Arizona Cardinals with 5 players taking it easy during mandatory minicamp
Arizona Cardinals with 5 players taking it easy during mandatory minicamp The Cardinals began mandatory minicamp with 100% attendance, but a few players will not have a full workload.
The Arizona Cardinals began mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with 100% attendance, head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Tuesday before practice. This makes sense, as it is mandatory and no one on the team is known to have any contract issues.
However, a few players would not be getting a full workload. Gannon said the team is going to "take it easy" and "be smart" with a handful of players.
Who are the players? Gannon mentioned:
OLB Josh Sweat
DL Justin Jones
DL Dalvin Tomlinson
WR Zay Jones
CB Will Johnson
He also said "a couple of other guys," which could include guys like linebacker BJ Ojulari, who missed all last season with an ACL tear, and tackle Jonah Williams, who played in only six games last year dealing with a knee injury that sidelined him twice.
Sweat and Tomlinson are offseason additions in free agency. It would appear, based on their lack of participation in the open parts of voluntary OTAs the last two weeks, that they are dealing with minor injuries.
Sweat, though, was seen getting some work in on the field during the open part of Tuesday's practice.
Justin Jones is coming off a torn triceps that ended his season last year after only three games. He did participate some in OTAs. Zay Jones must be dealing with a minor injury, as he was in photos participating in practices in OTAs. Johnson, the Cardinals, second-round draft pick, has not signed his rookie contract yet and has dealt with some injuries. He had a foot injury that caused him to miss time last season at Michigan and he had a hamstring injury that limited his pre-draft work.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Contract details for rookie DL Walter Nolen III and what people are saying about him
Contract details for rookie DL Walter Nolen III and what people are saying about him Howard Balzer breaks down Nolen's rookie deal and shares what people are saying about the Cardinals' first-round pick. There have been only eight practices this offseason with the final one of minicamp Thursday, but Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen III has been receiving rave notices from teammates and coaches. Also important is that Nolen signed his rookie contract this week, a four-year deal, with a fifth-year option worth $19,367,550 guaranteed and includes a signing bonus of $10,725,492. His salary-cap charge in 2025 is $3,521,373. The contract includes minimum base salaries each year ($840,000 this year; $1.005 million in 2026, $1.12 million in 2027 and $1.235 million in 2028. However, his pay in those final three years will be larger because of roster bonuses payable on the fifth day of training camp. That money for first-round picks has often been included in the base salary, but the bonus gets it in their hands earlier than it being prorated over the 18-week season. Those bonuses are $715,343 in 2026; $1,480,686 in 2027 and $2,246,029 in 2028. Now, about those accolades for the player selected with the 16th pick of the draft. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis reflected on coaches watching a big screen in defensive backs coach Patrick Toney's office on draft night and how he was 'just hoping that we would be able to get Walt. Obviously super excited about the player that he is, the guy that he is.' As for what he's seen in the brief work so far, Rallis said, 'I knew he was gonna be the talent that we saw on tape. I would say he's very coachable, great to work with. You see him take those coaching points immediately to the field, whether that's in individual or when going against the offense. And I can tell he studies hard outside the building because he's got things down pretty fast. So pretty impressive so far.' Fellow lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, signed as a 31-year-old free agent this offseason, said Tuesday, 'I love his quickness, his pass rush. I saw him in some drills and stuff today in our team period. He's just fluid like it comes natural to him and as we progress in training camp with pads on, he's just a natural good defensive tackle. It's just like the sky is the limit for him. And I'm happy I'm part of the process to help him continue to improve.' Last year, the Cardinals selected defensive lineman Darius Robinson in the first round at 27 overall. Both are from the SEC with Robinson playing for Missouri and Nolen for Mississippi. 'I love it,' Robinson said after the first OTA practice on May 28 about the addition of Nolen. 'He was on the other side of the SEC, so I never played against Walt. But I know he's going be a great player, great teammate. Like last week he brought everybody Epsom salts, the Dr. Teal's bag. So it just shows you he's a high-character young man and he's a really good teammate. So I'm excited to make some plays with him.' Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Updated WNBA Power Rankings Make Clear Choice Between Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky
Updated WNBA Power Rankings Make Clear Choice Between Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese have quickly become two of the league's biggest names, drawing national attention to each of their respective franchises. Advertisement The Fever and Sky first faced off in the season opener on May 17, with Indiana winning convincingly at home (93-58), led by Clark's triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists). During the game, she was assessed a flagrant one foul after making excessive contact with Reese while defending a second-chance opportunity. In their second matchup Saturday night, Indiana played short-handed as Clark was sidelined with a quad strain. Despite the circumstances, the Sky failed to defend their home floor, with no player scoring in double figures. The Fever won that one, too, by a score of 79-52. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Meanwhile, on Tuesday, ESPN released power rankings that highlighted a significant drop-off between the two teams. Advertisement The Fever, previously ranked ninth, moved up three spots to sixth after capturing back-to-back wins this week over the Washington Mystics and the Sky. The Fever now hold a record of 4-4 after losing three straight. As for the Sky, they previously ranked eighth and shifted down four spots to twelfth after losing their only game of the week to none other than the Fever. They now sit at 1-7 on the year and will be without veteran playmaker Courtney Vandersloot for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL against Indiana. Here's ESPN's full power rankings from Tuesday: Minnesota Lynx New York Liberty Seattle Storm Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream Indiana Fever Las Vegas Aces Golden State Valkyries Washington Mystics Los Angeles Sparks Connecticut Sun Chicago Sky Dallas Wings Related: Lexie Hull Reacts to Sophie Cunningham's Struggling Admission This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
