azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Coach Dennis Green's biggest rebuilding project has been the offensive line, where a total makeover has taken place since he arrived a year ago January.
He likes what he sees now in starters Leonard Davis, Reggie Wells, Alex Stepanovich, Jeremy Bridges (who will be challenged by rookie Elton Brown when Brown conquers his hamstring woes) and Oliver Ross.
But for the remainder of the preseason, it will be an exercise in depth development.
Bridges is going it a lone at right guard because of Brown's early injury.
Stepanovich, who started at center all of last season as a rookie, had surgery on a hand broken during the mock game - a padless substitute for the annual intra-squad scrimmage that was designed to eliminate injuries, and Ross has a knee strain.
Nick Leckey, in his second season, replaces Stepanovich.
Ian Allen is working in Ross' spot at right tackle with the first unit.
Their preseason debut was - no pun intended - passable. Quarterback Kurt Warner was not sacked in a win over Dallas.
But they were not tested on the ground. The team had six rushes in the first half.
Leckey caught a break in his debut because Dallas' dominating defensive tackle Jason Ferguson was injured and did not play.
Initially the Cardinals are emphasizing their shifts, motions and timing between Warner and the receivers to strengthen the passing game.
The real gauge of where they are offensively will be when they shift their focus to the running game.
That is when they will know to what extent the line injuries may be inhibiting their offensive development.
CAMP CALENDAR: The Cardinals continue training at their makeshift camp in Prescott, Ariz. ... The team was forced to move to Prescott from their longtime training headquarters in Flagstaff at Northern Arizona University following outbreak the week before their scheduled arrival of a virus that produced flu-like symptoms and forced several people staying in dorms that the Cardinals were to use to be hospitalized. ... The Cardinals break camp in Prescott on Wednesday, Aug. 24.
NOTES, QUOTES
— The magnanimous Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, continues to make good on his charitable offer to Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill at the time of NFL realignment three years ago.
Bidwill was punchy about being booted out of the NFC East, and especially about losing a home game with the Cowboys, typically the Cardinals' largest home draw.
Of course, that was because Cowboys games came into the Phoenix TV market for years before the Cardinals arrival and Phoenix is almost like a second home for Jones team - and thus an appearance at Sun Devil Stadium often is almost like a Cowboys home game.
Nevertheless, Jones promised Bidwill, whose team now plays in the NFC West, that he would bring the Cowboys to Arizona for a preseason game every season in which they were not scheduled to play a regular-season game.
But, alas, the glow of the Cowboys' glory years has faded, and so, apparently, has the memory and affection of fans in Phoenix. The stadium was barely half full, 36,787.
— DE Calvin Pace, still stinging from having been replaced a year ago by free agent Bertrand Berry, who went on to a Pro Bowl year in his 2004 Cardinals debut, had two sacks against the Cowboys' third string in the fourth quarter - or double the total of Pace's 2003 rookie season in 16 starts, which caused the team to sign Berry last year.
—The Cardinals had four sacks overall, including one by Berry on Drew Bledsoe against the Cowboys' first unit, and one by newcomer Chike Okeafor, who will start on the left side opposite Berry in an effort to beef up the pass rush.
— In a logjam among inexperienced tight ends, rookie Adam Bergen opened some eyes with an 18-yard grab in the preseason debut.
It's a scramble at the position. Eric Edwards, the most experienced of the tight ends who started camp on the first unit, has a torn pectoral and may miss the remainder of preseason.
Bobby Blizzard, an All-NFL Europe choice who figured to have a good shot at the job, so far has all but fallen off the radar.
— RB J.R. Redmond took the lead in the punt-returner derby, averaging 15 yards, including a 22-yarder.
Redmond, in the mix for second or third back, also returned a kickoff 48 yards back on his home turf at Sun Devil Stadium, where he played in college at Arizona State.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's totally different here. Down training in Miami, I was just trying to get my body used to running and working under pressure. Here it is a totally different environment. It's a team and I need to be here with my guys. That was my main focus, to hurry up and get this process over with so I could be out here with my guys." - Rookie CB Antrel Rolle, on ending a week-and-a-half-long contract holdout.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Veteran J.R. Redmond took a giant step toward claiming the punt return job that became vacant when Karl Williams was not re-signed. Redmond had a 22-yard return, as well as a 48-yard kickoff return in the preseason opener. ... Undrafted rookie Dan "Seabiscuit" Sheldon, a 5-foot-8 dynamo who is battling Redmond, had a 13-yard punt return in the preseason opening win over Dallas.
