GLENDALE, Ariz. — Each day at Cardinals Training Camp in Glendale, a lot is said in different interviews and press conferences. Here are three camp conversations you need to know from today:
1. Old Super Bowl Rivals
First, new Cardinals cornerback Malcolm Butler won two Super Bowl rings as a member of the New England Patriots. His new teammate and fellow corner Robert Alford was a member of the Atlanta Falcons when those two teams met in Super Bowl LI, when the Patriots came back from a 28-3 deficit to win 34-28 in overtime.
It turns out, that game has been a topic of conversation in the Cardinals' locker room.
"I talked to him about it," Butler said. "I asked him, did he want his ring back? He told me a story, he said he was in the locker room at halftime, he told me he was about to pop a bottle (of champagne) and things like that. I'm just imagining him at halftime, you know, Robert is a funny guy, (he's) got a lot of energy, (he) tells a lot of jokes. He told me at halftime he was in there dancing and hooraying and we came back and beat them so, I think that was pretty fun."
You can hear more from this interview with Butler this Friday on 12 News at 10.
2. Roll Call
Second, there are a lot of new faces on the Cardinals' roster this year and Chase Edmonds has needed some help making sure he knows everyone's name. Luckily, quarterback Colt McCoy was there to help.
"I remember coming in the first day of minicamp (and) OTAs, and I looked at (Christian Kirk), and I said 'Bro, there's a lot of faces, I have no idea whose name is whose," Edmonds said. "We had about 35-40 new guys. And again, just to get to know the guys, I started to figure out the personalities, figure out who the funny guy is, who the clowns are a little bit, and start to build that team chemistry that we really need going into the season.
"Colt McCoy gave me a little paper sheet, and it had everyone's name on it," Edmonds said. "So I just tried to study that because I feel that's a big thing, learning each other's names, simple things like that. When you see somebody in the hallway, let them know that you know their name, let them know they're a teammate, they're your brother, make them feel as comfortable as you can so we can really get this thing going in the right direction."
3. Tough Talks
And finally, by the end of training camp, the Cardinals' roster will need to be cut from 90 players to 53. Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury spoke about cut days and why he feels it is important that he speaks to every player he has to cut.
"There's a lot of input that goes into it," Kingsbury said. "(General Manager) Steve (Keim) and I and the personnel department and the coaching staff have a great relationship. I know that they've talked about it, they don't want to bring in a player that we're hard set against, because usually, that doesn't work out.
"Ultimately, it's Steve's call and we all know that," Kingsbury said. "But he wants feedback, he wants input and those are always ongoing conversations."
"I do (try to talk to each guy that gets cut)," Kingsbury said. "Just because I got cut like seven, eight times. You remember that and I mean, a kind word and appreciation for their hard work, that doesn't take a lot of time."
When asked if he gives the same kind of talk to every player that gets cut, Kingsbury added, "No, everybody's different. I think it's important to be specific to what they can do better and what they did. I try to make sure that it's personal."