2007 Cardinals: No More Acts of Desperation

[Mitch]

Allowing Leonard Davis to test the free agent market is a very positive sign for the Arizona Cardinals. In order to keep Davis the Cardinals were going to have to pay him something in the neighborhood of $11M...which essentially would gobble up one tenth of the team's salary cap on one player. Had Davis been a team leader and a Pro Bowler, one might consider retaining him at such a lofty salary. The problem is that Davis, in his six years as a Cardinal, was neither a leader nor a Pro Bowler.

The reality is that Davis cannot be trusted. It's quite possible that he himself has designs on playing elsewhere, most likely for the Cowboys or Texans, seeing as he is a Texas resident. Davis has not endeared himself to the organization and coaching staffs with his off-season commitment to the team. And, as talented as he is as a mammouth offensive lineman, there are still conspicuous flaws in his game, particularly in terms of playing with sustained focus and discipline.

The best news is that in the past the Cardinals, out of desperation, would have slapped the franchise or transition tag on Davis, for fear that they couldn't find an adequate replacement for the one-time #2 player in the draft.

While the free agent market at tackle is thin this year, the Cardinals will be aggressive in finding Davis' replacement. The Cardinals may have to make a trade or offer up a draft pick or two to add the player who is the best fit at the right salary.

Be sure of this: Ken Whisenhunt has a plan. He's already stated that he is focused on building up his offensive and defensive lines. The Cardinals are poised and well-equipped (with $34M in cap room) to be major players in free agency and the draft this off-season and now have vowed to the fans that they will be very aggressive. Count on it!

The best advice for all of us is to enjoy the ride. Moves will be made...plenty of them...and when the dust settles...Whiz's plan will become crystal clear.

 

[Stout]

The reality is that we now have a gaping hole at LT, a depleted LT market in FA, and a ton of cap space in a weak FA market. THAT is the reality.

Levi Brown at #5, anyone?

 

[Hollywood]

Smart, tough, disciplined. Obviously Big didn't fit into this plan.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Allowing Leonard Davis to test the free agent market is a very positive sign for the Arizona Cardinals. In order to keep Davis the Cardinals were going to have to pay him something in the neighborhood of $11M...which essentially would gobble up one tenth of the team's salary cap on one player. Had Davis been a team leader and a Pro Bowler, one might consider retaining him at such a lofty salary. The problem is that Davis, in his six years as a Cardinal, was neither a leader nor a Pro Bowler.

The reality is that Davis cannot be trusted. It's quite possible that he himself has designs on playing elsewhere, most likely for the Cowboys or Texans, seeing as he is a Texas resident. Davis has not endeared himself to the organization and coaching staffs with his off-season commitment to the team. And, as talented as he is as a mammouth offensive lineman, there are still conspicuous flaws in his game, particularly in terms of playing with sustained focus and discipline.

The best news is that in the past the Cardinals, out of desperation, would have slapped the franchise or transition tag on Davis, for fear that they couldn't find an adequate replacement for the one-time #2 player in the draft.

While the free agent market at tackle is thin this year, the Cardinals will be aggressive in finding Davis' replacement. The Cardinals may have to make a trade or offer up a draft pick or two to add the player who is the best fit at the right salary.

Be sure of this: Ken Whisenhunt has a plan. He's already stated that he is focused on building up his offensive and defensive lines. The Cardinals are poised and well-equipped (with $34M in cap room) to be major players in free agency and the draft this off-season and now have vowed to the fans that they will be very aggressive. Count on it!

The best advice for all of us is to enjoy the ride. Moves will be made...plenty of them...and when the dust settles...Whiz's plan will become crystal clear.

You think getting the Cowboys, hell even the 49ers to give us a 3rd round pick for a player that we were going to let go, desperation?

I am absolutely positive that they could have worked a trade with at least one team that would have given us a 3rd rounder for Big.

 

[CardNots]

Goodbye LD, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way back to Texas. Like so many before you, thanks for another wasted first round draft pick.

