New Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon and quarterback Kyler Murray appeared to be in deep conversation, as they stood on the opposite end of the field, while the special teams unit practiced field goals during Tuesday’s workout.
Murray didn’t participate in the first padded practice of the summer because he’s recovering from the torn ACL he sustained last season, but he wasn’t in attendance just to have stationary conversations. Murray, who was sporting a black sleeve on his right leg, gingerly moved up and down the field with his teammates throughout practice.
Murray constantly moving—and happily waving at fans inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.,—was a notable observation during the second stop of my nine-team training camp tour this summer.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
Now, does that mean that Murray is on track to play at some point in the 2023 season? Well, luckily, GM Monti Ossenfort was available to the media Tuesday to answer the grand question.
But before we get to Ossenfort’s remarks, let’s discuss what else stood out during this camp stop with the Cardinals.
Best play I saw: Rookie quarterback Clayton Tune might be in contention for the starting job in Arizona to start the season, but before we expand on his competition with veteran Colt McCoy, let’s highlight his best throw of the day.
Tune, a fifth-round pick out of Houston, patiently waited for his reads to develop before finding wide receiver Greg Dortch for a lengthy completion in the middle of the field during 11-on-11 team drills.
Clayton Tune practicing with a bulk of the first-team offense hits Greg Dortch for a play down field at Arizona Cardinals training camp.#BirdGang pic.twitter.com/INYgbbp5Ou
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) August 1, 2023
The memorable throw is one of many reasons why the Cardinals have increased Tune’s first-team reps with the offense. And he’s not just out there with the starters against the backup defense. It says plenty that on the first day with pads, Tune was playing with the first-team offense vs. the first-team defense during full-team drills.
McCoy is still receiving the bulk of the starting snaps, but this is starting to become a tight race to be Murray’s replacement.
Best thing I heard: O.K., now to Ossenfort’s comments about Murray’s recovery timeline. Here’s what he had to say:
“We’re not sitting there looking at a calendar counting the days,” Ossenfort said. “These rehabs, they’re not a linear progression. There are good days, there are bad days. When Kyler is ready to be put out on the field, both physically and mentally, we’re going to get him out there. We’re not going to hesitate to put him out there, but until we get to that point, where physically he’s ready to do it, we’re going to take it day-by-day and see where he’s at.”
There has been plenty of speculation about the Cardinals possibly drafting a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks in the 2024 draft, which could be high picks if the Cardinals struggle like many are expecting.
But no need to wait until next offseason to ask Ossenfort about the possibility of drafting a quarterback. He was asked Tuesday what the football public has been wondering about since Arizona landed the Texans’ ‘24 first-round pick during a draft-day trade.
“Holy moly, man, I’m just trying to get through Tuesday here,” Ossenfort said. “Listen, every draft is the same. We scout every position equally. We don’t go into a draft saying, ‘This year, we’re all set at this position.’ We’re scouting every position no matter who’s on the roster now.”
The rookie who caught my eye: Paris Johnson Jr., this year’s first-round pick, might already have a starting job on the offensive line, and it might be on the outside.
The Cardinals flirted with the idea of having Johnson start his rookie year as a guard, with incumbent starters D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum returning. But Johnson, who many draft experts viewed as the best tackle prospect in the latest draft, has been playing right tackle with the first team this summer.
With Humphries as the starting left tackle, Beachum could be the odd man out once the regular season arrives.
Veteran who caught my eye: Running back James Conner might get the ball a lot in 2023, especially if the Cardinals decide to start a rookie quarterback.
Conner made a handful of plays during practice and appeared fresh while he jokingly chased cornerback Nate Hairston after the DB intercepted a pass from quarterback David Blough.
Nickname playlist: Pool party music. The Cardinals had a variety of music, from Kanye West to Van Halen. (Panama is still playing in my head.)
But what really stood out from the Cardinals’ playlist was the techno club music that played during red-zone drills. I think at one point I heard the beat from the I’m Blue song. Da ba dee da ba di. …
It certainly gave vibes of daytime club music at a pool on the Vegas strip, or whatever people listened to in the ‘90s.
