We have ACTUAL NEWS today! Finally!
Most notably, a new helmet for Kolb to help prevent concussions.
Arizona Cardinals News:Time To Find Out
Behind Acho and Schofield, Cards look for outside linebacker depth
Helmet change has QB seeing five stars - NFC West Blog - ESPN
An NFL quarterback's helmet choice wouldn't matter much to anyone way back in the dark ages (think 2010). Concussion awareness has changed the dynamics. News that the Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb has switched to a potentially safer helmet to guard against concussions resonated Tuesday.
NFC West's hour in the 'SportsCenter' sun - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Hasselbeck, who played for Ken Whisenhunt in Arizona, suggested Kevin Kolb hasn't shown himself to be the leader Whisenhunt wants at the position. He thought Kolb needed to win over the team this offseason. Bruschi encouraged the team to go with John Skelton instead if Kolb doesn't step forward and distinguish himself as a team leader. Sound familiar? It should, at least to anyone familiar with Matt Leinart's time under Whisenhunt. Is Kolb the next Leinart, a highly paid player unable to win over the team? That was the comparison drawn during this special.
Mailbag: Proud rooting for unpopular team - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Jesse from Phoenix is exercising caution when setting expectations for the Cardinals this season. "Many fans are assuming because we finished strong that we will start strong this year," he writes via Facebook. "While I think we have had a good off-season thus far, I am hesitant to set my expectations too high. An unproven line and a QB controversy is not a recipe for success. Do you believe the momentum will carry over?"
Word From the Birds Blog | Crowded locker room doesn’t bother Dockett
The Cardinals’ locker room, relatively speaking, is overflowing. Because of the rule change to allow 90 players on the roster for the first time during the offseason (it happened in training camp last year too, following the lockout as a special circumstance), temporary lockers have been added this summer and it’s just more crowded as the team readies to undertake a second week of OTAs. Not that it’s bothering Darnell Dockett.
Word From the Birds Blog | Kolb isn’t worried about concussions
A concussion knocked quarterback Kevin Kolb out of the last month of the regular season last year and certainly, the topic has been an intense one when it comes to the NFL. Kolb also said his symptoms didn’t fully subside until the season was over for a few weeks. But he is not concerned about getting another concussion, he said after Tuesday’s organized team activity. "I don’t worry about them," Kolb said. "It was a freak deal. They don’t happen all the time." He also insisted he isn’t worried about the long-term problem, saying, "you can’t. If something comes up I’ll worry about it then. Right now, my head is clear and I know I will be in the league a long time."
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Toler rehab on schedule as 2nd week of OTAs begin
A couple of weeks ago, cornerback Greg Toler said he hoped coaches wouldn't hold him back too much when voluntary practices began. Toler is coming off ACL repair and estimated he was 85 percent. He wanted to do more than ran and cut in individual drills: he wanted to guard receivers. He's getting his wish -- sort of. Toler was impressive in the first week of OTAs last week and his work load increased just a little on Tuesday, the first day of the second week.
Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald works to lighten his load
Every off-season, Larry Fitzgerald travels the world and brings home a little excess baggage. Nothing that anyone else would notice, but when you are one of the NFL elite receivers, you can feel every one of the 10 or so pounds. "I can feel it in my conditioning," he said. "I can feel it getting out of my breaks. I can feel it in my knees." He joked that he's battling genetics, too. "You've seen my dad," Fitzgerald said. "I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but he's not a little man by any stretch of the imagination. I can't play receiver at that weight." Fitzgerald can play in the 220-pound range, which is where he was a week ago or so, but is far more effective with 10 or so fewer pounds.
Cardinals Greg Toler 'taking it one day at a time' - ArizonaSports.com
Greg Toler puts himself at about 85-percent. Not bad considering he's nine months removed from tearing the ACL in his left knee and there are still two months before the start of training camp.
Cardinals DT Williams confident returning from injury - ArizonaSports.com
Just when it seemed as if Cardinals defensive tackle Dan Williams was starting to emerge, he was lost for the season. A first round pick out of Tennessee in 2010, Williams broke his left arm in a November loss to the 49ers. Williams is back on the field for OTAs now, and says he's feeling no ill effects from the injury.
