The training camp schedule for the Cardinals is different this year in Jonathan Gannon's second season, for a reason. So they ended up with their initial Saturday off, and then -- a day later than most teams -- held their Back Together Weekend festivities on Sunday with season ticket holders in attendance.
Gannon, with input from a cast of thousands (players, doctors, strength coaches, etc., etc.), have gone to a cadence of essentially three days on, one day off. So they were out there Sunday, will practice Monday and Tuesday, with Wednesday then breaking up the week. The Red and White practice on Saturday will then cap off the next three-day stretch.
"I hope it's the best thing for the players health, and development and the evaluation part of it," Gannon said.
What was eliminated with the new schedule is the always popular veteran's days off. Those were staples of every camp for years with the Cardinals. Now, there really is no need.
"Every player is different and we will cross our bridge when we need to," Gannon said. "But the schedule is set up so that the guys who you would think (would be the vets), if you ask them do you need a day off, they'd tell me no."
-- Sunday also marked the end of the ramp-up period. The Cardinals put the pads on for the first time Monday, as "real" football gets closer.
-- With Sunday a low-tempo practice the highlights were few. But there were a couple, including one in individual drills when outside linebacker Jesse Luketa made a spectacular leaping one-handed "interception" during drop-in-coverage drills.
-- Tight end Trey McBride also made a great leaping catch of a Kyler Murray throw and managed to get two feet down in the back of the end zone.
-- The Cardinals remain healthy (we will see how long that remains with the pads coming on.) The one guy who remains "less limited but a little limited," as Gannon said, is second-year offensive lineman Jon Gaines. Gaines, who has worked at center, also saw snaps at left guard Sunday (with the first-unit next to Paris Johnson Jr.)
