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Every member of the Arizona Cardinals was present and accounted for as mandatory minicamp began — but the drama hasn't ended.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett went through warmups in running shoes, rather than cleats, and did not participate in any drills with his teammates. Edge rusher Josh Sweat did even less than that, standing to the side and chatting with an assistant coach as the Cardinals began practice.
Both players were absent during voluntary organized team activities last month, putting the spotlight squarely on themselves during this week’s three-day minicamp. Unlike OTAs, attendance at minicamp is mandated by the NFL. If players miss all three sessions, their total fines climb over $100,000.
But even with those deterrents, Brissett and Sweat’s participation was not a certainty when the week began. Brissett is seeking a pay raise that would pay him as a starting quarterback, while Sweat reportedly has concerns about the direction of the Cardinals’ organization after they fired Jonathan Gannon, with whom he had a close relationship.
On Tuesday, June 9, though, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said, “If Josh could (practice), he would right now.” Later, he expanded on that.
“It's not injury related,” LaFleur said. “He hasn't been here.”
Sweat’s absence at OTAs, it should be noted, was not new. He also skipped OTAs last year under Gannon, instead choosing to spend his offseason working with a personal trainer. And LaFleur did not seem concerned that his absence last month constituted a larger problem.
With Brissett, the situation remains murkier. When asked whether Brissett would also be practicing if he could, LaFleur declined to provide a straightforward answer.
“I'll keep that with us,” LaFleur said. “Like I just said, Phase 1, Phase 2, there's a lot of lead-up time to get out there and practice. I don't care if you're a punter or a water boy or whatnot. If you haven't been playing football, you want to make sure you're doing the right part by those guys.”
Throughout the Cardinals’ spring practices, LaFleur has struck a diplomatic tone when discussing Brissett. He had repeatedly pointed to Brissett’s wealth of NFL experience, stating that the quarterback has played in similar systems.
But at other points, LaFleur has harped on the importance of offseason reps to build familiarity in a new offense. And last week, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. said that he has not been able to build his rapport with Brissett this spring, as a result of his absence.
In that sense, it was a boon to at least have Brissett back in the building at minicamp, even if his participation remained limited. According to LaFleur, Brissett has been involved in meetings this week, getting his first exposure to the Cardinals’ new offensive system.
“Guys are excited that he was here,” tight end Trey McBride said. “Guys want him to be here. Obviously would love to have him in the building (during OTAs), but he's working through some things on his own. So we totally understand that. But you could just tell the presence that he brought today, being in the building was awesome.”
The Cardinals’ injury report continues to shrink as the end of spring practices looms. On Tuesday, only two players were absent entirely: running back James Conner and rookie defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor.
Conner is working back from a season-ending foot injury suffered last September and was present at points during OTAs, doing light work with the rest of the Cardinals. Proctor has now been absent for the past three weeks, although LaFleur has not addressed his status.
Four other players were present but only in street clothes: cornerback Garrett Williams, defensive tackle Walter Nolen, tight end Tip Reiman and safety Kitan Crawford.
Of that group, only Williams is likely to miss the start of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered last December. Nolen said that he expects to return for the start of training camp, while LaFleur said the same timeline goes for Reiman.
Two other players, meanwhile, worked on the side with trainers, indicating they are nearing a full return: running back Trey Benson and Karson Sharar.
When Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams last week, it made the NFC West even more challenging for the Cardinals, who are viewed by oddsmakers as the worst team in the NFL this season. But when asked for his reaction to the trade, linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. opted for confidence.
“They gotta deal with us,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, they gotta deal with us.”
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. — who will often be tasked with blocking Garrett — offered a more diplomatic tone.
“I think it's awesome that we get to bring that great talent to the division,” Johnson said. “It just makes these games even more exciting and the games are even more important up front.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jacoby Brissett, Josh Sweat return as Arizona Cardinals begin minicamp
Continue reading...
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett went through warmups in running shoes, rather than cleats, and did not participate in any drills with his teammates. Edge rusher Josh Sweat did even less than that, standing to the side and chatting with an assistant coach as the Cardinals began practice.
Both players were absent during voluntary organized team activities last month, putting the spotlight squarely on themselves during this week’s three-day minicamp. Unlike OTAs, attendance at minicamp is mandated by the NFL. If players miss all three sessions, their total fines climb over $100,000.
But even with those deterrents, Brissett and Sweat’s participation was not a certainty when the week began. Brissett is seeking a pay raise that would pay him as a starting quarterback, while Sweat reportedly has concerns about the direction of the Cardinals’ organization after they fired Jonathan Gannon, with whom he had a close relationship.
On Tuesday, June 9, though, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said, “If Josh could (practice), he would right now.” Later, he expanded on that.
“It's not injury related,” LaFleur said. “He hasn't been here.”
Sweat’s absence at OTAs, it should be noted, was not new. He also skipped OTAs last year under Gannon, instead choosing to spend his offseason working with a personal trainer. And LaFleur did not seem concerned that his absence last month constituted a larger problem.
With Brissett, the situation remains murkier. When asked whether Brissett would also be practicing if he could, LaFleur declined to provide a straightforward answer.
“I'll keep that with us,” LaFleur said. “Like I just said, Phase 1, Phase 2, there's a lot of lead-up time to get out there and practice. I don't care if you're a punter or a water boy or whatnot. If you haven't been playing football, you want to make sure you're doing the right part by those guys.”
Throughout the Cardinals’ spring practices, LaFleur has struck a diplomatic tone when discussing Brissett. He had repeatedly pointed to Brissett’s wealth of NFL experience, stating that the quarterback has played in similar systems.
But at other points, LaFleur has harped on the importance of offseason reps to build familiarity in a new offense. And last week, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. said that he has not been able to build his rapport with Brissett this spring, as a result of his absence.
In that sense, it was a boon to at least have Brissett back in the building at minicamp, even if his participation remained limited. According to LaFleur, Brissett has been involved in meetings this week, getting his first exposure to the Cardinals’ new offensive system.
“Guys are excited that he was here,” tight end Trey McBride said. “Guys want him to be here. Obviously would love to have him in the building (during OTAs), but he's working through some things on his own. So we totally understand that. But you could just tell the presence that he brought today, being in the building was awesome.”
Cardinals nearing full health
The Cardinals’ injury report continues to shrink as the end of spring practices looms. On Tuesday, only two players were absent entirely: running back James Conner and rookie defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor.
Conner is working back from a season-ending foot injury suffered last September and was present at points during OTAs, doing light work with the rest of the Cardinals. Proctor has now been absent for the past three weeks, although LaFleur has not addressed his status.
Four other players were present but only in street clothes: cornerback Garrett Williams, defensive tackle Walter Nolen, tight end Tip Reiman and safety Kitan Crawford.
Of that group, only Williams is likely to miss the start of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered last December. Nolen said that he expects to return for the start of training camp, while LaFleur said the same timeline goes for Reiman.
Two other players, meanwhile, worked on the side with trainers, indicating they are nearing a full return: running back Trey Benson and Karson Sharar.
Mack Wilson offers bold reaction to Garrett trade
When Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams last week, it made the NFC West even more challenging for the Cardinals, who are viewed by oddsmakers as the worst team in the NFL this season. But when asked for his reaction to the trade, linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. opted for confidence.
“They gotta deal with us,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, they gotta deal with us.”
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. — who will often be tasked with blocking Garrett — offered a more diplomatic tone.
“I think it's awesome that we get to bring that great talent to the division,” Johnson said. “It just makes these games even more exciting and the games are even more important up front.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jacoby Brissett, Josh Sweat return as Arizona Cardinals begin minicamp
Continue reading...
