Cardinals working rookie OL Paris Johnson at tackle currently

Head coach Jonathan Gannon won’t say what the plans are for Johnson moving forward but has him currently at tackle.

The Arizona Cardinals’ top draft pick this year was offensive lineman Paris Johnson. He is expected to start somewhere on the offensive line as a rookie.

The question is where.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon won’t really answer the question about what he thinks will happen but did give us perhaps a clue.

When asked on Wednesday if he saw Johnson as a tackle, a swing guy or an inside guy, Gannon responded by asking, “When’s the first game? That’s when we’ll know.”

He did expand a bit, saying that Johnson was working outside at tackle “today.”

You can find photos on the official team site from different practices with Johnson lined up at right tackle.

“He’s played both positions (tackle and guard) in college, so he has versatility, but I think he has what you’re looking for in a starting tackle,” he added.

Johnson started a season at right guard and one at left tackle for Ohio State.

Arizona’s starting left guard job appears open, while Kelvin Beachum, the starting right tackle for the last three seasons, re-signed in the offseason to a two-year deal.

Gannon has said throughout the offseason program that they are moving linemen around to give them reps at different positions, evaluating where they fit best and teaching them versatility.

But the reps at tackle suggest that he will be battling either Beachum or left tackle D.J. Humphries for a starting job outside once training camp begins at the end of July.

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Cardinals plan on looking different on offense every week

HC Jonathan Gannon: “We will look different each and every week by who we have playing, who they have playing.”

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has been preaching adaptability as one of his core philosophies for the team moving forward. He believes in being flexible offensively and defensively.

He was asked on Wednesday what he likes about offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and his offensive scheme and, if what he says ultimately holds true, it will be hard top predict what they will do from week to week.

“He stresses out a defense,” Gannon said. “He can adapt to who he is  playing.

“We will look different each and every week by who we have playing, who they have playing. I think he does a really good job of tailor-fitting the offense to who is out there for us, all 11 positions, not just the quarterback position.”

How they look with potentially Colt McCoy at quarterback in Week 1 should look different than with Kyler Murray back in the lineup sometime later.

This makes things potentially more difficult for the offensive players, although how they make their plans from game to game will certainly fall within the general offensive philosophy.

It will also make them much more difficult to prepare for.

That, ultimately, is what Gannon wants.

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Colt McCoy dealing with elbow issue in offseason

McCoy revealed that the injury limiting him this offseason has been his elbow. He has been ramped back up to throw in team drills.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy has been working  through a minor offseason injury. Early in the offseason, we learned that would be limited in the offseason program, but the injury wasn’t disclosed.

He ended the season with a neck injury and concussion symptoms.

McCoy revealed Monday that he has been dealing with something else.

“I had some elbow stuff,” he told reporters. “Just kind of been taking care of it all offseason.”

He has made improvements.

“They’ve ramped me back up to be able into being able to some team drills and throws.”

Things are going fine.

“It’s been god,” he said. “Just been focusing on that and I feel pretty good.”

The Cardinals have three days of voluntary OTAs left and then a week of mandatory minicamp. He will then have more than a month to prepare for training camp.

McCoy is currently slated to be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1, assuming Kyler Murray will not be ready to start the season as he continues to recover from his torn ACL.

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Cardinals transition quickly away from DeAndre Hopkins

They are moving on after initial plans of moving forward with him. They decided it was better to go with the guys already at OTAs.

The Arizona Cardinals released receiver DeAndre Hopkins before the holiday weekend and before the team’s second week of voluntary OTAs. Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t have much to say about the decision other than he is quickly pivoting with his plans with the team.

He indicated it was not a big deal to him.

“We were operating under the premise that he was going to be here and now we’re not, so we’re moving on,” he told reporters on Thursday.

What changed?

“All the factors that were in play, we just felt that it was the best thing for the team to play with who we have,” Gannon said.

Gannon is pleased with what he is seeing from his receivers right now. He praised the work his receivers coaches are doing with them and the details of the position in their new offense.

Without the big name in Hopkins, it will give opportunities to others to step up and be able to contribute.

We will see over the next couple of months if it is enough for them as they move forward.

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Isaiah Simmons works with defensive backs in OTAs

Simmons, listed as a linebacker, is working with defensive backs like he did last offseason.

The Arizona Cardinals began Phase 3 of the offseason with the first practice of voluntary OTAs on Monday. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons was there and participating.

However, while he continues to be listed as a linebacker as he has since he was drafted, he did not work out with the linebackers.

As he did last offseason and all through training camp, he was working with the defensive backs.

Last season, he mostly played in the slot, covering tight ends and slot receivers.

His specific role this year with a new head coach and defensive coordinator is still not known.

Playing safety probably wouldn’t get him significant playing time, as the Cardinals already have Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson.

However, a role as a roving linebacker is probably how he will be used.

2023 is an important season for Simmons, who is in a contract year after the team did not exercise his fifth-year contract option.

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Zaven Collins gets work with edge rushers in OTAs

Collins continues to see offseason reps with the team’s edge rushers.

The Arizona Cardinals might be moving linebacker Zaven Collins. Drafted in the first round in 2021 to be the team’s MIKE linebacker, he has been getting work with the outside linebackers.

On Monday, at the Cardinals’ first practice of voluntary OTAs (organized team activities), Collins was practicing with the outside linebackers, which include players like Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Collins is built like a lot of pass rushers but mostly played off the ball in college.

This is not the first time he has worked with this position group.

Collins is still listed as an inside linebacker on the roster, but head coach Jonathan Gannon said earlier in the offseason he wants Collins to have some versatility.

Having him play more outside linebacker might be a way to keep him on the field more with Kyzir White and Isaiah Simmons potentially playing the two inside linebacker spots.

