Catfish
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With the looming presence of possibly not having a CBA in place by the March 3rd deadline, and its consequenses of not having Free-Agency or Trade options, I will attempt to take a look a what the Cardinals will be faced with for the upcoming Draft. Since, (at least for now), it appears that there will be no free-agent or trade scenario, then I feel that drafting for need will be a necessary consideration for the Cardinals. I really don't look for the season to be lost, but I seriously doubt the ability of the Owners and the Players to successfully negotiate a new CBA before the March 3rd deadline, therefore the Draft would be the only way to improve our team. I will first look at a draft preference that is best for the Cardinals, (not just with the first pick), but for the entire draft.
In this probable scenario of No Free Agency and No Trades, it is a given that John Slelton would be the starting QB for the Cardinals. Both he and Max Hall would be well ahead of any QB coming out of college this year, (at least to begin with), therefore I feel that Skelton would start, and that Hall would be his backup. The Cardinals still need to take a QB in this draft. After reading Draft Winds, ('A Thorough Breakdown of Cam Newton'), posted by Top Gun, I am convinced that Cam Newton is the absolute best QB in the 2011 college draft. Taking Newton would seem to be a slam dunk for the Cardinals, provided he is on the board at the #5 pick, but in my opinion, by doing so the Cards could be weakening their intire overall draft potential. Let me explain.
Quarterback is not the only desperate need for the Cardinals in this draft. Rush-Linebacker has long been a terrible weak spot on this team, and Cornerbacks to a lesser extent. By taking a really good Rush-Linebacker, the Cards could not only improve their ability to get to the opposing QB, but could actually help their Cornerback corps at the same time, by not forcing them to cover for such a long period of time. Ther fact that there are three really good Rush-Linebackers available, Miller, Quinn, and Houston, only enhances this as a possibility for the Big Red. While Miller seems to be the choice of most draft prognosticators, I have serious reservations with his ability to hold up against the bigger, stronger, and faster athletes that he will be facing at the pro-level. He has never faced that combination of speed, strength, and size before. Thus, my choice would be for Quinn or Houston over Miller as a Rush-Linebacker because of their greater size, speed, strength combinations. Of those two, Quinn would be my choice at the #5 slot. But what would happen to the QB slot if we were to take Quinn at the #5 slot?
Fortunately for the Cardinals, there is still a decent possibility of taking a really good QB at the top of the second round. Although he came from a small program compared to Newton, Colin Kaepernick possesses the sme type attributes that Newton does. He has the samd type of strong arm and the big hands with which to achieve the really tight spiral that Newton delivers. He thusly has the ability to hang onto the ball when being tackled, (he only fumbled 12 times in three years despite dropping back to pass or running more than 2000 times combined). He makes all the throws, (with touch), and can play from under the center as well as from the shot-gun. He is big, 6-7, 225, and very fast and quick, (he runs a 4.5 forty). He has great escapability from within the pocket, and the ability to run, (he carried the ball more than 700 times for 24 TD's.) While scrambling, he keeps his eyes downfield, looking for an open receiver. He has accumulated 61 passing touchdowns to go along with his rushing TD's. He has a 148.3 career passer rating, and has proven to be able to handle the offense in cold, wind, and snow. His ability to read defenses is maybe the best ability he possesses. That, (coupled with his ability to keep his eyes downfield while on the move), separates him from someone like Blaine Gabbert, who can do neither at this point in his career. I am not in the least concerned that he came from a small program, (Nevada), as he also had to work with lesser talent than some of the QB's from big programs.
That said, my choice for the Cardinals would be to take Robert Quinn, OLB, 6-5, 268, N. Carolina, with the first pick, #5 overall in the 2011 draft. I would follow that up by taking Colin Kaepernick, QB, 6-7 225, Nevada, with my second pick, #38 in the draft. This allows us to get both a really good rush-linebacker, and a really good QB with our first two picks.
There would possibly be a negative for doing this however, and that would be leaving Cam Newton on the board for the Niners to take at the #7 slot if we were to pass on him with our first pick. This would be inconsequential if Newton were taken either by Carolina or Buffalo, each of whom are looking for QB's in this draft. Passing on Newton, should he remain on the board would require some very serious thought by the staff of the Cardinals, as we would end up facing him twice a year more, than likely, by doing so. I still feel that we could ultimately have an overall stronger draft by taking Quinn and Kaepernick with our first two picks.
