• Shot Clock: Cardinals protecting QB Palmer?

    Shot Clock: Cardinals protecting QB Palmer?

  • Bruce Arians, Tyrann Mathieu on Arians' nicknames

    Bruce Arians, Tyrann Mathieu on Arians’ nicknames

  • Kent Somers and Bob McManaman on Cardinals final practice before Raiders game

    Kent Somers and Bob McManaman on Cardinals final practice before Raiders game

  • Somers, McManaman recap Wednesday's Cardinals practice

    Somers, McManaman recap Wednesday’s Cardinals practice

  • Somers, McManaman on punting after Tuesday Cardinals practice

    Somers, McManaman on punting after Tuesday Cardinals practice

  • Shot Clock: Good, bad of Cardinals' 1st game

    Shot Clock: Good, bad of Cardinals’ 1st game

  • Greg Moore speaks with Cards head coach Bruce Arians

    Greg Moore speaks with Cards head coach Bruce Arians

  • Greg Moore and Bruce Arians talk charities

    Greg Moore and Bruce Arians talk charities

  • Bordow, McManaman recap Sunday Cardinals practice, good injury news

    Bordow, McManaman recap Sunday Cardinals practice, good injury news

  • Bordow, McManaman break down the Cardinals' first preseason game, injuries

    Bordow, McManaman break down the Cardinals’ first preseason game, injuries

  • Gabbert's big chance, special team auditions

    Gabbert’s big chance, special team auditions

  • Cardinals QB Gabbert looks forward to starting Hall of Fame Game

    Cardinals QB Gabbert looks forward to starting Hall of Fame Game

  • Cardinals report: Crisper practice Tuesday

    Cardinals report: Crisper practice Tuesday

  • Shot Clock: Arians changes tone with Cardinals

    Shot Clock: Arians changes tone with Cardinals

  • Breaking down an intense Cards practice

    Breaking down an intense Cards practice

  • Cornerback drama continues for Cardinals

    Cornerback drama continues for Cardinals

  • Greg Moore and Bob McManaman break down the Red-White practice

    Greg Moore and Bob McManaman break down the Red-White practice

  • Cardinals Red-White practice preview

    Cardinals Red-White practice preview

  • Somers, McManaman on Gruden possibility, CB battle

    Somers, McManaman on Gruden possibility, CB battle

  • Kent Somers and Bob McManaman break down Cardinals practice

    Kent Somers and Bob McManaman break down Cardinals practice

  • Wrapping up the day at Cardinals Camp- July 27 edition

    Wrapping up the day at Cardinals Camp- July 27 edition

  • Shot Clock: Early hiccups for Cardinals

    Shot Clock: Early hiccups for Cardinals

  • Take away from Cardinals Camp July 24

    Take away from Cardinals Camp July 24

  • azcentral sports' Bob McManaman wraps up the action at Cards camp

    azcentral sports’ Bob McManaman wraps up the action at Cards camp

  • azcentral sports Scott Bordow and Bob McManaman wrap-up Day 2 at Arizona Cardinals training cam

    azcentral sports Scott Bordow and Bob McManaman wrap-up Day 2 at Arizona Cardinals training cam

  • Moore, McManaman wrap up opening day at Cardinals training camp

    Moore, McManaman wrap up opening day at Cardinals training camp

  • azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Bob McManaman reporting day at Arizona Cardinals training camp

    azcentral sports’ Kent Somers and Bob McManaman reporting day at Arizona Cardinals training camp

  • David Johnson's work load; D-Backs' head games

    David Johnson’s work load; D-Backs’ head games

  • Shot Clock: Cards kick off fan-friendly camp

    Shot Clock: Cards kick off fan-friendly camp

  • Somers sits down with Cardinals rookie Budda Baker

    Somers sits down with Cardinals rookie Budda Baker

  • Kent Somers: Impressions from Cardinals minicamp

    Kent Somers: Impressions from Cardinals minicamp

  • Kent Somers recaps Cardinals minicamp Wednesday

    Kent Somers recaps Cardinals minicamp Wednesday

  • Kent Somers recaps Cardinals practice

    Kent Somers recaps Cardinals practice

  • Shot Clock: Blaine Gabbert a keeper for Cardinals?

    Shot Clock: Blaine Gabbert a keeper for Cardinals?

  • Kent Somers, Bob McManaman talk another week of Arizona Cardinals OTAs

    Kent Somers, Bob McManaman talk another week of Arizona Cardinals OTAs

  • Bob McManaman after Cardinals practice Tuesday, May 30

    Bob McManaman after Cardinals practice Tuesday, May 30

  • Kent and Bob talk new NFL rules and wide out depth

    Kent and Bob talk new NFL rules and wide out depth

  • Arians Family Foundation Fundraiser at Top Golf

    Arians Family Foundation Fundraiser at Top Golf

  • Report card on Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert

    Report card on Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert

  • Watch out for Dodgers; Cards CBs apply for job

    Watch out for Dodgers; Cards CBs apply for job

  • What Deone Bucannon's injury means for Cardinals

    What Deone Bucannon’s injury means for Cardinals

  • David Johnson No. 1 on NFL Players Association list

    David Johnson No. 1 on NFL Players Association list

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    No throws for Cards QB, cheap shot in NBA?

  • Kaepernick blackballed? Greinke now trade bait?

    Kaepernick blackballed? Greinke now trade bait?