Cardinals takeaways: 3 trends to watch after St. Louis is swept by Blue Jays
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol knew heading into the series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays that the next three days could present some difficulties for his ballclub. 'We said it before the series: 'This might be one of our toughest series,'' he said. 'This might be tougher, as far as matchups go, than even Los Angeles because of the amount of contact this group makes and what we do as a pitching staff. We knew there would be challenges to navigate, and (Toronto) is continuing to show why they're the toughest in the league to strike out. Advertisement 'It was going to be a challenge all three days.' Indeed, it was. The Blue Jays swept the Cardinals, capped by a 5-2 win Wednesday afternoon. It marked the third time the Cardinals have been swept this season and dropped their record to 36-32. 'They found some holes on us,' Brendan Donovan said. 'I think it's important to learn from this series, evaluate it and ultimately flush it and move on to the next game. We have Milwaukee tomorrow — that's a big club. They've been playing well, so it's important for us to show up, attack each pitch and go from there.' The Cardinals will happily flush their performance over the last three days and focus on their upcoming four-game division showdown with the Brewers at American Family Field. Here are some trends to monitor before the series. 🎼 Wake me up before you PozoBecause I'm planning on homering solo 🎵 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 11, 2025 The Cardinals seemed to avoid a serious injury with Donovan, but they are preparing to be without him for at least a couple of games as he recovers from a sprained capsule in his left foot. Donovan was removed from Tuesday's 10-9 loss with left toe discomfort, and an MRI on Wednesday morning revealed the sprain in his left toe. 'I'm not concerned about (the injured list),' Donovan said Wednesday afternoon. 'That would be worst-case scenario. I'm feeling much better today. We did a bunch to it, so we'll see how it feels tomorrow and the next day.' Donovan isn't sure when or how the injury occurred but had been dealing with the discomfort for several games. Because of the specificity of the injury, he'll be unable to be used off the bench, as the Cardinals want to ensure he is a full go before placing him back in the lineup. This points to Nolan Gorman seeing the bulk of time at second base in Donovan's absence, however long (or short) that may be. Advertisement Other reinforcements should be on the way soon. Jordan Walker (left wrist inflammation) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Thursday in Gwinnett. The Cardinals don't believe he'll need much time in the minors and could activate him off the 10-day IL as early as next Tuesday before their three-game interleague series against the Chicago White Sox. As Andre Pallante works to establish himself as a major-league starter, he knows he'll have to continuously adjust to opposing hitters. After his last outing — in which he was tagged for seven earned runs over 4 1/3 innings — he also knew those adjustments needed to come sooner rather than later. His start Monday (two earned runs, seven hits, one walk and three strikeouts over six innings) was a step in the right direction. Pallante has worked extensively to find more consistent ways to retire right-handed hitters. He has struggled with reverse splits throughout his early career, and this year is no different. Opposing right-handers are hitting .301/.363/.497 (good for an .860 OPS) against Pallante this season, and left-handers are averaging .225/.275/.394. He went into Monday's start focused on mixing up his arsenal more, placing a heavy emphasis on his curveball usage. 'I came into the game wanting to throw my curveball more — that was my plan coming in,' Pallante said. 'It was the No. 1 thing I wanted to do more of, so doing that and having good results … that can help me feed off that and help make me a more dynamic pitcher.' 'It's the slowest pitch I offer, and it makes 95 miles per hour look that much harder when I'm able to do that,' he added. 'It's something I've pushed off for a lot of my career, landing pitches in the zone and challenging hitters with it. But I really had to take a look in the mirror and say, 'I can't do that anymore.'' Advertisement Results will matter, of course, but the Cardinals will evaluate Pallante more extensively on his pitch mix and overall success against right-handers. A priority throughout this development season is figuring out which players can successfully make adjustments at the major-league level. That's the next test for Pallante. It was not a good homestand for closer Ryan Helsley, who blew three consecutive save opportunities, including a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning Monday, minutes after the Cardinals took an eighth-inning lead via a three-run home run from Iván Herrera. That's pretty uncharted territory for Helsley, who blew just four saves all season last year. Tired: Get on baseWired: ROUND THEM 😤 — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 10, 2025 'Knowing that my stuff is where I want it to be and that sometimes in this game, guys are going to clip you. I'm trying to do my best to not let that snowball effect the next day. I'm staying confident in my preparation and just being ready to go when my name is called.' What has plagued Helsley lately is his fastball. Opposing hitters came into play Wednesday averaging a whopping .426 off Helsley's heater, compared to a minuscule .095 average off his slider. Some of this can be attributed to bad BABIP (the expected average off Helsley's fastball is down over 80 points at .343), but that still isn't an encouraging number. Nothing about Helsley's underlying metrics suggests his fastball is off. The average velocity, spin and movement all mirror the same as last year. What has changed dramatically is the effectiveness of the pitch, and that's what Helsley is working to figure out. 'My metrics are good, but right now my BABIP is really high. It's almost twice as high as league average. At some point, it's got to even out. But I have to continue to trust my fastball and maybe just try to locate it a little better. I'm probably throwing more fastballs; I need to be closer to 50 percent so it can help both pitches play up and not let guys sit on one pitch.' Helsley is still striking out more than 25 percent of the batters he faces, and his velo remains atop the league. But for the Cardinals to get back on track, they'll need their closer to find ways to slam the door once more. (Photo of Andre Pallante: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
