Cardinals taking patient approach to development of Marvin Harrison Jr.

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. — In his first NFL practice, Marvin Harrison Jr. methodically worked through a stretching period at Cardinals rookie minicamp over the weekend. Then the star receiver glided over to a station with passing game coordinator Drew Terrell, where he worked through a catching routine before reporters were whisked away to the media room.

The No. 4 overall pick in the draft was not made available afterward, and not much could be gleaned from those 20 or so minutes of open practice time, other than Harrison appears healthy and moving well. He sported his trademark No. 18, but fans still cannot purchase Harrison jerseys because he has yet to sign his NFLPA group licensing agreement.

The Ohio State product declined to go through testing or individual workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine or his pro day, saying he was preparing his body to play football for the team that drafted him. Now that time has arrived, and it’s Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon’s job to keep him healthy as Harrison learns the offense and his role in it.

For Gannon and the Cardinals, that means taking a deliberate approach to how they onboard Harrison and the 15 other players who participated in rookie minicamp.

“He’s going to come in here and go to work with his head down and carve out his role with the team and with the offense,” Gannon said. “That’s what we expect all our guys to do. So he’s not any different from that.”

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is tasked with figuring out how to incorporate Harrison’s unique skill set. Petzing said it will take some time to determine how best to use the 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver known as “Maserati Marv” into Arizona’s offense.

“I don’t think he’s someone that you have to limit his ceiling in terms of what he does in the offense,” Petzing said. “That’s going to get defined here in the next couple months as he shows what he’s capable of, where he fits best and how he fits in with everyone else that we have on the field.

“It’s really the big picture,” Petzing added. “I mean it’s the size, the speed, the change of direction, the ball skills. Those are certainly things you look for in a top wideout. So, certainly excited to see that on tape, and I expect that to continue as he continues to come in here and get better.”

Arizona’s second-round selection, cornerback Max Melton, competed against Harrison in the Big Ten while at Rutgers. During his media availability with reporters before practice, the rangy corner said he looks forward to going against Harrison every day in practice.

“I’m so happy it worked out this way,” Melton said. “He was the first wide receiver off the board. He is the best wide receiver in this draft. So to go against that every day, I’m just blessed.”

While showing patience in Harrison’s transition is important, the reason he was brought to the desert is to provide another dynamic playmaker for quarterback Kyler Murray to make this offense more productive.

Entering his second season under the new regime with GM Monti Ossenfort and Gannon, Murray, who missed nine games last season while recovering from ACL surgery, is healthy and able to go through offseason work for the first time. That allows Petzing a chance to focus on the intricacies of his new offense.

Murray took a handful of his teammates on a bonding trip to Oklahoma over the weekend, which included a picture in front of his statue in Heisman Park outside Memorial Stadium and taking in a Dallas Mavericks–Oklahoma City Thunder playoff game.

“That was really cool,” Gannon said. “He took a bunch of guys there. I don’t know who he was cheering for. I did see this morning that he hit a couple 3s. That doesn’t surprise me. If you do anything against that guy, don’t bet him because he’ll take your money.”

Gannon went on to say he expects a better version of Murray in his first full season with Petzing.

“His game is going to go to another level,” Gannon said. “I know it is. I’ve been extremely pleased with where he’s at, what he’s doing — the command and the leadership he’s displaying right now.

“Not to put a bunch of pressure on him, but he’s doing extremely well.”

The Cardinals added a veteran presence to the receiver room with the signing of Zay Jones on Friday. The 29-year-old was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars and reportedly signed a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million.

But for this offense to reach its full potential, the Cardinals must figure out how to get the most out of the team’s new No. 1 receiver. And Harrison appears up to the challenge.

“It’s being a pro,” Harrison said at the draft. “That’s kind of how I’ve been raised and brought up to do. I’m going to keep the same mindset and attitude that I’ve had throughout my whole career. Continue to work hard, be consistent and disciplined in all that I do. I’m looking forward to putting in the work.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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