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8-2-11: Bird Droppings - Peterson's First Practice

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The Cardinals have quieted down a little bit after their Free Agency frenzy over the weekend, but rookie Patrick Peterson has arrived and he is getting to work. The Cardinals are also working on reworking Larry Fitzgerald's contract and they are still talking with Braylon Edwards about coming to the desert.

Arizona Cardinals News:

Cards Turn Attention To Fitz Contract
Graves: Team plans to make receiver highest-paid in franchise history

Peterson Finally On The Field
The first time rookie cornerback Patrick Peterson lined up in practice in the NFL for an 11-on-11 drill, he stared across the line of scrimmage at Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. It was a draw – the pass play was thrown in a different direction – but it emphasized Peterson’s arrival.

Arizona Cardinals aim to re-sign Larry Fitzgerald before season starts
Receiver Larry Fitzgerald has said several times this off-season that he wants to remain with the Cardinals. The Cardinals are ready to test his sincerity.

Arizona Cardinals rookie Patrick Peterson eager to earn spot
Coach Ken Whisenhunt never has been anxious to put rookies in the starting lineup. Patrick Peterson is no exception, but he was the fifth overall pick for a reason, and he plays a position, cornerback, where the Cardinals have a great need. Starting a rookie "is tough for me," Whisenhunt said. "I think this is a year that's a little bit different all together. You have to be open-minded about how he plays and where we are with that position."

Word From the Birds Blog - Some lunchtime reading material
Kevin Kolb just did his first training camp press conference and coach Ken Whisenhunt talked too. The big talk now is the push to get Larry Fitzgerald’s contract done, and of course, Kolb and Whiz want nothing more than that, and Kolb smiled when he was asked if suddenly the shoe is on the other foot — and after a summer of Fitz trying to let Kolb know he wanted Kolb in Arizona, now Kolb need to make sure Fitz stays.

Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald's sincerity to be tested
Larry Fitzgerald has the best hands in football, a no-trade clause in his contract and all the leverage one man can possess. But this time, he doesn't have a choice. If the star receiver spurns a fair and forthcoming contract offer from the Cardinals, he will void his perfectly manicured image. Smitten fans will wonder what happened to the guy who has professed great love for Arizona, the organization and head coach Ken Whisenhunt. They will wonder about the guy who said it was all about winning and no longer about money.

Graves: 'Kevin surely was our No. 1 priority' - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals had wanted to trade for Kevin Kolb for quite a while. Last Tuesday teams were finally allowed to talk about trades, and by Thursday evening Kolb was heading to the desert. And the Cardinals couldn't be happier.

Don't say Todd Heap is past his prime - ArizonaSports.com
It's rare that the acquisition of a 31-year-old tight end would cause excitement for an NFL franchise's fan base, but that's exactly what the signing of Todd Heap did over the weekend. While fans are excited, many people around the league have questioned if Heap's best days are behind him. Don't count Ken Whisenhunt as one of them.

Cardinals plan on going to the Well(s) often - ArizonaSports.com
The Cardinals drafted Beanie Wells with the hope that he would become the featured back the team had lacked. Wells, in turn, rushed for 793 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, flashing the ability and stiff-arm that made the Cardinals excited to have him. But then 2010 happened, and a preseason injury derailed Wells' season almost before it even began. However, it's time to turn the page.

Is Kolb really an improvement over Derek Anderson? - ArizonaSports.com
It was generally thought that Kevin Kolb, at the very least, would be better than Derek Anderson. Maybe you should think again.

Larry Fitzgerald could be highest-paid Cardinal ever - ArizonaSports.com
Larry Fitzgerald is going to get paid. At 27-years-old, the Cardinals star is just entering his prime. A free agent at the end of the season, Cards GM Rod Graves said money is really no object in negotiations for a contract extension

Braylon Edwards is looking for a five-year contract - ArizonaSports.com
Everyone seems enamored with the idea of the Arizona Cardinals landing wide receiver Braylon Edwards to play next to Larry Fitzgerald if it's for the right price. That last phrase may be what keeps a deal from getting done.

Tim Hightower out, Ryan Williams, Beanie Wells in - ArizonaSports.com
Tim Hightower was the Cardinals' leading rusher last year, but he's in Washington now. So, while many may look at this as Beanie Wells' chance to step up and take over as the team's featured back, rookie second round pick Ryan Williams may be the one who ultimately benefits.

Is Braylon Edwards the right fit for the Arizona Cardinals? - ArizonaSports.com
With Steve Breaston leaving Arizona in favor of Kansas City, the Cardinals are in the market for a receiver to line up opposite of Larry Fitzgerald in the starting lineup. The question is who should they sign to be that guy.

Fitzgerald: 'I don't want to leave Arizona' - ArizonaSports.com
If the Cardinals were looking to prove to Larry Fitzgerald that they have a desire to win, they seem to have done exactly that.

Ryan Williams excited to finally be with the team - ArizonaSports.com
Ryan Williams may have been a surprise pick for the Cardinals when they nabbed him with the 38th overall selection back in April's draft, but once a Cardinal Williams wanted to be just that: a Cardinal. The NFL's lockout delayed the process, but Williams and the team finally agreed to terms Sunday and now the former Virginia Tech star is, well, pleased to be with his new teammates.

