Notes from the Nest: Plenty of picks as Palmer rests

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Cardinals’ fifth practice of training camp was unlike the previous four in that starting quarterback Carson Palmer did not throw a pass.

Fear not, the veteran is not injured. Instead, he rested as part of a scheduled day off.

Another older star, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, was also supposed to sit Tuesday, but injuries depleted the receiver group enough to where he needed to go.

At any rate, the pads were on again and there was no shortage of big plays.

The Good

– Playing the role of starting QB, Drew Stanton had some pretty nice throws. He connected with tight end Darren Fells down the seam in 7-on-7, completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jaron Brown in 11-on-11 (beating Brandon Williams in the process) and again hit Brown for a score, this time on a corner route near the goal line.

– Tight end Troy Niklas had a nice day catching the ball, including one reception where he at first bobbled the pass before hauling it in and getting popped by safety Marqui Christian.

– Bruce Arians has commented on how it’s nice to see running back Andre Ellington healthy and running on two legs, and his quickness/speed combo was on display in one nice run during 11-on-11 work.

– David Johnson is still good. He caught another ball down the seam, and then later had a really nice touchdown run in which he seemed to get through the entire defense before reaching the end zone. A big block from D.J. Humphries helped on that play.

– Kerwynn Williams was able to punch the ball into the end zone on consecutive plays in 11-on-11.

– If you had the Cardinals’ defense going in your fantasy training camp league, today was a solid day. There were interceptions by Patrick Peterson (in 7-on-7 on a ball thrown to Michael Floyd), Brandon Williams (in 7-on-7 off of Drew Stanton), Asa Jackson (off Jake Coker in 11-on-11) and Trevor Hartfield, who actually had two picks on the afternoon.

The Bad

– Defensive lineman Corey Peters left the field early with an apparent injury. His status is not officially known, but early reports are that whatever he suffered is not serious. Peters is coming back after missing all of 2015 with an Achilles injury, and he is someone Arians said he really does not want to see get hurt.

– Humphries had been having a pretty strong camp, but he had an issue Tuesday where he ran off the field and wasn’t ready for an extra point attempt. That earned some ire from the coaching staff.

Notable

Arizona senator John McCain was on hand for practice and chatted with team president Michael Bidwill as well as defensive back Tyrann Mathieu before things got going.

Honestly, I have no idea what the team’s center position looks like after starter A.Q. Shipley. Evan Boehm has been getting significant run with the second team, but there have been instances where Earl Watford has lined up there, too.

Robert Nkemdiche, who is out with a high ankle sprain, was walking around sans walking boot.

Quotable

“Yeah. When he first got here, he was a mountain. Last year, he was a pole. He got on one of those health diets and he lost way too much weight and it showed up on the field. He was getting bull-rushed more than the first two years.” – Bruce Arians on Jared Veldheer gaining weight this offseason

“I haven’t heard anybody yell back at him and I’m not going to be the first. So, yeah, I haven’t seen it or heard it yet.” – Carson Palmer when informed that Arians said he’s yelled at Palmer but never been yelled back at

“His passion, I don’t think anybody else is as passionate as he is when it comes to being on the field and motivating guys. He’s a little guy but he’s fiery, man, he gets us going. I’ve got a lot of respect for him; when he speaks, everybody listens. He commands the room. That’s because they see his work ethic and they see what he’s done on the field, his body of work. I’m happy to be his teammate.” – Calais Campbell on Tyrann Mathieu, who has signed a five-year extension with the Cardinals

Injury Update

As previously noted, Peters left Tuesday’s practice early. He was the only player who didn’t finish. Otherwise, everyone who missed the day was expected to be out. Arians is hopeful TE Jermaine Gresham (hamstring), WR J.J. Nelson (groin) and WR John Brown (concussion protocol) could return Thursday.

Check out these stories

Carson Palmer chatted with the media for a while Tuesday, and here are some highlights.

All-Access with Bruce Arians gives you a taste of what the coach had to say prior to practice.

Rookie Marqui Christian is at his best when the pads are on.

Mathieu’s teammates tweeted support for him and his new contract.

Here are highlights

It's RBs Day at #CardsCamp! https://t.co/6k4lJPbj5z

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 2, 2016

Full speed ahead for @dajohnson7. #CardsCamp pic.twitter.com/qcMLKiZZeT

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 2, 2016

.@kerwinning_ showing off the wheels for a run on the right side. #CardsCamp pic.twitter.com/rIWLhlstTe

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 2, 2016

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