Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals had plans for a mandatory minicamp slated for June 8-10, but things took a different turn. Head coach Mike LaFleur abruptly canceled the final day of camp on Wednesday.
Now comes the long layoff before training camp begins, which will be sooner for the Cardinals this year because they play in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on August 6 at 8:00 pm (Eastern). Their opponent is the Carolina Panthers.
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Most players delay their vacation time and wait for these six weeks of off time before hitting the sleds and focusing solely on football and the playbook.
Arizona already has had several OTAs which were offered as voluntary. With a new head coach and numerous assistants, plus installing a new offense, the practice time was viewed as a stepping stone for both players and coaches.
What did we learn about this minicamp?
The new coach stated he has always despised the mandatory camp right before the break. He wanted nothing better than to break and have all of his players intact without any injuries, which a lot end up as non-contact. LaFleur stated he had seen enough, and canceling the final practice was a good way to eliminate the potential for injury. Apparently, he felt that there would be enough action and hitting at training camp, and one more day wasn’t going to be that beneficial. Especially since they have to report early on July 22.
LaFleur reasoned:
“We got 10 quality days of practice in. When you look at the amount of reps and what these guys are used to … these guys got quite a bit more reps in terms of team compared to what they’re used to during this time. The fact that we got out 100% clean yesterday was (our) first and foremost priority. We came out of this predominately healthy.”
It’s your football, coach. When you go home, the rest can no longer stick around.
LaFleur announced that CB Garrett Williams is ahead of his recovery period from a torn Achilles. The prognosis and hope are that he could be available in Week 1. The coaching staff will place him on a very short leash in training camp as far as when the rough stuff begins. Williams has been penciled in at slot with Sean Murphy-Bunting as his backup. We will see. An Achilles injury is almost a death blow to a defensive back if he is brought along too quickly. Too many plays that require cutting and acceleration.
LaFleur stated:
“We got great news on Garrett. He’s put so much good work in. What a special human being that is.”
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