TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals continued with a mandatory minicamp in Tempe on Wednesday. The team will wrap its offseason workout program on Thursday with training camp set to begin sometime in late July.
Here are five takeaways from the Cardinals’ nine-week offseason program.
1. New General Manager Monti Ossenfort’s presence is already making an impact.
This is Ossenfort’s first opportunity to be the architect of an NFL team and if you scroll through the comments under the most recent episode of “Cardinals Flight Plan” on YouTube, you’ll see the overwhelmingly positive reaction from fans watching Ossenfort inside the Cardinals’ war room during the 2023 NFL Draft. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon even admitted that he was in awe watching Ossenfort make the trade to land offensive lineman Paris Johnson with their first-round pick. Ossenfort has been seen walking around the field during practice and his presence is already making an impact as part of a new regime in Arizona.
“The communication, obviously, is critical between him and I. He does a great job with his staff and then with all the coaches, no one’s in the dark ever. Everyone knows exactly what he’s thinking and what moves he’s thinking about making,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Ossenfort. “We talk about our players every day. It’s our livelihood so it’s been really cool to have a general manager that is that open and honest and clear with his communication and he checks in with us daily.”
2. Rookie offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. is coming in hungry and humble as a first-round Draft pick.
Twenty-four years after his father was drafted by the Cardinals, Paris Johnson Jr. got the call to begin his NFL career in Arizona. The 21-year-old Ohio State product is eager to make his mark in the desert and his inquisitive nature is already impressing his teammates. We’ve heard offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is emphasizing the run game which presents an exciting challenge for the guys on the offensive line and Johnson Jr. has been embracing the speedy transition from collegiate stud to professional athlete over the last nine weeks.
“Ah man, Paris is looking good. His day to day, his routine is going through the motions and he’s looking like a guy who’s been here for a while,” running back James Conner said of Johnson Jr. “You would think he’s been in the league for a while just the way he’s going about his business and whatnot so that’s lovely to see a guy who’s finishing reps hard and acting like a true pro.”
3. Safety Budda Baker is on the premises but not practicing on the field with his teammates yet.
Gannon told reporters Baker was “out there” during minicamp on Wednesday, but the All-Pro safety was not seen practicing with teammates during the open viewing period as he continues working through the “business side of things.” Gannon said Baker will likely receive a plan from defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, defensive backs coach Patrick Toney and corner backs coach Ryan Smith to help him prepare for training camp.
“They give him things to do but he’s normally ahead of the coaches,” Gannon said of Baker.
4. In a contract year, former first-round Draft pick Isaiah Simmons will remain “The Unicorn” on defense.
Although fourth-year player Isaiah Simmons is listed as an inside linebacker on Arizona’s roster, his role has transformed into that of a safety/defensive back. The 24-year-old was labeled a “star backer” last season and fans can expect to see first-year defensive coordinator Nick Rallis finding ways to maximize Simmons’ versatile skillset. The Clemson product earned the nickname “The Unicorn” in college and, in what’s become a contract year, Simmons is working on having the best season he could possibly have.
“This is a new defense and, personally, I’d like to master defensive back first before I dive into going with the outside line backers or whatever else could come about,” Simmons said. “I’d like to be a master, at least, of everything in the secondary before I get to going other places.”
5. Quarterback Kyler Murray and tight end Zach Ertz are attacking their rehab after season-ending knee injuries.
Back in January, Kyler Murray underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee. While there’s no timetable for Murray’s return to action, the typical recovery time for an ACL tear is between eight to nine months. What we do know is that K1 has been on the field and watching film with his teammates throughout the offseason workout programs.
“He’s always been the same guy. Hard worker, goes out there and does what he has to do in order to get better and I think it’s as simple as that,” wide out Rondale Moore said of Murray. “[He] comes in early, gets his work done, comes outside and watches practice. Watches tape, texts you if he sees something on tape he didn’t like, or he does like. Asks questions and just goes from there. He’s been great in my eyes.”
Tight end Zach Ertz has been seen working out off to the side with senior reconditioning coordinator Buddy Morris. Ertz underwent surgery to repair the ACL and MCL in his left knee in December 2022. We’ve yet to receive a definitive update on either player being available come training camp or Week 1.
After concluding minicamp on Thursday, players and coaches will get to enjoy some time off before training camp begins at the end of July. The Cardinals host the Denver Broncos for their first preseason game on Aug. 11 with the regular season kicking off in Washington on Sept. 10.
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on Twitter: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, email Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
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