azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Odeen Domingo and Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
May. 2, 2005 12:00 AM
No. 1 vs. No. 1.
The Cardinals' past two first-round picks have been matched up a lot this weekend with last year's pick, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, getting the better of this year's pick, cornerback Antrel Rolle.
During one-on-one drills Saturday, Fitzgerald beat Rolle twice on deep routes - first, down the middle of the field and the second on a double move down the right sideline that froze Rolle.
But Rolle showed signs he's getting up to speed Sunday, the last day of mandatory workouts before training camp in August.
Rolle stayed step for step with Fitzgerald catching the ball only because he illegally pushed Rolle away.
"It was a couple of rough days for me," Rolle said. "I never played 'off' coverage, but now I'm just trying to do whatever I can just to stick with him on 'off' coverage. I'm doing a good job of that, just watching his hips, trying to learn a little bit more about the 'off' coverage scheme. It's been helping me today."
Rolle said he's going back to Miami to work more on "off" coverage the next two weeks before he has to report for the Cardinals' rookie developmental camp in mid-May.
Injury report
Cornerback Eric Green, one of the team's third-round draft picks, missed practice Saturday and Sunday because of a sore hip flexor muscle.
"I feel like I've fallen a step behind," he said. "I need to be out there working with the guys."
Green blames the soreness on off-season training that was geared toward running fast in workouts.
"I was doing too much combine training as opposed to football training," he said.
• Starting safety Adrian Wilson (hamstring) did not work out Sunday.
Position switch
When the Cardinals signed Orlando Huff as a free agent this off-season, it was assumed he would play middle linebacker, the position he played in Seattle.
Instead, Huff is the team's starting weak side linebacker with Gerald Hayes staying in the middle. Huff isn't complaining.
"I just knew I was going to play one of the 'backer spots, I just didn't know which one," he said. "It's fun. This defense is designed for speed and the Will (weak side) 'backer makes a lot of plays."
Most of the Cardinals linebackers, like Huff, can play at least two positions.
Thumbs up
Quarterback John Navarre's right ring finger, which he injured during his NFL debut last season, is 100 percent healed after keeping it in a brace for six weeks.
Navarre, a 2004 seventh-round pick from Michigan, suffered a chip fracture on that finger against the Detroit Lions last season. He didn't play a down in the first 11 games before he was named the starter against the Lions. He injured the finger during the game but didn't come out, which may have contributed to four interceptions in the loss.
"I couldn't grip the ball as well as I could so I changed my throwing motion," Navarre said. "It's just how it worked out. I went through it but I probably should have come out, done it up and taped it up."
Navarre is back to his regular throwing motion and has looked sharp in passing drills. Unlike the other three quarterbacks, Navarre doesn't look like he has to put any extra weight into his passes. He has zip on the ball and throws the deep ball with relative ease.
At 6 feet 6, 250 pounds, he is the team's biggest quarterback by far.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0502cardsnb0502.html
The Arizona Republic
May. 2, 2005 12:00 AM
No. 1 vs. No. 1.
The Cardinals' past two first-round picks have been matched up a lot this weekend with last year's pick, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, getting the better of this year's pick, cornerback Antrel Rolle.
During one-on-one drills Saturday, Fitzgerald beat Rolle twice on deep routes - first, down the middle of the field and the second on a double move down the right sideline that froze Rolle.
But Rolle showed signs he's getting up to speed Sunday, the last day of mandatory workouts before training camp in August.
Rolle stayed step for step with Fitzgerald catching the ball only because he illegally pushed Rolle away.
"It was a couple of rough days for me," Rolle said. "I never played 'off' coverage, but now I'm just trying to do whatever I can just to stick with him on 'off' coverage. I'm doing a good job of that, just watching his hips, trying to learn a little bit more about the 'off' coverage scheme. It's been helping me today."
Rolle said he's going back to Miami to work more on "off" coverage the next two weeks before he has to report for the Cardinals' rookie developmental camp in mid-May.
Injury report
Cornerback Eric Green, one of the team's third-round draft picks, missed practice Saturday and Sunday because of a sore hip flexor muscle.
"I feel like I've fallen a step behind," he said. "I need to be out there working with the guys."
Green blames the soreness on off-season training that was geared toward running fast in workouts.
"I was doing too much combine training as opposed to football training," he said.
• Starting safety Adrian Wilson (hamstring) did not work out Sunday.
Position switch
When the Cardinals signed Orlando Huff as a free agent this off-season, it was assumed he would play middle linebacker, the position he played in Seattle.
Instead, Huff is the team's starting weak side linebacker with Gerald Hayes staying in the middle. Huff isn't complaining.
"I just knew I was going to play one of the 'backer spots, I just didn't know which one," he said. "It's fun. This defense is designed for speed and the Will (weak side) 'backer makes a lot of plays."
Most of the Cardinals linebackers, like Huff, can play at least two positions.
Thumbs up
Quarterback John Navarre's right ring finger, which he injured during his NFL debut last season, is 100 percent healed after keeping it in a brace for six weeks.
Navarre, a 2004 seventh-round pick from Michigan, suffered a chip fracture on that finger against the Detroit Lions last season. He didn't play a down in the first 11 games before he was named the starter against the Lions. He injured the finger during the game but didn't come out, which may have contributed to four interceptions in the loss.
"I couldn't grip the ball as well as I could so I changed my throwing motion," Navarre said. "It's just how it worked out. I went through it but I probably should have come out, done it up and taped it up."
Navarre is back to his regular throwing motion and has looked sharp in passing drills. Unlike the other three quarterbacks, Navarre doesn't look like he has to put any extra weight into his passes. He has zip on the ball and throws the deep ball with relative ease.
At 6 feet 6, 250 pounds, he is the team's biggest quarterback by far.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0502cardsnb0502.html
