Cards Camp 2018: Five things we learned in the first week of the Arizona Cardinals training camp

The Arizona Cardinals have been at training camp for one week and there is much to be discussed, dissected and debated.

Yes, with only four padded practices in the books it’s hard to glean much of anything, but when you combine that with a number of back and forths with those who have been at every open practice, plus the daily reports, we know some things… so far.

1. Sam Bradford is QB1

That’s not to say that Josh Rosen hasn’t played well, but the gap between a talented veteran quarterback and a talented rookie quarterback can look like the Grand Canyon. Rosen has displayed things that Bradford just doesn’t do, but he’s also made mistakes that you won’t see Bradford make. That’s what the Cardinals need… right now. That’s why he gives the Cardinals, at this juncture, the best chance to win.

2. Christian Kirk and Chase Edmonds will be contributors

I asked a number of people their comparison for Kirk and all three responded the same… best case is Randall Cobb. That’s not a bad thing. If Kirk can be healthy, something Cobb has only done once, that’s a lock to be an 80/1000/5 receiver. As for Edmonds, his ability mirrors David Johnson’s. No, he’s not the athletic freak DJ is, but his talent runs similar. He could end up being the perfect compliment to DJ for the long term.

3. Linebacker could be a weak spot

Before the Deone Bucannon injury, the most common response I would get about the defense was that the linebackers just were not making plays consistently. Now, a thin unit with question marks is going to be without maybe their best player, for an extended time until Bucannon feels ready.

4. Robert Nkemdiche looks good!

Yet…

5. The interior offensive line does not.

These went together for a reason. It’s the age old training camp question. Is it iron sharpens iron or is it a bad sign that a player who had struggled to get playing time is beating up on two guards who have a combined dead cap hit of $30 million in 2018.

I’ve said before, I tend to favor the defense early in camp, with the offensive line learning to work with each other and within the Mike McCoy system, it makes sense that there could be some struggles. However, it is also something to watch moving forward to see how it plays out against other teams.