Arizona Cardinals camp observations Day 8: Scary collision mars practice
The first two weeks of Arizona Cardinals training camp have been filled with scary moments, particularly during high-tempo drills. The latest example occurred in an 11-on-11 session late in Friday’s practice.
Kyler Murray lofted a ball down the right sideline for receiver Michael Wilson. Wilson attempted to make a diving catch right as Budda Baker closed down on him over the top. As he went to ground, Wilson’s helmet collided with Baker’s right leg.
Wilson seemed to take the worst of the contact. He briefly lay on the turf before walking off the field and heading to the locker room with a trainer.
Baker, meanwhile, appeared to avoid major injury. The contact briefly bent his leg backward, but he was able to jump just in time to no longer have his leg planted.
He gingerly walked to the sideline, where a trainer examined his shin. At one point, Baker attempted to return to the field before defensive coordinator Nick Rallis talked him out of doing so.
In other injury news, Marvin Harrison Jr. missed his second consecutive practice with a knee injury, although he did briefly appear on the sideline. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said on Thursday that Harrison is day-to-day.
Here are some other observations from Day 8 of Cardinals training camp:
Trey McBride dominates again
By now, Trey McBride’s dominance is no secret. There’s a reason he’s the second-highest paid tight end in NFL history.
But his performance in Friday’s practice is worth mentioning. In one-on-one receiving drills, McBride twice got matched up with Baker. Both times, he left the star safety in the dust, getting wide open for Kyler Murray.
McBride also caught three balls during the Cardinals' 11-on-11 team session, including a deep corner route for a big gain. He has unsurprisingly been Murray’s preferred target in training camp.
Former third-round pick buried on depth chart
Elijah Jones, a third-round pick in 2024, endured a difficult start to his career as a rookie.
He struggled in preseason, suffered an ankle injury in the preseason finale and went on injured reserve. Then, as he neared a return late in the year, he re-injured the same ankle, ending his season without a single appearance.
That pretense made this a crucial summer for Jones as he aims to get his career on track. But so far in training camp, he has typically worked with the third-team defense, behind both 2023 sixth-rounder Kei’Trel Clark and rookie fifth-rounder Denzel Burke. Jaylon Jones, a veteran on a league minimum deal, has also taken some snaps ahead of Jones.
None of it bodes well for how the Cardinals view Jones’ progression. It still seems unlikely that the front office would want to cut ties with a Day 2 pick before he plays a single regular-season game, but Jones has to show that he’s deserving of a spot.
“I think he feels more comfortable with the techniques that he's playing,” Gannon said last week. “With him, I tell him, it's like cut it loose. We gotta see him make some plays here.”
Exec plays down chance of adding WR
The Cardinals' already-thin wide receiver depth is being tested early in camp. With both Harrison and Wilson potentially dealing with injuries, their top receivers in practice Saturday could be Zay Jones and Greg Dortch.
For now, neither injury seems serious. Still, they show the precarious nature of the Cardinals' current wide receiver group.
Assistant general manager Dave Sears, though, did not make it sound likely that the Cardinals would dip back into free agency for a marquee receiver. Veterans Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen headline the available market.
"We're very happy with the wide receivers we have here," Sears said. "I think they're playing really well."