The offseason program is over for the Arizona Cardinals, but that doesn’t mean all the players have scattered far and wide with training camp set to open in five weeks.
Linebacker Kyzir White, in his second season with the Cardinals and seventh in the NFL, is one who will be staying close to the club facility in Tempe.
During a session with the media Tuesday, White said, “I’m gonna be here. Might go to Cali for a little weekend, but throughout the week, I’ll be here.”
White knows the time between the end of official offseason workouts and camp are still very important.
Asked about the message given by head coach Jonathan Gannon after the minicamp ended June 12, White said, “Don’t look at this as time off and a break. Still work. Still keep that goal in your mind that we focused on and come back ready to go in training camp. You can’t be coming back out of shape and slowly ramp up. That’s the NFL protocol, where you gotta do that, but we should be coming back firing on all cylinders. That was pretty much the message for everybody.”
White, who signed as an unrestricted free agent 15 months ago (March 17) after being with the Eagles, said he likes what was accomplished in the two months from mid-April to mid-June.
“I think it went pretty smooth,” he said. “A lot of energy out there. Everybody’s focused; locked in. I just feel like we’re a whole different team than we were at this time last year.”
Asked in what ways, he said, “I feel like there’s a different level of maturity, different level of seriousness. Last year, it was a new coaching staff; nobody expecting much. This year we’re going out there really trying to win. We really believe we can win.”
One thing he liked was the near-perfect attendance, especially in voluntary OTAs. When asked if he had been with a team with that buy-in, White quickly said, “2022 (NFC champion) Eagles. It’s a good sign, for sure.”
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.