Several NFL clubs have gotten their rookies into a training camp surrounding on Friday. Yawn. The entire roster for the Arizona Cardinals are way ahead of them.
Training camp is what separates the men from the boys, the players versus the future real estate agents, and what the franchise can expect going into this year’s schedule. Keep in mind, Arizona has a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 6 in the Hall of Fame Game situated in Canton, Ohio.
RELATED: NEWS FROM CARDINALS TRAINING
CAMP
On Friday, fans were permitted to watch practices, and unlike a lot of NFL teams, the tickets were no charge. Don’t you hate it when teams want more out of fans? A lot of bodies in the media area were on hand as well.
Right now, it’s just lids and shorts.
Although the offensive line is lined up, and a mock defensive line is also lined up and “acting” like they are rushing, the main focus is to know what to do and where to be along the offensive line on a called play. However, on passing plays, the receivers are giving it all they’ve got, and not a single DB wants guys catching balls in front of them. Which means good effort from both position groups so far. It is also giving the offensive coaches an idea of which receivers are getting their routes correct, and which ones are lost.
QB Gardner Minshew tossed the ball all around the yard today. His fav so far was Marvin Harrison, who is looking good and seems to have bulked up a bit, but he also likes TE Trey McBride, who made a highlight play.
QB Carson Beck has shown that if Jacoby Brissett isn’t getting this new offense down, he is already making an argument to become the Week 1 starter. The dude can slice it into a narrow window and has a strong arm with great velocity. Understandably, there isn’t much of a pass rush; we get that. And nobody on either side of the line is pushing the staying power of their deodorant. He is simply making a statement that the QB3 label and waiting a year may be for somebody else. He especially looks solid rolling out and looking for an open man downfield.
All four quarterbacks were seen throwing. Minshew and Beck were getting the first-team reps so far. Kedon Slovis was active as well and had the day’s only turnover, a fumble. Whether that’s just early camp or the way it is going to be will be determined. But if the Cardinals had a game tomorrow, it would be Minshew under center with Beck holding the tablet.
Brissett also looks a bit sluggish and may even have a bit more weight on him. Haven’t seen or heard about him being weighed, and maybe it’s the black jersey all QBs are wearing, but he isn’t fluid with his movements at all so far.
Lots of passes thrown during receiver drills without any front line. Rookie WR Reggie Virgil is running some good routes and has moves.
The defensive backs are in a quandary so far. While there isn’t any real hitting, which would cause some dropped balls via a good pop here and there, plus the receivers know where they are going, the defensive back group is proving to be very aggressive.
CB Max Melton has popped out a few balls along with CBs Jaden Davis and Will Johnson. If S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson batted away one ball, he batted away six or seven. LB Jordan Burch seems to be getting to know where in coverage he must end up.
S Budda Baker was intermingled with his safety group and looked more like the safety group coach than a player. He was seen very active with the younger guys as well as veteran Andrew Wingard. There are seven safeties in camp, and most likely the team will only keep four. Five may make it if DC Nick Rallis decides to use more 4-2-5 this year.
And really, the defense did much better than the offense. Which is normal early on.
But it’s not the defensive backfield that’s under the microscope during camp; it’s this new offense. Oddly enough, on the Isaiah Adams front, he was at camp taking part in drills. It was not known what his recent weapons arrest would do for him being available.
The next open practices are Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and next Friday again.
