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"The Tugboat"
Cards’ rookie receivers won't be quick fix
By Darren Urban, Tribune
The departure of the Cardinals’ top three receivers via free agency led the team to spend two of its first three draft picks on the position, in the hope that Bryant Johnson and Anquan Boldin will be the future of Arizona’s passing game.
But even with the rookies' arrival, it is the veterans who will likely be the primary targets for new quarterback Jeff Blake.
“That’s what (the rookies) are hoping for, to make a contribution,” Boldin said. “Right now it is hard to say, because those (veteran) guys have the upper hand. They know everything. We are just getting our feet wet.”
Johnson didn’t even get on the field this weekend, held out of minicamp workouts when he refused to sign the team’s injury waiver form. Still, he would have been behind Jason McAddley and Kevin Kasper as well as Bryan Gilmore — who also was on the sideline for minicamp as he completes his rehab from ankle surgery.
Any early depth chart would have to put all three ahead of Johnson and Boldin, especially under the reign of offensive coordinator Jerry Sullivan. Sullivan, the former receivers coach, is a technician and a perfectionist.
“These receivers’ heads have to be running a million miles an hour,” McAddley said.
"There’s such a difference,” said coach Dave McGinnis, “between a first-year player and a second-year player.”
Boldin admitted the size of the playbook alone was somewhat daunting. Then again, it is early in the offseason. Rookies have two more weeks of camps in June before training camp even starts. Given the makeup of the receiving corps as a whole — until (or unless) the Cards ink a veteran receiver over the next couple of months — inexperience is prevalent. The Cards need production from all their pass catchers.
“We’re young, but with that youth comes a lot of competition,” McAddley said. “We are all hungry.”
REUNITED
Rookie linebacker Gerald Hayes was told by his agent to expect to be drafted by someone in the East: the Eagles, the Jets, the Giants. When the Cards choose Hayes, the New Jersey native was surprised — but at least a little piece of his Paterson, N.J., neighborhood was waiting for him.
Cards veteran running back Marcel Shipp grew up across the street from Hayes — literally.
“When I heard the news, I went crazy,” Shipp said of Hayes coming to Arizona. “It’s fate, because we grew up together.”
Now, Hayes is a house guest in Shipp’s home as he learns about playing in the NFL. “He just said, ‘Come on in,’ ” Hayes said. “He welcomed me.”
The two had long talked about making the NFL together. But those dreams usually included Shipp running through the line only to be met by Hayes during a game. Now, the only way that will happen is in practice.
“I told him he was (now) going to have to see me every day,” Shipp said, “so he better bring his ‘A’ game.”
EXTRA POINTS
The Cardinals finished their minicamp Sunday, thrilling McGinnis with their “great energy.”
“I was waiting to see today, without any prompting, what kind of energy they’d have,” McGinnis said. “The leadership showed today.”
The Cardinals’ veteran players take part in their annual charity golf tournament at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park today and will have light workouts Tuesday through Friday. The rookies are done until rookie camp June 2.
McGinnis said he told the rookies they are not in good enough shape yet to play on the next level.
“They don’t understand the kind of condition you have to be in,” McGinnis said. “There are already some of them sucking diesel.”
By Darren Urban, Tribune
The departure of the Cardinals’ top three receivers via free agency led the team to spend two of its first three draft picks on the position, in the hope that Bryant Johnson and Anquan Boldin will be the future of Arizona’s passing game.
But even with the rookies' arrival, it is the veterans who will likely be the primary targets for new quarterback Jeff Blake.
“That’s what (the rookies) are hoping for, to make a contribution,” Boldin said. “Right now it is hard to say, because those (veteran) guys have the upper hand. They know everything. We are just getting our feet wet.”
Johnson didn’t even get on the field this weekend, held out of minicamp workouts when he refused to sign the team’s injury waiver form. Still, he would have been behind Jason McAddley and Kevin Kasper as well as Bryan Gilmore — who also was on the sideline for minicamp as he completes his rehab from ankle surgery.
Any early depth chart would have to put all three ahead of Johnson and Boldin, especially under the reign of offensive coordinator Jerry Sullivan. Sullivan, the former receivers coach, is a technician and a perfectionist.
“These receivers’ heads have to be running a million miles an hour,” McAddley said.
"There’s such a difference,” said coach Dave McGinnis, “between a first-year player and a second-year player.”
Boldin admitted the size of the playbook alone was somewhat daunting. Then again, it is early in the offseason. Rookies have two more weeks of camps in June before training camp even starts. Given the makeup of the receiving corps as a whole — until (or unless) the Cards ink a veteran receiver over the next couple of months — inexperience is prevalent. The Cards need production from all their pass catchers.
“We’re young, but with that youth comes a lot of competition,” McAddley said. “We are all hungry.”
REUNITED
Rookie linebacker Gerald Hayes was told by his agent to expect to be drafted by someone in the East: the Eagles, the Jets, the Giants. When the Cards choose Hayes, the New Jersey native was surprised — but at least a little piece of his Paterson, N.J., neighborhood was waiting for him.
Cards veteran running back Marcel Shipp grew up across the street from Hayes — literally.
“When I heard the news, I went crazy,” Shipp said of Hayes coming to Arizona. “It’s fate, because we grew up together.”
Now, Hayes is a house guest in Shipp’s home as he learns about playing in the NFL. “He just said, ‘Come on in,’ ” Hayes said. “He welcomed me.”
The two had long talked about making the NFL together. But those dreams usually included Shipp running through the line only to be met by Hayes during a game. Now, the only way that will happen is in practice.
“I told him he was (now) going to have to see me every day,” Shipp said, “so he better bring his ‘A’ game.”
EXTRA POINTS
The Cardinals finished their minicamp Sunday, thrilling McGinnis with their “great energy.”
“I was waiting to see today, without any prompting, what kind of energy they’d have,” McGinnis said. “The leadership showed today.”
The Cardinals’ veteran players take part in their annual charity golf tournament at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park today and will have light workouts Tuesday through Friday. The rookies are done until rookie camp June 2.
McGinnis said he told the rookies they are not in good enough shape yet to play on the next level.
“They don’t understand the kind of condition you have to be in,” McGinnis said. “There are already some of them sucking diesel.”
