Read More: 2011 nfl training camp, 2001 nfl free agency, Patrick Peterson (CB – ARI), Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals had a busy day on and off the field. As we covered all the Sunday action off the field, the team put on the pads and spent two-hours of a partly sunny Flagstaff afternoon running through a variety of drills. It wasn’t always pretty but at least tomorrow the complement of players will include all the team’s rookies who are now signed and in camp. Patrick Peterson even took the podium for a 6:00 pm press conference.

Peterson is understandably excited to get the contract stuff out of the way and practice on Monday for the first time in a Cardinals uniform. It won’t, however, be the first time he’s lined up opposite Larry Fitzgerald. Like many players this offseason Peterson worked out with Fitz in Arizona during the summer.

“He told me he’s going to get me better,” Peterson said. Guarding the best receiver in the league in practice will prepare certainly help prepare the rookie for NFL Sundays.

“Not really. I still have to come in here and make plays,” Peterson said when asked if the loss of DRC put any additional pressure on him.

Mostly though, Peterson is looking forward to doing his thing — “Make interceptions.”

As for practice,  ”It was good to get out here on the field in pads and see some of these guys. I like the intensity and effort but a lot of the little things you’re seeing — guys lining up offsides, missing the count, being in the wrong place, making mistakes.  A lot of the things you see early in the offseason that you get your players comfortable with you’re going to have to fight through.”

Linebacker Clark Haggans agreed that this training camp has been a challenge, ”It’s a lot different than what I’ve seen before with all this activity. We’ve crammed six months worth of stuff in four or five days. It’s flurry. It’s kind of exciting especially for you guys just to report. There’s news happening every 10 minutes something big and breaking.”

The Cardinals will have two practices on Monday with the early work out (9:05 am) being a walk-thru only. (Full practice schedule here.)

For more on the Cardinals, check out Revenge of the Birds.

Other Notes:

• “After a lot of consideration we felt it was probably in the best interest of both the club and Tim (Hightower) that we go in that direction. I can’t say enough about what Tim’s done for us. It’s tough decision. I think the ultimately this works out the best for him and the best for us. I wish him nothing but the best. He’s a good football player.” – Whisenhunt on trading Tim Hightower
• “Excited about (Todd Heap). We’re getting a veteran player that’s been successful in this league. It helps that he has a lot of fans in this area because he played good football here.” – Whisenhunt on Todd Heap 
• “We’re really excited about how he fits in and what we’re going to be able to do with him. A large part of these next couple of weeks is seeing what his strengths are in our offense. But when you think about our receivers and combining Todd Heap with them trying to create some mismatches you get pretty excited about that.” – – Whisenhunt on Todd Heap
• “We love Deuce. He’s a good football player…he comes back to us know in a position where he’s got some things to prove.” – – Whisenhunt on Deuce Lutui

 

FLAGSTAFF, AZ – JULY 30: Head coach Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals watches drills during the team training camp at Northern Arizona University on July 30, 2011 in Flagstaff, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Read More: cincinnati bengals, Deuce Lutui (G – CIN), Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a one-year deal with guard Deuce Lutui. The 28-year-old Lutui had agreed to a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals but surprisingly failed to pass the physical. The deal fell through, and now Lutui is set to return to the only team that he has played for during his five-year tenure in the NFL.

Lutui is a native of Mesa, AZ, and he played his college ball at USC. Drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft with the 41^st overall pick, Lutui has started 72 of 78 regular season games. The six games that he did not start came during his rookie season, when he was still adjusting to the transition from college to the NFL.

Lutui is one of three Cardinals offensive linemen to start every game since the 2008 season- the other two are Levi Brown and Lyle Sendlin. Of course, Lutui will have pass the physical with the Cardinals before he can officially join training camp and begin his sixth NFL season with the team.

Arizona Cardinals update:

For months there has been speculation that NFL players might practice informally in the event of a lockout. You know,  just to stay sharp, learn the playbook and improve team chemistry.

But no one seems to actually be doing it. Some members of the Miami Dolphins apparently are lifting weights together, but that seems the extent of it. While locked out, players aren’t going to gather in great numbers to run through seven-on-seven passing drills. As former Eagles running back Ricky Watters once asked after declining to make a catch over the middle in a blowout: “For who? For what?

There are a few reasons for that. One, the NFL locked the players out of team facilities. Why, then, would players gather on their own to practice? Two, players could lose negotiating leverage with owners. Three, there is no injury protection. If a player suffered an injury, the team could place him on the non-football injury list, meaning it wouldn’t have to pay him in 2011, whenever that season might start.

The Cardinals seem among the least likely teams to organize such off-season workouts. Many of their key players — receiver Steve Breaston, center Lyle Sendlein, guards Alan Faneca and Deuce Lutui — have no contract for 2011. Why would Breaston, Lutui and Sendlein, for instance, risk injury for a team that has not seriously tried yet to sign them to long-term deals?

Many Cardinals players are working out under the supervision of personal trainers, or on their own. Some, such as Larry Fitzgerald, have spend the off-season traveling.

According to Fitz’ twitter account, he’s currently on safari in Africa. I don’t think he’s actually “hunting” so he’ll return home empty-handed, just as he did after many pass plays in 2010.

 

 

 

Arizona Cardinals update

Extending tender offers to restricted free agents has never meant less than it has this year. No one knows what the free agent rules are going to be under a new CBA, but the tender offer sometimes provides a clue as to how player is viewed by an organization.

The Cardinals tendered seven restricted free agents (those with three through five years of service). WR Steve Breaston was given a first-round tender. Center Lyle Sendlein and guard Deuce Lutui were given second-round tenders.

The other tendered players are receiver Early Doucet, defensive end Alan Branch, right tackle Brandon Keith and running back Tim Hightower. I don’t know at what level they were tendered.

It’s important to note that Breaston, Sendlein, Lutui and Branch could become unrestricted free agents if the new CBA adopts previous rules. Until last year, players needed four years of service to become unrestricted. In 2010, it was was six years. Lutui has played five years. Breaston, Sendlein and Branch each have four.

Hightower, Doucet and Keith each have three years of service and likely will remain restricted under a new CBA.

Some interesting names were among those not tendered: defensive end Kenny Iwebema, fullback Rean Maui’a,  tight ends Ben Patrick and Stephen Spach and cornerbacks Michael Adams and Trumaine McBride.

I expect to see many of those players return, even though they could become unrestricted whenever free agency starts.