Arizona Cardinals OT Jared Veldheer back at practice after day off

GLENDALE – It’s hard not to notice Arizona Cardinals tackle Jared Veldheer.

At 6-foot-8 and 321-pounds, he tends to stand out in a crowd, even a crowd of football players in the midst of a training camp practice.

But Thursday afternoon, on the fifth day of camp, Veldheer, who this season is making the switch from left to right tackle, was nowhere to be found.

His absence was explained by head coach Bruce Arians on Friday.

“It was a personal day,” he said.

“Just taking a personal day and happy to see everybody’s smiling face today,” Veldheer later said Friday.

Veldheer was at practice that afternoon.

Veldheer was not in the locker room during media availability in the morning but spoke later that afternoon.

With Veldheer not on the field, that meant extra reps for backup tackle John Wetzel.

“It was just good getting in there with the guys. I went through it last year, getting thrown in,” he said. “Just anytime you get a chance to develop more of a chemistry with whoever is out there it helps out.”

Last season Wetzel made eight starts at three different positions, including at right tackle in Week 10 against San Francisco after Veldheer was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending triceps injury. That start was the first of Wetzel’s career.

“I’m more prepared and have more experience which helps out,” he said, referring to being ready at a moment’s notice. “Now I’m just trying to get back to working both sides and being just as good with my technique on both sides.”

EXTRA POINTS

— A pair of wide receivers left practice early on Thursday. Both John Brown and Aaron Dobson got hurt, according to Arians. Brown suffered an injury to his quad and is expected to “miss a couple of days it looks like, maybe a week,” Arians said. Dobson, meanwhile, will be sidelined longer due to a hamstring injury.

Linebacker Ironhead Gallon (knee) was expected to practice on a limited basis. Linebacker Jarvis Jones (quad) and defensive tackle Ed Stinson (hamstring) remain day-to-day.

— Veteran line judge Mark Perlman and a group of NFL officials have been attending practices this week. Prior to Friday’s session, they gave a presentation to all interested media to go over new rules for the 2017 season.

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