BLOG: Cards players put to the test

FLAGSTAFF - Coach Ken Whisenhunt says he's excited to finally put on the pads and see how the team responds. For the first time in six months, the Arizona Cardinals will pad up and actually get some hitting in.

While it is just the first practice, there's still plenty of anticipation as the Cardinals pad up and head to the practice field this afternoon in Flagstaff.

Coach Whisenhunt has said for months that it's difficult to evaluate the play of his quarterbacks in shorts and that it would take a number of practices in full gear and most, if not all, of the pre-season games to make a decision on who will be the teams starting quarterback in 2012.

So Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. in Northern Arizona, we'll get our first look at Kevin Kolb and John Skelton in pads as we start to make our evaluations. Given the fact that the quarterback competition is central to all that's going on this season with the Cardinals, there will be lots of attention on the QB's today.

So although the team has already had two practices, this one today will have all the attention of just about everybody across the country!