This was a post by Mark on MVN.com

It’s time for me to head up the hill to Flagstaff this week for my annual visit to Cardinal’s training camp. Just like the players i’ve been in off season mode but now that the pads are on and the camp battles are starting i’ll be blogging on a regular basis again.

Some of the things i’ll be watching this week when I go to Flagstaff are as follows:

1. Apparently Alan Branch, despite Gabe Watson sitting out due to his rehab for a fractured knee cap, still can’t crack the starting line up. Instead, free agent pick up Bryan Robinson is running with the starters in front of last years second round pick out of Michigan. As any of our long time readers know, I hated the move to get Branch last year, a decision that cost the team a 4th rounder on top of the second round pick to actually select this guy. That draft will forever be etched in my brain as the Adrian Peterson/Tony Ugoh draft, as those are the two guys I had targeted and that the team could have picked instead of Levi Brown and the soon to be bust Alan Branch. I will be watching him closely this week and hopefully someone can light a fire under this incredibly talented guy and get him to perform. If you remember, the reason he slid to the second round was due to the fact that he was rumored to be lazy and didnt work to his potential. I guess those reports were dead on and it’s now up to Mr. Branch to turn it around before he hits the waiver wire.

2. Speaking of second round busts, it has also been reported by the local media that is already up in Flagstaff that J.J. Arrington is now forth on the depth chart at running back behind Edge, Marcel Shipp and rookie Tim Hightower. Arrington has been a huge disappointment ever since he got laid out by Roy Williams on a “welcome to the NFL type hit” early in his rookie season. The guy has amazing talent and you don’t put up 2000 yards in college by accident but for what ever reason he just hasn’t found his confidence. He could be a late in camp casualty depending on how Tim Hightower looks.

3. The one area after the draft that I was nervous about was offensive tackle and it’s pretty clear that if Levi Brown or Mike Gandy go down this team is in trouble. Backing up Gandy at left tackle is Peter Clifford, an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State and backing up Levi Brown at right tackle is last years free agent project, Elliot Vallejo. Apparently the Cardinals like the potential of both of these guys, and I love when a team develops free agents line men in premium positions like LT and RT, but it’s going to be scary if either Gandy or Brown get nicked up this year and these guys have to play any meaningful minutes. It’s probably the most shallow spot on the entire roster so i’ll see how the two free agent’s are holding up against the big guys.

4. I’ll be watching to see if my favorite Cardinal, Anquan Boldin, is sulking or giving it less then he usually does. There are a lot of guys on the Cardinals I like and respect but no one comes close to Boldin in my eyes as to what a football player should be. I know he said he is done negotiating but I have a feeling that before the regular season starts he will have his new contract. I think the team has to sit on some cash and see if they get out of training camp healthy and with cap space available, as opposed to it being chewed up signing some veteran’s to come in and fill a hole due to an injury. I can’t imagine this franchise trading or not signing this guy, but we will have a little drama until it gets done.

Last note of the day is that I want to give a real pat on the back to the guys at the Cardinals ticket sales and season tickets office, in particular Steve Carlson. Eli and I renewed and improved our seats this year, moving down a bit but sitting right on the 50 yard line behind the Cardinals bench. However a friend of mine also wanted to buy seats with us and the Steve Carlson went out of his way to make that happen. To make sure they were what we wanted he had Eli go out to the stadium, gave him a tour, walked him to a variety of seat options and pretty much rolled out the red carpet. I hope the Bidwill family appreciates how hard those guys in ticket sales work and the great way they treat their season ticket holders. Definately a first class experience.

Ok, i’ll be reporting from Flagstaff later this week and i’ll have the camera with me. Check back then for some inside news.

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