It will be something to watch over the next two weeks of OTAs and then the week of minicamp. And if training camp rolls around and he is still rushing off the edge, we will know what his primary role might be in 2023.

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Jonathan Gannon unworried about Budda Baker’s, DeAndre Hopkins’ absence from OTAs

The Cardinals are still in the voluntary part of the offseason. Gannon isn’t worried about Hopkins’ or Baker’s absence from OTAs.

The Arizona Cardinals opened Phase 3 of the offseason program with the first of 10 days of voluntary OTAs (organized team activities).

Two players were notably absent — safety Budda Baker and receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

This is the voluntary part of the offseason, so there is no reason to be worried.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon isn’t.

“I think Budda will show up when he wants to show up,” he said after Monday’s practice. “He’s been awesome. He has been wearing us out a little bit with tape and different things like that. But he’s working. He’ll get himself ready to play.”

He also isn’t concerned about Hopkins.

“I’m not worried about Hop,” he said. “He’s played a long time, he’s extremely intelligent and I think he’ll fit right in when he decides to come. But again it’s voluntary. It’s his decision and we are behind it.”

However, the reasons why they are gone is reason to be concerned.

Baker is unhappy because he wants a contract extension. He also requested a trade.

Hopkins seems to want to be traded and the team tried to before the draft, but the Cardinals couldn’t get their asking price.

What really matters is whether they report for mandatory minicamp June 13-15. That is still a couple of weeks away.

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PODCAST: Important storylines from Cardinals OTAs, minicamp

Listen to the latest edition of the podcast, covering the stories from OTAs and minicamp.

The Arizona Cardinals have officially finished their offseason program. Players (the non-rookies) are off until training camp.

After a three-week hiatus, we have a new podcast episode to discuss all the biggest storylines from voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Sitting in for Revenge of the Birds’ Seth Cox, Revenge of the Birds podcast host Blake Murphy joins me to talk about Rodney Hudson’s absence, Kyler Murray’s arrival, Isaiah Simmons working with safeties, Zaven Collins’ recent comments and the winners and losers of the offseason, as well as move the Cardinals still need to make.


Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show on Apple PodcastsSpotify or your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss a show. Make sure as well to give it a five-star rating!


The approximate timestamps for what we discussed on the show are below:

(1:00) Rodney Hudson’s absence from minicamp, what it means and what the Cardinals can do

(20:22) Kyler Murray’s arrival to minicamp and partial participation in OTAs

(31:06) Isaiah Simmons practicing with the safeties, possible position change?

(41:52) Zaven Collins’ undetermined role, reason to be concerned?

(49:58) Winners and losers of offseason, moves that need to be made

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LB Zaven Collins’ defensive role in 2022 still undetermined

The second-year linebacker and former first-round pick is working to decrease mental errors and is putting in the time, but his specific role has not yet been set in stone.

The Arizona Cardinals are hoping that last year’s first-round draft pick, linebacker Zaven Collins can be a prominent part of their defense in 2022. Drafted to become the team’s defensive quarterback and the one calling plays at inside linebacker, after a rocky rookie season, he is unsure what exactly his role will be in 2022.

“We’re doing all kinds of stuff,” he said when he spoke to reporters after the team’s final practice of OTAs on Thursday. “I could be the man in the middle. I could be somewhere in the middle but maybe not calling it. We don’t know what that is yet, so we’ll take that into training camp.”

Collins had a prominent role in the defense early in his rookie season and had some success before his playing time began to disappear in the second half of the season. He got a little work as an edge defender at outside linebacker when injuries hit the team and they did not have enough bodies.

Collins attributes the struggles last season to two things — the effects of his two shoulder injuries and then just bad practices. He accepted the blame for it.

“Dealing with the shoulder, it had a lot more effect on me than I probably thought,” he said. “At some point, after I had injured it a second time, I was trying to be a tough man about, which was probably not a good idea.”

That echoes what defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said last season about Collins’ playing time. When he got hurt, he missed practice time and Tanner Vallejo just practiced better.

“If you have bad practices, you’re not going to play in the game,” Collins said. “That’s where the transition went with that.”

Collins didn’t lack effort last season. He put in extra time with linebackers coach Billy Davis. He spent time with Isaiah Simmons and Jordan Hicks.

He says his mental errors are down this offseason.

The Cardinals brought in linebacker Nick Vigil this offseason in free agency. If Collins isn’t ready to handle the big duties as the defensive playcaller, Vigil might end up being the guy.

Collins will be a player to watch in training camp to see where he gets his reps and whether or not he is calling plays and making plays.

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Kliff Kingsbury tried to convince Aaron Donald to retire, Cooper Kupp to hold out

At Sean McVay’s wedding, Kingsbury tried to keep the Rams from inking the new contracts they did this week with Kupp and Donald.

The Los Angeles Rams made a pair of big announcements this week, inking defensive tackle Aaron Donald and receiver Cooper Kupp to huge contract extensions. Donald will make $95 million over the next three seasons and Kupp will get $110 million over the next five.

Before those deals went down, Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury tried cause some problems.

He attended Rams head coach Sean McVay’s wedding last weekend and, when he spoke with reporters on Thursday, said he tried to convince Donald to retire and Kupp to hold out.

“I told (Donald) he’s accomplished all he can accomplish and it’s a great idea to go out on your own terms,” Kinsgbury said, “and I told Kupp, ‘I know you and Sean are friends, but stop taking that McVay discount, hold out for the first three weeks and get something sorted out.'”

“Obviously that didn’t work out,” he added, as both deals went down the week after the wedding.

Kingsbury shot his shot, but it wasn’t enough. He and the Cardinals will have to deal with Donald and Kupper multiple times for the next few seasons.

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