According to Pasquarelli - ESPN

RugbyMuffin

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Let's just say we are about as active as we were last season.

So I will limit myself to 3 big names in FA, and one or two lesser names:

Big Names:

1. Nate Clements, CB - This is a perfect choice for this team right now. Throw his butt at the #1 corner back position and forget about him. I am not ready to give up on Rolle at CB right now, so put Rolle at #2, and Eric Green at #3.

2. Eric Stienbach, G/C - He can play both guard and center. Thus helping out a line that needs a top rate Center (eventhough Leckey is playing his butt off Stienbach is an upgrade). He allows this team to have much better depth since he can play RG, LG, and Center. Combine that with a OT in the draft and our Oline will be a force.

3. Cato June/Lance Briggs/Adaluis Thomas, OLB - Any one of the three guys listed will do just fine for our club. Orlando Huff? Thank you sir but we need a football player at OLB. I personally think Adaluis Thomas should be our guy since he is more of a "in the box" player and can play OLB, MLB, or DE. June would be my second choice because of his all around skill. Briggs would fit perfectly into what we need. And that is a force at the other OLB position against the run.

Lesser Names:
1. Tim Rattay, QB - Navarre, and Warner are probably gone next year. This guy is a more than adequate back up.

2. Nick Harper, CB or Gibril Wilson, S - What is scary about the Cardinals is that we still don't have a FS after this year. I would be shocked to see Griffith out on the field after this year, and we need a FS ASAP. I like Gibril Wilson's game and he could help us out. On the other hand if we bring Nick Harper in then we could be seeing Rolle be moved to FS.

The final thing this team has to look into is a back up running back.

With Shipp gone, and Arrington the only one on the squad I think this team should look into getting a backup.

BUT this could be something to look for in the draft, so I left it alone.
 

D-Dogg

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I want us to throw the kitchen sink at both Clements and Briggs.

We must land one of those guys..MUST.
 

abomb

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If I go into the offseason not expecting us to get anyone, I cant be disappointed, right?
 

D-Dogg

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You are definitely missing plays. Wasn't the first score of the game where Cutler threw the deep bomb against Rolle?

Macklin...he was pulled right after that and then put back in again. Rolle wasn't beat on that play.
 

Renz

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I wouldn't hold my breath on Briggs, he is going to want to break the bank and I don't think he's worth it. I would expect him to go somewhere like S.F. instead.
 

ajcardfan

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Neither am I.

I have a really bad feeling that we are going to be really dissapointed this offseason when it comes to free agency. To little amount of quality players with to much money in the market for us to be competitive in that market IMO.

Which means if we even are able to sign one of those quality FA's I will be giddy becuase it will be really hard to just get that one guy.

Free agency is basically ALWAYS disappointing. How excited are they in Cleveland now after a highly praised free agency this past offseason? How did our best free agency signing ever translate into "Ws"?


If we are going to be playoff caliber anytime soon, it'll be because of the players already here. Not because of anyone we sign in free agency.
 

earthsci

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I want us to throw the kitchen sink at both Clements and Briggs.

We must land one of those guys..MUST.
I think that the key to FA is to bring whoever you want as quickly as possible and overpay them so they don't leave. Too many teams have money so the FA pool won't dry up. Clements and Briggs would be great. So would Samuel and Thomas. There are going to be alot of teams, and we may be one of them, that don't sign anyone worth a damn. We definatly need to keep Leonard IMO.
 

Russ Smith

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I think that the key to FA is to bring whoever you want as quickly as possible and overpay them so they don't leave. Too many teams have money so the FA pool won't dry up. Clements and Briggs would be great. So would Samuel and Thomas. There are going to be alot of teams, and we may be one of them, that don't sign anyone worth a damn. We definatly need to keep Leonard IMO.

I almost wonder if you use the Lute Olson(and now Ben Howland) recruiting approach. You bring in people you want and tell them the offer's on the table, whoever takes it first gets it. Say with Clements and Samuel if you only want one of them, you bring both in, make the same offer and whoever takes it first gets it?

Probably a different story when you're not dealing with 17 year olds like Olson and Howland are but it seems to work well for them. The person realizes 2 things, you want them, the offer might go away if they don't act quickly.
 

dreamcastrocks

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Free agency is basically ALWAYS disappointing. How excited are they in Cleveland now after a highly praised free agency this past offseason? How did our best free agency signing ever translate into "Ws"?


If we are going to be playoff caliber anytime soon, it'll be because of the players already here. Not because of anyone we sign in free agency.

