Cardinals Notes: Boehm’s tan line, Shipley’s value and Jones’ new focus

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Evan Boehm was sunning himself when he got up and noticed an unfortunate tan line below his well-developed chest.

“Everything is bright red and this is white,” Boehm said while drawing a line below his pecs. “I was like, ‘well this is kind of embarrassing.’ I was like, ‘I’m sticking inside from now on.'”

The tan line did have one benefit.

“When we bench press that’s where the bar hits so that has worked out in my favor,” Boehm said, smiling. “It gave me a spot to hit when working out.”

Boehm’s workouts have come with a mission this offseason. The second-year pro played most of the Cards’ 34-31 win in Seattle on Dec. 24 at right guard when Taylor Boggs left the game with a shoulder injury. He started at that position in the season finale against Los Angeles after the Cards placed Boggs on injured reserve.

The Cardinals drafted Boehm to be their center of the future, but with A.Q. Shipley re-signed to a two-year deal, Boehm has to prepare for other options.

“I’d like to be at center but A.Q. is a great player and it’s going to be tough,” Boehm said. “I’m going to go and compete with him but if they say, ‘alright, A.Q.’s got the spot, go compete for right guard’ then I have no problem doing that.

“The technique is different. Where you set on a guy is different but as a center, you’re supposed to know what everybody is doing on the line. I think that’s what helped me out when I did make that switch. It helped me learning the book on the guard spot.”

Boehm began his college career at Missouri by starting all 12 games as a freshman at left guard. He moved to center the following season.

“I kind of had that in the back of my head,” he said. “I knew I had that in my arsenal so when I came out I was excited to show what I could do at that position. I’ve been working out with (Cardinals strength and conditioning coach) Buddy Morris this whole time. He gets you stronger and he gets you better, and I’m excited to see where I shape up when we head into camp.”

SHIPLEY CHECKS IN

Shipley is anxious to see how the offensive line stacks up this season with four of the five starters returning.

“I thought we had the makings to be pretty good last year and we just caught the injury bug,” Shipley said. “By the end, you’re playing with guys who really had no experience, which is tough. By returning four out of five, each year you’re in this system the better you get at it. It will continue to get better and when some of these young guys can pick it up and we can add them to the fold we can be pretty good.”

In terms of experience in this system, nobody can match Shipley and that’s just one reason QB Carson Palmer was happy to see him re-sign.

“He’s proven himself for us,” Palmer said. “Obviously, being a quarterback, you love seeing your center get re-signed. I’m a little bit biased but I love A.Q. and what he’s done for our team. The kind of stability that he keeps in that room, the vet that he is; he’s been in this system longer than anybody here, actually a lot longer than anybody because he was in it in Baltimore and also in Pittsburgh. Having a center that has that much experience in the system is huge.”

JONES’ NEW FOCUS

Outside linebacker Chandler Jones has a new focus, becoming more of a leader. Jones has spent a lot of time with free-agent defection Calais Campbell this offseason. He knows Campbell’s departure will create a leadership void.

“Last year, I was trying to be more of a visual leader,” said Jones, who said he’s been doing Pilates and training at Fischer Sports this offseason. “Now I can speak more now. I have more experience here.”

Jones doesn’t expect to fill that void himself. The Cardinals added veteran safety Antoine Bethea and veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency.

“There is something about experience that you just can’t match,” Jones said. “Karlos has been here before, and Bethea is a guy that’s been playing for a while so having both of those guys on your defense, the sky is the limit for sure.”

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