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Arizona Cardinals’ Freddie Kitchens Recovering from Heart Surgery

June 18th, 2013 at 6:42 AM
By Steve Smith

'' photo (c) 2008, Seth Page - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
Arizona Cardinals quarterback coach Freddie Kitchens seems to be doing well and is walking around after undergoing emergency surgery to repair his aorta, according to nfl.com.

The 38-year-old Kitchens was hospitalized last week after he fell ill at a Cardinals practice. A defect in his aorta was uncovered that could have proven fatal.

"He's doing great," head coach Bruce Arians told nfl.com. Arians plans to host the Bruce Arians Family Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic on June 24-25 at Reynolds Plantation in Lake Oconee, Ga. "To know how close he came to being dead, it's a miracle. We're all so grateful." .

Arians is making sure he is giving Kitchens the time he needs to get better. When the first-year Arizona head coach encountered Kitchens this week, saying farewell to his quarterbacks, Arians immediately kicked his assistant coach right out of the complex.

That's a great sign. That means Kitchens is on the road to recovery and Cardinals fans wish him the very best as he continues to get healthier.

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Bruce Arians Wants Cardinals to Be in Better Shape

June 17th, 2013 at 6:21 AM
By Steve Smith

'University of Phoenix Stadium, Home of the Arizona Cardinals (3)' photo (c) 2009, Ken Lund - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
The Arizona Cardinals have enjoyed some very successful OTAs and minicamps recently.

That's the good news. The bad news, to some degree anyway, is that head coach Bruce Arians would like to see his Red Birds contingent get into better shape, be better conditioned.

"We're not in the best shape," Arians told yahoosports.com. "We've got to get in better condition to play as fast as we want to play, especially offensively. Other than that, I've been extremely pleased. I like where our football team is right now."

The Cardinals won't all officially reconvene until training camp but many players will get together on their own before then. New Arizona signal-caller Carson Palmer will spend time with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, for example, at his camp in Minnesota.

Their hard work will not end just because minicamps have concluded.

"I'm not going to get away from anything," Palmer said. "I won't be taking any time off, and I don't think guys will be, or should be, taking time off. That first game isn't that far away."

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Lucky Larry – Fitzgerald to Be Judge in Miss USA Contest

June 16th, 2013 at 9:41 AM
By Steve Smith

'Booooo Cardinals' photo (c) 2010, Matt McGee - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/Talk about a tough job.

All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will be one of nine judges in the Miss USA competition today at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Hey, it's a rough job but someone has to do it.

Does Fitzgerald have any special qualifications to be a judge?

"No, I don’t know how I was even picked," he told azcentral.com. "But I’m going to represent the Cardinal family, the Cardinal nation and do my best to represent the family well.”

I'm sure he will.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there in Red Bird nation.

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Arizona Cardinals’ Stepfan Taylor not Able to Practice with Team Yet

June 15th, 2013 at 6:45 AM
By Steve Smith

'IMG_8580' photo (c) 2008, donielle - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
Arizona Cardinals' rookie running back Stepfan Taylor has not been been able to practice with the Red Birds yet this spring because classes at Stanford University are still in session.

Taylor was Arizona's fifth round draft pick in this year's NFL Draft. The 140th overall selection will spend time with time with running backs coach Stump Mitchell next week, head coach Bruce Arians told azcentral.com.

"He knows how to run the football," Arians said. "The plays are so very similar to what he’s run in college. His thing will be picking up the blitzes.”

That's always one of the most important aspects for running backs in their rookie seasons. Can they pick up the blitz effectively and protect the quarterback from the big pass rush?

Taylor will get a chance to show whether he can do that once training camp begins. And run the football too, of course.

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Bruce Arians Very Pleased with Arizona Cardinals’ Minicamp

June 14th, 2013 at 6:59 AM
By Steve Smith

'University of Phoenix Stadium' photo (c) 2009, Dyanna Hyde - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
It's always a good idea to please the new head coach.

The Arizona Cardinals completed their latest mincamp yesterday and Bruce Arians could not have been more pleased with the outcome.

“I thought we got a lot done in all phases,” he told azcentral.com. “Right now, it’s important for us to progress forward from here to training camp, not go backwards and not stay where we’re at. We can’t come back and start over.”

Although players don't have to return to work until late July when training camp opens, many are still planning on working out together over the next several weeks.

New quarterback Carson Palmer will spend some time working out with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, for example.

“I’m not going to get away from anything,” Palmer explained to azcentral.com. “I won’t be taking any time off, and I don’t think guys will be, or should be, taking time off. That first game isn’t that far away.”

It really isn't. Arians has installed almost the entire offensive and defensive systems. The Red Birds used their time together well. Rookies got in a huge amount of work and coaching.

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