Cardinals training camp: Kyler Murray, leadership, position battles

The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp Tuesday with the first practice Wednesday and Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer visited Monday with Jody Oehler, host of The Drive on Fox Sports 910 am.

There were several items of interest that they talked about.

• There’s always excitement as camp opens, but the reality is as soon as it begins, followed by preseason games, everyone counts the days until the start of the season. However, there is very important work to be done.
• With last year being “low stakes” with a first-year head coach and quarterback Kyler Murray rehabbing a torn ACL, Oehler asked how different this year is.
• What is expected from Murray in camp and how much of his maturity and leadership will be noticeable? Perhaps not a lot because camp has to answer other questions about the left side of the offensive line, defensive line rotation and at cornerback.
• Further discussion about Murray’s improved leadership with it notable that he is impressed with coaching leadership led by head coach Jonathan Gannon, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork.
• The most important position to be sorted out is cornerback, where there are several players competing for significant playing time.
• Finally, the question was asked if there are things to be settled on special teams. Items noted were replacing departed cover guy Ezekiel Turner, how much will receiver Greg Dortch be used as a returner with the strong possibility that running back DeeJay Dallas will have a role, and whether there might be competition from rookie Joe Shimko with incumbent Aaron Brewer.

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