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Archive for the 'Training camp' Category

Boldin “remembers everything”; status for this week unclear

October 1st, 2008, 1:30 pm by Mike Tulumello

“I remember everything,” Anquan Boldin says.
Boldin attended but did not participate in the Cardinals’ practice Wednesday. His face is still puffy from the scary head-to-head hit from the Jets’ Eric Smith on Sunday.
Boldin said he suffered a fractured sinus membrane and is still undergoing tests and evaluation on whether to have a surgical procedure or not.
Most observers – including this one — are guessing he won’t play this week. But he hasn’t been ruled out.
Boldin said he doesn’t know for sure whether he suffered a concussion. But he indicated that tests so far haven’t shown one…
With Boldin’s situation unclear at best, the Cardinals re-signed wide receiver Onrea Jones to the practice squad and have released running back Ryan Moats from the practice squad.
If Boldin can’t go, look for Steve Breaston to the be No. 2 receiver and for the Cardinals to work in rookie Early Doucet, who hasn’t played yet, and Jerheme Urban.

Leinart takes it like a pro…how many quarterbacks?

September 1st, 2008, 12:59 pm by Mike Tulumello

Matt Leinart said all the right things today in his first public comments since the Cardinals named Kurt Warner the starting quarterback.

Leinart said he’s all about the team, that he supports Warner. He even reiterated the team’s marketing slogan: “We do this together.”

Coach Ken Whisenhunt reiterated Leinart has made progress, that he can still be the team’s future quarterback, that the position is among the strongest on the team…

People will now say the Cardinals have two quarterbacks ready to go. But to me, the biggest surprise at training camp and in the exhibition games is the No. 3 quarterback Brian St. Pierre. If you dropped in out of the blue and didn’t know any better, there were times when you’d have sworn he really is the No. 1.

This has to be the deepest the Cardinals have been at quarterback since the team moved to Arizona. 

Warner to start…cuts announced

August 30th, 2008, 1:48 pm by Mike Tulumello

Kurt Warner will start the season at quarterback.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt announced the decision Saturday afternoon. He said he spent much of the night and morning wrestling

“It was close,” he said, but Warner gives the Cardinals the best chance to win on Sept. 7th at San Francisco.

 He said Matt Leinart was “upset” about the decision, which he expected.  

 Whisenhunt said Leinart still is the Cardinals’ quarterback down the road. He also said he expects Leinart to play this season. 

Whisenhunt said of Warner, “Obviously, he’s excited. He’s been working hard and has had a good preseason.”…

The Cardinals announced their final cuts. Notable names include veteran defensive end Joe Tafoya, veteran linebackers Matt Stewart and Brandon Moore and rookie linebacker Chris Harrington, the team’s sixth-round draft pick.

Winning roster battles were receiver Sean Morey and undrafted rookie linebacker Ali Highsmith.

Leinart, Warner look sharp in last exhibition game

August 29th, 2008, 8:47 pm by Mike Tulumello

Matt Leinart has spiced up the quarterback saga.

He led the Cardinals on a 90-yard drive, completing 4-of-4 passes along the way for 87 yards (including a 17-yard score to Leonard Pope).

For the first half, he hit 10 of 14 passes for 177 yards and an eye-popping 137.5 passer rating.

Kurt Warner also was effective, hitting 4-of-4 passes for 48 yards. But his first drive was a 3-and-out.

Of course, they were playing against the Broncos second-teamers.

The question: Did Leinart play his way back into the starter’s role? Or has the decision already been made for Warner?

Warner to start Friday…and in regular season??

August 27th, 2008, 12:58 pm by Mike Tulumello

Kurt Warner will start Friday vs. Denver.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said this is merely because of a disparity in play time in the exhibition season, that Matt Leinart has taken many more snaps than Warner and he wants Warner to work more with the starters.
But Leinart is coming off a poor game. If Leinart really is still the starter, as the depth chart lists, wouldn’t he make sure to play Leinart MORE, not less?
Call this saga “As the Quarterback Turns.”…
Leinart will play, possibly with the starters, depending on how long he decides to go with the No. 1 offensive line…
Cutdown day is Saturday, so a host of players will be playing for their careers, then spend a sleepless night after the game.

