. Still, it would be crushing to lose DJ to injury two years in a row.3) DE Chandler JonesChandler Jones¡¯s second year in the desert was everything the Cardinals could have hoped for, as he led the league in sacks and emerged as a leader on the front seven. The scary thing is he might be even better this season¡ªhe¡¯s aiming to increase his sack total Antoine Bethea Jersey , and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already seen THAT video. Assuming there are no problems adapting to new DC Al Holcomb¡¯s preferred 4-3 alignment, Jones will be terrorizing Russell Wilson and the rest of the NFC West QBs again all season. But our pass rush would most likely implode if he were to go down, as the depth chart behind him is rather unimposing, especially with Markus Golden still recovering from his torn ACL. Patrick Peterson and Co. would be in for a long day every Sunday with opposing QBs having a clean pocket to throw from every down.2) WR Larry FitzgeraldI almost put Fitz at #1 due to the sheer anguish Cardinals fans would experience seeing the franchise icon go down. He¡¯s a true legend, both on and off the field, and almost never misses a game (fewer than 10 in his career). He¡¯s also our most important offensive player¡ªyes, more important than our QB or RB. With Bradford or DJ, there¡¯s at least someone behind them on the depth chart that can adequately replace them. Not so with Fitz, as our WR room is as unproven as it¡¯s probably ever been we drafted him. Does anyone think Brice Butler, Chad Williams, or J.J. Nelson can come close to replacing Fitz? I don¡¯t think so. The Redbirds¡¯ attack would grind to a halt without Fitz¡¯s reliable hands, clutch playmaking, and quiet leadership.1) CB Patrick PetersonAll that said, I think Peterson is the most irreplaceable Cardinals player. No, he¡¯s not quite an icon like Fitz, and he¡¯s not an explosive playmaker like DJ or Jones, but our defense¡ªthe true strength of our team the past couple seasons¡ªwould likely collapse without Peterson¡¯s ability to shut down the opposing team¡¯s #1 WR. Yes, he has voiced some frustrations about how he¡¯s been used, and there are some question marks about his ability to adapt to the zone scheme Holcomb is installing, but he¡¯s been a leader on this defense almost since he first stepped onto the field, and he¡¯s become perhaps the most vocal team leader in the locker room as well. And, like Fitz, there¡¯s no one proven on the depth chart behind him, just an uninspiring collection of rookies, journeymen, and castoffs. With Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Jared Goff all on the schedule twice¡ªand Philip Rivers, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, and Aaron freaking Rodgers also on the docket¡ªwe may need PP21 more than ever this season.Final ThoughtsIt may not be fun to think about, but injuries are going to happen¡ªjust hopefully not to any of these guys. So let¡¯s knock on wood and hope that the injury imp doesn¡¯t bite us too hard during camp/preseason.In the meantime, let us know what you think in the comments. Is Fitz or Peterson the most irreplaceable Cardinal? Or is it someone else? Did we miss anyone? Give us a shout below! Four games, four losses.Not even the most pessimistic of fans could have predicted this start. After four weeks, the Redbirds are the only team in the league without a win. We¡¯re 0-3 at home Authentic Gabe Holmes Jersey , where we¡¯ve protected the nest in recent years, and we¡¯ve scored a piddling 37 points total¡ªthat¡¯s right, less than 10 points per game.Shameful. Inexcusable. Indefensible.It¡¯s hard to fathom how we wound up here, especially considering that we had the ball on 1st and 10 at the Seattle 31 with 2:59 to play and the Seahawks down to one timeout. All we had to do was get a single first down and we could grind down the clock and kick a chip shot FG to win the game.Instead, weâ€?did not do that.Like last week, some poor play on the field was compounded by some seriously boneheaded coaching decisions, and the crowd at State Farm Field was let down once again. Let¡¯s run through the most impactful factors/moments that led to the loss, figure out who¡¯s to blame, and see if there¡¯s any hope moving forward.Offensive Run DefenseSunday had a chance to be a get-right game for the Redbirds run defense. Seattle¡¯s O-line woes are well documented, their starting RB Chris Carson was a late scratch, and their 1st-round rookie Rashaad Penny (brother of Elijhaa) hasn¡¯t done much. Enter third-stringer Mike Davis, who proceeded to run for 101 yards and 2 TDs on 21 carries. Adding in contributions from Penny and Russell Wilson, the Seahawks put up 171 yards on 34 carries (5.0 YPC). The Cardinals are now 31st in the league in rushing defense¡ªafter finishing 6th last season.Assigning the Blame: The Cardinals have talent in the front seven¡ªCory Peters has been a rock, and the team has spent recent 1st-round picks on the likes of Robert Nkemdiche, Deone Bucannon, and Haason Reddick. Talent isn¡¯t the problem¡ªit¡¯s scheme. These are 3-4 players trying to adjust to the Carolina 4-3 (when we¡¯re not in nickel, that is) of Steve Wilks and Al Holcomb. The scheme obviously isn¡¯t working with the personnel we have, so it¡¯s on the coaches to adapt. And they simply haven¡¯t thus far.Where to Go from Here: Wilks and Holcomb need to adjust their scheme to the talent of the players of the roster. Consider moving Bucannon back to a hybrid safety role, let Reddick rush the passer more (he had a sack on Sunday), and maybe stop playing so much nickel on obvious rushing downs.A Bad Case of the DropsIt wasn¡¯t all bad news for the Redbirds on Sunday, as rookie QB Josh Rosen passed the eye test and earned strong reviews for his debut start. His numbers were somewhat pedestrian¡ª15/27, 180 yards, and 1 TD¡ªbut they could have been much better if it weren¡¯t for all the