Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has said that he will report to training camp and not hold out. Dockett said he met with Cardinals officials and is confident a new deal can be worked out. NFL betting information tells us that Dockett has three years remaining on his current contract. Arizona defensive tackle Dockett did not show up for the team’s voluntary workouts but he says he will be at training camp. “From the first day of training camp and on, I will not let my contract issues distract me or my team from reaching our goals,” Dockett said on his Twitter page. “I also look forward to playing with my teammates and defending our NFC championship title, and I am looking forward to a great season.”
Arizona is considered a Super Bowl contender again this season as they are listed at 19-1 in NFL betting odds at the sports book. The Cardinals do have some off-season issues to deal with though so they don’t need to be dealing with Dockett holding out. Tight end Ben Patrick will be out of the first four games of the season due to a suspension. He was suspended for breaking the league’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. “I’ve had this cloud hanging over my head all offseason,” Patrick said. “It’s been really hard to come in and smile with the guys, knowing what was going to happen. I’m just going to try to do my best to work hard.”
Patrick can attend training camp and play in preseason games but will miss the first four regular season games. The Cardinals are not expected to make any moves to add another tight end. “Ben made a significant contribution to our success last year, he is continuing to grow as a player and not having him available is a disappointment,” general manager Rod Graves said. “But we think with the group we have we can be competitive in his absence and we will see how that group comes together.”
The Cardinals made a number of changes in the off-season but most may not be immediately noticeable by NFL betting gamblers. Arizona lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators as NFL odds information shows. Losing Todd Haley is going to hurt, despite what head coach Ken Whisenhunt has said. Losing Clancy Pendergrast might not hurt as much since the Cardinals weren’t very good defensively last season until miraculously turning things around in the playoffs. Arizona opens up the NFL betting regular season on Sunday, September 13th at home against the San Francisco 49ers and they are 6.5 point favorites in NFL odds at the sportsbook.