Tight battles coming down to wire

August 26th, 2008, 12:47 pm by Mike Tulumello

Looks like Al Johnson’s balky knee won’t be ready in time to start the season on Sept. 7 at San Francisco. That means Lyle Sendlein, the undrafted second-year player out of Chaparral High School and Texas, will start. …

There’s a big battle at the backup inside linebacker spots between four players: Brandon Moore, Ali Highsmith, Matt Stewart and Monty Beisel. Maybe two of them make it. Highsmith is eligible for the practice squad.

Still battling for starting spots are Deuce Lutui and Elton Brown at right guard and Travis LaBoy and Bertrand Berry at linebacker/defensive end.

Leinart’s still the starter…at least for now.

August 25th, 2008, 2:00 pm by Mike Tulumello

The depth chart was correct. Matt Leinart remains the starting quarterback.

Both Leinart and coach Ken Whisenhunt denied an ESPN report on Sunday that Leinart was about to be replaced by Kurt Warner.

Whisenhunt acknowledged, however, that Leinart needs to play better than he did at Oakland Saturday, when he threw three interceptions in the first half.

Leinart said his mistakes were physical, not mental, and thus easily correctable. An example: throwing inside on a deep go route.

Whisenhunt indicated Leinart was rattled by his first two picks, and that may have led to the third one.

But what about that “team source” in the ESPN report who said Leinart was about to be demoted. The source criticized both Leinart’s performance and skill level.

Whisenhunt said he knew of nobody on the Cardinals’ staff who said such a thing. But do you really believe the whole thing was invented?

The circus comes to town..Guess who’s listed as starting QB

August 25th, 2008, 12:28 pm by Mike Tulumello

 If the Cardinals really dumped on Matt Leinart through an unnamed team source, as reported by ESPN, then they’ve set up three rings for a full-fledged circus this afternoon.

That’s when the Valley’s sports media will gather in Tempe.

Who will be the starting quarterback?

How could the Cardinals stick to Leinart, both demoting him and criticizing his performance and skills levels, without telling him first? How will the Cardinals spin this now?

When will the circus end?

Who will bring the elephants?…

Speaking of the QB situation, the Cardinals’ pre-game press release for their final exhibition game at 7 p.m. Friday, at home vs. Denver, lists a tentative depth chart. And the starter at QB is listed as…

Matt Leinart! 

Now this may or may not mean anything.

We’ll find out about 1:30 p.m. or so.

Interestingly, the stats show there’s no question who the Cards QB should be. He is…

Bryan St. Pierre, with a pre-season passer rating of 118.7. He’s hit 23 of 30 passes with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Kurt Warner is 8-for-13 with a rating of 83.5.

Leinart is 18-for-31 with one touchdown and three interceptions and a rating of 45.4.

Leinart’s memorable number

August 23rd, 2008, 8:46 pm by Mike Tulumello

Matt Leinart and the number 2.8.
No, it’s not his assist average in a pickup basketball league. It’s not even his college GPA.
No, it’s his microscopic passer rating from Saturday night’s game in Oakland.
Leinart threw three interceptions; none of these throws was close to a target.
You have to wonder whether this quarterback saga is deciding itself.
The Cardinals responded better with Kurt Warner in the game as they breezed to an easy win over the lowly Raiders.
Yet even Warner gave the Cardinals pause when he fumbled the ball (the Cards recovered) on his first possession.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said at halftime that receivers were partly to blame for not being in the right places. He said he would study the game tape.
But the bottom line is that Warner laid an egg, and Leinart will be scrutinized more than ever.

Bye, bye Flagstaff

August 21st, 2008, 2:35 pm by Mike Tulumello

I wonder how many DPS officers were patrolling I-17 southbound from Flagstaff, noon-ish on Thursday.

That’s when the Arizona Cardinals were driving back to the Valley after a month at training cap at NAU.

The Cardinals scattered quickly after their final practice on Thursday morning. Coach Ken Whisenhunt urged them not to fall and hurt themselves in a stampede to get out of there…

Larry Fitzgerald made a couple of great catches Thursday, including one in which he casually shielded his eyes from the sun to get a better look at the ball while running full speed…

Alan Branch, a disappointment considering he was a second-round pick last year, is playing better. Look for him to get some time Saturday at Oakland…Look for Travis LaBoy to start at linebacker/defensive end…Matt Leinart should play well into the second quarter…Antrel Rolle is back practicing but won’t play Saturday…

The only injury concerns appear to be the same ones entering camp: Center Al Johnson and defensive tackle Gabe Watson are trying to get knee problems worked out in time for the season opener at San Francisco.

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