 

[az jam]

I agree with you on this Mitch and I also really think that Grimm has been part of this decision making process. They have been doing their player evaluations and looking at a lot of film. Bottom line IMO is that they feel LD is not worth the big bucks. I remember the interview with Grimm after he was hired here; he said that he will work and develop the players that he has and not get into the politics on management's decisions. Lets see what happens in free agency and the draft.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I agree with you on this Mitch and I also really think that Grimm has been part of this decision making process. They have been doing their player evaluations and looking at a lot of film. Bottom line IMO is that they feel LD is not worth the big bucks. I remember the interview with Grimm after he was hired here; he said that he will work and develop the players that he has and not get into the politics on management's decisions. Lets see what happens in free agency and the draft.

The problem with that logic....

Even if you do not feel that your player is worth the big bucks, if you think that another team might feel differently, you need to explore trade options.

If reports came out, and they called all 20+ teams looking for line help, and every one of them balked, that's one thing. Just letting him go because they don't feel he is worth the money is another.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

The best advice for all of us is to enjoy the ride. Moves will be made...plenty of them...and when the dust settles...Whiz's plan will become crystal clear.

They must have seen what I saw .. a lazy unmotivated player with loads of talent ... a tough decision, but one that had to be made .. now lets get to work on building this Oline correctly once and for all ...

 

[Duckjake]

The best news is that in the past the Cardinals, out of desperation, would have slapped the franchise or transition tag on Davis, for fear that they couldn't find an adequate replacement for the one-time #2 player in the draft.

I don't remember them doing that except for one year with Kwamie Lassiter and that was a long time ago. The Cards have usually just let guys walk when they became UFA's. It is one reason why there is now only one drafted player on the team who was selected prior to 2003.

Fortunately they have started to actually plan ahead to keep players from becoming UFA's.

As for trading LD the Cards would have probably had to do that last year. I would think it would be tough to trade a guy team's know they can get for nothing other than the surplus cap space the new CBA and TV contracts provided.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I don't remember them doing that except for one year with Kwamie Lassiter and that was a long time ago. The Cards have usually just let guys walk when they became UFA's. It is one reason why there is now only one drafted player on the team who was selected prior to 2003.

Fortunately they have started to actually plan ahead to keep players from becoming UFA's.

As for trading LD the Cards would have probably had to do that last year. I would think it would be tough to trade a guy team's know they can get for nothing other than the surplus cap space the new CBA and TV contracts provided.

I disagree. Once you place the franchise tag on him, it shows the other team, that you at least value him enough to pay him that tag.

 

[Pariah]

Be sure of this: Ken Whisenhunt has a plan.

Everybody has "a plan." The problem is we don't know if its any good or not. For me, he's off to an auspicious start.

 

[Mulli]

Everybody has "a plan." The problem is we don't know if its any good or not. For me, he's off to an auspicious start.

I call Jason as the first poster to say Whis should be fired in the preseason.

 

[CaptTurbo]

I am absolutely positive that they could have worked a trade with at least one team that would have given us a 3rd rounder for Big.

You cant trade an unrestricted FA and if we franchise him we are gonna be stuck with him.

 

[john h]

Allowing Leonard Davis to test the free agent market is a very positive sign for the Arizona Cardinals. In order to keep Davis the Cardinals were going to have to pay him something in the neighborhood of $11M...which essentially would gobble up one tenth of the team's salary cap on one player. Had Davis been a team leader and a Pro Bowler, one might consider retaining him at such a lofty salary. The problem is that Davis, in his six years as a Cardinal, was neither a leader nor a Pro Bowler.

The reality is that Davis cannot be trusted. It's quite possible that he himself has designs on playing elsewhere, most likely for the Cowboys or Texans, seeing as he is a Texas resident. Davis has not endeared himself to the organization and coaching staffs with his off-season commitment to the team. And, as talented as he is as a mammoth offensive lineman, there are still conspicuous flaws in his game, particularly in terms of playing with sustained focus and discipline.

The best news is that in the past the Cardinals, out of desperation, would have slapped the franchise or transition tag on Davis, for fear that they couldn't find an adequate replacement for the one-time #2 player in the draft.

