Budda Baker Tells Young Players at OTAs

The Cardinals have completed their first week of OTAs, and following the holiday weekend, will be on Tobias Harris Jersey the field next week from Wednesday through Friday.They are scheduled to have four se sions June 6-9 with the mandatory minicamp set for June 14-16.After that, the veterans will be excused with rookies likely sticking around for some additional work. Then, its a break until training camp opens around July 29 for the veterans with rookies potentially reporting earlier.While the chatter is constant about players that arent in attendance, headlined by quarterback Kyler Murray, there are Chauncey Billups Jersey significant team leaders that relish the opportunity to be with their teammates, improve their own play and impart accumulated knowledge to the newcomers.One of those is Allen Iverson Jersey safety Budda Baker.When Baker spoke to reporters earlier this week, he was asked why it is crucial for him to be present.He said, Me personally, its important to just be with the team. I'm a camaraderie-guy type of person, understanding people's personalities, what they like to do off the Dennis Rodman Jersey field. Exchange numbers, talk football and all that type of stuff. That's what I personally like to do, because growing up, that's just how it was; that's what you just had to do.Clearly, Baker embraces his role as a team leader.Scroll to ContinueNow that I'm, I would like to say, I'm one of the leaders on the team, I definitely want to do that. Because it Rick Mahorn Jersey just helps the younger guys kind of get a head start before training camp, and all that stuff starts.One thing he communicates is how everything speeds up once the pads go on in camp.Baker said, What I tell the young guys is, once training camp starts, positions are kind of already set. You're just going to have to do your job at that point in time. And whatever that job is, you're gonna have to do it at Joe Dumars Jersey a high level.Reflecting on 2017 when he came to the team as a rookie, Baker recalled Isiah Thomas Jersey what a sistant special-teams coach Anthony Blevins told him.First time I'm coming into the building, second-round pick, I'm thinking, of course I'm gonna have an opportunity to maybe win a position, right? So I get in, and first thing he says is, You know what you're gonna do, right, and you know what your first start is going to be, right? And I'm like, Special teams, and he's like, Yes, special teams.So just understanding that, (to) know your role. And when training Reggie Jackson Jersey camp starts, there's no more I didn't know what an over front was, or I didn't know what Caron Butler Jersey an under front is. If you're in a game, if you're in practice, and you're getting those reps, you got to know just like the starter.It's a basic me sage and one that Baker stre ses about being a pro.He concluded, So that's what I like to tell them right now. So they understand that there's no slacking once we get to camp; like actually Henry Ellenson Jersey know this whole playbook. And if I don't, I'm wrong, because I had the resources. I had the coaches, I had the players to ask questions, and youre profe sional at the end of the day.