6-16-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Offseason Stuff

Another day, another batch of links. Mostly just some stuff on the rookies in Minicamp, and something on the confidence of the D-Wash in the defense.

Word From the Birds Blog | Missing rookies no longer an issue
Once, the end of offseason work for the Cardinals wasn’t just a beginning but a much bigger deal, specifically when coach Dennis Green used it in his first season as a time to announce his starting lineup for the season. (That was a crazy time. It really was.) Now, coach Ken Whisenhunt emphasizes competition and ongoing competition. Nothing up for grabs was going to be settled in a month’s worth of work in May and June. But there was one thing settled that is a significant step for the Cardinals — every draft pick was signed before the work ended.

Daryl Washington confident after off-season workouts - ArizonaSports.com
Rookie-only minicamp, OTAs and the two-a-day-practice minicamp are all officially over for the Arizona Cardinals. While most of the focus for the Cardinals this off-season has been on the quarterback battle between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton, third-year linebacker Daryl Washington knows just how crucial it was for the defense to get its first full off-season completed under second-year Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton. "His scheme works, we all trust it and we're ready to go," Washington said regarding Horton.

Cardinals cornerback is a rookie to watch - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, mindful of minicamps' limitations as tools for evaluation, has regularly balanced his excitement for the coming season with disclaimers. One recent example: "I'm excited for our defensive players because of their confidence and how they feel about where we are, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't play well and we don't win games." Whisenhunt's excitement for rookie third-round cornerback Jamell Fleming seemed instructive in that context:

Former Arizona Wildcats WR Gino Crump makes a quick impression with Arizona Cardinals
Two weeks isn't much time for anyone to get adjusted to a new job -- let alone an NFL wide receiver. Cardinals rookie receiver Gino Crump is facing the task of learning a new playbook and playing catch-up after being signed by the Cardinals May 30. "The biggest part is just trying to get your confidence back up," Crump said. "It's not like college where you know all the plays and everybody is in your corner or you were the man. Now I'm in a group where obviously the man is one of the best players in the NFL, Larry Fitzgerald." During his time with the Cardinals he has been lining up as the X receiver behind Fitzgerald watching and learning from the All-Pro wideout.

Season In Focus: Part Four
Cardinals analysts Paul Calvisi and Ron Wolfley address some of the burning questions heading into the 2012 season.

Arizona Sports News:

Arizona Diamondbacks open series with a win over Los Angeles Angels
Trevor Cahill pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning, Aaron Hill hit a three-run homer, and the Arizona Diamondbacks slowed the Los Angeles Angels' roll through June with a 5-0 victory Friday night.

NFL News:

NFL Turns Over Bounty Evidence; Players Seek More - SBNation.com
Per league rules, the NFL has overturned the evidence used to suspend four players in connection with the New Orleans Saints bounty program. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday that the NFL followed "the procedures set forth in the CBA on appeals of commissioner discipline," but lawyers of defensive ends Will Smith and Anthony Hargrove, and linebackers Scott Fujita and Jonathan Vilma are seeking more in preparation for their appeals in front of Roger Goodell on Monday.

NFL To Make 'Coaches Film' Available To Fans - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
Diehard football fans, the kind of fans that like to dig into the details of the game's Xs and Os, may have experienced heart palpitations on Friday morning. The NFL announced, after years of begging and cajoling from fans, that it will make "Coaches Film" available through its Game Rewind feature, which allows fans to watch archived broadcasts of each and every NFL game.