clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

8-23-11: Bird Droppings - Training Camp Continues

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

 (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)
(Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Time for some more links as we move on with the last week of Training Camp. Also, Preseason Superstar Max Hall had a shoulder injury yesterday, and Terrelle Pryor went to the Raiders (of course) in the Supplemental Draft.

Arizona Cardinals News:

Larry Fitzgerald's big contract is a big deal for the Arizona Cardinals - ArizonaSports.com
Eight years, $120 million, $50 million guaranteed. The numbers are staggering for any player, let alone a wide receiver. And you know what? Larry Fitzgerald is worth every penny. The contract given to the 27-year-old seems awfully generous for a player who, at most, will touch the ball what, 10 times in a given game?

Word From the Birds Blog - Iwebema returns as does RB Powell
The Cardinals have brought back a familiar face, re-signing defensive lineman Kenny Iwebema Monday. Iwebema has been sitting on the sideline since his contract ran out this offseason. Iwebema blew out his knee in November and had been rehabbing. Iwebema said he will begin being limited in practice — special teams and the like — but rehab has gone well. He added that his playing weight is back to normal, in the 280-pound range. The Cardinals are also bringing back running back William Powell, who was with the team earlier in camp. He’s the body everyone was expecting when Ryan Williams went down; I think the Cards will continue to look at their running back options going forward and even through the rest of the NFL’s final cuts. Finally, the Cards are signing cornerback Thad Turner, who was on the Patriots’ practice squad last season. The Cards already had a spot open on the 90-man roster. So to make room, the team released cornerback Desia Dunn — who was victimized by a 97-yard touchdown pass in Green Bay — and punter Derek Epperson.

Word From the Birds Blog - Ramifications, short- and long-term, of Fitz’s deal
The immediate impact of Larry Fitzgerald’s new contract is obvious. He won’t be going anywhere, and the tension around that situation is wiped out going into the season. That’s certain true for the organization as a whole and for the fan base. But what about the team itself? Fitz was going to play in Arizona this season, regardless. So does this change anything? "Maybe getting Larry to pay for their dinners, it might," coach Ken Whisenhunt cracked.

Closer look at Larry Fitzgerald's deal - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Former NFL executive Andrew Brandt of ESPN and National Football Post takes a detailed look at Larry Fitzgerald's new contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

In A Flash, Schofield Improves
Linebacker goes old school in learning defensive techniques

Alfonso's Opportunity
Notebook: Cards methodical in replacing Williams; Fitz contract numbers

Cardinals won't bring in Tiki Barber to replace Ryan Williams - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals are down a running back, but they will not be turning to the "Today Show" for Ryan Williams' replacement. According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, the former Giant-turned-broadcaster-turned-NFL free agent agent's said the Cardinals are looking a different direction.

Cardinals bring Kenny Iwebema back - ArizonaSports.com
The Cardinals announced Monday that the team has signed defensive end Kenny Iwebema.

Whisenhunt pleased with offseason and direction - ArizonaSports.com
Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt is happy with what team president Michael Bidwill has accomplished this off-season.

Cardinals begin process of replacing Ryan Williams - ArizonaSports.com
Cardinals running back Ryan Williams is scheduled to have surgery some time this week, meaning the search for a replacement is in full swing.

Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb likes the Larry Fitzgerald deal
The Cardinals' ability to lock up star receiver Larry Fitzgerald to an eight-year contract made quarterback Kevin Kolb appreciate being in Arizona that much more. And like Fitzgerald, he hopes to retire as a Cardinals player someday as well.

Arizona Cardinals sign Kenny Iwebema, William Powell, Thad Turner, release Desia Dunn, Derek Epperson
The Arizona Cardinals announced that the team has signed defensive end Kenny Iwebema, running back William Powell and cornerback Thad Turner. To make room on the roster, the team has released cornerback Desia Dunn and punter Derek Epperson.

Interview: Adrian Wilson Talks Johnny Cash, Kevin Kolb, and His Streetwear Store | Complex
Adrian Wilson is a beast. The Arizona Cardinals strong safety has been rocking wide receivers to sleep for 10 years now, and he’s looking to make his fifth Pro Bowl this year. As the longest tenured player in the Valley of the Sun, Adrian has been with the Cardinals through thick and thin. With a new QB in Kevin Kolb and a returning superstar in Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards will be in the thick of the hunt in the wide open NFC West. We caught up with Wilson (@adrian_wilson24) to talk about their new QB, fashion, jumping 66-inch hurdles, and plenty more.

