Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. Signing DE Dwight Freeney:
I am well aware that the Cardinals traded for Chandler Jones, but, imo, part of the reason why the Cardinals lost close games last year was not getting the timely 4th quarter sacks, pressures and turnovers they got the year before.
Now that QBs pass 67% of the time, teams need more than 2 pass rushers. Having played virtually every snap, Markus Golden and Chandler Jones were gassed late in games, and understandably so. Keeping Dwight Freeney at $3M a year and rotating him in for Golden and Jones could have made a big difference, especially late in games..
I still harken back to Super Bowl 43…and am haunted by the sight of the Cardinals’ pass rushers (Bertrand Berry in particular), with the lead and a championship on the line, getting absolutely zero pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. Great teams close out games with sacks and pressures — in fact, that game was closed out when the Steelers sacked Warner at midfield.
Who is behind Golden and Jones on the 2017 roster? Jarvis Jones? He’s had only 6 sacks in 4 years. Then who? Kareem Martin? 3.5 sacks in 3 years. Then who? Please explain why Jarvis Jones and Kareem Martin are better options than Dwight Freeney.
The Cardinals currently have north of $16M in cap space.
Three other UFAs whom I would love to see the Cardinals sign: TE Gary Barnidge (excellent red zone TE could help the Cardinals get back to being a good red zone team); DT Sen'Derrick Marks (16.5 sacks from the DT position the past 4 years) and CB Leon Hall (can play the perimeter and the slot -- still earned high grades in coverage last year with the Giants).
2. Playing Tyrann Mathieu at RCB:
This moves makes total sense when you look at it from these angles:
* He's got superb cover technique and anticipation -- is an elite CB blitzer from the edge
* Would prevent some of the wear and tear of playing at SS in the box
* This would allow the Cardinals to play their best 11 players on defense and eliminate the RCB weakness as the opponents' #1 target
* In the nickel, the Badger can be brought up to play the slot and matched up against the #2 WR threat
3. BA Taking a More Hands-On Approach in Coordinating the Offense:
While I understand that BA wants to give more responsibility to Harold Goodwin by having him do much of the coordinating and having him call the vast majority of the plays in pre-season, I wonder whether it would be better for BA and the offense for BA to take greater command and a more hands-on approach this pre-season.
The offense was not crisp last year —forget the last two games, they were meaningless by then. The offense suffered sluggish, dreadfully slow 1st quarter starts week after week and were not very effective coming out of the locker room at half-time either. I think it is a cop-out to blame so much of that on injuries.
4. Take Extra Steps to Protect Palmer and Johnson:
BA's offense is, from a safety standard, neither QB friendly nor RB friendly.
* The "zero" backfield 5 WR spread formations not only put Palmer at greater physical risk, they speed up his clock which leads to otherwise avoidable turnovers.
* The refusal to use a fullback means that if one or two defensive linemen or blitzing linebackers create quick penetration into the backfield, David Johnson is a sitting duck. This is why fullbacks are so valuable. Their first priority to to take out the first flash of color from the defense which gives the RB an added 1-2 seconds to make his move.
* There is no reason why the Cardinals can't repeatedly chip, combo block and double team the best pass rushers on the other team. A WR or TE who chips then easily becomes a safety value on a delay route over the middle or to the flat.
5. Broaden Brentson Buckner's Role as DL Coach to Assistant Coordinator of Special Teams
* The Cardinals clearly need an organizer and a motivator on special teams. Buckner was the head coach of the East squad in this year's East-West Shrine Game. He commands respect and demands 100% effort and toughness.
* if you go back and watch "All or Nothing" the STs woes under Amos Jones were in full display from the very first game (the narrow win at home versus the Saints) where after the game BA alluded to the 4 critical STs mistakes (not enough men on the field, too many men on the field, etc.) and pleaded with the team to listen to Coach Jones more carefully. Of course, STs miscues in the playoffs the past three years have cost the Cardinals dearly (Ted Ginn's gift kickoff return fumble at Carolina in 2014 and Patrick Peterson's absurd full sprint muff fumble of a punt at Carolina in 2015 just when it appeared the Cardinals had gained some momentum.
* Brentson Buckner isn't going to tolerate any one playing chicken on STs. Not Peterson or anyone. Obviously, Amos Jones does...and so does BA who keeps insisting "I trust Pat."
I think that this year will prove whether BA lost the team last year or not. if valuable adjustments are not made, we will see more of the same carelessly played, self-destructive football. Dismissing last season's shortcoming as the result of 3 missed field goals is way too easy and ignorantly convenient. if the goal really is to win the Super Bowl, then all kinds of standards were compromised last year. This team was soft mentally and physically (too many times) -- it didn't tackle (save for Jefferson, Campbell, Golden and Swearinger and 3 of them are gone) -- it didn't finish off drives in the red zone (Palmer made way too many boneheaded decisions, particularly on 1st and 3rd downs) -- and it was a weekly embarrassment on STs (and that's putting it mildly).
If the off-season thus far is an indication of where the team is going -- it is rebuilding. Steve Keim has left too many unaddressed vulnerabilities for anyone to feel even remotely confident about this team being all-in. It feels like BA & SK were expecting Palmer and Fitz to retire -- and basically went ahead with their rebuilding plan anyway.
I just hope that Michael Bidwill evaluates the GM and the HC very carefully this year.
