10 thoughts - Saints game

[CardNots]

It wasn't just Nacua.

They hit on a starting center (Avila) with high upside, a DT (Kobie Turner) who lead all rookies in sacks, an edge (Byron Young) who had like 8 sacks, and obviously Nacua. That could be like...an all time great draft in their franchise history of all of those guys continue to get better.

People seem to focus on stars but hitting on a team’s dirt workers makes the stars shine a bit brighter. I’m guessing it’s the fantasy leagues that contributes to this thought process?

 

[BACH]

People seem to focus on stars but hitting on a team’s dirt workers makes the stars shine a bit brighter. I’m guessing it’s the fantasy leagues that contributes to this thought process?

My exact point. A Football team is only as Good as the weakest link.

The “High-bar” of this team is still lacking Or yet to be developed. But Monti raised the low bar of this team tremendously

 

[ASUCHRIS]

My exact point. A Football team is only as Good as the weakest link.

The “High-bar” of this team is still lacking Or yet to be developed. But Monti raised the low bar of this team tremendously

Yeah, I think you totally overvalue "building up the underbelly". Our biggest problem isn't our 2nd and 3rd string players - it's the glaring lack of above average starters, let alone stars. Getting credible 2nd and 3rd string players is far easier than getting good players.

 

[Cheesebeef]

People seem to focus on stars but hitting on a team’s dirt workers makes the stars shine a bit brighter. I’m guessing it’s the fantasy leagues that contributes to this thought process?

I’m guessing it’s because the best teams in the league are led by stars.

 

[kerouac9]

My exact point. A Football team is only as Good as the weakest link.

The “High-bar” of this team is still lacking Or yet to be developed. But Monti raised the low bar of this team tremendously

This isn't really based on anything. We were a 4-win team before he got here; we were a 4-win team after his first season. Everything else is cope.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It wasn't just Nacua.

They hit on a starting center (Avila) with high upside, a DT (Kobie Turner) who lead all rookies in sacks, an edge (Byron Young) who had like 8 sacks, and obviously Nacua. That could be like...an all time great draft in their franchise history if all of those guys continue to get better.

Ah based on the preceding sentence I misinterpreted your statement in the exact opposite direction.

The rams have actually been what I’d consider the perfect management of leveraging trades, free agency and draft to remain relevant year over year whilst a good segment of this board has been yelling (year over yeaR) that any day they’d have to pay the piper and suck.

And I may be wrong, but I’m fairly confident that you’ve been one of those calling for demise for quite some time, no?

 

[Cheesebeef]

My exact point. A Football team is only as Good as the weakest link.

The “High-bar” of this team is still lacking Or yet to be developed. But Monti raised the low bar of this team tremendously

They won the exact same amount of games in Monti’s first year as they did in Keim’s last year so not sure how much that bar was raised. This year will tell us more but to be honest, raising the low bar of one of the lowest bars in the league doesn’t exactly wow me.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This isn't really based on anything. We were a 4-win team before he got here; we were a 4-win team after his first season. Everything else is cope.

Borg.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

People seem to focus on stars but hitting on a team’s dirt workers makes the stars shine a bit brighter. I’m guessing it’s the fantasy leagues that contributes to this thought process?

Maybe in part, but those lauding the influx of dirt workers seem to be ignoring that the dirt workers can’t help the stars shine if there are no stars! Seems pretty understandable that those concerned with a lack of stars have a very real concern.

 

[DVontel]

a DT (Kobie Turner) who lead all rookies in sacks, an edge (Byron Young) who had like 8 sacks

I’m real eager to see how these guys look without Donald now.

 

[Stout]

People seem to focus on stars but hitting on a team’s dirt workers makes the stars shine a bit brighter. I’m guessing it’s the fantasy leagues that contributes to this thought process?

Um, wow, no. I would never, ever want to approach the draft like this. Hitting on stars in the draft is exactly how you become a great football team. You need stars to win in the NFL. People around here have a sick aversion to signing stars in FA because Keim (they're too expensive). You don't often trade for stars, though it can happen (not for us in a while). So, drafting stars is the way to go. IDGAF about dirt workers--you can get them a myriad of ways.

So, you would prefer a solid draft full of depth players and regular joe starters as compared to, say, the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers draft? No way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks for me. Gimme the 1974 Stillers draft 10 times out of 10.

 

[Stout]

I’m real eager to see how these guys look without Donald now.

That is a good point.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Ah based on the preceding sentence I misinterpreted your statement in the exact opposite direction.

The rams have actually been what I’d consider the perfect management of leveraging trades, free agency and draft to remain relevant year over year whilst a good segment of this board has been yelling (year over yeaR) that any day they’d have to pay the piper and suck.

And I may be wrong, but I’m fairly confident that you’ve been one of those calling for demise for quite some time, no?

I was....and then they had literally a franchise best type draft that rescued them.

Nearly every pundit was calling their demise last year because the talent deficit looked to be too great to overcome...and then they had one of those drafts where they hit on almost 50% of their picks and also had like 14 picks! That's not normal, and even the best talent evaluators are unlikely to have a draft like that in their entire careers.

I hated watching the Rams pick a few of the guys (you can search my comments before the 2023 draft to confirm) like Avila and Kobie Turner, who both look like future Pro Bowlers.

