TEMPE, Ariz. -- For most of the 90 players on the Arizona Cardinals, Thursday night's preseason finale in Denver won't have a bearing on their future.

There are those who know they'll make the 53-man roster and be back to work next week, preparing for the Detroit Lions in Week 1.

And there are those who know their days with the Cardinals are very likely over, which means they'll have to either start preparing for the next chapter of their life or cling to the dream of playing in the NFL while waiting for a team to call.

Then there are the select few players who sit between those two groups. These are the players on the bubble. For them, the fourth preseason game is meaningful. It could help sway the franchise's decision whether to keep them or cut them.

Here are five players on the bubble for whom the game is more than just a throwaway:

OLB Cap Capi: While Capi had his best game of the preseason last weekend in Atlanta, his spot on the Cardinals roster isn't yet guaranteed. But his fate, in large part, is out of his control. It's likely the Cards will keep eight linebackers, but how they're split between inside and outside linebackers is still to be determined. Capi has made a strong case to be the fourth outside linebacker, but if Arizona decides to keep five inside linebackers while Deone Bucannon continues to work his way back into football shape after missing all of the offseason while recovering from ankle surgery, then Capi may find himself looking for a new team.

ILB Josh Bynes: Like Capi, Bynes could be caught in the linebacker shuffle. He'll likely end up being one of five inside linebackers kept if the Cards keep that many -- or he may be the fifth of four. He's certainly shown enough during games to suggest that his addition to the roster wouldn't be a surprise.

RB Andre Ellington: It seems like Ellington's spot on the 53-man roster is safe, for now, with injured rookie running back T.J. Logan likely headed to injured reserve while his dislocated wrist heals. But the debate about whether to keep four or five running backs will continue to rage on for the Cardinals into the weekend. The bigger question will be whether Ellington has proved enough once Logan returns to warrant the Cardinals carrying five running backs.

S Harlan Miller: Another one of the tougher decisions for the Cardinals this weekend will be whether to keep five or six safeties to complement the four cornerbacks they're likely to retain. If Arizona goes with five safeties, Miller may find himself on the outside looking in at rookie Rudy Ford.

WR Carlton Agudosi: Coach Bruce Arians has already said Agudosi stood out to him during training camp, and if he doesn't make the roster, he'll likely be a strong candidate for the practice squad. Considering that the Cardinals will enter this game with five receivers who are all but guaranteed roster spots, it's tough to see where Agudosi fits in. He's competing against the likes of Brittan Golden, Jeremy Ross and Aaron Dobson for one roster spot, possibly two.