Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur has made a clear statement on his team's approach to the upcoming season, and the coaching staff's first week of training camp has impressed observers.
At the outset of training camp, Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur outlined a clear expectation. This was different from spring practices, where the focus was on "building the foundations," learning what his players are capable of. Now, it's on the players to execute, and the coaching staff has to make a decision on where to put them.
The Cardinals have conducted five full practices and two jog-throughs, including four 11-on-11 sessions open to reporters. One of the main lessons from these practices is the clarity at wide receiver, where Marvin Harrison Jr. is the starting 'X' receiver, while Michael Wilson is the starting 'Z'. This means Harrison is typically split out wide, often isolated to his side of the field, while Wilson is more of a move piece, used as a blocker in the run game and a key part of the confusion LaFleur wants to create for opposing defenses.
But who's going to lead the wide receiver room in targets? That's a trickier question to answer. According to Michael Wilson, this is not a system where the 'X' receiver is the first read on 80% of passing concepts. Harrison has earned more targets than Wilson so far, with 17 to Wilson's 12, but Wilson has generally looked better, hauling in multiple diving catches while Harrison has struggled for consistency.
The running back committee is emerging, with Allgeier taking the first snaps with the first-team offense before Jeremiyah Love rotates in. The two have been neck and neck in total carries, with Allgeier currently leading, 21-18. This aligns with what the coaching staff has said, with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett dancing around the question of who he sees as the Cardinals' starting running back.
LaFleur's offense is fun, with a marriage of the run and pass. The Cardinals want to be able to do multiple things from any look, to keep defenses guessing. This is where LaFleur's use of motion comes in, with players repeatedly emphasizing the importance of motion in creating easy completions downfield.
The Cardinals think highly of third-year right guard Isaiah Adams, who has struggled at times in his career but found a groove late last season. "He's a strong and sturdy dude on the inside," LaFleur said. "You think about his journey from Canada to Illinois, getting that next-level education of football a little bit later than some of these other guys."
The next question is whether Adams can elevate an offensive line that has struggled early in camp. The Cardinals will be looking to get their offense in gear, and with a clear plan in place, it's exciting to see how they'll progress in the coming weeks.
Source: Yahoo Sports