1 – I think we have seen glimpses throughout the season of what Rosen can become. Great pocket awareness, great moving around in the pocket, great throws, great reading defenses. Sure, there have been way too far between those moments, but they have been there, and – among other things – that makes me optimistic on his future.
2 – I think it made a difference that Chad Williams was healthy and on the field again. A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I thought he would get cut. I could easily have been wrong on that one.
3 – With how well Haason Reddick has been playing lately, I couldn’t help but think of how most people wanted the Cardinals to draft linebacker Reuben Foster and was furious when the Cards passed on him for another linebacker. Anyone knows what Foster is up to these days? I mean, other than sitting out a suspension after being cut by his first team?
4 – The teams with disastrous seasons end up picking like #6, #7 or #8 – not bad enough to pick in the top five, yet not good enough to draft outside the top 10. Those teams’ fans must feel horrible. For the Cards, I would call it an acceptable end to an unacceptable season.
5 – If this was indeed Fitzgerald’s last game, he sure went out in style.
6 – I want to give a shoutout to Steve Wilks, not the least because I feel like there has been a witch-hunt going on in this forum (and to some degree still is), though I would be an idiot if I didn’t mention that many have been praising his good sides as well.
I don’t think there is anything celebratory about this situation. I wish nothing but the best for Steve Wilks going forward, and I have no doubt that he will land on his feet and do good things for some other team.
7 – They showed a stat on the broadcast: This was the 10th starting combination for the Cards on the offensive line. TENTH! I mean, I knew they have had a lot of combinations this season, but I didn’t know the number was that high. No offensive line will ever play well with that much instability.
By the way, in this game they started two rookies and three journeymen, and once again it was a new combination. That unit got called for only one fall start in Seattle. That’s impressive.
8 – I think most of Rosen’s problem with accuracy is that he overthrows receivers. Rarely does he throw inaccurate on the side of the receiver or too short of him. To me, that sounds like a mechanical issue, and those can be fixed.
9 – In another of these threads I mentioned the thought that other teams would have to pay compensation to the Cardinals if they wanted to make Bruce Arians their head coach, because the Cards technically still own his contractual rights. Now the NFL has confirmed that the notion is in fact in place: “An employee under contract to a member club (including a head coach, general manager, or other “high level” employee) who voluntarily resigns or retires prior to the expiration of his contract, is not free to discuss or accept employment with another NFL club without the consent of the prior-employer club.”
It's an interesting question what the Cardinals would want from an interested team. Last time a team traded for a head coach was in 2006 where the Browns send a fourth round pick to the Jets for Herm Edwards, while the Bucs two years earlier payed two first round pick and a second round pick to the Raiders for Jon Gruden. It’s not like I would expect anything close to what the Bucs paid, but I don’t think at least a second round pick is that farfetched. However, I think another component could be Steve Keim’s close relationship with Arians, and that Keim maybe would like for Arians to get a new chance. Maybe Keim wouldn’t go that far to get a premium pick.
10 – Look, I think Patrick Peterson is the best cornerback in the NFL (to be honest, it’s not like I have been studying all the others closely, so I actually wouldn’t know), and to a degree, I like him too. I just hope he won’t be named captain next year. A captain can’t abandon the ship like he wanted to. He can’t want to run away while leaving everyone else behind him.
I wouldn’t trade Patrick Peterson, but I would not give him a more prominent role than that of a great cornerback either.
11 – I really liked the claim of D.J. Swearinger.
First, obviously because he is a very good player.
Second, when he was with the Cards some years ago, he was a tone setter on defense, and I think they need that. Yes, it will cost some personal fouls, but I will take that in return for his energy.
Third, the selection order for the waiver wire changed midseason, and now the Cards are #1 in line, so in other words, Swearinger was selected by the first possible team. Now, it doesn’t mean much since it was the Cardinals’ only chance to select him before he would potentially become a free agent (and obviously, they can use the pick how many times they want, so why not?), but after all, it could be that 30 other teams wanted to select Swearinger as well (it would be a strange situation if the Redskins wanted to, so that’s why it’s not 31).
12 – Speaking of safeties, I was on record in the offseason saying that I thought the Cardinals should keep Tyrann Mathieu, and I stand by that view. He has played great for the Texans, and so far he has stayed healthy all season. He is, though, on a one-year contract meaning he could be a free agent in a couple of weeks. I think they should try to bring him back if given the chance, even though I think it will be very difficult. I don’t know if that ship has sailed after their somewhat ugly divorce.
I know the Cardinals has Budda Baker doing most of the things Mathieu was, but surely a creative coordinator could deploy both of them, and I mean, it’s not exactly like the other safety on the field, usually Antoine Bethea, is playing the deep safety on every play. He too plays a lot up in the box. Bethea isn’t getting any younger either, and after completing his 13th season it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he decided to retire. Tre Boston could also leave in free agency, but even if he stays, I don’t think it would necessarily exclude Mathieu.
13 – As for head coaching candidates? Right now (and that will surely change) I would prefer one of Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma, Brian Flores from New England, Jim Harbaugh from Michigan or Eric Bieniemy from Kansas City (of course, David Shaw from Stanford is still the dream). The absolute worst-case scenario to me is that sorry piece of human being, Josh McDaniels.
14 – They say that you should never try to repeat a success. If the Cards don’t want to interview Arians themselves, maybe that will be the reason. Or maybe Arians is one of those coaches out of football that the Cards has reached out to.
