Two days after their franchise quarterback was outed for having an independent study clause in his $230 million dollar agreement, the Arizona Cardinals were finally back on the practice field to kick off training camp in 2022. While newly-acquired wide receiver Hollywood Brown remains sidelined with a hamstring pull, coach Kliff Kingsbury downplayed the long-term significance of the injury.

“He just tweaked something and I expect he’ll back soon,” said Kingsbury, who briefly met with the media prior to the start of practice.

The absence of Brown, coupled with the suspension to star pass catcher DeAndre Hopkins, should allow for ample opportunities to the rest of the Cardinals’ receiving core. The Cardinals return a bevy of pass catchers that include A.J. Green and Antoine Wesley.

“I think that 5th, 6th [WR] spot on the roster is going to be really competitive,” Kingsbury stated when asked about the likelihood that fringe receiver Andy Isabella would make the final 53.

Isabella, who has been the continued subject of trade speculation, was inactive for the large majority of his third NFL season. His presence on special teams will likely be the determining factor as to whether or not the former UMASS standout sees the field in 2022.

Second-year man Rondale Moore figures to be one of those that will benefit from the absence of numerous starting vets, not to mention the departure of former-Cardinal-now-Jaguar Christian Kirk. The Cardinals have stated on numerous occasions that Moore is primed for a breakout in what was Kirk’s former role, operating underneath and in the slot. Moore, who kicked off his rookie campaign with a bang, suffered in the second half of 2021 due to a combination of poor usage and injuries.

Speaking of injuries, starting left tackle D.J. Humphries was not a participant in Wednesday’s practice, per PHNX’s Bo Brack. Humphries, who is entering the final year of his contract, struggled with consistency during the 2021 season. With a robust cap hit of just under $20 million (which leads the team), Arizona is expecting a motivated Humphries ahead of hitting the open market next spring. The former first-rounder out of Florida is an obvious key cog to protecting Arizona’s investment in Kyler Murray.

In his absence, it was Kelvin Beachum remaining at right tackle with youngster Josh Jones sliding in on the left side for Humphries.

Switching to the other side of the ball, with the departure of stall-worth Jordan Hicks, fans and media alike have been curious as to which Cardinal defender plans to call the team’s defense in 2022. While Kingsbury suggested that it could be upwards of “3 or 4” different Redbirds, safety Jalen Thompson made it clear he plans to be in the mix for that role. Thompson has been wearing the infamous “green dot” since the start of the offseason program earlier this spring.

Lastly, for those hoping that Isaiah Simmons would be firmly entrenched as the one calling the defense as the team’s starting inside linebacker, it sounds like Kingsbury and the Cardinals have other plans.

“We’re trying to maximize what he is as a player,” Kingsbury stated while refusing to commit the former Clemson top pick at a singular position.

“He can rush the passer, play safety.”

It has been long reported that Simmons had been working with both the linebackers and defensive backs during large portions of the offseason. The Arizona Cardinals are in dire need of the former top-10 product to transform into the defensive playmaker the club envisioned when they drafted him seventh overall. Through two seasons in the NFL, Simmons has flashed potential but has yet to turn the corner as a bonafide superstar player defensively. Perhaps the Cardinals are putting too much on the 24-year-old’s shoulders while asking that he learn multiple roles.

With the amount of defensive turnover the Cardinals have experienced this offseason, it’s looking like a prerequisite to the defenses’s success falls squarely on a Simmons breakout campaign in 2022.

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