Injury Bug Hits Cardinals, Kolb Tweaks Knee

NFL training camp practices are in full swing and players are already going down with injuries.

Over the last few days, the Arizona Cardinals  running back Ryan Williams and Rashard Mendenhall have found themselves battling knee injuries and now the two sit on the sidelines.

Ryan Williams

Williams tweaked his surgically repaired knee last week and on Saturday, he was on crutches as he undergoes treatment. The player has said that the “fatty pad under patella tendon” was irritated. There’s no timetable for his return but his coach Bruce Arians hopes it could mean next week.

Fellow back Mendenhall is dealing with his own knee problems. He didn’t participate in Saturday’s practice thanks to knee tendinitis. Arians believes the veteran could return in a few days.

In their absence, rookie Stepfan Taylor took reps are a starter, along with Alfonso Smith and another rookie, Andre Ellington. According to NFL.com, the two latter players could be battling for a roster spot if Williams continues dealing with knee problems.

And because things happen in threes, the Cardinals also lost nose tackle Dan Williams on Thursday to an ankle and knee sprain. After undergoing an MRI, the player won’t need surgery; he’s expected to be ready for the team’s regular season opener on Sept. 8.

On a positive note from Cardinals’ camp, Arians has been using versatile cornerback Patrick Peterson on offense. Entering his third season in the league, he is already a two-time Pro Bowler. In year No. 1 he was selected as a punt returner after setting rookie records, then as a cornerback in the second year.

During recent practices he’s appeared as a jack-of-all-trades, catching and running the ball as well as throwing some passes.

What’s ahead for this season? Arians would like to use him on offense and Peterson is game to contribute (as well as still have cornerback and punt return duties).

The coach via the Associated Press, “I had hopes that he could be something special in a package a week. But after you see the athlete he is, he probably could be one of the top five receivers in the league. So you say, ‘Hmm, that’s a lot of weapon sitting over here next to me.'”

Peterson also the support of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who called him a “Percy Harvin-type player.”

Look for Arians to install Peterson in his offense as this team continues to undergo a lot of change in this offseason. The new coach and his quarterback have high expectations for the team with a sense of urgency but it sits at +2000 to win the competitive NFC West Division.

It also has a 2013 regular season win total at 5 1/2 (130 over/even under).

Kolb Tweaks Knee

Former Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb is battling for the starting role at his third team, the Buffalo Bills. But he may have suffered a setback.

Kevin Kolb

On Saturday, Kolb slipped and stumbled on a wet rubber mat and tweaked his left knee. It does not appear to be serious with Bills coach Doug Marrone saying Kolb is day-to-day. He added via the Associated Press, “The one thing I do know about Kevin is that he is a tough son of a gun. He’ll get back out there quickly if it’s up to him.”

In his place, rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel took first-team reps. The two are battling for the starting role and Marrone recently said that Manuel is improving on a daily basis.

By Friday, the two quarterbacks were taking the same amount of snaps.

For the Bills, they sit at +1600 to win the AFC East and have a 2013 regular season win total at 6 1/2 (+110 o/-140 u).