Cardinals tight ends Jermaine Gresham (left) and Troy Niklas watch the conditioning test Friday.
Jermaine Gresham may come off the physically unable to perform list sooner rather than later, although Bruce Arians isn't sure yet about his new tight end.
One thing he does know: "We want to get him in football shape," Arians said Friday as the Cardinals opened training camp.
"He's been a Pro Bowl tight end," Arians said of adding Gresham to the roster. "I felt we needed another veteran in
case some of the young guys falter. I like the depth in that room."
That depth will be challenged some early, because not only is Gresham on PUP, but the second-year tight end Troy Niklas is sidelined with a hamstring problem he hurt while training in preparation to come to camp.
"You never know with those things," Arians said. "The guy has had a run of bad luck. We'll see how it goes and be on the safe side."
PALMER'S PRESEASON WILL LOOK LIKE THE OTHERS
Quarterback Carson Palmer is coming off an ACL tear of his left knee, but as has been obvious since midway through the offseason, he is full-go for training camp with no limitations. Arians said that also means preseason games.
Asked about Palmer's workload for preseason games, Arians said it would be "pretty much no different than he's been in the past," Arians said. The same goes for backup Drew Stanton, who is also coming off a knee injury.
"I know they can play on Sundays, but they still have to be game speed ready," Arians said.
A SCARY FIRST PRACTICE
The Cardinals' first practice will be Saturday, with a large crowd expected at University of Phoenix Stadium. The only drawback for Arians is that the Cards will not be in pads – they cannot put pads on until Monday.
"This is the one that scares me," Arians said. "All the fans come, everyone's jacked up to get started and we don't have pads on yet. We already talked about it. We have to compete but we have to be smart until we get the pads on."
STILL NO WORD ON WASHINGTON
Arians was blunt when asked about linebacker Daryl Washington and the fact he has yet to be reinstated from his suspension.
"Until Daryl does (get reinstated), no sense talking about it," Arians said.
CARDINALS SIGN A CORNERBACK
The Cards, who released cornerback Alfonzo Dennard Wednesday, replaced him on the roster Friday by signing cornerback Shaquille Richardson. Richardson, who played at the University of Arizona, was a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in 2014. He spent some time on their practice squad last season after being released in the preseason, and was with the Chiefs earlier this offseason.
Images of the Cardinals passing their conditioning test on Friday
The start of the run test
Coach Bruce Arians watches his players run
Strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris watches over the players
G Jonathan Cooper
LB Kevin Minter (left) and LB Kenny Demens
WR Larry Fitzgerald (left) and WR Brittan Golden
WR Michael Floyd
G Mike Iupati and DT Frostee Rucker
DT Frostee Rucker (back) and RB Andre Ellington share a laugh
QB Drew Stanton (left) with offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin
From left: DL coach Brentson Buckner, LB intern Jen Welter, consultant Adrian Wilson and DB/DL intern Rod Hood
From left: DE Josh Mauro, C Ted Larsen, T Bobby Massie, T Bradley Sowell
From left: DT Frostee Rucker, G Mike Iupati, DT Alameda Ta'amu
QB Carson Palmer stretches
From left: S Rashad Johnson, S Tyrann Mathieu, CB Patrick Peterson, WR John Brown
Fron left: DT Corey Peters, DE Cory Redding, G Anthony Steen
C A.Q. Shipley (right) shares a laugh with WR Larry Fitzgerald
Lining up
From left: DE Calais Campbell, QB Carson Palmer and QB Drew Stanton stretch
From left: G Earl Watford, T Jared Veldheer and LS Mike Leach
From left: LB LaMarr Woodley, LB Kareem Martin, LB Alex Okafor
Coach Bruce Arians (left) with LB coaching intern Jen Welter