15 – The Arizona Cardinals are on the clock.
2 – I think it made a difference that Chad Williams was healthy and on the field again. A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I thought he would get cut. I could easily have been wrong on that one.
3 – With how well Haason Reddick has been playing lately, I couldn’t help but think of how most people wanted the Cardinals to draft linebacker Reuben Foster and was furious when the Cards passed on him for another linebacker. Anyone knows what Foster is up to these days? I mean, other than sitting out a suspension after being cut by his first team?
4 – The teams with disastrous seasons end up picking like #6, #7 or #8 – not bad enough to pick in the top five, yet not good enough to draft outside the top 10. Those teams’ fans must feel horrible. For the Cards, I would call it an acceptable end to an unacceptable season.
5 – If this was indeed Fitzgerald’s last game, he sure went out in style.
6 – I want to give a shoutout to Steve Wilks, not the least because I feel like there has been a witch-hunt going on in this forum (and to some degree still is), though I would be an idiot if I didn’t mention that many have been praising his good sides as well.
I don’t think there is anything celebratory about this situation. I wish nothing but the best for Steve Wilks going forward, and I have no doubt that he will land on his feet and do good things for some other team.
7 – They showed a stat on the broadcast: This was the 10th starting combination for the Cards on the offensive line. TENTH! I mean, I knew they have had a lot of combinations this season, but I didn’t know the number was that high. No offensive line will ever play well with that much instability.
By the way, in this game they started two rookies and three journeymen, and once again it was a new combination. That unit got called for only one fall start in Seattle. That’s impressive.
8 – I think most of Rosen’s problem with accuracy is that he overthrows receivers. Rarely does he throw inaccurate on the side of the receiver or too short of him. To me, that sounds like a mechanical issue, and those can be fixed.
9 – In another of these threads I mentioned the thought that other teams would have to pay compensation to the Cardinals if they wanted to make Bruce Arians their head coach, because the Cards technically still own his contractual rights. Now the NFL has confirmed that the notion is in fact in place: “An employee under contract to a member club (including a head coach, general manager, or other “high level” employee) who voluntarily resigns or retires prior to the expiration of his contract, is not free to discuss or accept employment with another NFL club without the consent of the prior-employer club.”
It's an interesting question what the Cardinals would want from an interested team. Last time a team traded for a head coach was in 2006 where the Browns send a fourth round pick to the Jets for Herm Edwards, while the Bucs two years earlier payed two first round pick and a second round pick to the Raiders for Jon Gruden. It’s not like I would expect anything close to what the Bucs paid, but I don’t think at least a second round pick is that farfetched. However, I think another component could be Steve Keim’s close relationship with Arians, and that Keim maybe would like for Arians to get a new chance. Maybe Keim wouldn’t go that far to get a premium pick.
10 – Look, I think Patrick Peterson is the best cornerback in the NFL (to be honest, it’s not like I have been studying all the others closely, so I actually wouldn’t know), and to a degree, I like him too. I just hope he won’t be named captain next year. A captain can’t abandon the ship like he wanted to. He can’t want to run away while leaving everyone else behind him.
I wouldn’t trade Patrick Peterson, but I would not give him a more prominent role than that of a great cornerback either.
11 – I really liked the claim of D.J. Swearinger.
First, obviously because he is a very good player.
Second, when he was with the Cards some years ago, he was a tone setter on defense, and I think they need that. Yes, it will cost some personal fouls, but I will take that in return for his energy.
Third, the selection order for the waiver wire changed midseason, and now the Cards are #1 in line, so in other words, Swearinger was selected by the first possible team. Now, it doesn’t mean much since it was the Cardinals’ only chance to select him before he would potentially become a free agent (and obviously, they can use the pick how many times they want, so why not?), but after all, it could be that 30 other teams wanted to select Swearinger as well (it would be a strange situation if the Redskins wanted to, so that’s why it’s not 31).
12 – Speaking of safeties, I was on record in the offseason saying that I thought the Cardinals should keep Tyrann Mathieu, and I stand by that view. He has played great for the Texans, and so far he has stayed healthy all season. He is, though, on a one-year contract meaning he could be a free agent in a couple of weeks. I think they should try to bring him back if given the chance, even though I think it will be very difficult. I don’t know if that ship has sailed after their somewhat ugly divorce.
I know the Cardinals has Budda Baker doing most of the things Mathieu was, but surely a creative coordinator could deploy both of them, and I mean, it’s not exactly like the other safety on the field, usually Antoine Bethea, is playing the deep safety on every play. He too plays a lot up in the box. Bethea isn’t getting any younger either, and after completing his 13th season it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he decided to retire. Tre Boston could also leave in free agency, but even if he stays, I don’t think it would necessarily exclude Mathieu.
13 – As for head coaching candidates? Right now (and that will surely change) I would prefer one of Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma, Brian Flores from New England, Jim Harbaugh from Michigan or Eric Bieniemy from Kansas City (of course, David Shaw from Stanford is still the dream). The absolute worst-case scenario to me is that sorry piece of human being, Josh McDaniels.
14 – They say that you should never try to repeat a success. If the Cards don’t want to interview Arians themselves, maybe that will be the reason. Or maybe Arians is one of those coaches out of football that the Cards has reached out to.
15 – The Arizona Cardinals are on the clock.