Questions will arise about passing on Patrick Peterson, who some project as the best athlete in the draft. Mike Mayock, (whom I have tremendous respect for as a player analyst), has had reviews both for and against Peterson this off-season. His latest is that Peterson is somewhat stiff in the hips, and may not project well as a Cornerback in the pros. This is usually a death knell for cornerbacks, (and is precisely why Antrel Rolle did not make it as a Cornerback with the Cardinals). Projecting as a safety certainly decreases the value of a player like Peterson, and coupled with the fact that we have already helped our cornerback corps, I feel that passing on Peterson is not cause for concern.
For my third round selection, I choose Jerrell Powe, NT, 6-1, 331, Ole Miss. Through much adversity, Powe has gotten himself on track to graduate at Ole Miss, despite having to go to several different schools in order to gain academic eligibility. While he is not a renowned pass-rusher, ( his moves are pretty much limited to a bull rush at this time), he is VERY stout against the run at the point of attack due to his low center of gravity and his very strong lower body. He does chase sideline to sideline, but tires easily, much like Dan Williams. Paired with Williams, these two will make a very formidable tandem of NT's who keep each other fresh. Because of our difficulty in stopping the run, I feel that NT is the next greatest point of need on this team, and these two would solve that problem for years to come.
In round #4, my selection would be Colin McCarthy, ILB, 6-1, 235, Miami. He is the consumate wrap-up ILB who plays a text-book, (hit, lift, drive), style of tackle football. He also has the ability to make big hits, and supplied some of the heaviest hits in the Senior Bowl, both on defense, and on special teams. While he is just OK against the pass, he is a prime run-stopper. who has the athleticism to break down and tackle the elusive backs in space, yet is not afraid to take on the bigger backs straight up. Additionally, on one play in the Senior Bowl, he displayed a gear that almost no one knew that he even possessed, when he chased down a Nebraska running back and beat him to the side-line to make the tackle. With Daryl Washington and Paris Lenon starting at the ILB slots, he would make the ideal compliment to them, learning by coming off the bench in spot situations.
For round #5, I would select Rashard Carmichael, CB, 6-0, 225, Va. Tech. Carmichael is a very speedy and agile CB who just keeps working and working. While I don't necessarily feel that he would be an upgrade to our current starters, DRC and Toler, I do feel that he would be and excellent compliment to them, and a hedge against injury to one of them. I do feel that he might replace Michael Adams as a nickel back. His addition would be a solid pick-up at this point in the draft, and would add stability and depth to what has been an inconsistant CB tandem.
In the 6th round I would take John Clay, RB, 6-0, 248, Wisconsin. Clay ranks third in Wisconsin history with a 5.43 yards per carry average accumulated over 3000 yards of running at the Big 10 School. He has 18 (100+ yard games), 10 of which came in succession during a stint lasting from late 2009 thru early 2010. He scored a career 41 TD's running the ball at Wisconsin. I selected running back here, because last year, Larod Stevens-Howling proved to be too light to handle the running back slot when forced to work in tandem with Hightower or Wells. It became very clear that he was not capable of pounding the ball with any regularity when forced to do so, and his ability to perform his duties as a special teams gunner and kick returner suffered each time he was forced to do so. Clay's size, strength, and ability to pound the ball over and over will strengthen our running back tandem.
In the seventh round I would take Derek Hall, OT, 6-5, 305, Stanford.
The Cardinals badly need to address this position on the O-line, especially in light of 2012 being Levi Browns contract year, and the year he is also due a substantial pay raise. While Hall lacks the size and the athleticism that wows the draftnicks, he was very instrumental in protecting Andrew Luck during the 2010 season. Luck was the second least-sacked QB in college last year, and most of that was due to his offensive line. Hall is an already proven commodity in a conference where he played against top competition.
It should be pointed out that I totally passed on taking a TE, another feature that has been absent from the Cardinals offense the last several years. I did this, (not because it was my choice), but because it is apparently the choice of Coach Whizenhunt to do so. Thus far, he has never made the TE a priority in his offense, nor has he made it even a real consideration, seeming to be content to merely plug in bodies at that slot. Because he seldom uses the TE, (either in blocking or passing schemes), I chose not to address this position in this draft of needs. That is apparently not a position of need for Coach Whizenhunt, and I chose not to use a valuable pick on a position that will not likely be utilized by the head coach.
