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Outdoor Work Highlights Cardinals' "New" Week

Notes: PUP players may come off soon; Barkley's baby; Wagenmann released

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Linebackers Markus Golden and Chandler Jones walk out to practice Sunday outside University of Phoenix Stadium.


The Cardinals started a new week of training camp practice Sunday, with a much different atmosphere.

With Guns 'n Roses set to play a concert at University of Phoenix Stadium Monday night, practice was moved outside. With the summer heat, the team started at 8 a.m.

"This morning, I'm not gonna lie, it took me a minute to get up," linebacker Kevin Minter said. "But we got it

right eventually."

Coach Bruce Arians agreed, complimenting his players on a solid practice (acknowledging it took the offense a little time to "wake up.") So began a week of change for the Cards, who will head out Monday afternoon to San Diego for a pair of practices there against the Chargers.

"Get into routine and you fall into a routine," Arians said. "Once you start changing routines, I think that's good for a football team, to see how they handle change. Usually if you play every Sunday at 1 o'clock, you ain't very good. If you are playing Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night, change of schedules, you're a pretty good football team and you have to learn to adapt."

The Cardinals are a good team. So they will have Sunday night games and a Monday night game and, like last year, figure to be a prime candidate to be flex into another Sunday night time slot at some point. (The Cards were flexed twice last year to Sunday night, against the Bengals and Eagles.)

The heat wasn't bad Sunday morning, and the players all liked the idea of having the one practice of the day right away and being done with the work earlier. Most practice days, the Cards don't start until 2:30 p.m.

In San Diego, Tuesday will actually feature a night practice at Qualcomm Stadium, followed by an afternoon practice Wednesday.

"Sometimes it's nice to break it up," tackle Jared Veldheer said. "Freshen things up. I think we're enjoying it and it'll be good to see some new faces to practice against (in San Diego.) It's a good way to break up the monotony of camp."

POSSIBLE PUP MOVEMENT FOR MATHIEU, BETHEL, RUCKER

The Cardinals still have three players on the physically unable to perform list: safety Tyrann Mathieu (knee),

cornerback Justin Bethel (foot) and defensive tackle Frostee Rucker (foot). Arians said all three could be removed this week not to practice yet but to at least be able to get on the field for walkthroughs and take mental reps.

The only injury of note from Friday's game, Arians said, was tight end Jermaine Gresham suffering back tightness. Arians said it was not serious. Arians also said rookie defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (ankle) had a hard workout but did not give a timeline for his return. Defensive tackle Ed Stinson did not practice, and wide receiver John Brown still has not been cleared from concussion protocol.

Arians said quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will both have scheduled days off Monday.

BABY WEIGHS ON BARKLEY'S MIND

Quarterback Matt Barkley rushed out of Friday's game afterward because his wife was in labor, and after a sleepless night, Barkley's son Jackson was born Saturday afternoon.

Barkley struggled against the Raiders (8-for-24 passing) and admitted his son's potential arrival weighed on him.

"I was a little preoccupied Friday thinking about my boy," Barkley said.

"As a quarterback you always have to play one play at a time and take plays in stride and not think about the whole drive or not think about touchdowns when you are just moving the ball," Barkley said. "I think I can do a better job of that this week and, as bad as it sounds, push my son out of my head because he's all I am thinking about right now."

Arians said Barkley's performance didn't look any better on video and Barkley was "worse (Sunday) than in the game. (But) he had a baby yesterday so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt."

WAGENMANN RELEASED

Linebacker Zack Wagenmann, who had been on the PUP list and spent all of last year on injured reserve because of a reoccurring foot injury, reached an injury settlement with the team Sunday and was cut. In his place the Cards signed defensive tackle Iosia Iosia, an undrafted rookie who had spent time with Tennessee.

Photos from the Cardinals' outdoor practice at University of Phoenix Stadium



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