This year's rookie class was excused from Wednesday's post-practice meetings to join Director of Player Development Anthony Edwards for a visit of the new Cardinals Stadium in Glendale.

Construction manager Charlie Prewitt and general superintendent Jim Garrison, both of Hunt Construction Group, led the rookies on the tour and explained the construction process to the first group of Cardinals players to see the new stadium site.

"We've had a lot of people come through, but it's really exciting for us as a group to get players to come out and see them be involved in what we are doing," said Prewitt. "We see them on the field when they play, but they usually don't see what we do. So this is really, really exciting."

Approximately 42 thousand cubic yards of concrete have already been placed and the construction crew is on the verge of two milestones, starting on the exterior wall and the steel roof.

"It's crazy to start to see the finished product, seeing a stadium on the ground like this," shared first-round pick Larry Fitzgerald. "You think it would be so slow, but every month I see the pictures and another wing is added."

"It is very impressive, it's a massive sight," he continued. "It will be an outstanding place to play ball in."

The Cardinals will move into their new home for the 2006 season and after their first visit the rookies have something to look forward to.

"You can tell it's going to be a new age high tech stadium just by what it is already here and it's going to be interesting to see it all come together," said quarterback John Navarre. "I can definitely see myself playing here and I'm excited about the future."

"I'm trying to focus on practice one day at a time but I hope I'm on the team when this opens up," added Fitzgerald. "Everything they have planned for this place is pretty amazing."