Arizona Cardinals in no hurry to select new running back
Alfonso Smith knows the familiar names of the free-agent running backs still looking for NFL work. Clinton Portis. Correll Buckhalter. Laurence Maroney. Beanie Wells may not have as much to lose as Smith, but he knows they're out there, too. LenDale White. Tiki Barber. Kevin Smith. The Cardinals will be adding one of those players - or someone like them - in due course after losing rookie Ryan Williams to a season-ending leg injury Friday night against the Green Bay Packers.

Word From the Birds Blog - Toler’s difficult daily lessons
Greg Toler would like to be a starting cornerback for the Cardinals. He’s certainly not going to turn down the chance to work with the first unit. But that also means that much of the time in practice, he’s covering Larry Fitzgerald. That job can be hard. Fitzgerald has always been good in practice but his turns on the Flagstaff fields this year have made him look particularly sharp. Spectacular, even. Often, Toler is the victim.

Replace Ryan Williams? Maybe one of these guys - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals will be looking to replace the injured Ryan Williams over the next couple of weeks, with head coach Ken Whisenhunt saying the team won't rush into a decision.

NFL.com news: Fitzgerald's $120M deal will have ripple effect across NFL
Every year there are deals done that have far-reaching ripple effects on the rest of the NFL. This year, the Charles Johnson deal at the start of free agency threw a temporary monkey wrench into other deals being consummated around the league. I'm sure Osi Umenyiora took a look at his deal after Johnson's signing and immediately felt underpaid -- and he wasn't alone. Well, the Larry Fitzgerald deal is sending a much bigger shock wave through the NFL, and teams looking to extend players might have just hit a big road block.

Larry Fitzgerald: Can he break Jerry Rice’s receptions record? " Pro-football-reference.com blog " Blog Archive
In my opinion, Jerry Rice is the greatest football player ever. His records are so incredibly, absurdly, ridiculously unbelievable that you can't throw enough adjectives and adverbs his way. But with Larry Fitzgerald signing his enormous-but-justifiable megadeal with the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, I wondered if he could one day challenge Rice's records. After all, Fitzgerald entered the league at a very young age and has been almost dominant since then. He turns 28-years-old a week from today.

Whisenhunt Press Conference
Video Gallery - aczardinals.com

All In: Horton Lifting Cards D to New Heights
Video Gallery - azcardinals.com

Cards Daily: Opportunity Arises
Video Gallery - azcardinals.com

Arizona Sports News:

Washington Nationals beat punchless Arizona Diamondbacks
Kirk Gibson has juggled his lineup, cycling through four leadoff hitters and three No. 2 hitters. He has rested his stars, hoping for a bolt of lightning off the bench. He has been so desperate for offense, he even hit and run with his heavy-footed catcher on the bases. Gibson decided after the Diamondbacks' latest loss that less might be more. "We're going to come out here and not take (batting practice Tuesday)," Gibson said. "Get them out here later. We'll try that." And, at this point, why wouldn't he? Monday night's 4-1 loss to the Washington Nationals was the Diamondbacks' sixth in a row on a road trip that is playing out like every hitting coach's worst nightmare.

NFL News:

What we learned: Giants vs. Bears | ProFootballTalk
The Bears and Giants wrapped up the second week of the preseason Monday night. The important stuff is below.

Fan violence requires outreach
With fans storing rage in their heart and Glocks in their foam fingers, it's clear that civility in sports has gone the way of the leather football helmet. Saturday's fan violence at Candlestick Park in San Francisco confirmed it.

Terrelle Pryor to Oakland Raiders in supplemental draft - ESPN
The Oakland Raiders selected former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor with a third-round pick in Monday's supplemental draft.

Terrelle Pryor was only pick in supplemental draft | ProFootballTalk
Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the first pick in this year’s supplemental draft, taken by the Oakland Raiders with a third-round choice. As it turned out, Pryor was also the only pick in this year’s supplemental draft.

