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Receivers Facing Tough Competition
The Cardinals returning wide receivers are taking advantage of the organized team activity for vets this week. With two receivers taken out of the Cardinals first three picks and the trade for veteran wide out Larry Foster from Detroit, competition has suddenly heated up at that position.
The Cardinals first-round pick Bryant Johnson is expected to come in and help fill the void left by the departure of David Boston. Johnson is an explosive receiver that was known at Penn State for his big play ability. But with Johnson not working out in the team’s mini camp, it was second-round pick Anquan Boldin that caught most of the attention.
“He’s got very quick feet,” observed Head Coach Dave McGinnis of the rookie receiver. “Just what we thought we had. He’s going to be a very physical receiver. He and Jerry Sullivan and Tyke Tolbert – you can see that is going to be a pretty good alliance with those guys, but he’s got great feet and plus, he’s very serious about his business and I can tell that right now.”
“It is going kind of smooth,” said Boldin over the weekend. “I feel a little rough around the edges trying to learn everything, but we had a rapid pace back in Florida so I feel okay with the tempo.”
Foster’s mini camp weekend allowed him time to get acclimated to a new team following his unexpected trade during the draft weekend.
“It’s (the trade) hit me now and it is weird,” shared Foster. “When that happens you realize the nature of the business and it makes you stronger. It makes you realize nothing is given to you. You have to go out and work hard for it and sometimes it is still not guaranteed to you. You just have to take it as an opportunity and be ready when you are given it.”
Foster is grateful to offensive coordinator Jerry Sullivan, who was his former wide receivers coach in Detroit and who lobbied to get the talented receiver to Arizona.
”Coach Sullivan has made the biggest difference in my career,” said Foster. “He saw what I could do in Detroit and felt like they weren’t using me maybe the way he thought he could use me and that is why I am here right now.”
The returning receivers from last year feel like despite the recent pick-ups, that the position is still open for competition.
“I pretty much expected that we would take some receivers in the draft and so I knew it would be competitive like this,” offered second-year receiver Jason McAddley. “Competition is good for all of us and it’ll just make us that much better when the season starts.”
“It is competitive,” agreed wide receiver Nathan Poole. “There are a lot of good receivers out here looking for a job. All the big names, Frank Sanders, David Boston, MarTay Jenkins -- they’re gone. Everybody knows that any given day you can come show up for practice and you could be moved up. That is the goal – to move up as much as you can before training camp.”
Both McAddley and Poole were thrown into the fire last season when injury decimated the receiving corps, but this year the two have more confidence.
“I think last year I was so worried about all of the little things that I couldn’t even concentrate on catching the ball,” admitted McAddley. “Now, I know where I am supposed to be and I am familiar with my routes so there is a lot less pressure. The mini camp seemed much easier too because we’ve been working with the quarterbacks over the last two months and there is a certain comfort level and trust there.”
For Poole, the slower schedule involved with this week’s practices enables him more time to pay attention to detail.
“They want me to learn all three positions and every day it is a different position for me out here on the field, and so in the meetings I make sure to write down notes and go home and study,” explained Poole. “In mini camp, with the rookies in, it was rapid fire and I didn’t have time to write things down. I think most of us realize the extra time out here can help give us an edge going into training camp if we use it wisely.”
The Cardinals will hold two additional organized sessions for veterans this week before returning to the normal off-season workout program next week.
Offensive Coordinator Jerry Sullivan and WR Larry Foster:
Receivers Facing Tough Competition
The Cardinals returning wide receivers are taking advantage of the organized team activity for vets this week. With two receivers taken out of the Cardinals first three picks and the trade for veteran wide out Larry Foster from Detroit, competition has suddenly heated up at that position.
The Cardinals first-round pick Bryant Johnson is expected to come in and help fill the void left by the departure of David Boston. Johnson is an explosive receiver that was known at Penn State for his big play ability. But with Johnson not working out in the team’s mini camp, it was second-round pick Anquan Boldin that caught most of the attention.
“He’s got very quick feet,” observed Head Coach Dave McGinnis of the rookie receiver. “Just what we thought we had. He’s going to be a very physical receiver. He and Jerry Sullivan and Tyke Tolbert – you can see that is going to be a pretty good alliance with those guys, but he’s got great feet and plus, he’s very serious about his business and I can tell that right now.”
“It is going kind of smooth,” said Boldin over the weekend. “I feel a little rough around the edges trying to learn everything, but we had a rapid pace back in Florida so I feel okay with the tempo.”
Foster’s mini camp weekend allowed him time to get acclimated to a new team following his unexpected trade during the draft weekend.
“It’s (the trade) hit me now and it is weird,” shared Foster. “When that happens you realize the nature of the business and it makes you stronger. It makes you realize nothing is given to you. You have to go out and work hard for it and sometimes it is still not guaranteed to you. You just have to take it as an opportunity and be ready when you are given it.”
Foster is grateful to offensive coordinator Jerry Sullivan, who was his former wide receivers coach in Detroit and who lobbied to get the talented receiver to Arizona.
”Coach Sullivan has made the biggest difference in my career,” said Foster. “He saw what I could do in Detroit and felt like they weren’t using me maybe the way he thought he could use me and that is why I am here right now.”
The returning receivers from last year feel like despite the recent pick-ups, that the position is still open for competition.
“I pretty much expected that we would take some receivers in the draft and so I knew it would be competitive like this,” offered second-year receiver Jason McAddley. “Competition is good for all of us and it’ll just make us that much better when the season starts.”
“It is competitive,” agreed wide receiver Nathan Poole. “There are a lot of good receivers out here looking for a job. All the big names, Frank Sanders, David Boston, MarTay Jenkins -- they’re gone. Everybody knows that any given day you can come show up for practice and you could be moved up. That is the goal – to move up as much as you can before training camp.”
Both McAddley and Poole were thrown into the fire last season when injury decimated the receiving corps, but this year the two have more confidence.
“I think last year I was so worried about all of the little things that I couldn’t even concentrate on catching the ball,” admitted McAddley. “Now, I know where I am supposed to be and I am familiar with my routes so there is a lot less pressure. The mini camp seemed much easier too because we’ve been working with the quarterbacks over the last two months and there is a certain comfort level and trust there.”
For Poole, the slower schedule involved with this week’s practices enables him more time to pay attention to detail.
“They want me to learn all three positions and every day it is a different position for me out here on the field, and so in the meetings I make sure to write down notes and go home and study,” explained Poole. “In mini camp, with the rookies in, it was rapid fire and I didn’t have time to write things down. I think most of us realize the extra time out here can help give us an edge going into training camp if we use it wisely.”
The Cardinals will hold two additional organized sessions for veterans this week before returning to the normal off-season workout program next week.
Offensive Coordinator Jerry Sullivan and WR Larry Foster:
