CARDINALS

Arizona Cardinals youngsters work on fundamentals

Kent Somers
azcentral sports
Cardinals quarterbacks Drew Stanton (left) and Carson Palmer throw during practice at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on Thursday, August 27, 2015.

With a preseason game against Oakland on Sunday, Coach Bruce Arians has structured this week of practice to resemble preparation for a regular-season game.

That includes some players, mostly younger ones, spending time on fundamentals after practices. On Wednesday, there were blocking drills between running backs and safeties, as well as tight ends against outside linebackers.

“So many kids today aren’t taught how to whip a block,” Arians said, “or how to block. For us, it’s just a matter of containment, or get in your ‘six’ technique and hold your gap. And to see guys come off a good pad level and whip a blocker.

“All year, we do that every day in pads on Wednesday. We’ll have our young linemen out there. Right now, we’re a little short of defensive linemen to have that after practice.”

Arians traces the lack of fundamentals to the style of football being played in high schools and colleges.

“Hell, you got offensive linemen coming in who have never been in a three-point stance,” he said. “This year, I had two receivers who had never been in a huddle in their college career.  I was like, ‘get your ass in the huddle.’ “They said, ‘I ain’t ever been in a huddle coach.’”

Hamstrung by hamstrings

The Cardinals are hopeful that three key players will recover from hamstring injuries in time to play on Sunday against the Raiders in Oakland.

Inside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, cornerback Jerraud Powers and running back Chris Johnson were scheduled to undergo “run tests” Thursday afternoon. If those tests went well, all could play.

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Weatherspoon has missed most of training camp practices. Johnson suffered his injury a week ago, two days after signing with the team. Powers has been limited for about a week.

“I think they know what I can do already,” Johnson said, “but I’m the type of guy that wants to be practicing with my teammates. I’ve never been a guy that misses games or practices or anything like that, so this is a situation where’s frustrating just having to watch practice. I need to be out there.

“It has helped me to focus on the playbook and get the playbook down, though.”

Johnson, 29, hurt his hamstring on the final play of practice last Thursday, forcing him to skip last Saturday’s preseason game against the Chargers.

Too close to call

The competition at punter between Dave Zastudil and Drew Butler remains “too close to call,” Arians said. “They go back and forth. Wouldn’t say either one has an edge right now.”

Zastudil punted in the first preseason game and had an average of 40.5 yards with a net of 35.3. Butler punted last week and averaged 46.3 yards with a 38.5 net.

Zastudil was the Cardinals regular punter from 2011 to 2013 but suffered a groin injury early last season and went on injured reserve.

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Butler took over for him.

Zastudil is one of the best punters in the NFL at downing the ball deep in opponents’ territory, but his age, 36, and last year’s injury could work against him.

“You have to consider it,” Arians said. “Drew did a really good job last year…until the playoff game. All those things will be factored it, but it’s still the best guy for the job.”