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.

 The Cardinals say they’re looking forward to Saturday’s game at Oakland because the Raiders play the sort of aggressive defense that they’ll see in the regular season.
“It will be a challenge for us,” says quarterback Matt Leinart.
“Any time you play a team like that, the one-on-one battles you got to win.”
As a quarterback, he has to find the most favorable matchups and be accurate, “especially with a defense that’s aggressive.”…
Ken Whisenhunt gave a strong indication – by his non-response to a question on the subject – that he’ll have little to say on the Anquan Boldin situation for the time being…
Camp wraps up with a practice Wednesday afternoon, then one final one on Thursday morning.
Then the Cardinals will head back to their Tempe practice facility for a walk-through on Friday morning…
The Cardinals have released receiver Ahmad Merritt, who sat out last year with an ankle injury.
They also waived fullback Dionte Johnson, the son of Pepper Johnson, the former New York Giants linebacker. He will receive an injury settlement.
Running back Chris Vincent, cut at the start of training camp, has been re-signed.

Some thoughts on Anquan Boldin’s latest attack on Cards:

– It seems obvious Boldin wants out, without wanting to say so directly.

– The first diatribe, on the first day of training camp, got a lot of notice. Each subsequent attack gets less attention.

– With three years left on Boldin’s contract, the Cardinals probably should have passed on any negotiations until after this upcoming season.

– Coach Ken Whisenhunt probabably will think twice about sitting at the negotiating table in the future, regardless of whether his presence is requested by an agent….

The Cards may not clearly announce their starting quarterback, the better to keep the 49ers guessing, Whisenhunt hinted on Tuesday

Matt Leinart will start Saturday in Oakland, while Kurt Warner will enter the game  perhaps in the final 2:00 of the first half. Then Warner will play a good deal in the second half.

Saturday marks the third game of the pre-season; that’s the one that most resembles a real game….

As far as injuries are concerned, Antrel Rolle, who has been out a week with a sore ankle has been diagnosed with a high sprain. He’ll likely  be out another week, coach Ken Whisenhunt said Monday.

Tight end Ben Patrick also has a high ankle sprain so he’ll likely be out this week as well.

But other injured Cardinals are expected to return to the fold, including rookie receiver Early Doucet (hamstring), linebacker Monty Beisel (back) and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (pectoral muscle).

Overall, the Cardinals are fairly healthy….

Elton Brown continues to push Deuce Lutui at right guard, Whisenhunt says….

Whisenhunt didn’t have to answer questions about penalties in his post-game analysis Monday. So that’s a sign of progress.

Looks like Kurt Warner is going to start Saturday at Kansas City.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt wants Warner to get some time with the starters, and the best way to assure that is to put him in at the start.
“I’m thinking about starting him in the game so we can control the reps. You don’t know how that’s going to play out,” Whisenhunt said.
Whisenhunt also said that defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has a mild pectoral strain and will sit out. “But I don’t think it’s anything that’s very serious.”
He may be out a week or so.
Also sitting out will be safety Antrel Rolle with a sore foot. Rookie receiver Early Doucet is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who has a sore ankle, seems likely to play….
Last night’s practice at old Lumberjack Stadium had a couple skirmishes.
Linebacker/defensive end Travis Laboy put a hit on quarterback Bryan St. Pierre, which is a no-no in practice.
“I don’t have a clue” what happened, said St. Pierre, who said he hadn’t been hit in practice since high school.
Whisenhunt, who scolded Laboy after the incident, said, “You have to control your emotions…that’s what the talk was more about.”
Also, in a goal-line competition between the offense and defense, Adrian Wilson hit running back Tim Hightower to try to prevent a score and ended up in an altercation with tackle Levi Brown.
It’s a tricky situation. The defense doesn’t tackle in practice, so these goal-line competitions can become wrestling matches.
Whisenhunt said such incidents are normal as training camp wears on. “I hope we can focus our energy on our opponents,” he said…

I will not be at Kansas City, so the next report will be Monday from Flagstaff.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s ankle sprain is no big deal. He could return to practice tonight.
Depending on how much time he practices, he should be able to play Saturday at Kansas City.
But safety Antrel Rolle, who continues to be bothered by a sore foot, probably won’t play Saturday.
Cornerback Rod Hood, who has a sore foot, should be OK.
Still no determination on whether receiver Early Doucet, who has a sore hamstring, will be able to play Saturday…Cards have signed linebacker Brandon Moore, recently released by 49ers, and have cut David Holloway, who spent most of last season on the practice squad. Cardinals have a deep (and crowded) linebacking group…
Cards took Wednesday morning off as coach Ken Whisenhunt surprised them by taking them to the movies. Favored flick was “Stepbrothers.”…
What I lack in football X’s and O’s expertise I make up for in celebrity news-gathering ability.
Spotted at a downtown Flagstaff Thai restaurant on Sunday night was none other than Paul McCartney. The restaurant shut down for everyone but the great Beatle and a female friend, a bird tells me
McCartney has long been associated with Arizona, but in the desert not the mountains. He’s long had a house east of Tucson. That’s where his wife Linda died.
So how did he get to Flagstaff? Was he one of those people speeding by me on Sunday afternoon as I drive up I-17 from the Valley?

Defensive backs were limping on Tuesday afternoon.
Rod Hood and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie joined Antrel Rolle in sitting out with foot injuries. DRC had a wrap around his right foot.
No word yet on their status for Saturday at Kansas City. Same goes for receiver Early Doucet. He may start practicing Thursday ….
Calais Campbell looks difficult to block. Could he be the Terrell Suggs they bypassed a few years ago??

The Cardinals continue to hone their red-zone offense at training camp in Flagstaff.
It will be interesting to see how Matt Leinart fares running it. Kurt Warner, of course, got the call in these situations last year and was quite effective. (Leinart was quoted, before he got hurt, that he didn’t understand the quarterback shuffle).
Now, assuming Leinart holds onto the starting job, he’ll likely be handling the offense no matter where the Cardinals are on the field….
Aaron Francisco, who was picked on by the Saints Thursday, made a sliding interception of Leinart on Monday morning…Jamaica Rector made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone during the red-zone practice…Bryan St. Pierre continues to look sharp as the presumed No. 3 quarterback. That he’s thrown only one career NFL pass shows how tough it is to get a quarterback job.

Anquan Boldin returned to practice in Flagstaff Sunday afternoon.
He’s missed most of training camp with a sore hamstring and missed Thursday’s pre-season game vs. New Orleans. He should be OK to play Saturday in Kansas City…
Cornerback Antrel Rolle and receiver Early Doucet worked out on the side. Rolle got his foot stepped on while catching a punt Thursday. He should be OK.
Doucet has a sore hamstring. A decision on his status for Saturday will be made later in the week…
As I sit here writing this on a picnic table, who is whizzing by on a motorized scooter? It’s Kurt Warner…
The Cards moved their practice indoors Sunday at the last-minute because of a rainstorm. Coach Ken Whisenhunt called the practice energetic and enthusiastic, which isn’t always the case after a team comes off a break…
Cards practice twice on Monday.

A few notes worth mentioning from coach Ken Whisenhunt’s noon-after news conference.

– Anquan Boldin, who has missed training camp because of a sore hamstring, should start practicing when the Cardinals hit the field in Flagstaff Sunday. Early Doucet remains day-to-day and might be able to play next week at Kansas City.

The Cardinals came out of Thursday’s game with no injuries.

– Whisenhunt’s patience has just about run out with penalties, especially personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. He said he’s confident enough in his backup players that he won’t hesitate to use them if a starter commits a serious infraction.

– Young players such as Tim Hightower and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were impressive.