TEMPE, Ariz. – Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Sunday that he’s not sure running back Ryan Williams (right knee) will play this week. Last week, Williams guaranteed he would play against the Cowboys on Saturday, but it appears his knee is still not healed, creating further doubt about his future with the club.
Williams has played just five NFL games through his first two seasons due to knee and shoulder injuries.
Arians hopes running back Andre Ellington (concussion) will be able to go Saturday. The Cardinals went with two backs in Green Bay, electing to hold Rashard Mendenhall (knee tendinitis) out as a precaution. Alfonso Smith and Stepfan Taylor were the only backs to carry the ball.
The Cardinals' new indoor practice facility was officially ready for action on Sunday when the team returned to practice following Friday’s 17-0 win over the Packers in the preseason opener for both clubs.
The Cardinals practiced outdoors for about the first 90 minutes of Sunday’s practice, then moved indoors out of the sight of attending media.
The team finally broke ground on the long-rumored, long-suggested facility earlier this year. The no-frills bubble will provide the Cardinals with a climate-controlled environment during the hot months of practice in August, September and October, as well as OTA and minicamp workouts in May and June.
“It will show dividends throughout September,” said Arians, who noted “how much you lose when you’re out here in the heat versus going inside in the bubble.”
The facility was thought to be part of a handshake agreement when coach Ken Whisenhunt came on board in 2007, but zoning and other issues with the City of Tempe -- perhaps cost as well -- delayed construction of the facility, so Whisenhunt, fired on New Year’s Eve, never got to use it.
Daryl Washington was at practice on Sunday. He said last week he will fly to New York on Monday to meet with NFL officials in hopes of lessening or eliminating his four-game suspension, levied in April, for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
Washington called this trip more of a conversation than a formal meeting or appeal. He said he won’t meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, although he’s been "trying for about six months."
The hope is to have the ban lifted altogether, but Washington said if he can get the suspension reduced to two games, he would be satisfied. He has never revealed the specific reason for the suspension.
-- Arians said all four offensive tackles played well Friday in Green Bay, noting that with left tackle Levi Brown defending him, Packers pass rush specialist Clay Matthews was never mentioned. “That’s a feather in his hat,” Arians said, noting that Brown will get another test this week against the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware.
-- Although wideout Jaron Brown had a productive game (five catches, 46 yards), Arians described his play as “50-50. He caught the ball or he was doing something wrong, but he was playing fast.”
-- Arians said guard Jonathan Cooper, the team’s first-round pick, was OK against the Packers. Arians thought he “overextended” himself a few times in terms of blocking technique.
Tight end D.C. Jefferson (hip pointer) returned to practice on Sunday, as did guard Daryn Colledge (nerve issue in leg), linebacker Karlos Dansby (hamstring) and WRs Robert Gill (hamstring) and Kerry Taylor (hamstring). Safety Jonathan Amaya suffered a mild MCL sprain and will miss a couple of days.
NT Dan Williams (leg) is still out.
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