AP / Matt York
Let me start by saying this was a classic Whisenhunt training camp - pads on and hitting allowed, everyone was going full steam from start to finish. You could literally taste the excitement as fans began to pour in hours before practice started, just another sign that the tides are turning and the culture has changed. And the fans were not dissapointed - the players showed up about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule and many of the star players (Fitzgerald, Dockett, and some others) rolled into practice on Segways. Now picture grown men (grown football players) on one of those things...yeah, it was funny. But when they got on the practice field, it was all business.
Though there were some bumbled snaps (more than I think is usual), the passing game was as smooth as ever and Fitzgerald literally caught everything that came his way. One interesting note - Whiz and crew had Chris "Beanie" Wells taking some reps with the wide receivers, an indication that they know he needs to work on his hands and that they do plan to use him in the passing game out of the backfield. And hopefully, they will get the chance to.
What should have been a glorious celebratory day with the news of Chris "Beanie" Wells signing a 5-year contract was overshadowed by what we all hope is nothing more than an ankle twist. Beanie Wells was carted off the field (though he was sitting in the passenger seat, not on the back) near the end of practice after what looked like a slight twist of the leg on a pretty routine practice drill.
Wells is being checked out as I type and though they don't think it's anything serious and they are simply taking precautionary action, everyone is holding their collective breath. If you're like me, you're having flashes of Beanie's college career in which injuries kept him out of some key games and was the main reason he dropped to #31 in the draft. Again, there is no word as to the severity of the injury, so it could simply be a slight twist or sprain, but be sure that the Cardinals will take no chances on their first-round investment.
Editor's Note: Wells had an MRI done which showed nothing more than an ankle sprain. Wells should be back on the field soon.
On a side note, Steve Breaston also sat out the entire practice, though there's not much to worry about there. He was in good spirits as he watched drills and he joked that he was "too young to have aches and pains" as he left practice, a reference to the back pain he was feeling that forced him to sit out.
Some more quick notes:
- Dockett looked as huge as ever, was quick off the ball, and very quick to tackle (a rough two-hand touch at this point in camp). He is jacked up and ready to go, which boads well for the Cardinals defense.
- Both Hightower and Boldin looked solid, and Hightower looked and acted like he had been here before, running hard and and hitting holes just like last year.
- I was also pretty impressed with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie guarding Larry Fitzgerald. It was a battle all practice, but today, DRC won more battles than lost against Fitz. I think he's the only corner in the league that can cover Larry, so thank goodness he's on our side.
- One more hat off to the fans - they shouted Fitzgerald's name, cheered on every run that made it through the D-line, and yelled for the entire two hours. I was talking to a local in Flagstaff earlier today who said she's never seen their central street as backed-up as it's been this year...That is awesome!
I will keep you abreast of Beanie's injury situation as it progresses, but please, don't freak out yet - they have a lot invested in Wells and they would probably cart him off the field if he got a brain freeze eating an ice cream cone. Overall, after what I saw today, the Cardinals are in great shape - they are practicing hard and look very smooth. They have a lot of returning and veteran players and they practiced like it.
If you plan on coming up to Flagstaff (and I suggest you should), these are must reads:
For dates, times, and a map of campus
For things to do in Flagstaff when you're not watching the Cardinals
Comments
I hope beanie wells injury was nothing more than a sprain. That was the knock on him in college was being injury prone. We'll see what happens in the next couple of days, great to hear the rest of the team looked sharp this early into camp.
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