The Sports Xchange

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals continue to tinker with the offensive line, hoping they can find a combination that can adequately protect quarterback Carson Palmer.

Palmer was sacked three times in one half against the Raiders Sunday. Both tackles, Jared Veldheer on the left and Bradley Sowell on the right, lost one-on-one matchups. Center A.Q. Shipley was driven back into the pocket and right guard Jonathan Cooper was beaten badly once.

This week, Earl Watford is going to start in place of Sowell at right tackle. Sowell is moving to the left side, because Veldheer is not going to play.

Watford played well against the Raiders’ starters and has a chance to be in the lineup when the season begins on Sept. 13.

Head coach Bruce Arians also said that backup center Lyle Sendlein played well against the Raiders. So far, Shipley has held on to the starting job, but it would surprise no one if a change is made there.

“Obviously, the pass protection was not great,” Arians said, “But also a lot of it fell on the quarterback. I thought Carson was a little anxious to get big plays against his former team and not take what was there. And he got himself hit a couple times.

“Earl played extremely well in the second half. That competition is heating up real nice, as did Lyle. He played extremely well in the middle of the pocket.”

It is notable that D.J. Humphries, the first-round pick, is not contending for a starting spot given the team’s problems at right tackle. Humphries hasn’t played well this preseason, and Arians has been critical of Humphries’ work habits.

–The Cardinals made 11 roster moves on Wednesday to get to 76 players, one more than the limit.

There were no surprises but there were notable names: linebacker Lorenzo Alexander and punter Dave Zastudil.

Alexander has been an outstanding special teams player throughout his career, but he didn’t run well during camp. The Cardinals are going with younger, cheaper options.

Drew Butler clearly out-punted Zastudil in training camp, Arians said.

Butler was shaky last season and had a horrible performance in the playoff game in Carolina (34.8 average). But Arians seems to have confidence in him, so it’s questionable if the Cardinals will look elsewhere for help.

–No established starters will play Thursday night in Denver, Arians said. Rookie Phillip Sims will start at quarterback with Logan Thomas playing the second half. Both played well last week, leading the team on long touchdown drives in the second half.

“Just be consistent,” Arians replied when asked what he wanted to see from his young quarterbacks. “None of those really bad plays.”

–Tight end Ifeanyi Momah has had an impressive spring and summer as a pass-catcher. He needs work as blocker, but Momah has been an effective receiver, which isn’t a surprise since he’s a converted wide receiver.

Momah caught three passes for 61 yards against the Raiders.

“He does not lack toughness, to put his face in the fire and try to block,” Arians said. “Get your ass kicked with dignity sometimes. But that’s a receiver playing tight end. I’m very pleased with where he’s at in that phase. He keeps showing up every day.”

Wide receiver J.J. Nelson, a fifth-round pick, played well throughout training camp. But he struggled in Oakland on Sunday night. He slipped on the dirt in warmups and couldn’t handle it. Every route he ran on the dirt it looked like he was playing on ice.

Notes: Running back Chris Johnson hopes to play Thursday night. He hasn’t played yet because of a hamstring injury. … Tight end Troy Niklas (hamstring) won’t play against the Broncos. … Inside linebacker Kevin Minter continues to play well. He has developed into an every-down player. … .Inside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon hasn’t played this preseason after suffering a hamstring injury on the first day of training camp. Coaches hope he can practice and play this week. … Cornerback Jerraud Powers is fighting a hamstring injury. He is missing time this week and Justin Bethel is starting in his place. … Outside linebacker Shaq Riddick (hamstring) returned to practice this week after missing most of training camp. … Nose tackle Xavier Williams, an undrafted rookie, continues to impress and he is likely to make the team. He passed Alameda Ta’amu on the depth chart. … Inside linebacker Alani Fua, another undrafted rookie, has played well on defense and special teams. At 6-foot-5, his wingspan can create problems for quarterbacks, and he shows good speed on special teams.