Kliff Kingsbury antsy to see rookie TE Trey McBride return to practice

The Cardinals resume training camp on Monday at State Farm Stadium and coach Kliff Kingsbury was holding out hope that the offense will be getting more on-field action from some of its premier players.

That includes quarterback Kyler Murray, who has been slowed due to COVID and a mysterious wrist issue, and center Rodney Hudson, who hasn’t done much in camp since almost deciding to retire.

It also includes new wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who has yet to participate in a full practice since suffering a strained hamstring a week before camp began, as well as veteran tight ends Zach Ertz, who recently suffered a strained calf, and Maxx Williams, who is slowly making his way back from ACL surgery.

Another player Kingsbury can’t wait to welcome back is rookie tight end Trey McBride, the team’s second-round pick out of Colorado State who was an All-American and winner of the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end.

He’s missed a week of work with back stiffness and although his availability for Monday’s practice was unknown, Kingsbury is antsy to see him play in Sunday’s second preseason game against the visiting Baltimore Ravens. Ertz has been progressing well and Williams will be back soon enough, but this is a valuable time in McBride’s development, and he needs to show what he can do in game situations.

That’s been his goal all along, to prove through his play that the Cardinals didn’t waste their first selection in the draft by taking the first tight end off the board when there wasn’t real need at the position.

Before hurting his back, McBride said it was important to him to show “that my teammates and my coaches believe I can make plays, that I can be an impact player on this team.”

“I’m going to do my job, whatever my role is, whether that’s special teams, whether that’s making plays on offense, that’s what I’m going to do and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability,” he added. “I’m out there to make plays and I want to make as many plays as I can, and I think guys know that I can make plays. I think just trying to continue building that trust from my teammates, my coaches and showing them what I can do, that they can trust me.”

McBride, who is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, is unique in Kingsbury’s offense because he’s not only a gifted pass catcher — he led all FBS tight ends last season in receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,121) — but he’s capable of becoming a coveted two-way NFL player as a high-end blocker.

In Ertz, a 10-year veteran, the Cardinals have a bona fide playmaker as a pass-catching tight end. In Williams, entering his eighth season, they have a trusted in-line blocking tight end. But in McBride, they think they have both.

General Manager Steve Keim raved about McBride’s overall game earlier this summer during an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7-FM, citing the rookie’s “movement, his explosiveness, his ability to create separation in the passing game, his toughness, his commitment to the game and the way he handles himself.”

“He carries himself like a pro already, a very mature rookie. So, I think he will be able to certainly make some big plays for us this year and be a real impact.”

McBride seemed to be hitting his stride before his back problem surfaced. The good news is that when he returns to practice, whether it’s Monday or at some other point this week during the team’s final workouts in Glendale, he should be able to pick up where he left off, at least mentally.

“I think I’ve picked up the offense very well,” McBride said recently. “I think I’m understanding it. It’s starting to click a lot more, I’m starting to play a lot faster, and I don’t have to think so much. Early on, it’s a lot of thinking. It’s trying to figure out, ‘Oh, what am I doing?’ What route am I running? Who am I blocking?’

“But now that I’ve been in it for a couple weeks, a month or whatever it is, I can start playing faster. … I can just go and line up and play football. I’m more reading coverages, things like that, instead of thinking about what kind of route I’m running or what I have to do on every play.”

There is strength in numbers in the Cardinals’ tight end room, which also includes free-agent addition Stephen Anderson, who previously spent time with the Texans, Patriots and Chargers. The veterans have all said it’s the most talented group of tight ends they’ve ever been around.

And none of them really know yet what they’re going to get out of McBride in his first NFL season. All McBride knows is that he must execute and provide a well-balanced performance every chance he gets.

“That’s a huge part of what I’m going to do,” he said. “I feel like that’s kind of my role right now is I’ve got to be that blocking guy. I’ve got to be the guy who can get my hands dirty, get my face dirty and be that guy who can block. I’ve just got to earn that trust from my teammates, the coaches, that they think I can do that.

“Catching is a huge part of this offense. We’re a spread team, we throw the ball a ton, so I’ve got to be able to catch the ball. But at the end of the day, I’ve got to be able to get my hand dirty and make some plays in the run game as well.”

Note

NFL teams have until Tuesday to reduce their roster from 90 players to 85, but the Cardinals announced on Sunday they already have made their first official cuts of training camp. They have released defensive lineman Kingsley Keke, cornerback Breon Borders, running back Ronnie Rivers and offensive linemen Greg Long and Haggai Ndubuisi.

Teams have until Aug. 23 to reduce their roster from 85 to 80 players and until Aug. 30 to reduce it from 80 players to 53.

Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kliff Kingsbury antsy to see rookie TE Trey McBride return to practice