Kingsbury era opens to subtle changes
Throughout last year’s training camp and then the regular season, there stood a hurdle in the middle of the Cardinals’ locker room. It was meant to be symbolic of what the team, together, could overcome. Instead, with each passing week and with each additional loss, the hurdle felt more literal of the 3-13 Cardinals than it felt metaphorical.
In each locker was a brick, as the team was meant to create a foundation to win. Instead, the 2018 Cardinals crumbled.
A new season is here, and gone are the hurdle and the bricks. Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t seem to be one for platitudes. Inspirational speeches are the hallmark of any good sports movie, but for all his celebrity comparisons, that is where Kingsbury deviates from the script.
“The meetings have been all business, there’s not much rah-rah, there’s not much talk, there’s not much kind of substance to anything outside of football, which, that’s what training camp is,” center A.Q Shipley said. “Everything’s been great so far.”
That’s not to say there never will be a slogan or a T-shirt or something more
symbolic for this team.
“At this point, we’re working through our team and developing who we’re gonna be,” Kingsbury said Sunday. “So I didn’t come in guns blazing and try to lay down some law that, you know, wasn’t in place. Wanted to get to know the players and figure out who we’re going to be and who we are as a team, and once we get closer to the season, we’ll get to those things.”
There are a number of differences at training camp for the Cardinals this year. Of course, there are the obvious changes in personnel, from coach to quarterback. The team believes that will translate to a difference in record. But look closely, and there are smaller tweaks, too. Some of those are a return to years past.
For the summer weeks in Glendale, the Cardinals typically have all the rookies in an auxiliary locker room due to space. Last year, they broke tradition and had Josh Rosen in with the veterans, particularly to spend more time with Sam Bradford. This year, Kyler Murray is with the rookies. Kingsbury said there was no discussion of having Murray in the main locker room.
“No, I didn’t want to break that group up,” Kingsbury said. “Those guys have got to earn their way into that locker room, and he’s going to do that.”
The thinking behind having Rosen spend more time with Bradford did not exactly have a high return on investment. Plus, Murray seems to be getting close with the rookie class, which includes three drafted wide receivers that he’ll want to connect with in more ways than one. Still, some veterans were surprised by the decision, given that Murray will be the starter.
Kingsbury has been tight-lipped about his plans for the team, particularly the offense, so it was surprising when the team announced 13 open practices, in addition to the Red and White Game. Last year, there were three outdoor practices, and given the open practice schedule, they will not exceed that this year. Outdoor practices in late July and August in Arizona are not enjoyable, so players will like this decision. They also like that training-camp sessions currently include a short break, during which a cart full of fruit is rolled out.
“I love it, it’s great,” said running back David Johnson, after a laugh. “It’s not just physically, it’s also mentally. Just to get a break, mentally, for about five minutes, and then get back to practice.”
There are bananas, grapes, watermelon and more. Just don’t call it a “snack break.” That would upset Coach.
“It’s It’s not a snack break. But I appreciate y’all coining that,” Kingsbury said, in a tone that was perhaps a notch below deep appreciation.
Although it’s a small sample size,
“At this point, we’re working through our team and developing who we’re gonna be.”
Johnson thinks the structure of practice so far has kept players from getting as banged-up. Breaks are built-in, meetings are short, and players think Kingsbury is cool, but that all doesn’t mean the atmosphere is overly relaxed.
“I wouldn’t say that. He’s got a little piss and vinegar to him,” Shipley said.
Training camp alone is not a full indicator for how a season will turn out, particularly on a team that is balancing shrouding its offense while evaluating many unknowns. Efficiency is good for the Cardinals, who are learning a new playbook once again. The rest of the league will be intently watching to see what they do, including a familiar face. Former quarterback Kurt Warner was on hand for NFL Network’s broadcast of Sunday’s session. From the outside, Warner doesn’t think the differences in the way Kingsbury runs things are drastic.
“I think it looks efficient. They’re fastpaced, they’re getting through a lot of different things,” Warner said. “You never know exactly what goes into all of it, but that’s one thing you watch when you see a new coach, is ‘OK, how smooth is it gonna run? How are they gonna get from one place to another? How connected are things gonna be?’ And so far, I think it looks very, very efficient.
“I think he’s got some good people on staff to help him with that, but they don’t seem to have missed a beat from what they’ve done in the past.” – Bob McManaman