Which is why I said I would be happy with a good GM/Coach in FA.
 

lobo

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I wouldn't hold my breath on Briggs, he is going to want to break the bank and I don't think he's worth it. I would expect him to go somewhere like S.F. instead.

that is a very good idea NOT to do!! there is no way the bears will lose briggs...no way. urlacher gets all the pub, but watching a lot of bear games here i can tell you without question that briggs plays the outside as well as urlacher plays the middle...urlacher is as good a side to side linebacker that has played the game...didn't say he was the best, but going east/west he is unbelievable...his downside is when blocked head up...he has a problem shaking the block....merry x and hny!!
 

Stout

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Yep. I expect 8-10 mil of it will be saved again to resign players. Assuming the $35 mil is correct. 12 mil to Big, and 8 Million left over, leaves us 10 million to work with.

If we get that again, I will seriously consider dropping this team. We always got the 'we don't have a stadium so we don't have the money' bs, as well as the 'save money to redo contracts' baloney. Yeah, we saw how much of a crock that was this year, and now we have the stadium. YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED if you do not fully utilize your resources in the league. This is simple fact. The team has this offseason to fix it. I think if we get a real GM he will fix it. Let's see if that happens.
 

AntSports Steve

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Who the GM is has nothing to do with it. I'm sure, Rod Graves wanted to keep spending this offseason and not go into Nov with $10+ left in the cap. He got the red light after the Cards signed Edge. The upper management sets how much they are willing to spend. The only power Graves has is chosing which players to bring in and spend it on.

I'm sure they give him a budget which includes how much cash up front money they are willing to spend. A new GM changes nothing as they won't allow the GM any real power.
 

Diamondback Jay

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Some intriguing, but inexpensive options on there.

I really like Pashos. I think he could be one of those under the radar type guys who could be a real force on the line.

I also like Wilhelm and think that a combo of Hood/Fisher would be good for the Cardinal secondary.
 

Diamondback Jay

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I think that the key to FA is to bring whoever you want as quickly as possible and overpay them so they don't leave. Too many teams have money so the FA pool won't dry up. Clements and Briggs would be great. So would Samuel and Thomas. There are going to be alot of teams, and we may be one of them, that don't sign anyone worth a damn. We definatly need to keep Leonard IMO.

The Patriots haven't used this philosophy and they've done just fine for themselves.
 

joeshmo

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I'm sure they give him a budget which includes how much cash up front money they are willing to spend. A new GM changes nothing as they won't allow the GM any real power.

We can dream though cant we.
 

JeffGollin

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Here's what I hope (and also feel in my bones):

In terms of basic physical talent, the Cardinals already have most of the players they need to make a run next year. (The only exceptions I can think of are needs for better athletes at CB, FS and more depth overall but especially at OT).

If you buy into this, the challenge before us has less to do with finding players in free agency and the draft - and more to do with working harder than we ever have before in the off season to turn the talent we already have into better football players.

I'm not sure whether or not we have the coaching staff, the programs in place or the players to make this happen (fans aren't all that privy to what goes on at the Cardinal facility between seasons) and I'm not sure how demanding of the players the League will allow. But I do think the quality of our off-season program may be more essential to the team's success next year than the off season personnel moves we may or may not make.
 

Mr.Dibbs

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Raise your hand if you are glad that the odds are slimms that Simms signs here.

I really don't want Simms, but we need a decent back-up QB.
I'm assuming Warner retires, and Navarre gets let go, so we need someone to be a solid #2. Maybe Jeff Garcia?
 

az jam

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Here's what I hope (and also feel in my bones):

In terms of basic physical talent, the Cardinals already have most of the players they need to make a run next year. (The only exceptions I can think of are needs for better athletes at CB, FS and more depth overall but especially at OT).

If you buy into this, the challenge before us has less to do with finding players in free agency and the draft - and more to do with working harder than we ever have before in the off season to turn the talent we already have into better football players.

I'm not sure whether or not we have the coaching staff, the programs in place or the players to make this happen (fans aren't all that privy to what goes on at the Cardinal facility between seasons) and I'm not sure how demanding of the players the League will allow. But I do think the quality of our off-season program may be more essential to the team's success next year than the off season personnel moves we may or may not make.


I basically buy into what you are suggesting. However, we will have quite a bit money under the cap. Rather than get into a bidding war for one or two players, IMO get 4 or 5 that are solid at positions that we either have marginal starters or lack depth. An example is the TE position we don't have a top TE and Daniel Graham would be an excellent additon. There are some decent CBs, LBs and FS. I think in the draft that our OL has to be the top priority for sure. But as you suggest the most important thing will be the coaching staff.
 
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