Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald: I think we can do something special

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The expectations have never been larger.

The excitement level has never been higher.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald understands the former, but he has yet to experience the latter.

“I reported to camp on Thursday, and that was the first time I’ve been in Phoenix in about a month-and-a-half so I wouldn’t know about the excitement,” he said Sunday, perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek considering the loud “Larry! Larry!” chants fans have serenaded him with throughout the first three days of training camp at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Cardinals return 17 starters—eight on offense and nine on defense—from a team that finished 13-3, the most regular season wins in franchise history, won the NFC West and advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Add the free-agent acquisitions of safety Tyvon Branch, linebacker Chandler Jones and right guard Evan Mathis plus first-round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche, and 2016 can’t start soon enough.

“We have a lot of optimism,” Fitzgerald said. “You look at the team and what we’ve been able to put together this offseason and what we have returning from last year’s team, it’s really exciting times. We all understand that we have the ability to be a team that’s a real force to be reckoned with throughout the course of the year.

“Obviously, the health of our team has a big part to do with that, but what we have and the pieces we have are pretty special.”

Led by Fitzgerald, the Cardinals welcome back every skilled player; specifically, every single catch, yard and touchdown—rushing and receiving—remains on the roster.

For Fitzgerald, who would not discuss whether or not this season, his 13th, would be his last — “I don’t even know what I’m having for dinner now; let’s start with the basics now,” he said — that alone is reason enough to be encouraged about the year ahead.

“To be able to bring back that kind of firepower to a team that’s already really good, it really is unheard of,” he said. “But, we’re back to the basics now, where we have to learn how to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes we made last year and get off to a fast start. That’s the most important thing for us right now as we get into the third day of training camp.”

Already, the Cardinals have gone over every end-of-half and end-of-game scenario from a season ago, according to Fitzgerald.

How can they do better? How can they improve their third-and-short and third-and-medium in order to extend drives? How can they gain critical red-zone first downs to best maximize scoring touchdowns rather than settling for field goals?

And remember, the Cardinals were the number-one ranked offense in 2015, establishing franchise single-season records for points (489), touchdowns (59), touchdown passes (35), first downs (373) and total net yards (6,533).

“We’re really happy with the team that we have offensively. I think we can do something special. We can put a lot of points up and really improve on the areas that we were deficient in last season,” Fitzgerald said, pointing to the team’s depth and talent at running back, wide receiver and tight end.

“On paper, we got a fantastic team, but obviously last year’s team is last year’s team. This team is going to be completely different, but the goals are the game.”

And those goals would be?

“There’s only one thing that I want,” said Fitzgerald, who turns 33 in August. “I just want to win a championship. That’s it. That’s it.”

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