  • Kent Somers talks Cardinals rookies

    Kent Somers talks Cardinals rookies

  • Kent Somers talks Daryl Washington departure

    Kent Somers talks Daryl Washington departure

  • Cardinals release linebacker Daryl Washington: Somers and Bickley discuss

    Cardinals release linebacker Daryl Washington: Somers and Bickley discuss

  • Shot Clock: Gabbert a terrible fit for Cards

    Shot Clock: Gabbert a terrible fit for Cards

  • Somers sits down with Arians on Cardinals' offseason

    Somers sits down with Arians on Cardinals’ offseason

  • Bruce Arians talks about his annual fundraisers

    Bruce Arians talks about his annual fundraisers

  • Jim Hart to be inducted into Cardinals Ring of Honor

    Jim Hart to be inducted into Cardinals Ring of Honor

  • Shot Clock: Cards picks make instant impact?

    Shot Clock: Cards picks make instant impact?

  • Shot Clock: Tap brakes on Haason Reddick pick?

    Shot Clock: Tap brakes on Haason Reddick pick?

  • Sights and sounds from Cardinals draft party

    Sights and sounds from Cardinals draft party

  • Kent Somers and Bob McManaman talk Cardinals draft of Haason Reddick

    Kent Somers and Bob McManaman talk Cardinals draft of Haason Reddick

  • Keim, Arians striking gold in draft's third round

    Keim, Arians striking gold in draft’s third round

  • Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones talk about Celebrity Softball Game

    Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones talk about Celebrity Softball Game

  • Kent Somers talks with Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker

    Kent Somers talks with Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker

  • Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker on expectations, adding Karlos Dansby

    Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker on expectations, adding Karlos Dansby

  • Top 3 games in Cardinals schedule

    Top 3 games in Cardinals schedule

  • Cards playing dangerous game with RB Johnson?

    Cards playing dangerous game with RB Johnson?

  • Larry Fitzgerald holding 7th annual charity softball tournament

    Larry Fitzgerald holding 7th annual charity softball tournament

  • Larry Fitzgerald 1-on-1 with Kent Somers

    Larry Fitzgerald 1-on-1 with Kent Somers

  • NFL meetings in Phoenix: On Bruce Arians, new rules, the draft

    NFL meetings in Phoenix: On Bruce Arians, new rules, the draft

  • NFC coaches take questions at NFL owners meeting

    NFC coaches take questions at NFL owners meeting

Injury report:

CB Rudy Ford (hamstring) won’t play Saturday against the Raiders. LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring), WR Chad Williams (shin splints) and WR John Brown (quadriceps) are questionable at best. Arians said he would err on the side of caution in deciding if they would play or not. WR Aaron Dobson (hamstring), OLB Jarvis Jones (back) will not play Saturday.

Up next:

Saturday’s preseason game against the Raiders kicks off at 7 p.m. The next scheduled open practice is Monday, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Dispatches from Cardinals camp:

Quarterback Carson Palmer didn’t practice on Thursday, meaning he will have participated in only one major practice in advance of Saturday’s preseason game against the Raiders. Palmer is expected to start that game.

The Cardinals were off on Monday. Palmer participated in a full-pad practice on Tuesday, then off Wednesday and Thursday. Friday’s practice is expected to be a walk-through in which quarterbacks do little throwing.

Coaches are monitoring Palmer’s workload in this camp in hopes of keeping his right arm strong throughout the season. But his workload, at least as far as throwing footballs, is unusually low for an NFL starting quarterback…

Bettcher bits

Defensive coordinator James Bettcher met with reporters after practice Thursday. Some highlights:

Tackle Robert Nkemdiche is playing well, and in terms of being a professional, is far ahead of where he was a year ago. Bettcher said that included taking care of his body and getting more out of meetings. Nkemdiche was a first-round pick in 2016.

Cornerback Justin Bethel has played well in training camp, but the starting cornerback’s job remains unsettled.

Inside linebacker Haason Reddick, this year’s first-round pick, has made steady progress throughout camp, especially in pass coverage.

Safety Budda Baker, the second-round pick, will have a role on the defense to start the season. At times in camp, the Cardinals have used a dime package that included two cornerbacks (Bethel and Patrick Peterson) and four safeties (Baker, Tyrann Mathieu, Antoine Bethea and Tyvon Branch).

Tackling machines

Becoming better tacklers has been a priority for the Cardinals this offseason, and they’ve turned to technology to help them in the quest.

The Cardinals used mobile tackling dummies this week for the first time after ordering some several months ago. The order arrived late, which is why the dummies debuted three weeks into camp. “Glad they’re finally here, three months late,” coach Bruce Arians said.

As for tackling, Arians liked what he saw in last Thursday’s game against the Cowboys “other than a couple times where we dropped our head and the guy jumped over us.”…

Kickoff concerns

Coaches haven’t determined yet who will kick off.

Kicker Phil Dawson wants to do it, and punters Richie Leone and Matt Wile handled the duties in the first preseason game. Leone and Wile, however, haven’t punted particularly well at camp so it’s not a given they will make the team.

“We’ll see how it all shakes out,” Dawson said. “I’ll fully support the coaches’ decision.”

Dawson had only four touchbacks last season with the 49ers, but that was a function of strategy, he said. Coaches asked him to place the ball and allow his teammates to cover.

It worked. The 49ers yielded 19.8 yards per kickoff return, 5th best in the NFL.

Quote: “My mindset about preseason is it’s a process. You want to make every kick. That’s my plan, but the goal is be ready week one in September. A game in preseason is just another day to get better, improve and get ready so that when they really count, you’re ready to roll.”

–Kicker Phil Dawson

MORE CARDINALS: Somers and Mac recap Cardinals practices before Raiders game

MORE CARDINALS: Three things to watch in Cardinals game vs. Raiders

MORE CARDINALS: How to watch Cardinals game vs. Raiders Saturday

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