What are the big differences to Cardinals training camp under Mike LaFleur?

GLENDALE — Change is inevitable with every training camp, especially when there’s a new direction at head coach.

But under new head coach Mike LaFleur, the differences in this Arizona Cardinals training camp have been noticeably aplenty.

The best way to describe them? Intentional and logical.

The most talked about new feature at State Farm Stadium this camp has been the replay video on both jumbotrons. It’s something Sean McVay has done for years, with his coaching tree (and others) adopting that thinking.

Time and time again, following a play, players, coaches and just about everyone else (myself included) can be seen looking at one of the two video boards for instant feedback instead of having to wait until after practice to dive back into the respective play.

Running back Jeremiyah Love wants to see the hole he just hit? Boom, it’s there.

 

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Nods of acknowledging what went right (or wrong) typically follow as the clip cycles through three or four times before moving to the next. Same with plenty of coaching points.

It’s not just those lower on the depth chart sneaking a peek, either. Tight end Trey McBride can often be seen taking a good hard look at the video board whether he catches the rock or not.

Why continue to do the same mistake over and over instead of correcting it in the moment? Not hard to really debate the thinking there.

“If we’re doing this the right way, this should streamline and make our post-practice meetings as a staff go way quicker because we’ve already seen practice and we’ve seen the corrections and all that. It’s extremely beneficial,” LaFleur said Tuesday.

The video boards work great in the State Farm Stadium setting. But what about when the Cardinals head back to Tempe?

They may not be jumbotrons, but multiple video boards will be stationed at the Tempe practice fields soon enough.

The changes don’t stop there, though.

“Real football” only

Just as present as the video boards is the use of 11-on-11s in camp.

Unlike the past two coaching regimes, 1-on-1s and 7-on-7s took up a good piece of the practice pie.

Outside of some 1-on-1 work on Wednesday and Friday, Arizona has been full-go on 11-on-11 work and special teams.

The reasoning is simple if you ask LaFleur.

“7-on-7 is not real football,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “I do like 1-on-1 O-line vs. D-line play because you can at least put the five out there and then the ball snap. … I hate 1-on-1s as much as I love receiver play. Playing at the 40-yard line, you’re running crossers and there’s no Budda Baker in the middle to help you out. There’s no underneath coverage.

“To me, it’s fake ball and it’s an unnecessary strain that has, to me, not a lot of value in terms of what actual football looks like.”

The timing of it all

The other big tweak in the Cardinals’ order of operations is the practice schedule.

If there’s one thing LaFleur wants, it’s that his team is mentally prepared for practice.

A good way of doing that is getting meetings, walkthroughs, lifts and everything else a player might need to do out of the way before taking the field for practice and then calling it a day (at least from scheduled work).

In the past, meetings typically took place before and after practice. Remember those days in middle school after playing nonstop at recess or PE? It was hard to concentrate trying to catch your breath and chug water.

“When we’re done, we’re done. And that’s how our regular season is going to end up being as well,” LaFleur said.

Backloading practice in the regular season also means facing off with the Arizona heat that much more.

LaFleur didn’t leave that stone unturned, gaining insight from Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, Bruce Arians practice plans, Baker and Zaven Collins on how to combat the heat.

It’s just another way LaFleur is establishing himself within the franchise in Year 1.

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