Skip to main content
Animated graphic with red feathered background and information about Cardinals @ Packers
Advertising

Arizona Cardinals Home: The official source of the latest Cardinals headlines, news, videos, photos, tickets, rosters and game day information

Keim: Cards want joint practices next year

There were some "moving parts" that prevented anything this training camp, but Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim said during his appearance on the "Doug and Wolf" show on Arizona Sports 98.7 that "I don't think there is any question" the Cardinals want to have at least one joint practice matchup with another team in 2018. The Cards, of course, worked out against the Chargers in San Diego in 2016, and went to St. Joseph, Missouri to have joint work with the Chiefs in 2012.

Keim said he, Bruce Arians and Michael Bidwill will talk and try to "hammer something out" for next season. The chance to sidestep camp boredom is a big factor. The Cardinals begin their fourth and final week of training camp at University of Phoenix Stadium this afternoon.

-- Keim said he was not happy with the intensity of the Cardinals against the Bears Saturday. "We played the game like it was a preseason game," he said. Not enough attention to detail was a major culprit. Defensively, way too many sloppy attempts at tackling bothered him. Even Tyrann Mathieu, who made the big interception, wasn't immune, missing some tackles he normally makes. "That can't happen," Keim said, calling the amount of "leaky yards" the Cards surrendered "way too high."

-- Keim was asked specifically if Blaine Gabbert could be battling for the No. 2 QB job against Drew Stanton. "I don't know if I look at it that way," Keim said. "For me, it's a process of getting to know Blaine." Keim went on to say he is watching how Gabbert is improving in the areas they felt he needed to improve. He called Gabbert a "zero risk-to-reward" signing, which makes all this nothing but a positive if Gabbert shows anything. (But listening to Keim, it does not sound like Gabbert has a chance to unseat Stanton as No. 2, which, frankly, has been the same feeling I've had all along.)

-- However, in praising Gabbert, Keim did say "you'd be hard-pressed to not say, the way he's played this preseason, he could potentially be competing for some other teams' starting positions. That's just my opinion."

-- Cornerback Brandon Williams is "getting quite a bit better." Williams arrived a raw rookie last year "frankly in over his head." Now, he's going in the right direction.

-- Finally, asked if he thought retiring Anquan Boldin was Hall of Fame material, Keim said yes. But he noted he thought Adrian Wilson also deserved Hall consideration, and then noted how both players, along with a handful of others, not only performed so well on the field but were also keys in helping the Cardinals change the culture and direction of the franchise.

Advertising