azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Darren Urban, Tribune
Pro Bowl defensive end Bertrand Berry walked into the locker room of the team’s practice facility Monday morning — the Cardinals’ first day of a 14-week conditioning program — when someone joked that it felt like a holiday.
"This isn’t a holiday," Berry said. "This is more like judgment day.
"This is where you find out just how much of a good time you had in the offseason."
There are likely other judgments going on as well, with the players who weren’t there.
Berry, quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Josh McCown, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and running back Marcel Shipp were among the 40 or so players who took part out of the 57 available players on the roster. Others such as tackle Leonard Davis, safety Adrian Wilson and receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald did not.
Neither did a pair of players who may or may not return this coming season, tackle L.J. Shelton and defensive end Calvin Pace.
It shouldn’t be a big deal. The work is voluntary. Once on-field practices start with team-organized workouts right after the draft — again, mostly voluntary — all those players should show.
But coach Dennis Green has made it clear he wants players to work out in the offseason with the team.
"And we understand that," Shipp acknowledged with a knowing smile. "Everybody is here trying to get better."
"Technically it’s not mandatory," Berry said, "but we all know better. You kind of understand you have to make a certain level of commitment to the organization and they make a certain level to you."
Green wasn’t criticizing Monday, instead focusing on those who made the effort to come.
"It was a good group, a lot of guys were here," Green said. "That felt good. And I was pleased with their conditioning."
At the recent NFL owners meetings, rule changes were discussed to limit offseason work. Injuries increased in the league last season, and some believe it has to do with the increase in offseason work and the lack of down time for players.
Not surprisingly, coaches disagree, and to not participate in "voluntary" work often costs a player in the eyes of his coach.
Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey made headlines in New York last week as the only player not to show up to voluntary workouts there, choosing instead to stay in Miami, Fla. But his story is becoming more the exception than the rule.
Prior to Monday, Cardinals offensive line coach Everett Lindsay already had been taking most of the offensive linemen out on the field some mornings to work on blocking techniques. Shipp has spent most of the offseason at the facility as he rehabs from his ankle injury.
Some established players simply feel they are better prepared by training away from the team. Davis usually trains in the Valley, just not at the Cards’ facility.
"It gets more and more odd every year (for guys not to show up)," Warner said. "People expect to be here, people plan for it.
"You do have your select guys that do their own type of training that has worked for them . . . (and) you know they will show up and will have put in their work and will be ready to go."
Berry said he thought most current NFL offseason work was "excessive," given that most players stay in shape on their own. He said June would be a good time to start up again before training camp.
But conventional league thinking says football is a year-round job.
"Our ability to become a better team," Green said, "starts with our strength as a team."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=39072
Pro Bowl defensive end Bertrand Berry walked into the locker room of the team’s practice facility Monday morning — the Cardinals’ first day of a 14-week conditioning program — when someone joked that it felt like a holiday.
"This isn’t a holiday," Berry said. "This is more like judgment day.
"This is where you find out just how much of a good time you had in the offseason."
There are likely other judgments going on as well, with the players who weren’t there.
Berry, quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Josh McCown, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and running back Marcel Shipp were among the 40 or so players who took part out of the 57 available players on the roster. Others such as tackle Leonard Davis, safety Adrian Wilson and receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald did not.
Neither did a pair of players who may or may not return this coming season, tackle L.J. Shelton and defensive end Calvin Pace.
It shouldn’t be a big deal. The work is voluntary. Once on-field practices start with team-organized workouts right after the draft — again, mostly voluntary — all those players should show.
But coach Dennis Green has made it clear he wants players to work out in the offseason with the team.
"And we understand that," Shipp acknowledged with a knowing smile. "Everybody is here trying to get better."
"Technically it’s not mandatory," Berry said, "but we all know better. You kind of understand you have to make a certain level of commitment to the organization and they make a certain level to you."
Green wasn’t criticizing Monday, instead focusing on those who made the effort to come.
"It was a good group, a lot of guys were here," Green said. "That felt good. And I was pleased with their conditioning."
At the recent NFL owners meetings, rule changes were discussed to limit offseason work. Injuries increased in the league last season, and some believe it has to do with the increase in offseason work and the lack of down time for players.
Not surprisingly, coaches disagree, and to not participate in "voluntary" work often costs a player in the eyes of his coach.
Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey made headlines in New York last week as the only player not to show up to voluntary workouts there, choosing instead to stay in Miami, Fla. But his story is becoming more the exception than the rule.
Prior to Monday, Cardinals offensive line coach Everett Lindsay already had been taking most of the offensive linemen out on the field some mornings to work on blocking techniques. Shipp has spent most of the offseason at the facility as he rehabs from his ankle injury.
Some established players simply feel they are better prepared by training away from the team. Davis usually trains in the Valley, just not at the Cards’ facility.
"It gets more and more odd every year (for guys not to show up)," Warner said. "People expect to be here, people plan for it.
"You do have your select guys that do their own type of training that has worked for them . . . (and) you know they will show up and will have put in their work and will be ready to go."
Berry said he thought most current NFL offseason work was "excessive," given that most players stay in shape on their own. He said June would be a good time to start up again before training camp.
But conventional league thinking says football is a year-round job.
"Our ability to become a better team," Green said, "starts with our strength as a team."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=39072
