6-13-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Minicamp

Time for todays links with the Cardinals getting back to work with the Minicamp.

Not Looking At End In Sight
Notebook: Holliday return "matter of time;" Kelemete catches up

Word From the Birds Blog | "Feast or famine"
As Larry Fitzgerald came off the field after the first minicamp practice of the week, he shook his head. "Feast or famine for me today," he said, not happily. It seemed like any other summer workday for Fitz, even with the one obvious drop that left him less than thrilled. But that’s Fitz, the guy who caught a pass downfield and then sprinted all the way to the end zone just to finish, even as everyone else had moved back toward the opposite 20-yard line. In a world where everyone has highs and lows, Fitz doesn’t want any lows. Don’t know if that’s possible, but he’s clearly efforting.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Moving from voluntary to mandatory
Not many things about the NFL off-season are "mandatory" for players, at least as the word is defined by the new collective bargaining agreement. But unless a player is a superstar or otherwise indispensable, he had better show up to the voluntary stuff, too. Until now, off-season workouts and practices (organized team activities) have been voluntary. The Cardinals minicamp that starts tomorrow and runs through Thursday is mandatory.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Fitz works on his punting
Early in Tuesday's first practice, receiver Larry Fitzgerald ran an out route and made a grab with one hand. He made it look as easy as reaching to take something off a shelf. Another reporter and I turned to each other to confirm that we had actually watched him make that catch. Fitzgerald makes a great catch almost daily in practice. I've become a little numb to them all. Still, once in a while, you have to stop to appreciate it when you see a job being done well. What I'm not accustomed to is seeing Fitzgerald drop a ball. He did that, too, on Tuesday, Quarterback Kevin Kolb hit Fitzgerald in stride, and the ball just bounced off his hands.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Yes, he's still Dimetry Giovanni Holliday
Vonnie Holliday was visiting Larry Fitzgerald’s house the other day when a young house guest posed a question. "Are you the same Vonnie Holliday I grew up watching?" asked receiver Michael Floyd, 22, the Cardinals first-round pick. "I told him, are you serious?’" said Holliday, 36. "But at the same time, I was like, ‘yes, I am that Vonnie Holliday." Actually, Holliday's full name is Dimetry Giovanni Holliday, according to the team's media guide. A defensive end, Holliday is proud that he’s back for a 15th NFL season, his second with the Cardinals. Retirement crossed his mind this off-season, but he said he still had "an itch" to play.

First Super Bowl title not in store for Cardinals? - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals have reason for optimism. They won seven of their last nine games in 2011. They have Larry Fitzgerald. They have an emerging defense. They play in a weak division. Did we mention they have Larry Fitzgerald? Anyway, even with all the positives, there are still reasons to be skeptical, which must be why NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, in an article titled Who's next in line to win first Super Bowl title?, has the Cardinals in a group with the Vikings, Titans, Browns and Jaguars under the header "Nothing on the Horizon." Bummer.

Cardinals' Holliday 'still has that itch' - ArizonaSports.com
There were 241 players drafted by NFL teams in 1998. Only 11 of those players appeared on NFL rosters in 2011. Among that exclusive club is Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday, who is entering his second season in the desert and 15th year in the league. After re-signing with the Cardinals Monday, Holliday was on the field Tuesday for the team's mini-camp practice in Tempe. The 36-year-old participated in individual drills and worked on the sideline during the team portion of practice. And after all the battles in the trenches, the veteran says he still has a desire to play the game.

Rookie Kelemete catching up with Cardinals - ArizonaSports.com
There's one thing you can say about Arizona Cardinals rookie offensive guard Senio Kelemete: He's patient.

Arizona Sports News:

Diamondbacks' Ian Kennedy hit around in loss to Texas Ranger
A year ago, Ian Kennedy took the ball and the mound a day after his first child was born. The night before, lying on a rock-hard hospital bed, he had barely slept. He proceeded to throw the first -- and only -- shutout of his career. With the birth of his second child Sunday, the circumstances were similar Tuesday, but when teammates predicted another shutout, Kennedy realized something. "I set the bar way too high that first time," he said. Operating again without much sleep, Kennedy was hit around in a 9-1 loss to the Texas Rangers, who scored five times in a blink during the sixth inning to put a stop to the Diamondbacks' five-game win streak.

NFL News:

Mandatory Minicamp: Which NFL Players Won't Be Showing Up? - SBNation.com
Mandatory minicamps are starting up this week for two dozen teams. Which NFL stars won't be attending minicamp due to contract concerns?

Tim Hightower: I stayed in Washington to play with a winning team | ProFootballTalk
Redskins running back Tim Hightower says his decision to re-sign with the Redskins in free agency came down to one factor more than any other: He wants to win, and he believes the Redskins are going to win.

Patriots Claim Jake Ballard Off Waivers - SBNation.com
The football world got a little bit of a surprise on Monday, as New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard was waived by the team. Both Ballard and the Giants were already aware that the player would be out for the entire 2012 season due to an ACL injury he suffered in the Super Bowl. Despite the roster move, Ballard tweeted later on Tuesday that he believed he would still wind up in a Giants uniform. It now appears as though that may not be the case.

Maurice Jones-Drew Won't Attend Jaguars Mandatory Minicamp, According To Report - SBNation.com
On Monday we wrote that Maurice Jones-Drew will face a decision in his quest for a new contract and on Tuesday that decision has reportedly been made. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jones-Drew will not show up for the Jacksonville Jaguars mandatory minicamp, which starts on Tuesday and runs through Thursday.

Yes, Chad Ochocinco will wear No. 85 in Miami | ProFootballTalk
One of the risks of legally changing your name to your jersey number (or a Spanish mistranslation of your jersey number) is that you could end up with a team that doesn’t assign you that jersey number. But Chad Ochocinco is in luck: He will keep wearing No. 85 in Miami.