Robert Nkemdiche suffers setback

The Cardinals were running smooth during the offseason. Arians has praised the team for their focus and their hard work this offseason. With the team opening up minicamp this week, things should have continued to go smooth.

That is not the case.

The Cardinals’ 2016 first round selection suffered another camp injury. Robert Nkemdiche sustained a strained hamstring, setting him back after an impressive offseason. Nkemdiche will be relied upon to help fill in for the departure of Calais Campbell.

Last season, Nkemdiche battled an ankle injury. He did not see the field until week six against the Jets. From there he saw the field sparsely, whether due to his struggles on the field or because he was combating the effects of the ankle injury.

This offseason, Arians was dishing out love and praise for Nkemdiche. The coaches have been impressed with how he has handled himself on the field and how much more mature he appears.

The hamstring pushes that back. We have all seen just how tricky of an injury it is to manage. Nkemdiche could very well be ready to go for training camp, but there is still the possible risk of lingering issues heading into camp.

I have hope that Nkemdiche finds his foothold. I’m not the biggest fan of the Nkemdiche selection, and I have made my voice loud about that. It would be an absolute shame if the Cardinals first overall selection turned out to be a bust. There have been too many of those in franchise history.

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