While the free agent market at tackle is thin this year, the Cardinals will be aggressive in finding Davis' replacement. The Cardinals may have to make a trade or offer up a draft pick or two to add the player who is the best fit at the right salary.

Be sure of this: Ken Whisenhunt has a plan. He's already stated that he is focused on building up his offensive and defensive lines. The Cardinals are poised and well-equipped (with $34M in cap room) to be major players in free agency and the draft this off-season and now have vowed to the fans that they will be very aggressive. Count on it!

The best advice for all of us is to enjoy the ride. Moves will be made...plenty of them...and when the dust settles...Whiz's plan will become crystal clear.

Does anyone on this board "know" for a fact that LD is some sort of piranha in the locker room? I doubt it. Like others I just do not see how we get nothing for our best OL who we drafted #2 in the draft. Are we going to sign someone better? Are we going to spend our 38 million in CAP money or squirrel away 10-15 mil? I cannot answer these questions but we will soon all know. I think this is a 90% Rod Graves move as the other guys just arrived on the scene. It is probably about money and not about LD's attitude.

 

[ajcardfan]

You cant trade an unrestricted FA and if we franchise him we are gonna be stuck with him.

Not so. There are trades worked out for franchised guys every year almost. The only way we could've been stuck with him was if he would've signed his franchise tender. Which, he would've been in no hurry to do. So, we could've, for example, gotten lucky in the draft and landed Joe Thomas. Then, we could've rescinded the tag if he still hadn't been traded.

 

[CaptTurbo]

ah thx aj

 

[ajcardfan]

ah thx aj

All I was asking for was to have a viable replacement in hand before they made this move. But, they didn't check with me.

 

[Mulli]

ah thx aj

No grammar. No caps.

I don't care what hoity toity car you drive.

 

[CaptTurbo]

All I was asking for was to have a viable replacement in hand before they made this move. But, they didn't check with me.

I think Gorin will give you the same performance as big. I think Wells would exceed it but I want Wells at RT.

 

[CaptTurbo]

No grammar. No caps.

I don't care what hoity toity car you drive.

LMAO

 

[Mulli]

LMAO

Seriously, is driving in that car like sitting a couch as you drive or what?

 

[CaptTurbo]

Seriously, is driving in that car like sitting a couch as you drive or what?

Yeah it is comfortable. However, we just got hit by snow and its not the greatest in it. Why do companies still make rear wheel drive?

 

[kerouac9]

Why does anyone think that this was Whis' decision? Rod Graves is VP Football Operations. Whis has no experience with personnel.

Is it just that everyone wants to believe in their rising star HC and not the abject failure that's been filling the personnel seat?

 

[Scot1]

I think not retaining or getting value for Davis, if that's how it turns out (most likely), is the first big (unintended pun) mistake of the new regime (or 'somewhat amended regime', admitting that it includes the Bidwills and Graves). By most accounts, he's the top FA OT this year, the most 'talented' OL on our team, the line was doing better, and we can't guess how much improvement could come with non-Green coaching (and maybe repositioning). This is the year of infinite cap space--there could not be a better time to tag him for a year. There's no way the new regime can have a 'plan'--all they can have is hope, maybe backed by the intent to spend a lot to fill this hole.

I'm not a Davis OT fan at all--cannot handle speed rushers, which led to other problems; he's not worth that salary, but that's the way the NFL player market works. If we kept him, we might have ended up paying 11 Million for a guard--but he'd be a good, experienced guard, and an OT option in case of need. In my book, this decision is part of the Bidwill cheapitis pattern--I do think they are, sort of, sometimes, with weak wills and stomachs, trying to break out of the pattern, but this is a step back. Maybe it'll turn out OK, but the odds just went way down.

 

[Pariah]

I call Jason as the first poster to say Whis should be fired in the preseason.

I don't think so. But I'm done putting blind faith in HCs. I did that for the first 2 years of DG's regime and got burned.

So far Whis has done one thing, and I don't like it. He'll do lots and lots of other things--he has ample time to make up for it.