Arizona Cardinals training camp: Carson Palmer chats

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Quarterback Carson Palmer, now in his third year with the Arizona Cardinals, meets the media several times during training camp.

Here, in this space, we’ll highlight many of the key topics and personnel conversations he has with reporters following the morning walk-through:

What’s it like having a guy like Jermaine Gresham on the offense?

“Yeah, it’s big.  He’s a mismatch against linebackers.  He can be a mismatch depending on the safety.  He’s really, really good in the run game and can pass block against defensive ends, which is rare for tight ends.  He’s just such a big, physical presence on the field.”

How much of a role did you play in bringing him to Arizona?

“Yeah, I’ve talked to him over the years.  I think he was looking for the right fit and for a number of reasons we were the right fit and thankfully we were.  I’m always texting and calling and recruiting when I can.  I don’t know how much of a role it played, but just playing in this stadium on this grass, practicing at our facility and just kind of looking at the team, I think we kind of had everything he was looking for.”

Did you really ever have any doubt you’d be back this season and able to perform?

“Never.  Not even a hint of doubt.  I was cognizant of all of the work ahead of me but never for a second did I have a doubt.”

How do you feel about the talent around you on this team?

“We’re as talented as anybody in this league.  I think if you’re to put our roster up against anybody’s roster and just kind of look at all the intangibles of each guy and the backups, I would put our roster up against everybody.  But in saying that, that doesn’t mean much.  Rarely, just the flat-out, most talent wins. It’s the best teams and that’s what we’re trying to do and trying to become.”

Coach called this ‘Camp Cupcake’ yesterday…

“I’ve never been in a ‘Camp Cupcake’ and I don’t expect to.  I do remember the good old days.  I do remember the double days and multiple double days in a row.  Looking back now comparing it to not having any double days in six, seven, eight, nine, 10 years ago, whenever that was before the new CBA when we had those, I don’t remember it being any more difficult than these are.  We get after it.  We’re out there for two hours and 40 minutes.  It’s so competitive and it’s so fast-paced and it’s so up-tempo.  I think way back when we were doing it, when you have those double days, you just can’t go that hard for that long, so practice isn’t as competitive, it’s not as intense.  But, this one practice we do-a-day is plenty.”

Asked about the Super Bowl expectations for the team..

“You get used to it after awhile.  That’s so far away.  There’s no doubt that’s our goal and there’s no doubt that’s our dream and all those things, but there’s so much that comes before that and there’s so much work that gets put in, there’s so much adversity you have to overcome in a number of different forms that you have to kind of prepare yourself for.  We’re not talking about that, we’re talking about one day at a time and respecting the process.  That’s the number-one message that, I think, B.A. (Bruce Arians) sends to his teams is it’s a process and you have to respect it.  It’s one day at a time, one play at time and not who we play next week or who our first preseason game is or when our first day off is.  You just got to focus on one day at a time.  All of the expectations that are put on his or not put on us are out of our control and all we can control is today.”

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