OTHER BATTLE FRONTS:— TE Adam Bergen, an undrafted rookie, grabbed an 18-yard pass from Kurt Warner in a scoring drive and has solidified his spot on the first team. ... TE Eric Edwards, who was on the first team, has a pectoral tear that will sideline him at least two weeks. ... Bobby Blizzard, an All-NFL Europe pick, has dropped off the radar.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: QB Kurt Warner, signed during the off-season as a free agent, completed 14 of 19 for 151 yards and a TD — and was not sacked — in little more than a quarter in the preseason-opening win over Dallas, serving notice that perhaps he still can play at a level reminiscent of his days in St. Louis.
ROOKIE REPORT: CB Antrel Rolle broke up a third-down pass in the end zone with the second defense against Dallas, forcing the Cowboys to take a field goal. Rolle is expected to move up to the first unit this week. He missed 15 practices during a contract holdout. ... RB J.J. Arrington, the second-round pick, had a seven-yard spurt in very limited action against Dallas in the preseason opener, but it was enough for him to show that his speed and moves are as advertised. He did, however, fumble on a hard hit on his fourth carry. ... CB Eric Green, a third-round pick, is slow out of the gate because of a hamstring injury. He has not yet pushed veteran David Macklin for the starting job as expected.
INJURY REPORT: RB James Jackson (shoulder) and FB James Hodgins (ankle) were injured in the preseason opener. ... Neither is believed to be serious. ... Hodgins is a former starter who missed 2004 to an injury. ... Jackson was recently acquired and is in the hunt for No. 2 or No. 3 RB.
WR Anquan Boldin (broken nose), RB Marcel Shipp (knee), C Alex Stepanovich (hand), T Oliver Ross (knee), DE Peppi Zellner (sprained knee), DT DeVone Claybrooks (knee), TE Eric Edwards (pectoral tear), RB Troy Hambrick (foot), all missed the preseason opener and remain day to day.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cards/home.htm
He likes what he sees now in starters Leonard Davis, Reggie Wells, Alex Stepanovich, Jeremy Bridges (who will be challenged by rookie Elton Brown when Brown conquers his hamstring woes) and Oliver Ross.
But for the remainder of the preseason, it will be an exercise in depth development.
Bridges is going it a lone at right guard because of Brown's early injury.
Stepanovich, who started at center all of last season as a rookie, had surgery on a hand broken during the mock game - a padless substitute for the annual intra-squad scrimmage that was designed to eliminate injuries, and Ross has a knee strain.
Nick Leckey, in his second season, replaces Stepanovich.
Ian Allen is working in Ross' spot at right tackle with the first unit.
Their preseason debut was - no pun intended - passable. Quarterback Kurt Warner was not sacked in a win over Dallas.
But they were not tested on the ground. The team had six rushes in the first half.
Leckey caught a break in his debut because Dallas' dominating defensive tackle Jason Ferguson was injured and did not play.
Initially the Cardinals are emphasizing their shifts, motions and timing between Warner and the receivers to strengthen the passing game.
The real gauge of where they are offensively will be when they shift their focus to the running game.
That is when they will know to what extent the line injuries may be inhibiting their offensive development.
CAMP CALENDAR: The Cardinals continue training at their makeshift camp in Prescott, Ariz. ... The team was forced to move to Prescott from their longtime training headquarters in Flagstaff at Northern Arizona University following outbreak the week before their scheduled arrival of a virus that produced flu-like symptoms and forced several people staying in dorms that the Cardinals were to use to be hospitalized. ... The Cardinals break camp in Prescott on Wednesday, Aug. 24.
NOTES, QUOTES
— The magnanimous Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, continues to make good on his charitable offer to Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill at the time of NFL realignment three years ago.
Bidwill was punchy about being booted out of the NFC East, and especially about losing a home game with the Cowboys, typically the Cardinals' largest home draw.
Of course, that was because Cowboys games came into the Phoenix TV market for years before the Cardinals arrival and Phoenix is almost like a second home for Jones team - and thus an appearance at Sun Devil Stadium often is almost like a Cowboys home game.
