Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has thumbed through third-string quarterbacks like a magazine in the waiting room of a dentist’s office.
Logan Thomas was drafted in the fourth round but cut before his second season. Matt Barkley hung around for a while before getting jettisoned. Ryan Lindley started a playoff game but was clearly not the answer.
Blaine Gabbert seems different. The former first-round pick joined the Cardinals in May after two months languishing in free agency, and there was a healthy dose of skepticism based on his 9-31 career record and overall ineffectiveness in the NFL.
But as Gabbert’s offseason wraps up Thursday in the team’s preseason finale against the Broncos – he will play sparingly before giving way to Trevor Knight -- there’s a growing belief that he could be a part of the Cardinals’ future.