2025 Arizona Cardinals off season thread.

[oaken1]

He said he was an Emmitt Smith type player, not actually Emmitt Smith.

Smith was a top 20 pick and didn't have an incumbent starter to beat out and not a 3rd round pick with one. Hence the statistical difference.

Emmitt also had one of the greatest offensive lines in history for most of his career..he even said in an interview that Barry would have 2500 yards a season behind his guys

 

[BritCard]

The type of player who gets 900 yards and scores 11 TDs in his rookie season.

900 yards and 9 TD's is nothing if this is your barometer. Had James Conner broke his leg in game 1 Benson would have 900 and 11 easily.

Smith went for 3.5 YPA his rookie year. Give Benson 267 carries and he's getting 900 yards minimum.

Chase Brown, who is the definition of middling running back, had 990 last year. Tyrone Tracy had 839. Tyler Allgeier had 1035 as a rookie and is truly a nobody in RB rankings.

So yeah, if that's your yardstick for greatness I'm confident Benson gets that if he doesn't have an entrenched vet in front of him considering he went for 4.6 YPA on his 63 attempts.

 

[Ronin]

Upgrading line of scrimmage this draft not lost on Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have made a concerted effort to upgrade both sides of the line of scrimmage through the NFL Draft

arizonasports.com

 

[Harry]

Emmitt Smith had 900+ yards and 11 TDs his rookie season.

Benson didn’t get the carries. Benson averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Smith got only 3.9.

 

[daves]

The responsibility is on the person arguing that Trey Benson could be as good as arguably the greatest running back of all time to provide some evidence that is the case.

Straw man. No one asserted that. @Harry said that he "has the ability to be a top starting RB when Conner is done, maybe sooner." Harry said he's an "Emmitt Smith type player although maybe not reaching those heights."

Regardless... my post didn't assert anything about Benson, I merely questioned your rebuttal of Harry's post by comparing Smith's rookie year stats when he was drafted to be a starting RB and wasn't challenged by anyone else on the roster, to Benson's stats working behind a guy who had better stats than Smith.

By the way, Smith achieved that whopping 59 yards per game by averaging 3.9 yards per carry, vs. Benson's 4.6 ypc (same as Conner's average). [Edit: Just saw that Harry and @BritCard posted the same.]

Maybe we should start with the assertion that Trey Benson could still become the best running back in his draft class. Bucky Irving started just three games for the Bucs last season and still managed to earn a lion's share of the carries over the course of the year.

[....]

Benson couldn't unseat Emari Demercado, my dude. Let's pump the brakes on the hype train.

Now THESE are valid rebuttals.

Guess we shall see!

 

[Stout]

C'mon, now we're going to try to extrapolate his YPC over the season and make any kind of conclusions? This is a silly argument. Let's just bury it.

 

[Harry]

C'mon, now we're going to try to extrapolate his YPC over the season and make any kind of conclusions? This is a silly argument. Let's just bury it.

It’s not a silly argument. Benson came into an entirely different situation than Smith did. I said Benson had a similar skillset. You presented that season totals indicated that wasn’t valid. That was actually a case of comparing apples to oranges and did not refute what I said. The point of the YPC position was to point out the fallacy of your absolute position. If I had said Benson had an equivalent first season, your position would have applied. Only time will tell if my position is correct, although with Conner re-signed it will take some time to resolve.

 

[Ronin]

Arizona Cardinals hope to re-sign several of own players in NFL free agency

Officially, the 2025 league year begins at 2 p.m. Arizona time on March 12. The reality is that free agency truly begins when the legal negotiating period opens at 10 a.m. Arizona time on March 10. No contracts can be signed until the league year begins, but agreements can be reached with new...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[BACH]

Bro you can't resist stepping on rakes.

He missed two games at the end of his rookie season for injury.

Or... You are clinging on to something irrelevant to save your stupid comment and as always being condescending to take the focus away from your failure to back any of you arguments with tangible examples.

FACT: The whole discussion was about injury prone players.
FACT: You decided to include Williams as an example of Monti drafting injury prone players
FACT: Williams was rated in the 25-45 range before his injury and Monti got him at #72 due to the fact that he would miss half his rookie season.
FACT: Williams is among the best slot CB in the NFL already, is included in NFL top 100 players by some and in conversation of players being cheated from the Pro-Bowl.