Nevertheless, Jones promised Bidwill, whose team now plays in the NFC West, that he would bring the Cowboys to Arizona for a preseason game every season in which they were not scheduled to play a regular-season game.
But, alas, the glow of the Cowboys' glory years has faded, and so, apparently, has the memory and affection of fans in Phoenix. The stadium was barely half full, 36,787.
— DE Calvin Pace, still stinging from having been replaced a year ago by free agent Bertrand Berry, who went on to a Pro Bowl year in his 2004 Cardinals debut, had two sacks against the Cowboys' third string in the fourth quarter - or double the total of Pace's 2003 rookie season in 16 starts, which caused the team to sign Berry last year.
—The Cardinals had four sacks overall, including one by Berry on Drew Bledsoe against the Cowboys' first unit, and one by newcomer Chike Okeafor, who will start on the left side opposite Berry in an effort to beef up the pass rush.
— In a logjam among inexperienced tight ends, rookie Adam Bergen opened some eyes with an 18-yard grab in the preseason debut.
It's a scramble at the position. Eric Edwards, the most experienced of the tight ends who started camp on the first unit, has a torn pectoral and may miss the remainder of preseason.
Bobby Blizzard, an All-NFL Europe choice who figured to have a good shot at the job, so far has all but fallen off the radar.
— RB J.R. Redmond took the lead in the punt-returner derby, averaging 15 yards, including a 22-yarder.
Redmond, in the mix for second or third back, also returned a kickoff 48 yards back on his home turf at Sun Devil Stadium, where he played in college at Arizona State.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's totally different here. Down training in Miami, I was just trying to get my body used to running and working under pressure. Here it is a totally different environment. It's a team and I need to be here with my guys. That was my main focus, to hurry up and get this process over with so I could be out here with my guys." - Rookie CB Antrel Rolle, on ending a week-and-a-half-long contract holdout.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Veteran J.R. Redmond took a giant step toward claiming the punt return job that became vacant when Karl Williams was not re-signed. Redmond had a 22-yard return, as well as a 48-yard kickoff return in the preseason opener. ... Undrafted rookie Dan "Seabiscuit" Sheldon, a 5-foot-8 dynamo who is battling Redmond, had a 13-yard punt return in the preseason opening win over Dallas.
OTHER BATTLE FRONTS:— TE Adam Bergen, an undrafted rookie, grabbed an 18-yard pass from Kurt Warner in a scoring drive and has solidified his spot on the first team. ... TE Eric Edwards, who was on the first team, has a pectoral tear that will sideline him at least two weeks. ... Bobby Blizzard, an All-NFL Europe pick, has dropped off the radar.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: QB Kurt Warner, signed during the off-season as a free agent, completed 14 of 19 for 151 yards and a TD — and was not sacked — in little more than a quarter in the preseason-opening win over Dallas, serving notice that perhaps he still can play at a level reminiscent of his days in St. Louis.
ROOKIE REPORT: CB Antrel Rolle broke up a third-down pass in the end zone with the second defense against Dallas, forcing the Cowboys to take a field goal. Rolle is expected to move up to the first unit this week. He missed 15 practices during a contract holdout. ... RB J.J. Arrington, the second-round pick, had a seven-yard spurt in very limited action against Dallas in the preseason opener, but it was enough for him to show that his speed and moves are as advertised. He did, however, fumble on a hard hit on his fourth carry. ... CB Eric Green, a third-round pick, is slow out of the gate because of a hamstring injury. He has not yet pushed veteran David Macklin for the starting job as expected.
INJURY REPORT: RB James Jackson (shoulder) and FB James Hodgins (ankle) were injured in the preseason opener. ... Neither is believed to be serious. ... Hodgins is a former starter who missed 2004 to an injury. ... Jackson was recently acquired and is in the hunt for No. 2 or No. 3 RB.
WR Anquan Boldin (broken nose), RB Marcel Shipp (knee), C Alex Stepanovich (hand), T Oliver Ross (knee), DE Peppi Zellner (sprained knee), DT DeVone Claybrooks (knee), TE Eric Edwards (pectoral tear), RB Troy Hambrick (foot), all missed the preseason opener and remain day to day.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cards/home.htm
