No, training camp is not normal, and neither is the preseason.
But with no benefit in complaining about it, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is choosing to look for the positives in the late start and lack of preseason games.
Via Darren Urban of the team’s official website, Kingsbury said he likes the ability to use consecutive practices to teach and install without interruption.
“You have to be smart,” Kingsbury said. “You have six days where you can go full speed when you never had that in training camp, split up with a preseason game, a travel day and a recovery day. So I like how installs flow. I think you can get a lot of great walkthrough work and a lot of carry over.
“But you have to find a way to fit in those moments of live competition where guys are tackling and being tackled so you are comfortable with doing that before you get into Week One.”
The Cardinals will be in full pads for the first time today, after working offense vs. defense in shells for the first time Friday. That’s a hard way to prepare for the live action of a regular season, but they’re on equal footing with every other team in that regard.