Cardinals aim for quick, new deal with Fitzgerald - ArizonaSports.com
After a frenzy of activity elsewhere in recent days, the Arizona Cardinals are turning to an effort to sign star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a new contract.

Next up for Cardinals: Extending Larry Fitzgerald's contract - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals got their quarterback. They got their offensive line, secondary and linebackers figured out, too. Next up? Larry Fitzgerald.

Word From the Birds Blog - Chemistry of Fitz and Kolb
They sit next to each other in meetings and talk in practice when Larry Fitzgerald has a break — you know, since Kevin Kolb can’t practice until Thursday because of league rules. Considering they can’t do everything they need to do together, they are building chemistry the best they can. "He’s trying to get me some things I don’t want to do," Fitzgerald said. "He’s a dipper, a chewer and he tries to get me to put a little inside my lip. I won’t do it. I heard it makes you throw up. "But we’re having fun. He’s learning. He’s the son of a coach and always looking at film. He’ll call you up and ask, ‘I’m looking at this play, what are you thinking?’ And I’m like, ‘Kevin, I’m sleeping.’ But that’s him, he wants to be great."

Arizona Cardinals hope for new Larry Fitzgerald deal by opener - ESPN
After a frenzy of activity elsewhere in recent days, the Arizona Cardinals are turning to an effort to sign star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a new contract.

Extreme Makeover: Arizona Cardinals Edition - ArizonaSports.com
In a matter of five days fans went from wondering if the team was just ‘the same old Cardinals' to needing a roster just to know exactly who was out on the practice field. Heck, Whisenhunt was even struggling to keep up. He required the players to put tape on their helmets with their names on it. Since Thursday the Cardinals have spent money the same way a 16-year-old girl with daddy's credit card would spend money at the mall. Unlike that teenager though, the Cards bought things that not only looked good but that they needed as well.

Graves on SiriusXM Blitz
Cardinals GM Rod Graves joined the SiriusXM Blitz to talk about all of the recent activity surrounding the team and he addresses the future of WR Larry Fitzgerald. (Audio Courtesy of SiriusXM NFL Radio)

Cardinals Underground - Transactions Galore
Paul Calvisi and Darren Urban are joined by Dave Pasch to talk about the various transactions that have taken place early in training camp. Pasch fills in for Ron Wolfley.

Arizona Sports News:

Arizona Diamondbacks take opener of series vs. San Francisco Giants
The Diamondbacks team that was swept by the San Francisco Giants in its last visit to AT&T Park doesn't look too dissimilar from the club that's playing here once again, at least not in terms of names and faces. But everything is different about them compared to their previous incarnation from . . . was it really just May? It seems like three years ago, not three months ago, a feeling that was reinforced with Monday night's 5-2 win in the opener of a three-game clash of the National League West's top two teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt faces a pair of aces in Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum
Diamondbacks top prospect Paul Goldschmidt arrived in the big leagues Monday. So what if his first two games will come against Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, two of the better pitchers in baseball? That seemed to be manager Kirk Gibson's sentiments before Monday night's game, in which Goldschmidt made his major-league debut.

NFL News:

Winners! The five teams who improved the most in free agency - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
As much as free agency hits and misses help shape a team, the Super Bowl could have been won or lost over the past seven days. We can't know for sure how things will shake out -- some of the guys listed below absolutely will turn into overpaid, under-producing albatrosses around the necks of the teams unfortunate enough to employ them, but for now, there's no reason not to be optimistic. These are the five teams that most put themselves in a position to improve with their free agency moves.

Losers! The five teams to whom free agency was not kind - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Free agency isn't good to everyone. Not every one has money to spend, and not every location around the league is considered a desirable one. If some teams are going to improve, it stands to reason that some teams are going to get worse. These are the five teams that have some recovering to do from the free agency period.

Randy Moss to retire after 13 seasons, 153 touchdowns - ESPN
Future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss has decided to retire rather than continue playing.

The real competition in Denver could be Quinn vs. Tebow | ProFootballTalk
We know there is a school of thought in Miami that says Kyle Orton could still be traded there. It makes a lot of sense. In the meantime, Orton could be convincing the coaching staff in Denver that he’s the right man to lead the Broncos. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Tim Tebow is no longer getting any snaps with the No. 1 offense.

Retired LB view: Soft camps bad for game - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Former Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Dave Wyman is having a hard time recognizing NFL training camps now that rules limiting contact have taken effect. His thoughts on the implications follow here. Additional views to follow as camps progress.

Clayton: Cardinals up, 49ers down - NFC West Blog - ESPN
John Clayton's latest mailbag begins with winners and losers in free agency and the trade market thus far. He's ranking the Arizona Cardinals among the winners and the San Francisco 49ers among the losers.

Joey Harrington hospitalized after SUV hits his bike | ProFootballTalk
Joey Harrington is retired from the NFL and enjoying life back home in Oregon by doing things like going out for a pleasant bike ride. But he had a ride on Sunday night that wasn’t so pleasant.

Braylon Edwards has another brush with the law | ProFootballTalk
Free-agent receiver Braylon Edwards, not far removed from pleading guilty to DUI and having his probation in Cleveland for an assault charge extended, nearly got himself into another jam in Michigan early Monday.

11 teams still have $20 million or more in cap room | ProFootballTalk
One week into the 2011 spending spree under the new $120.4 million salary cap, 11 teams still have more than $20 million available for the coming season. A source with knowledge of the numbers has shared them with PFT.