Neil Reynolds catches up with an Arizona Cardinals team that under-achieved in 2016

It was an expected early start to the opening day of the NFL 8 in 8 trip. I was kind of expecting that given the adjustment required when waking up on or close to America's west coast. Seeing 2.12am on the hotel room alarm clock was still a little jarring.

Saturday offered a chance to catch up with an Arizona Cardinals team that under-achieved in 2016. The Cardinals lost several close contests and missed the playoffs at 7-8-1 a year after reaching the NFC Championship Game.

But this remains a star-studded roster with plenty of talent. And confidence is high heading into the new campaign - the players on this team have lost none of their swagger and it would not be a surprise to see them back in the NFC playoff mix this season.

That confidence spreads throughout the Arizona locker room and into the local community, as evidenced by more than 20,000 fans turning up for practice on Saturday.

One other travel-related note before I bring you my observations from Cardinals camp… It is ridiculously hot in Arizona at this time of the year. I know, I know… Phoenix is in the desert and what was I expecting? I knew it would be hot but there is not even such a thing as a cooling breeze - it was pretty windy as I made my way to my hotel on Friday night, but it was offering no comfort. It was like a hairdryer on full heat blowing right in my face.

At least, I think it was - it's been a while since I've needed or used a hairdryer!

5 observations from Cardinals training camp…

1. Head coach Bruce Arians talked on the eve of camp about "rolling the dice" and being more physical during his team's preseason practices. Arians feels tackling across the NFL is poor and that dying art contributed to his club's slow start a year ago. The Cardinals were certainly hitting on Saturday in probably the most physical training camp session I have ever witnessed. Towards the end of the practice, rookie running back T.J. Logan forced his way into the end zone on goal-line drills three straight times. And on each occasion, the defenders separated him from his helmet - that summed up the hitting taking place at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
2. There was genuine concern in the offseason when defensive end Calais Campbell and safety Tony Jefferson left via free agency. But I think this defence is going to be just fine, if not dominant once again in 2017. Chandler Jones and Markus Golden are explosive quarterback hunters and second-year lineman Robert Nkemdiche caught the eye with a quick first step that often put him into the backfield. Patrick Peterson remains elite and Tyrann Mathieu looked back to his best - one second he was blitzing the quarterback off the edge, the next he is playing centre fielder 30 yards downfield. What a chess piece to have in your arsenal.
3. Sticking with the defensive theme, rookie second-round defensive back Budda Baker is going to be a player to watch. Like Mathieu, he can be moved around the defensive formation and it is clear he has a nose for the football. He was often in the thick of the action during the practice, none more so than when breaking up a pass over the middle.
4. Larry Fitzgerald is big but not Julio Jones big. And he is fast enough, but not Odell Beckham Jr. fast. Yet there is something almost poetic about watching Larry Fitz in action and it felt like I was witnessing a future Hall of Famer do his thing in Arizona. Fitzgerald operates so well out of the slot now and so often gets on the same page as his quarterback without seeming to break sweat. But a failure (in his mind) summed up why he is so great, for me. At first glance, Fitzgerald made a ridiculous diving catch on a pass from the still-strong-armed Carson Palmer. But the official ran in and signalled an incompletion. Had it been a real game, the decision could easily have been overturned and ruled a catch. It was a spectacular effort from Fitzgerald but he was furious with himself as he jogged back to the huddle, reminding all in attendance of his extremely high standards.
5. Fitzgerald is preparing for his 14th season, Palmer is heading into year 15 and Arians is fresh off an offseason fight with cancer. So the common thread in the early days of Cardinals camp has been that time is running out for Arizona to win it all and that they will play with an added sense of urgency for their veteran leaders. That may be the case for the younger guys on the team, but I didn't get the sense that the aforementioned trio are beginning their farewell tour. In fact, all three stressed that they had no time frame in place for when they will step away from the game and I got the impression that all three want to hang on for as long as possible.

Training camp finish that sentence…

You know it's time to get into your car after practice when… The marshals outside the University of Phoenix Stadium are hurrying people along in a bid to avoid the incoming thunder and dust storms. We made it into the car in the nick of time but that's another one ticked off the bucket list - never seen a dust storm before today.

Quote of the Day…

"If I see you in London, it will be in a bar." - Bruce Arians upon leaving our interview area when we told him we would see him in London.

Quote of the Day II…

"5am???!!!" - the response from Sky Sports NFL producer Alex Mason when informed of our call time in Los Angeles on Sunday morning ahead of a 7am meeting with Rams head coach Sean McVay.

5 things I didn't know before today…

1. Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson love their golf! I should have realised how seriously they took it when Peterson told me he played off a 4.4 handicap and Fitz was upset at shooting a 75 at St. Andrews!
2. Carson Palmer wears the biggest tracksuit trousers in sports, not NFL, history. I actually think he had David Johnson hiding in one leg and Larry Fitz in the other. One strong breeze in our interview room and… well, it doesn't bear thinking about!
3. Pigeons can sit in the same place for a long time. I witnessed the same pigeon sat on the ledge of a ticket booth outside the stadium for three hours today. On reflection, I think there might have been something wrong with the old bird!
4. This is not something entirely new to me but I was reminded today that Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill is an extremely nice man who is super-invested in his squad. I think he didn't miss a play today and must be one of the most hands-on owners in the league.
5. Final thought… everyone at the Cardinals treated us like royalty, from Mr Bidwill to the public relations department to the lift operators. It was a great start to our 8 in 8 tour. Next stop - Los Angeles and the Rams.

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The regular season of home and away matches run from September to December 2017, culminating in PlayOffs from January 6, 2018 and the Super Bowl on February 4, 2018 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota to determine the world champion.