LAS VEGAS -- The Cardinals play a game on Thursday, just a week after opening up the preseason against the Panthers, a schedule that mirrors an NFL in full swing.
To that belief, Mike LaFleur can't agree.
"It's not even close," the head coach said. "You're naturally around the players more in training camp, and that's the fun part about it when you're in passing from lunch, dinner, stuff like that. But from an actual game plan standpoint, we're not doing any of that. It has no resemblance of an in-season schedule."
Ultimately, all of this training camp work is meant to set up the Cardinals for their Week 1 opener against the Chargers. Yet LaFleur is not rushing to get to that moment. In his eyes, preseason games, like the one against the Raiders, is an extension of training camp.
The preseason tape gives LaFleur and general manager Monti Ossenfort another evaluation tool as they prepare to trim down the roster to 53.
"Some guys flourish and some guys need that script a little bit more," LaFleur said. "You've got to take it into a little bit of consideration. Those are the talks you always have."
Following the game against the Raiders, the Cardinals will return to Tempe and get acclimated to practicing outdoors and in their main facility.
Thursday night's game will be different from the Hall of Fame game. The starters are expected to play, although LaFleur said it won't be long. However, it's an opportunity for Jacoby Brissett and the offensive playmakers to share the huddle at least once before the regular season.
"It's exciting to get the rust knocked off," wide receiver Kendrick Bourne said. "You start to feel like we're starting to get closer to competing against somebody else, so it's exciting to have that feeling. Running routes against somebody that hasn't seen it every day."
The thrill of competing against a different player is one shared by many, especially offensive linemen.
Offensive tackle Josh Fryar earned the start in the Hall of Fame game. Last season, he saw action in 12 games and had five starts. While the bookend tackle spots are locked up by Paris Johnson Jr. and Elijah Wilkinson, Fryar is competing for the swing tackle role. Seventh-round pick Jayden Williams has been making noise in the battle.
Because the first unit offense has been taking majority of the reps in practice, the preseason snaps become more valuable for a guy like Fryar.
Even if it doesn't feel like a game week, the approach doesn't change.
"I don't put any pressure on myself," Fryar said. "I'm just trying to go out there and do my job, and during the season if one guy goes down and I got to step in, I'm ready for that. I prepare myself all week just like I do with training camp and preseason."
