Spirited position battles looming during fall camp
By DARREN URBAN TRIBUNE
CONTACT WRITER:
(480) 898-6495 or [email protected]
While free agency brought with it a starting right defensive end (Bertrand Berry) and a possible starting cornerback (David Macklin), the Cardinals missed out on upgrading three other starting positions.
The team tried to sign Eric Hicks to be the starting left defensive end and Brandon Short to be a strongside linebacker, and made an attempt to at least talk to a couple of guards to fill in on the right side. None came to Arizona, setting up some interesting fights for starting jobs by incumbent players.
There are a host of players vying for the left defensive end spot. Fred Wakefield is the starter for now, but Dennis Johnson and Kyle Vanden Bosch, who is rehabilitating torn knee ligaments, both have designs on winning the job. And that doesn’t include the possibility of 2003 firstround pick Calvin Pace returning to his college slot after Berry was brought in for the right side.
"I had heard (about Hicks) but I have heard stuff like that since I have been here," Wakefield said. "It’s something you can’t control. "No one is guaranteed a spot right now. Bert will be there, but everything else is up for grabs."
The guard spot opened when Leonard Davis was moved from the right to left side. The Cards still have Cameron Spikes, who played every snap at left guard last season and who started his career on the right side.
"Coach (Dennis) Green thought (moving Davis) would be best for the offense and I am all for it," said Spikes, who for now will compete with Reggie Wells for the starting spot. "I feel I have a pretty good stronghold on the position. As a player you just want to compete."
The Cards were looking for someone to supplant Levar Fisher at linebacker, and now Fisher is sidelined recovering from knee surgery. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cards take a linebacker later in the draft.
OFF THE FIELD
The team’s offseason weight training program, which runs about 14 weeks, starts Tuesday. Green expects "51 or 52" of the 71 players on the roster to participate. He also said he isn’t disappointed at those who can’t make it.
"Every guy has his own situation," Green said. "We’re not practicing. When we have organized team workouts (in June) we’ll have close to 100 percent."
Green also will be among a contingent of Cardinals decision makers to make a trip up north this week to visit the training camp accommodations in Flagstaff. The Cards, who must leave Flagstaff Aug. 19 because school at Northern Arizona University is starting, are also investigating working out in Prescott until regular season practices begin the first full week of September.
"It’s not in our best interests to leave Flagstaff on the 19th and be (in the Valley) until (the season starts on) September 12th," Green said.
EXTRA POINTS
Quarterback Josh McCown said he will work on the side with some of his young receivers even though minicamp is over.
"You want to maintain that this is the offseason and you don’t want to run people down," McCown said. "But we can get guys out here once a week (to practice routes)." . . .
By the time minicamp ended, 18 players were sitting out because of minor injuries or surgery rehab. Davis also never made it back over the weekend after attending to a family matter.
By DARREN URBAN TRIBUNE
CONTACT WRITER:
(480) 898-6495 or [email protected]
While free agency brought with it a starting right defensive end (Bertrand Berry) and a possible starting cornerback (David Macklin), the Cardinals missed out on upgrading three other starting positions.
The team tried to sign Eric Hicks to be the starting left defensive end and Brandon Short to be a strongside linebacker, and made an attempt to at least talk to a couple of guards to fill in on the right side. None came to Arizona, setting up some interesting fights for starting jobs by incumbent players.
There are a host of players vying for the left defensive end spot. Fred Wakefield is the starter for now, but Dennis Johnson and Kyle Vanden Bosch, who is rehabilitating torn knee ligaments, both have designs on winning the job. And that doesn’t include the possibility of 2003 firstround pick Calvin Pace returning to his college slot after Berry was brought in for the right side.
"I had heard (about Hicks) but I have heard stuff like that since I have been here," Wakefield said. "It’s something you can’t control. "No one is guaranteed a spot right now. Bert will be there, but everything else is up for grabs."
The guard spot opened when Leonard Davis was moved from the right to left side. The Cards still have Cameron Spikes, who played every snap at left guard last season and who started his career on the right side.
"Coach (Dennis) Green thought (moving Davis) would be best for the offense and I am all for it," said Spikes, who for now will compete with Reggie Wells for the starting spot. "I feel I have a pretty good stronghold on the position. As a player you just want to compete."
The Cards were looking for someone to supplant Levar Fisher at linebacker, and now Fisher is sidelined recovering from knee surgery. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cards take a linebacker later in the draft.
OFF THE FIELD
The team’s offseason weight training program, which runs about 14 weeks, starts Tuesday. Green expects "51 or 52" of the 71 players on the roster to participate. He also said he isn’t disappointed at those who can’t make it.
"Every guy has his own situation," Green said. "We’re not practicing. When we have organized team workouts (in June) we’ll have close to 100 percent."
Green also will be among a contingent of Cardinals decision makers to make a trip up north this week to visit the training camp accommodations in Flagstaff. The Cards, who must leave Flagstaff Aug. 19 because school at Northern Arizona University is starting, are also investigating working out in Prescott until regular season practices begin the first full week of September.
"It’s not in our best interests to leave Flagstaff on the 19th and be (in the Valley) until (the season starts on) September 12th," Green said.
EXTRA POINTS
Quarterback Josh McCown said he will work on the side with some of his young receivers even though minicamp is over.
"You want to maintain that this is the offseason and you don’t want to run people down," McCown said. "But we can get guys out here once a week (to practice routes)." . . .
By the time minicamp ended, 18 players were sitting out because of minor injuries or surgery rehab. Davis also never made it back over the weekend after attending to a family matter.
