Calais Campbell back where he belongs

In the offseason, Calais Campbell is often in the locker room. He works out and then he hangs out on his stool checking his phone or just chilling out. That is, until recently, when his contract situation kept him away. That’s changed, of course, and Campbell returned to the locker room Tuesday and to working out — just like normal.

“It was kind of weird not being able to work out with the guys,” Campbell said. “Everyone was here and I was home. Sometimes I’d catch up with a couple of them, get some food, but it’s not the same as it is when you are working out and horsing around here. It’s easier (to work out) when you are all struggling together. I definitely wasn’t working out as hard as we do with the John Lott program. It felt good to get back today and get a good workout in and be around the guys. That’s really what I missed the most.”

Campbell chuckled when asked if he felt any different. “I am the same exact guy and I feel the same around my teammates,” he said. “The only difference is now I think people expect me to be more of a leader. And I will be. I am more confident in being more vocal. But the number one thing is lead by example. You work hard, the people around you will work hard.”

Now, Campbell doesn’t have to answer questions about what is going to happen with his future, questions that dominated his interviews most of last season. That’s not bad either.

“I’ve got peace of mind,” Campbell said. “I’ll be here five years. And hopefully we win a lot of games in those five years.”

– Kent Somers ferreted out the details to Campbell’s contract. This year, Campbell’s cap number dropped from $10.7 million to $5 million, clearing significant space (my estimate is the Cards have approximately $8 million of room as of now, although I haven’t been able to confirm it.) Campbell’s salary this year is $2M plus a $15M signing bonus. He has a $10M option bonus in 2013.  His cap number is $8.75M for 2013 with a salary of $3M. (For those who have asked, Darnell Dockett got a $4.55M salary when he re-upped in 2010 with still a couple years left on his contract, plus a $15M option bonus the following year with a $2.35M salary. Campbell’s deal was always going to be bigger both because it is two years later and because he had more leverage.)


(azcardinals.com)