I won't count them out again, though overcoming the loss of the best defensive tackle in league history and maybe the best DL in league history might be hard to overcome.

 

[Krangodnzr]

I’m real eager to see how these guys look without Donald now.

Absolutely. Playing next to Donald makes a lot of very ordinary front-seven players look like Pro Bowlers.

Even with the players they added in the draft, I think it's tough to say that their front seven could be better with the loss of Donald.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Maybe in part, but those lauding the influx of dirt workers seem to be ignoring that the dirt workers can’t help the stars shine if there are no stars! Seems pretty understandable that those concerned with a lack of stars have a very real concern.

Right now the Cardinals are kind of sitting at the Dave Mac "belly of the team" is better kind of area.

So of these young guys absolutely HAVE TO step up and become more than replacement-level players. I'm hoping that one of the corners like Garrett Williams and more than one of the front seven guys can step up.

 

[gimpy]

They won the exact same amount of games in Monti’s first year as they did in Keim’s last year so not sure how much that bar was raised. This year will tell us more but to be honest, raising the low bar of one of the lowest bars in the league doesn’t exactly wow me.

From what I can gather on here, nothing on here wows you.

 

[kerouac9]

From what I can gather on here, nothing on here wows you.

Good football take here. +1

 

[Cheesebeef]

From what I can gather on here, nothing on here wows you.

Call me crazy, but there hasn’t been a lot to wow anyone since we fell off a cliff when we were 10-2 in 2021. But if you looked back to when we were 10-2, I was positively giddy, already inviting people to my one bedroom apartment in LA for a massive/posy Super Bowl celebration for what I truly thought was gonna be our first title.

But if you’ve been wowed by anything while we compiled the putrid 9-29 since that (very rare) peak in 2021, more power to you.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Call me crazy, but there hasn’t been a lot to wow anyone since we fell off a cliff when we were 10-2 in 2021. But if you looked back to when we were 10-2, I was positively giddy, already inviting people to my one bedroom apartment in LA for a massive/posy Super Bowl celebration for what I truly thought was gonna be our first title.

But if you’ve been wowed by anything while we compiled the putrid 9-29 since that (very rare) peak in 2021, more power to you.

Right now, some of us are celebrating the small victories, but I can't at all bemoan people that are leery of rebuild so far.

I'm agnostic. I'm in the show me phase.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Call me crazy, but there hasn’t been a lot to wow anyone since we fell off a cliff when we were 10-2 in 2021. But if you looked back to when we were 10-2, I was positively giddy, already inviting people to my one bedroom apartment in LA for a massive/posy Super Bowl celebration for what I truly thought was gonna be our first title.

But if you’ve been wowed by anything while we compiled the putrid 9-29 since that (very rare) peak in 2021, more power to you.

I don't know. 2022 for the Cardinals was pretty "WOW! did that just happen???"... But not in a good way. That had to be the weirdest season ever.

 

[kerouac9]

I don't know. 2022 for the Cardinals was pretty "WOW! did that just happen???"... But not in a good way. That had to be the weirdest season ever.

It would be wonderful if that was peak dysfunction for this franchise.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Um, wow, no. I would never, ever want to approach the draft like this. Hitting on stars in the draft is exactly how you become a great football team. You need stars to win in the NFL. People around here have a sick aversion to signing stars in FA because Keim (they're too expensive). You don't often trade for stars, though it can happen (not for us in a while). So, drafting stars is the way to go. IDGAF about dirt workers--you can get them a myriad of ways.

Agreed...but when you have that strong core, it's much easier to swing the bat at big-time free agents because when you miss, you know that you have roster options that aren't a dumpster fire.

Trades can be a mixed bag, but there are usually a few good trade opportunities every year.

 

[Krangodnzr]

It would be wonderful if that was peak dysfunction for this franchise.

It seems like the Cardinals hit that level of dysfunction every 4-5 years. The end of the Whis era...the end of the Arians era...the end of the Kingsbury era...

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It would be wonderful if that was peak dysfunction for this franchise.

Having Hard Knocks chronicle it was even better...Budda pouring his heart out and getting straight up ignored, Kliff looking around like a deer in the headlights, Nuk completely checked out. In a way, it was a pretty good encapsulation of the AZ Cardinals experience.

 

[kerouac9]

Agreed...but when you have that strong core, it's much easier to swing the bat at big-time free agents because when you miss, you know that you have roster options that aren't a dumpster fire.

Trades can be a mixed bag, but there are usually a few good trade opportunities every year.

I’d prefer to spend high draft picks or traded picks on big swings and use FA money for your lunchpail guys. You’re pretty sure Will Hernandez and James Conner can play. They’re going to give you something.

If you spend $20 million a year on Christian Kirk and hope he maxes out his talent, you’re unlikely get real value.

Blowing draft picks is embarrassing, but they are a renewable resource.

It seems like the Cardinals hit that level of dysfunction every 4-5 years. The end of the Whis era...the end of the Arians era...the end of the Kingsbury era...

Nah. Michael fired Keim and Kingsbury within a year of extending them. Along with the Murray extension and study clause, plus inviting hard knocks into the building?

That’s next-level incompetence. Arians just wouldn’t fire his buddy.