Broncos make it official: Kyle Orton is the starting quarterback | ProFootballTalk
Coach John Fox made official what had been apparent since early in Broncos camp: Kyle Orton is his starting quarterback. Orton was announced as the Week One starter by Fox on Monday, per the Denver Post. Fox would not declare a backup quarterback, with the Brady Quinn-Tim Tebow battle still ongoing. Quinn looks like the slight favorite.

New York Giants CB Terrell Thomas suffers torn ACL vs. Chicago Bears - ESPN New York
Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas will likely miss the entire season after tearing his ACL on Monday night.

Mike Shanahan says Washington Redskins' QB duel will go to wire - ESPN
Rex vs. Becks will go down to the wire.

Kyle Orton of Denver Broncos to start at QB Week 1 vs. Oakland Raiders - ESPN
Denver Broncos coach John Fox has seen enough to name Kyle Orton his starting quarterback.

Kenny Britt of Tennessee Titans will meet with Roger Goodell; Aqib Talib, too? - ESPN
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday to discuss his multiple arrests during the lockout.

Castillo quote causes a stir | ProFootballTalk
On Sunday night, our friends at CSNPhilly.com forwarded an item regarding quotes from Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, in which Castillo said that his team’s "linebackers will be ready to win the Super Bowl." On Monday morning, MDS posted a blurb regarding the latest verbal faux pas from the would-be Dream Team.

Pryor says he thought he was heading to Miami | ProFootballTalk
Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor joins PFT (Almost) Live today, via an interview that was taped earlier this morning. He says during the interview that he hadn’t heard at all from the Raiders before the supplemental draft, and that he was thinking of a couple of other teams as the process unfolded.

Following up: Seahawks' QB options - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Two-thirds of the first 4,400 respondents to our recent Seattle Seahawks poll favored Charlie Whitehurst over Tarvaris Jackson as the starting quarterback. I've summarized several comments left on the item and put together a few responses.

Donnie Nickey, formerly of Tennessee Titans, latest to rip new NFL kickoff rule - ESPN
Former Tennessee Titans safety Donnie Nickey is the latest player to complain about the league's kickoff rules change, saying in an email to the (Nashville) Tennessean that Roger Goodell is eliminating jobs in his quest to improve player safety.

Trade-or-release talk surfaces for Tebow | ProFootballTalk
Now that Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has dropped to the bottom of the depth chart in Denver, there’s suddenly scuttlebutt and speculation that Tebow could be run out of town.

Report: Raiders view Pryor as a quarterback | ProFootballTalk
In what appears to be a fairly mild case of ESPN-on-ESPN crime, Adam Schefter reported during ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown that the Raiders view Terrelle Pryor as a quarterback prospect, and possibly as their quarterback of the future.

Taylor Mays trade and costs of turnover - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Coaching changes and overall franchise instability tend to have long-term ramifications. While Aaron Curry's new contract with the Seattle Seahawks comes after an organizational overhaul in the Northwest, Taylor Mays' trade from the San Francisco 49ers to the Cincinnati Bengals reflects changes in Santa Clara.

Terrelle Pryor could be headed to receiver | ProFootballTalk
On Saturday, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor said that he’ll be willing to play whatever position his new NFL team wants him to play. Pryor may get a chance to make good on that vow.

On canceling 49ers-Raiders in preseason - NFC West Blog - ESPN
This will come as a great shock, but one of the first times I attended a Raiders game in Oakland, the guy sitting directly in front of me was wearing a piece of red tape across his back with X-rated instructions for then-Kansas City Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer. There's no telling what might have happened if someone decked out in Chiefs gear -- or, worse, San Francisco 49ers gear -- had told him where to go. Alas, scrapping exhibition games between the Raiders and 49ers seems like a logical, if unfortunate response to the violence at Candlestick Park on Saturday night.

NFL Game Recaps:

Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants - Recap - August 22, 2011 - ESPN
The offense woke up, the defense was solid and special teams was outstanding. The New York Giants had a near perfect night against the Chicago Bears, except for the season-ending knee injury to starting cornerback Terrell Thomas. Thomas tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee with 22 seconds left in the first half Monday, and the injury to New York's leading tackler last season overshadowed an impressive 41-13 preseason win.