The Arizona Cardinals have wrapped up their extra week of training camp, thanks to their appearance in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was asked what he made of the extra week, and he replied, "It's so funny… I'm kind of mapping out installs for the future and it's like, dang, this is an extra week. What would I be doing if I didn't have this extra week? Because I'm like, 'Oh man, I got to get this in somewhere.'"
Rallis emphasized the importance of having more time to install the team's defensive scheme. "You can spread out installing the scheme, which allows you to just take your time a little bit more during the install meetings and really be on the details with the players," he explained.
The extra week has also given the team more opportunities for reps, which Rallis sees as crucial for improvement. "You get better at football by playing football," he said. "So that's huge. It's huge for us."
The Cardinals' defense struggled last season, particularly in the second half of the year. Whether the extra week of camp will be enough to turn things around remains to be seen.
The team's veterans reported to camp on July 22, a day earlier than the rest of the league. Rallis and his coaching staff have been busy making the most of the extra week, and it will be interesting to see how it pays off on the field.
The Cardinals are one of 26 teams that reported to training camp on Tuesday, July 28, bringing an end to their extra week of work.
Source: Yahoo Sports