D'Anthony

Batiste

D’Anthony Batiste has come on, a concern for the Cardinals’ run-blocking going forward.

Batiste, 30, can play both guard and right tackle, although he hasn’t started a game since the 2007 season. Batiste is mere depth returning to the desert.

Young is the first man up in the absence of Levi Brown, though beat writer Kent Somers reports OT D’Anthony Batiste will also see time on the blindside with the first-team offense. It appears veteran Jeremy Bridges won’t get a shot to replace Brown after losing out to rookie Bobbie Massie at right tackle.

Batiste was beginning to assert himself at right tackle before LT Levi Brown’s season-threatening triceps injury. Beat writer Kent Somers believes rookie Bobby Massie will be the favorite to start at right tackle if Batiste is shifted to the blindside. An eight-year veteran, Batiste has appeared in 22 total games for six different teams, making just four starts. Young is starting Thursday’s game against the Titans. Protection is going to be a huge issue for presumptive quarterback John Skelton.

The hope was that rookie Bobby Massie would emerge as the starter, but he continues to run with the second team. Bridges, meanwhile, is working as the second-string right guard. The offensive line remains a major concern in Arizona.

29-year-old journeyman D’Anthony Batiste, who has four career starts and none since 2007, is the starting left tackle. Massie was viewed as a raw project coming out of Ole Miss, but he’s the desperate Cardinals’ best option. Expect John Skelton and/or Kevin Kolb to receive shoddy pass protection all year long.

“Our hopes were he was going to take the right tackle position ... and be a backup for left tackle,” said coach Ken Whisenhunt. But with incumbent starting LT Levi Brown on IR with a triceps injury, Batiste has asserted himself at the position. The preseason finale will ultimately decide whether the Cardinals roll with Batiste or seek out a veteran free agent like Alex Barron or Chad Clifton.

Massie was widely-ranked as a second-round talent heading into the draft, and he has the size and experience against top college competition to catch on quickly. Rang’s sources suggest Massie fell in the draft not due to talent, but rather to questions about work ethic after showing little in the way of technical improvement at Ole Miss. Massie will only have to beat out the underwhelming pair of Jeremy Bridges and D’Anthony Batiste to win the job in training camp.

Potter has been active for just two games and is being used as a strict backup to D’Anthony Batiste. With the Cardinals’ offensive line struggles, it’s possible he could become a candidate for the starting job. Batiste has graded out as Pro Football Focus’ worst left tackle in the NFL this season.

Finally. Batiste has been the worst left tackle in the league this season and is a big reason why the Cardinals’ offensive line reached historically bad proportions. Potter is a seventh-round rookie, but he can’t do much worse. Expect him to start in Week 11 when the Cardinals come out of their bye.