I am well aware that the Cardinals traded for Chandler Jones, but, imo, part of the reason why the Cardinals lost close games last year was not getting the timely 4th quarter sacks, pressures and turnovers they got the year before.
Now that QBs pass 67% of the time, teams need more than 2 pass rushers. Having played virtually every snap, Markus Golden and Chandler Jones were gassed late in games, and understandably so. Keeping Dwight Freeney at $3M a year and rotating him in for Golden and Jones could have made a big difference, especially late in games..
I still harken back to Super Bowl 43…and am haunted by the sight of the Cardinals’ pass rushers (Bertrand Berry in particular), with the lead and a championship on the line, getting absolutely zero pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. Great teams close out games with sacks and pressures — in fact, that game was closed out when the Steelers sacked Warner at midfield.
Who is behind Golden and Jones on the 2017 roster? Jarvis Jones? He’s had only 6 sacks in 4 years. Then who? Kareem Martin? 3.5 sacks in 3 years. Then who? Please explain why Jarvis Jones and Kareem Martin are better options than Dwight Freeney.
The Cardinals currently have north of $16M in cap space.
Three other UFAs whom I would love to see the Cardinals sign: TE Gary Barnidge (excellent red zone TE could help the Cardinals get back to being a good red zone team); DT Sen'Derrick Marks (16.5 sacks from the DT position the past 4 years) and CB Leon Hall (can play the perimeter and the slot -- still earned high grades in coverage last year with the Giants).
2. Playing Tyrann Mathieu at RCB:
This moves makes total sense when you look at it from these angles:
* He's got superb cover technique and anticipation -- is an elite CB blitzer from the edge
* Would prevent some of the wear and tear of playing at SS in the box
* This would allow the Cardinals to play their best 11 players on defense and eliminate the RCB weakness as the opponents' #1 target
* In the nickel, the Badger can be brought up to play the slot and matched up against the #2 WR threat
3. BA Taking a More Hands-On Approach in Coordinating the Offense:
While I understand that BA wants to give more responsibility to Harold Goodwin by having him do much of the coordinating and having him call the vast majority of the plays in pre-season, I wonder whether it would be better for BA and the offense for BA to take greater command and a more hands-on approach this pre-season.
The offense was not crisp last year —forget the last two games, they were meaningless by then. The offense suffered sluggish, dreadfully slow 1st quarter starts week after week and were not very effective coming out of the locker room at half-time either. I think it is a cop-out to blame so much of that on injuries.
4. Take Extra Steps to Protect Palmer and Johnson:
BA's offense is, from a safety standard, neither QB friendly nor RB friendly.
* The "zero" backfield 5 WR spread formations not only put Palmer at greater physical risk, they speed up his clock which leads to otherwise avoidable turnovers.
* The refusal to use a fullback means that if one or two defensive linemen or blitzing linebackers create quick penetration into the backfield, David Johnson is a sitting duck. This is why fullbacks are so valuable. Their first priority to to take out the first flash of color from the defense which gives the RB an added 1-2 seconds to make his move.
* There is no reason why the Cardinals can't repeatedly chip, combo block and double team the best pass rushers on the other team. A WR or TE who chips then easily becomes a safety value on a delay route over the middle or to the flat.
5. Broaden Brentson Buckner's Role as DL Coach to Assistant Coordinator of Special Teams
* The Cardinals clearly need an organizer and a motivator on special teams. Buckner was the head coach of the East squad in this year's East-West Shrine Game. He commands respect and demands 100% effort and toughness.
* if you go back and watch "All or Nothing" the STs woes under Amos Jones were in full display from the very first game (the narrow win at home versus the Saints) where after the game BA alluded to the 4 critical STs mistakes (not enough men on the field, too many men on the field, etc.) and pleaded with the team to listen to Coach Jones more carefully. Of course, STs miscues in the playoffs the past three years have cost the Cardinals dearly (Ted Ginn's gift kickoff return fumble at Carolina in 2014 and Patrick Peterson's absurd full sprint muff fumble of a punt at Carolina in 2015 just when it appeared the Cardinals had gained some momentum.
* Brentson Buckner isn't going to tolerate any one playing chicken on STs. Not Peterson or anyone. Obviously, Amos Jones does...and so does BA who keeps insisting "I trust Pat."
I think that this year will prove whether BA lost the team last year or not. if valuable adjustments are not made, we will see more of the same carelessly played, self-destructive football. Dismissing last season's shortcoming as the result of 3 missed field goals is way too easy and ignorantly convenient. if the goal really is to win the Super Bowl, then all kinds of standards were compromised last year. This team was soft mentally and physically (too many times) -- it didn't tackle (save for Jefferson, Campbell, Golden and Swearinger and 3 of them are gone) -- it didn't finish off drives in the red zone (Palmer made way too many boneheaded decisions, particularly on 1st and 3rd downs) -- and it was a weekly embarrassment on STs (and that's putting it mildly).
If the off-season thus far is an indication of where the team is going -- it is rebuilding. Steve Keim has left too many unaddressed vulnerabilities for anyone to feel even remotely confident about this team being all-in. It feels like BA & SK were expecting Palmer and Fitz to retire -- and basically went ahead with their rebuilding plan anyway.
I just hope that Michael Bidwill evaluates the GM and the HC very carefully this year.
