sportznutt
Canadian Card
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- Apr 2, 2005
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http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcwest
Highlights I found:
Highlights I found:
Ohio State's late graduation kept Wells from practicing with the Cardinals beyond the post-draft camp in early May. Wells' ankle injury Saturday during his first training camp practice will sideline him further. The more time Wells misses, the more likely Tim Hightower will emerge as the Week 1 starter.
"The only personal goal I've set for myself is to come in and be that guy, be the guy that -- I know we're a passing team -- that defenses will have to actually focus on the running game for the Arizona Cardinals," Wells said.
Everyone from general manager Rod Graves to coach Ken Whisenhunt to Davis points to rookie second-round choice Cody Brown and 2008 second-rounder Calais Campbell as potential surprise contributors.
The team's most disruptive pass-rusher, Darnell Dockett, wondered earlier this offseason how he would fit as Davis leaned more heavily on 3-4 alignments. Dockett, who projects as the prototypical 4-3 interior pass-rusher, apparently has nothing to worry about. Davis said he re-watched every snap Dockett played over the past two seasons while designing his defense to suit the 290-pound Pro Bowler's talents. Expect Dockett to line up in new places.
Former offensive coordinator Todd Haley thrived on challenging even the Cardinals' best players. His sideline shouting match with Anquan Boldin in the playoffs proved as much. The intensity Haley brought to the position isn't the sort of thing a staff naturally replicates.
Players responded to Haley, and now he is gone.
Whisenhunt is excited to take back play-calling duties on offense. The team shouldn't lose much, if anything, on that front. Whisenhunt might be just as good or better.
Boldin said nothing inflammatory upon reporting to camp, a departure from his tack last offseason. He has also been staying after practice longer than usual to sign autographs and reconnect with fans. Perhaps he realized the Cardinals' weren't going to suddenly cave to his demands. Teammate Adrian Wilson's ability to command a new deal after taking a low-keyed approach might also have resonated. ...
The thought of spending another season on the bench behind Kurt Warner hasn't dragged down Matt Leinart. To the contrary, Leinart seems to be in a better place this offseason. He rededicated himself to conditioning and reported at 227 pounds, as light as he can remember weighing since high school.
"Last year was so up and down, it was like a roller-coaster," Leinart said, recalling the battle he ultimately lost to Warner. "No one knew what was going to happen. It was a lot of pressure on me to perform. This year, I just feel more at ease. I'm more comfortable with the offense. I feel great. I feel like I can go in there and play. Now it's just a matter of time, when my opportunity comes, to make the most of it."...
As much as any superstar, Fitzgerald appears obsessed with improving and driven by fear of failure. The time he spent working with Jerry Rice armed Fitzgerald with new ideas, including drills to help Fitzgerald address what he considers to be his biggest weakness, coming out of his breaks.
"I picked his brain all week," Fitzgerald said. "Every night, we sat around and talked. The thing I was so impressed with about him, even at 46 years old, his mentality, he did every single drill we did. He didn't miss a rep or anything. ... I couldn't imagine when he was 25 or 26, what he was thinking. If I can have his same mentality at 25 that he has at 46, I'll do well."
More broadly, McFadden hopes the Cardinals can establish the mentality that has helped make Pittsburgh so tough on defense over the years. He points to players holding one another accountable as the key. Arizona made progress in that area during its playoff run.
Davis, the defensive coordinator, retained much of the terminology from last season in an effort to smooth the transition. "And then I cleaned some of the extra verbiage out and I added some calls -- really some blitzes -- that I've had in my past so we can pressure some more and in more different ways," Davis said.
The rapport Warner has developed with fourth receiver Jerheme Urban will make it tough for 2008 third-round choice Early Doucet to crack the rotation. Fitzgerald, Boldin and Steve Breaston are set as the top three.
Second-year cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie continues to show the ability to contest balls that Fitzgerald would catch against most other defensive backs.
Whisenhunt appears unconcerned by the instability at tight end. He'll feel a lot better during the regular season if Stephen Spach continues his impressive rehab from knee surgery. Spach is a willing blocker and reliable player. The same cannot be said for 2006 third-round choice Leonard Pope, who jogged out a route and made a halfhearted effort to catch the ball during a drill on the first day of camp.
