Organized team activities continued for a second week in Tempe, Arizona. Here are some morsels from OTAs so far:
Nehemiah Brouton has been taking all of the reps at fullback with the first team offense. This position, which was of much less value with Warner at quarterback, will most likely become much more critical to the offense in 2010 with a larger focus on the running game. Along with Brouton (6’, 255 lbs.) the Cardinals also have Reagan Maui’a, and Charles Ali. Maui’a is injured and Ali hasn’t really gotten into the action yet because he’s a recent signee. Things still need to shake out regarding who gets the bulk of the snaps at fullback, but right now it’s clearly Brouton.
The team had a little fun on Wednesday (5/26) with Coach Whisenhunt’s punt catching “competition.” Ridiculously out of place players such as OT Jeremy Bridges and LB Clark Haggans took turns catching punts. Whisenhunt commented about how the exercise provides some friendly competition and levity at an appropriate time during the offseason:
We’re still in OTAs. Let’s get through the dog days of training camp when I am sure some of these guys are going to want to mix it up and fight and then we will talk about it. Right now, we’re undefeated and everybody’s playing well. I like the chemistry of the team…and whenever you have the competition at the end of practice like we did today and you see them get excited, you like that. They want to win and that’s what’s important.”
DRC was not participating on Tuesday (5/25), presumably to rest his knee. It doesn’t appear that Rodgers-Cromartie suffered any setbacks in his recovery from knee surgery, but he obviously doesn’t want to push it too hard so early in the offseason. In addition, Gerald Hayes (back) still hasn’t participated in OTAs; Hayes sat out of the activities last week as well.
There’s not too much to report regarding the quarterback situation. Reports coming out of Arizona are conspicuously vanilla concerning Leinart’s play so far. As for Anderson, Skelton, and Hall, it appears the depth chart will fill out exactly as I just wrote it. While Whisenhunt of course insists that the team hasn’t 100% decided that Leinart is the starter, the head coach has clearly thrown his support and confidence to the former first-round pick.
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