drops. Stalwart Cardinals writer Darren Urban estimated that Rosen¡¯s numbers would have been about 20/27, 261 yards, and 2 TDs if Larry Fitzgerald(!), Christian Kirk, J.J. Nelson, and Ricky Seals-Jones had held onto several catchable balls. (Plus there was the near-TD by Chad Williams where he was just unable to get a second foot down on the sideline.) The Redbirds WR room has been a known weak spot, and they let the team down big-time on Sunday, costing us precious yardage and, potentially, points.Assigning the Blame: It¡¯s easy to blame the players on the field¡ªyes, even Fitz¡ªbut GM Steve Keim deserves a ton of blame for not doing more to augment the position during the offseason¡ªor even during the season. (Rishard Matthews is available, after all.) Plus, it¡¯s worth pointing out that on a day where J.J. Nelson was doing this for the Cardinals Youth Benson Mayowa Jersey , John Brown was doing this for the Ravens.Where to Go from Here: J.J. Nelson probably needs to be cut at this point. Keim needs to do what many of us who play fantasy football do on Sunday mornings¡ªscour the free agent list for a WR and hope they can produce.Kicker WoesIt seems like points are always at a premium in Cardinals/Seahawks games, and Sunday was no exception. You can¡¯t have your kicker miss two FGs in these kinds of games and expect to win. Granted, neither of them were gimmes (45 and 50 yards), but didn¡¯t we stick with Dawson because he¡¯s a steady veteran? He didn¡¯t play like one on Sunday.Assigning the Blame: Obviously, Dawson should be expected to hit the potential game-winning 45-yarder, but it shouldn¡¯t have been that long of a kick, which is firmly the coaching staff¡¯s fault (more on that below). But you can also argue that Dawson shouldn¡¯t have been kicking in the first place. It doubly hurts knowing that preseason star Matt McCrane hit a game-winner for the Raiders later Sunday afternoon. Yet another Steve Keim decision that didn¡¯t work out.Where to Go from Here: Dawson probably needs to go too. He just doesn¡¯t have the leg strength/accuracy required of an NFL kicker anymore. This was obvious even in the preseason. Keim needs to find a stopgap replacement for the rest of the season and then address the position in the offseason.Another Questionable 3rd-Down RunSimply put, the coaching staff completely bungled the endgame on Sunday. As I said above, we just needed to gain one first down on our final possession. That would have accomplished two things: 1) it would¡¯ve made the would-be game-winning FG much easier, and 2) it would¡¯ve let us drain most of the clock down to prevent Russell Wilson from doing exactly what he did¡ªmarch down the field for the win if we missed the kick.It started with that 1st and 10 with 2:59 left. We got a Mike McCoy special: unimaginative run into the pile. Then on 2nd and 8? You guessed it¡ªanother unimaginative run into the pile. But the worst playcall came after the two-minute warning¡ªjust like it did last week. With all that time to call the perfect play¡ªremembering again that we had to have a first down¡ªwe gotâ€?yep, another unimaginative run into the pile. At least it was David Johnson getting stuffed this time. Small consolation.Keep in mind that Rosen was 4/5 for 39 yards on the drive up until that point. If you can trust your rookie QB enough to put him into a tight game in the 4th quarter last week, you can trust him enough to put the ball in his hands in a tight game in the 4th quarter this week, right? One completion and you can drain the clock down and kick a 35-39 yard FG (instead of 45) to win.Insteadâ€?unimaginative run into the pile, Russell Wilson gets two minutes to gain 30 yards, and Sea Bass kicks the game-winner. Ugh.Assigning the Blame: Mike McCoy makes the offensive playcalls, but Steve Wilks says he can ¡°veto or confirm¡± any playcall. However the decision to run it up the middle on 3rd and 6 at the Seattle 27 was made, it was a lousy decision and the buck stops with the man in charge¡ªSteve Wilks. Whether he confirmed McCoy¡¯s call of the run or just declined to veto it doesn¡¯t matter. It was the wrong call and it cost us the game. At this point, I wish he¡¯d just veto Mike McCoy entirely, to be honest.Where to Go from Here: Fire. Mike. McCoy. I¡¯m gonna keep saying it until it happens.Final ThoughtsSunday¡¯s loss was the result of several of our players being put in a position to fail by our GM/coaching staff, and the one player who could have saved the game¡ªJosh Rosen¡ªnot being given the chance to do so. It¡¯s that simple.It¡¯s not just the 0-4 start, but the way it has happened¡ªthese last two weeks especially¡ªthat has many Cardinals fans wondering if we have the right leadership on the sidelines and in the front office. But Steve Keim just signed an extension, and Steve Wilks and his staff are in their first year on the job, so we may be stuck with them for a while.They, like our players, need to respond in the right way to this adversity. Before the Bears game, I wrote about how the Cardinals have been plagued by passivity lately. That proved true against the Seahawks with the way known weaknesses (WR, LB, K) came back to bite us and the way the coaching staff screwed up the endgame with overly conservative decisions.We¡¯ll learn a lot about our leadership by the way they respond. If McCoy, Nelson, and Dawson continue to have jobs, if we don¡¯t try to bring in reinforcements, if we continue to struggle to score points and stop the run, if we continue to be passiveâ€?we¡¯ll have learned that these are not the men to lead our franchise.But if we do something to try to change our fortunes¡ªeven if it just amounts to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic¡ªI think most Cardinals fans would feel a little bit better about the direction of our team. Cold comfort to be sure, but better than the hot air these guys have been blowing so far.