I called you out on including Williams as a draft mistake from Monty.

You are now trying to save you stand by claiming that missing two games proved that Williams is injury prone since being declared ready to play. That is half of the NFL!

Derrick Stingley. The Texans should cut his ass. He missed 5 games over the last two seasons. What a wasted draft pick!

Sauce Gardner! What a joke. He missed 3 games. The Jets should trade him immediately.

Extending McBride? What a stupid idea! He's injury prone. He also missed two games the last two seasons.

Sorry, Broh. But trying to argue that 2 missed games for CB is = injury-prone is just doubling down on stupidity.

EDIT: Your Ha-Ha emoji instead of argumentation is just tripling down on stupidity.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Benson didn’t get the carries. Benson averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Smith got only 3.9.

Interesting stat I believe I once saw was the yards from Emmitt Smith's rookie year with Dallas, and his last year with Arizona... both were for 937 yards

 

[Stout]

It’s not a silly argument. Benson came into an entirely different situation than Smith did. I said Benson had a similar skillset. You presented that season totals indicated that wasn’t valid. That was actually a case of comparing apples to oranges and did not refute what I said. The point of the YPC position was to point out the fallacy of your absolute position. If I had said Benson had an equivalent first season, your position would have applied. Only time will tell if my position is correct, although with Conner re-signed it will take some time to resolve.

You're confusing me with another poster. This is the first time I've chimed in on this argument because I find it silly. I also wasn't quoting you, as you aren't the only one making the argument. It's also silly on both sides because it's purely pointless. It's arguing for argument's sake--and that's coming from an inveterate arguer

 

[BritCard]

Comparing Eagles DL Milton Williams and Cardinals DL Dante Stills

A look at how Cardinals DL Dante Stills compares to soon-to-be free agent DL Milton Williams, a guy many want the Cardinals to sign this offseason.

cardswire-eu.usatoday.com

Here are the numbers the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Williams produced in 2024 playing 17 games (seven starts) on a very talented line:

• 501 snaps (48 percent), 24 tackles (11 solo, seven for loss), 5.0 sacks, two pressures, 10 quarterback hits.

Now, let’s look at the 6-foot-4, 286-pound Stills, playing 16 games (10 starts) in his second season:

• 534 snaps (52 percent), 42 tackles (20 solo, four for loss), 4.5 sacks, one pressure, six quarterback hits.

 

[schutd]

Comparing Eagles DL Milton Williams and Cardinals DL Dante Stills

A look at how Cardinals DL Dante Stills compares to soon-to-be free agent DL Milton Williams, a guy many want the Cardinals to sign this offseason.

cardswire-eu.usatoday.com

Here are the numbers the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Williams produced in 2024 playing 17 games (seven starts) on a very talented line:

• 501 snaps (48 percent), 24 tackles (11 solo, seven for loss), 5.0 sacks, two pressures, 10 quarterback hits.

Now, let’s look at the 6-foot-4, 286-pound Stills, playing 16 games (10 starts) in his second season:

• 534 snaps (52 percent), 42 tackles (20 solo, four for loss), 4.5 sacks, one pressure, six quarterback hits.

Is there room for both? Comparable numbers for 100% of the snaps sounds ideal to me! Let the two duke it out for who gets their next deal with the Cards in a few years when we bring in the next man up.

EDIT. I see 20M/yr expected for Williams. It's definitely an interesting argument that we should provide the lions share of time developing the young guy, and finding his back up rather than relegating him to that status simply because the other guy cost 20x more.

 

[BritCard]

Is there room for both? Comparable numbers for 100% of the snaps sounds ideal to me! Let the two duke it out for who gets their next deal with the Cards in a few years when we bring in the next man up.

You want to pay the expected $20m floating around for a Stills clone?

 

[schutd]

You want to pay the expected $20m floating around for a Stills clone?

see edit above

 

[kerouac9]

Comparing Eagles DL Milton Williams and Cardinals DL Dante Stills

A look at how Cardinals DL Dante Stills compares to soon-to-be free agent DL Milton Williams, a guy many want the Cardinals to sign this offseason.

cardswire-eu.usatoday.com

Here are the numbers the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Williams produced in 2024 playing 17 games (seven starts) on a very talented line:

• 501 snaps (48 percent), 24 tackles (11 solo, seven for loss), 5.0 sacks, two pressures, 10 quarterback hits.

