To the Arizona Cardinals, the importance of preparation has become very apparent, with the wide receiver Anquan Boldin’s departure and quarterback Kurt Warner’s retirement. The minicamp was a big part of their preparation, which was held from April 30 to May 2.
The minicamp for the Cardinals was summed up by Coach Ken Whisenhunt by saying the following: “When you get to the fifth practice and you’ve installed a lot and you see their heads are spinning, you see the challenge in front of you. You do not come out of it too high. I am excited about our young players and what they can do for us. (Minicamp) is a great evaluation tool but it’s one step in the process. You get excited for the OTAs because you can build on it.”
The first pick of Cardinals was used on nose tackle Dan Williams. He became a part the organization and he received a warm welcome. On Saturday night, a rookie dinner was hosted by President Michael Bidwill and Whisenhunt, owner Bill Bidwill. With former players, the three of them joined to explain to the rookies how to make it in the league. Among the former players was Michael Bankston, former defensive lineman, and he offered Williams advice whenever he needs it and gave Williams his phone number.
Wide receiver was the one position that received a fair amount of attention at the minicamp. In the third round, Andre Roberts was selected by Arizona. Additionally, from the practice squad, the Cardinals have two holdovers vying for the open spot: Ed Grant and Onrea Jones.
Arizona’s failure to solve their problem at quarterback was one area of concern. To identify a viable replacement for Bryant McFadden, Whisenhunt hoped to use minicamp as an opportunity. Whisenhunt made no determination and for the future, he acknowledged that the team would look at adding a veteran cornerback.