6-6-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - A Veteran Returns

Time for todays links, mainly about the return of Clark Haggans, with Vonnie Holliday also about to come back later in the week.

Haggans Comes Back To Cards
As mentor and linebacker, veteran returns on one-year deal

Arizona Cardinals appear in better shape at outside linebacker
The Cardinals appear to be in considerably better shape at the two outside linebacker spots than they were two weeks ago. Clark Haggans re-signed with the team this week, and Quentin Groves was added two weeks ago.

Five thoughts on Clark Haggans' return - NFC West Blog - ESPN
A few thoughts after the Arizona Cardinals announced Clark Haggans' re-signing Tuesday:

Cardinals DC Horton says D is off to better start this summer - ArizonaSports.com
Last season Ray Horton was a first-time defensive coordinator who did not have the chance to benefit from an offseason of learning his players and installing his scheme. His players, who struggled early in the season, picked up their play over the campaign's second half, becoming one of the better defensive units in the league. So, much will be expected of them going into this year, and as far as Horton is concerned, there's no reason they should disappoint.

Arizona Cardinals re-sign linebacker Clark Haggans
The Arizona Cardinals nave re-signed linebacker Clark Haggans to a one-year contract. To make room on the roster, the team has released linebacker Broderick Binns. Haggans (6-4, 243) rejoins the Cardinals after playing the past four seasons with the team. In 2011, Haggans started all 16 games for just the second time in his career and had 54 tackles, three sacks, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Word From the Birds Blog | The Kansas City practice possibility
Coach Ken Whisenhunt acknowledged Tuesday the possibility the Cards could practice against the Kansas City Chiefs during training camp, during the week between the Cards’ Hall of Fame game against the Saints in Ohio Aug. 5 and the Cards’ game in K.C. against the Chiefs Aug. 10.

Word From the Birds Blog | Cards bring Haggans back
With OTAs coming to a close and minicamp next week – the final on-field work for veterans before breaking up for the summer – the Cardinals brought back another veteran piece Tuesday.

What's up with former Arizona Cardinal Lonnie Young
Lonnie Young was a safety for the then-Phoenix Cardinals from 1988 to 1990.

Familiar Face Returns
The Cardinals bring back veteran LB Clark Haggans for his fourth season with the team. Coach Whisenhunt and Haggans talk about his return.

Arizona Sports News:

Arizona Diamondbacks hammer 17 hits in blowout of Colorado Rockies
As quickly as things seemingly began to unravel for the Diamondbacks early Tuesday, they managed to find some immediate damage control that night with an impressive 10-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The day certainly didn't start well. The Diamondbacks entered the game nine games out of first place and teetered on falling into fourth place in the National League West. Then, Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick called out shortstop Stephen Drew, suggesting he already should have recovered from a fractured right ankle suffered last July. Manager Kirk Gibson, meanwhile, benched slumping star slugger Justin Upton for the second time in the past four days and hinted that more time off for Upton could be coming. Although that dominated the news coming out of Chase Field, Tuesday night's victory in front of 22,322 was a welcome relief for a Diamondbacks team that had dropped 16 of its past 22 games at home.

Arizona connections in 2012 MLB draft
Looking at D-Backs picks, ASU and Arizona Wildcats baseball players taken and former Arizona high school baseball players.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ken Kendrick sounds off on Stephen Drew, Justin Upton
One-third of the way into a season that began with such high expectations, the Diamondbacks continue to sputter along with a losing record. No one sounds more frustrated about it than their Managing General Partner, Ken Kendrick.

NFL News:

On the NFL's punishment of Seahawks - NFC West Blog - ESPN
No one can accuse the Seattle Seahawks of slacking off during organized team activities. But if coach Pete Carroll's critics want to add NFL rules violations to the ones NCAA officials unleashed on Carroll following a successful run at USC, they've got ammunition after the league and its players' union issued the following joint statement Tuesday:

Replacement Referees In NFL Are Disaster Waiting To Happen - SBNation.com
The NFL is exploring the use of replacement referees after negotiations with the NFL Referees Association fell flat. There's no other way to describe this but as a disaster waiting to happen.

Seattle Seahawks Violated Offseason No-Contact Rules, Will Lose June OTAs - SBNation.com
The Seattle Seahawks will lose three days of offseason workouts for violating the no-contact rules for OTAs.

Terrell Owens Fires Drew Rosenhaus, Hires Another Agent - SBNation.com
There aren't too many player-agent combinations as recognizable as Terrell Owens and Drew Rosenhaus, but the pair won't be doing business together anymore. Owens, who was recently cut by the Allen Wranglers, an indoor football team, is still trying to make a comeback in the NFL and felt like a change in agents was needed at this point in his career. He's parted ways with Rosenhaus and hired Jordan Woy.

Bonus thing that amused me:

VIDEO: Miami Heat Fan Happy His Team Tried Their Very Best - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
It was a good effort from the Miami Heat, you guys. They may not have won Game 5 against the Boston Celtics, but gosh darnit, they gave it their all and tried their best. One day, they'll look back on this game and know that they did the very best that they could. They probably deserve participation trophies, you guys. That's the message this kid seems to be sending, at least.