Now, let’s look at the 6-foot-4, 286-pound Stills, playing 16 games (10 starts) in his second season:

• 534 snaps (52 percent), 42 tackles (20 solo, four for loss), 4.5 sacks, one pressure, six quarterback hits.

Williams had 12 pressures according to PFR. Stills had eight.

Williams isn't going to get $20 million a year. C'mon. He could get $12 million.

 

[oaken1]

Williams had 12 pressures according to PFR. Stills had eight.

Williams isn't going to get $20 million a year. C'mon. He could get $12 million.

especially not with this draft being so heavy in D front....he will sign or teams will just draft a guy

 

[BritCard]

Williams had 12 pressures according to PFR. Stills had eight.

Williams isn't going to get $20 million a year. C'mon. He could get $12 million.

I think you will be surprised how much he gets. It might not be $20m, but it's going to be way more than someone with his stat line should get.

 

[JohnnyCakes]

Williams will get PAID this FA period especially where the cap sits. If someone wants him they will have to overpay

I wouldnt hold out hope for the cardinals

 

[BritCard]

Williams will get PAID this FA period especially where the cap sits. If someone wants him they will have to overpay

I wouldnt hold out hope for the cardinals

Good. I really don't want to overpay a a 48% snap guy that peaked at 5 sacks that kind of money. Especially one that played on an elite D line next to one of the best DT's in the league. If Milton WIlliams gets $20m the Eagles have to pay Jalen Carter $100m.

 

[Ronin]

Johnny Venerable

@JohnnyVenerable
·
16m


After a week in Indy, the growing feeling is that the Arizona Cardinals are prepared to spend BIG this offseason

 

[Chopper0080]

Johnny Venerable
@JohnnyVenerable
·
16m


After a week in Indy, the growing feeling is that the Arizona Cardinals are prepared to spend BIG this offseason

McBride getting paid. AZ re-signing a lot of their own players.

 

[BritCard]

McBride getting paid. AZ re-signing a lot of their own players.

All Trey money will be future money. Unless they intentionally bring a bunch forward to this year.

That's why I don't think they extend Trey until after FA, wait until they know how much they have left then structure Trey's contract accordingly.

 

[Harry]

So

You're confusing me with another poster. This is the first time I've chimed in on this argument because I find it silly. I also wasn't quoting you, as you aren't the only one making the argument. It's also silly on both sides because it's purely pointless. It's arguing for argument's sake--and that's coming from an inveterate arguer

I as referring your post “C'mon, now we're going to try to extrapolate his YPC over the season and make any kind of conclusions? This is a silly argument. Let's just bury it.” my point was simply that YPC was relevant since Smith started, Benson didn’t. Not all of my post was directed at you. Part was directed at kerouac9’s initial comment.

 

[kerouac9]

I think you will be surprised how much he gets. It might not be $20m, but it's going to be way more than someone with his stat line should get.

You say this about every free agent the Cards don't sign, though.

Williams will get PAID this FA period especially where the cap sits. If someone wants him they will have to overpay

I wouldnt hold out hope for the cardinals

I don't know. He's not even the top IDL on the market. I think that's probably Osa Odighizuwa (DAL), maybe Tershawn Wharton (KAC). Both those guys have more impressive resumes.

All Trey money will be future money. Unless they intentionally bring a bunch forward to this year.

That's why I don't think they extend Trey until after FA, wait until they know how much they have left then structure Trey's contract accordingly.

This is kind of an obvious point; they're not extending Trey in the next two weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if they move a ton of Trey's money into this year.

YPC was relevant since Smith started, Benson didn’t

Trey Benson only earned 63 rushes, largely in situational roles. I'd argue that sample size isn't big enough to be meaningful. In the one game he started he averaged 0.9 YPC; in the two games he had 10 or more rushes, he averaged 3.3 YPC.

There's very little on-field evidence supporting that Benson can play at a high level as a starting back. That's why your assertion is still. The more compelling evidence is actually that Benson will struggle to play more than a situational role, since he had 14 game weeks to convince his coaches that he deserved more.

In his last four games he earned 17 total carries. Amazing stuff.