What roles can Cardinals WRs Zay Jones and Moore play?

TEMPE — Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Arizona Cardinals’ biggest addition to the wide receiver ranks this season. But he’s not the only new addition at the position.

In addition to rookies Harrison, Tejhaun Palmer and Xavier Weaver, the Cardinals have added even more depth to their team with Zay Jones and Chris Moore, two NFL veterans who have quickly learned the fundamentals of the offense.

“I think they’re guys that have integrated into the offense and the team right away. I think they’re professionals,” offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said last Tuesday. “They’ve been in this league a long time, they understand the game, they know what it takes to be a professional and play at a high level.”

“I was pleased with how quickly they were able to adjust, learn the system, go out and run the offense, but also how they interacted with their teammates, how they went out and had fun and enjoyed playing. I think that’s a really important part of the offseason. You have to come together and enjoy what you’re doing. I think these two guys enjoy football. That’s one of the reasons they’re here.”

With at least seven NFL seasons under their belt, they bring additional experience to a room full of young receivers.

However, the roles each of them plays in the regular season could look very different.

What role could Zay Jones play in the Cardinals’ offense?

The signing of Jones in the offseason screamed one thing above all else:

Wilson, who entered the offseason as Arizona’s top WR2 candidate, will face additional competition for that role in training camp.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon’s first impressions of the 6’2″ Jones have only reinforced this development.

“With Zay, you quickly realize that he is worth the price of admission here,” the head coach said in May. “His football character is limitless. He is extremely smart and has obviously played at a high level here for a long time. He has settled in well over the last week. He is excited to get started.”

“He’s really a three-position guy,” Gannon added. “He can play anything, he’s smart enough to play anything. The whole team knows it’s kind of a competitive period for their role right now. Everyone’s in the same boat, but he’s played multiple positions throughout his career, been productive at all of them, extremely smart and wants to help us win.”

Jones comes into training camp as Wilson’s biggest competition, as his NFL resume includes 3,028 yards, 18 touchdowns and 104 games (67 starts) in seven seasons. It has been just two years since he set career highs in receptions (82) and yards (823) with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wilson, on the other hand, doesn’t have nearly as much experience as Jones at the pro level. However, the second-year pro has an established relationship with quarterback Kyler Murray and has been working in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s system for a year.

The former took another step forward after Wilson began working with the franchise’s signal-caller outside of team practices.

“Mike is going to play for a long time. I believe that completely,” Murray said in June. “He’s one of those guys that I call at 3 a.m. and he’s there. He loves that (expletive).”

The biggest step forward Wilson needs to make is in availability.

While the wideout shone as a rookie with 565 yards and three touchdowns, he also saw injuries from college follow him, this time in the form of a lingering shoulder injury. He missed four games and played through several more due to the injury.

Of the battles to watch this training camp, the battle between Jones and Wilson for WR2 is at the top.

What about Chris Moore’s role?

It is quite possible that Jones will enter as WR2/3 in 2024, especially if Wilson is out due to injury.

Moore is more of a wild card.

Since he hasn’t been nearly as successful as his veteran colleague Jones, who rushed for 1,710 yards and eight touchdowns in 106 games (18 starts), the 6’1″ Moore should be a good addition given the current pecking order among wide receivers.

He could also be a special teamer, having played at least 42% of available snaps in six of his eight NFL seasons.

In any case, the more options, the better for offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and Co.

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