Kevin Kolb sporting new helmet at OTAs - ArizonaSports.com
By now, we all know that Kevin Kolb's first year with the Arizona Cardinals was a frustrating one -- not only for the quarterback himself, but also for fans and the entire organization. Kolb dealt with a turf toe injury that held him out of four games from late October until early December. Then, in just his second game back, Kolb took a knee to the back of the head in a win over San Francisco that resulted in a concussion and ended his season. The sixth-year pro claims that he's fully recovered from his second concussion in as many years, but it's also wise to take precautions.
Season In Focus: Part One
Ken Whisenhunt and Dave Pasch sit down to discuss what the Cardinals want to get out of OTA sessions and the rest of the offseason.
Arizona Sports News:
Arizona Diamondbacks mistakes lead to loss against San Francisco Giants
Chris Young's line drive bounced just inside the line, a missile that appeared headed for the corner in left field, where it should have kicked around long enough for the Diamondbacks' slow-footed Miguel Montero to score from first base. Only it didn't. Instead, it bounced off the short wall in foul territory and right in front of San Francisco Giants left fielder Melky Cabrera, leaving the Diamondbacks with a second-and-third, none-out situation that any team would savor. Except, perhaps, the Diamondbacks, who have found ways to mess up this kind of gift-wrapped scoring opportunity all season. And, of course, that's what they did Tuesday night at AT&T Park, coming away from the top of the sixth inning empty-handed before watching the Giants rally from behind to sneak away with a 3-1 victory.
NFL News:
Smith-Newton fun, but what about facts? - NFC West Blog - ESPN
One more item on this Alex Smith-Cam Newton thing, and some will say the story has played out. Wait, too late for that. "Can't believe this is still a big story," niners4life12 wrote in the comments of our Monday item. Big story? Nope. Fun story? Yep. Educational one? Not yet, but we can make it one with assists from the NFC West mailbag and ESPN Stats & Information.
Worst-To-First: Which NFL Team Can Make The Jump In 2012? - SBNation.com
Eight teams finished in last in their division in 2011. Which teams can make the jump from worst-to-first next season?
Terrell Owens Cut By IFL Team For Doing Terrell Owens Things - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
The Terrell Owens Arena League experiment is over after the Allen Wranglers cut the former All-Pro NFL wide receiver on Tuesday. The reasons probably won't surprise you.
Dolphins Accept 'Hard Knocks' Invite; HBO Will Feature Training Camp In Miami - SBNation.com
Hard Knocks finally has a team. The Dolphins announced on Tuesday that they will be featured in the HBO show chronicling training camp.
NFL Approves Increases Of Team Debt Limit To $200 Million - SBNation.com
The NFL upped the amount of money it allows teams to borrow, from $150 million to $200 million.
Steelers' James Farrior Considering Retirement - SBNation.com
Long-time Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Farrior could be thinking about retirement.
Anthony Gonzalez Doesn't Last Long With Patriots - SBNation.com
The Patriots signed Anthony Gonzalez in March, yet less than three months later opted to release him.
Houston Texans WR Dwight Jones Quits Football - SBNation.com
Houston Texans rookie receiver Dwight Jones quit pro football on Tuesday.
If Brees sits out in 2012, things get very interesting in 2013 | ProFootballTalk
Recently, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported that, under the CBA, the NFLPA believes Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be entitled to a 44-percent raise in 2013, if the Saints use the franchise tag on him again. But Brees has available to him a much more potent tactic, if he’s willing to walk away from $16.371 million in 2012.
Jim Schwartz is angry, disappointed with Lions’ off-field problems | ProFootballTalk
Lions coach Jim Schwartz is getting upset about his players’ repeated discipline problems.
Cam Newton says he was a bad teammate last year | ProFootballTalk
The biggest debate about Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in recent days has had to do with whether or not he padded his stats by throwing the ball a lot at the end of losses. Newton hasn’t weighed in on that topic, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t wielding a critical eye when it comes to NFL quarterbacks. The difference between him and Alex Smith is that he’s looking in the mirror when it comes time to level that criticism.
VIDEO: Tom Brady, The Quarterback From Boston - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
In the video below, Tom Brady curses -- "I'm the f--kin quarterback, you moron!" -- freaks out on customers and pushes a story employee to the ground. But ... it's just an Under Armour commercial.