No sight or mention of Matt Barkley, Jonathan Cooper, Massie or DJ Humphries.
Redding and Freeney were true leaders on the D.
The offense is Carson's
You kinda get the feeling why Ted Larsen, Powers and Rashad Johnson weren't resigned due to mistakes, lack of leadership, etc.
No mention on how Alex Okafor got on the IR
We were so close, I just think the team got too excited in the NFC game. The 2nd half we just gave up.
Yeah, was Barkley even involved in the trash can competition?
They did get D.J. Humphries involved when he told Freeney he did a report on him in middle school.
In my opinion, the true leader of the defense is Tyrann Mathieu. Redding and Freeney were good, vocal veteran leaders, but man, the Honey Badger's pep talks were worth the whole price of Amazon Prime. His talk before the Seahawks game at Seattle was exactly what the defense needed to hear---about the toughness it takes---about the tackling---about the being sick and tired of the losing---you could see every player in that room glued to what the Honey Badger was saying---especially Calais Campbell who was nodding intensely at everything the Badger was saying. Pat P. was looking amused, but invested. But man---when Honey Badger finished by saying, "I can guarantee you this---i will be giving my all for y'all"---man was that inspiring.
Interestingly, the NFL Films crew took it very easy on the players they most closely profiled during the Carolina meltdown. Mathieu was out. But, Carson and Pat P. made huge game-changing errors that swing the tide so abruptly in Carolina's favor. Even Larry was off his game.
Did anyone find it a little strange that during the team celebration in the locker room following the epic playoff win versus Green Bay that Larry was face down on the floor? As anyone is, i am loath to criticize Larry, but in my opinion, it looked like he was making that moment more about him than the team. Do that at your locker after the team talk---but during?
It's hard not to get caught up in Larry's impassioned plight to win a ring---but there are other highly-invested veterans on the team who share the same plight.
I think without a doubt to the MVP of the Cardinals is Tryrann Mathieu. I remember that Vikings' game and for a while there he was the only one who was taking AP on. Had we played the Vikings in the playoffs without Mathieu---I think we would have lost.
Mathieu was so right in his speech about being tough and tackling tough. That's what the Broncos and Panthers did better than any two teams last year. The Cardinals were no match intensity and toughness-wise for the Panthers, just as they weren't without Honey Badger in game 16 versus the Seahawks.
Steve Keim is on to this---look at the key players he added this off-season: G Evan Mathis, DE Chandler Jones; DT Robert Nkemdiche; CB Brandon Williams; S Tyvon Branch; C Evan Boehm; SS Marqui Christian---and then re-siging some of last year's toughest players in RB Chris Johnson; TE Darren Fells; TE Jermaine Gresham; DT Red Bryant; DE Josh Mauro; SS Tony Jefferson; FS D.J. Swearinger; WR/ST gunner Jaron Brown.
Jasper---I agree that this is why the players you mentioned weren't re-signed. Not tough enough either mentally (remember what BA said to Ted Larsen about jumping off-sides nearly ruining the Bengals' win?) or physically with the oft-injured and shaky tackling Powers (who really did himself no favors by snubbing his coach) and Johnson.
