Mack Wilson Sr. hasn't played the "Mike" linebacker since college, but now that Kyzir White is gone, that's the responsibility the Cardinals want Wilson to have, including playcalling. He couldn't be happier about it.
"I love it honestly because I'm the quarterback of the defense," Wilson said Thursday after the Cardinals' second training camp practice at State Farm Stadium.
Wilson has yet to call plays in an NFL game. "I always played the 'Will' but it's nothing I can't handle," Wilson said.
With the amount of nickel the Cardinals like to play (and the expected strength in the secondary and the versatility of outside linebacker Zaven Collins), it probably won't be unusual for the Cardinals to use three down linemen, two outside linebackers, five defensive backs and then just Wilson as an inside linebacker.
He will be on the field; it makes sense he would have the green dot. He's certainly not shying away from the responsibility. Wilson joked around how he already is trying to mess with quarterback Kyler Murray during plays, and admitted veteran Calais Campbell already chastised him for not echoing the playcalls louder.
"I was like, 'I got you bro. That's my fault,'" Wilson said. "I'm going over the verbiage at night so I can be clear. But I love that pressure."
-- Practice ended early on Thursday. During 7-on-7s, linebacker J.J. Russell and safety Kitan Crawford converged on a Clayton Tune pass over the middle, each looking to break it up and neither seeing the other while going full speed. In the hellacious collision, Russell fell to the ground and was still for a moment. Eventually, he did move his extremities but out of precaution his head and neck were stabilized and he was put on a backboard, carted off and sent to the hospital in an ambulance to be evaluated.
"It reminded me when I had my concussion against the Patriots," Wilson said. "Just to hear him tell the trainers, 'I'm good, I can get up,' that was the same thing I was saying last year. It just kind of hit me different because you never want to see anybody in that situation."
Wilson acknowledged it was good that Jonathan Gannon called off practice at that point.
"Guys were checked out mentally," Wilson said. "I was checked out. I was super-emotional, obviously. You never want to see that with anybody on the team, and he's a 'backer, he's in my room, so he's a brother to me."
UPDATE: Russell was released by the hospital and has re-joined the team at camp.
-- As far as the Cardinals' first high-tempo (and open) practice of camp, highlights were limited. The Cardinals can't go padded and full-contact before Monday. Kyler Murray did have a nice down-the-field completion to Marvin Harrison Jr. at one point over safety Jalen Thompson, but it was during a 7-on-7 and it was hard not to notice the pass rushers shut it down soon after the snap.
-- Harrison will be more important. But there was plenty of Trey McBride and the tight end portion of the receiving game doesn't look like it's going anywhere. (Nor should it.)
-- When the Cardinals do end up with just two cornerbacks on the field, the first unit for now has been Garrett Williams and Max Melton. With three cornerbacks, Williams moves inside and rookie Will Johnson comes out.
-- The first-unit offensive line has been known for a while: from left tackle to right, Paris Johnson Jr., Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, Isaiah Adams, Jonah Williams. The second unit, at least at this early stage, was Kelvin Beachum at left tackle, Nick Leverett at left guard, Jon Gaines II at center, Royce Newman at right guard and Christian Jones at right tackle.
-- Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, out for the year, attended practice.