As earlier stated, this scenario is just for a No Free Agency and No Trade period in event that the two sides fail to pass a new CBA on time. That wold mean that the only players we could add to our roster are the ones we resign, and the ones who we would add through the draft. Drafting for need will be necessary as it is the only way to fix holes that exist in our roster. I feel that this is the very best possible OVERALL draft that I could assemble. Those were my considerations for these choices.
In this probable scenario of No Free Agency and No Trades, it is a given that John Slelton would be the starting QB for the Cardinals. Both he and Max Hall would be well ahead of any QB coming out of college this year, (at least to begin with), therefore I feel that Skelton would start, and that Hall would be his backup. The Cardinals still need to take a QB in this draft. After reading Draft Winds, ('A Thorough Breakdown of Cam Newton'), posted by Top Gun, I am convinced that Cam Newton is the absolute best QB in the 2011 college draft. Taking Newton would seem to be a slam dunk for the Cardinals, provided he is on the board at the #5 pick, but in my opinion, by doing so the Cards could be weakening their intire overall draft potential. Let me explain.
Quarterback is not the only desperate need for the Cardinals in this draft. Rush-Linebacker has long been a terrible weak spot on this team, and Cornerbacks to a lesser extent. By taking a really good Rush-Linebacker, the Cards could not only improve their ability to get to the opposing QB, but could actually help their Cornerback corps at the same time, by not forcing them to cover for such a long period of time. Ther fact that there are three really good Rush-Linebackers available, Miller, Quinn, and Houston, only enhances this as a possibility for the Big Red. While Miller seems to be the choice of most draft prognosticators, I have serious reservations with his ability to hold up against the bigger, stronger, and faster athletes that he will be facing at the pro-level. He has never faced that combination of speed, strength, and size before. Thus, my choice would be for Quinn or Houston over Miller as a Rush-Linebacker because of their greater size, speed, strength combinations. Of those two, Quinn would be my choice at the #5 slot. But what would happen to the QB slot if we were to take Quinn at the #5 slot?
Fortunately for the Cardinals, there is still a decent possibility of taking a really good QB at the top of the second round. Although he came from a small program compared to Newton, Colin Kaepernick possesses the sme type attributes that Newton does. He has the samd type of strong arm and the big hands with which to achieve the really tight spiral that Newton delivers. He thusly has the ability to hang onto the ball when being tackled, (he only fumbled 12 times in three years despite dropping back to pass or running more than 2000 times combined). He makes all the throws, (with touch), and can play from under the center as well as from the shot-gun. He is big, 6-7, 225, and very fast and quick, (he runs a 4.5 forty). He has great escapability from within the pocket, and the ability to run, (he carried the ball more than 700 times for 24 TD's.) While scrambling, he keeps his eyes downfield, looking for an open receiver. He has accumulated 61 passing touchdowns to go along with his rushing TD's. He has a 148.3 career passer rating, and has proven to be able to handle the offense in cold, wind, and snow. His ability to read defenses is maybe the best ability he possesses. That, (coupled with his ability to keep his eyes downfield while on the move), separates him from someone like Blaine Gabbert, who can do neither at this point in his career. I am not in the least concerned that he came from a small program, (Nevada), as he also had to work with lesser talent than some of the QB's from big programs.
That said, my choice for the Cardinals would be to take Robert Quinn, OLB, 6-5, 268, N. Carolina, with the first pick, #5 overall in the 2011 draft. I would follow that up by taking Colin Kaepernick, QB, 6-7 225, Nevada, with my second pick, #38 in the draft. This allows us to get both a really good rush-linebacker, and a really good QB with our first two picks.
There would possibly be a negative for doing this however, and that would be leaving Cam Newton on the board for the Niners to take at the #7 slot if we were to pass on him with our first pick. This would be inconsequential if Newton were taken either by Carolina or Buffalo, each of whom are looking for QB's in this draft. Passing on Newton, should he remain on the board would require some very serious thought by the staff of the Cardinals, as we would end up facing him twice a year more, than likely, by doing so. I still feel that we could ultimately have an overall stronger draft by taking Quinn and Kaepernick with our first two picks.
Questions will arise about passing on Patrick Peterson, who some project as the best athlete in the draft. Mike Mayock, (whom I have tremendous respect for as a player analyst), has had reviews both for and against Peterson this off-season. His latest is that Peterson is somewhat stiff in the hips, and may not project well as a Cornerback in the pros. This is usually a death knell for cornerbacks, (and is precisely why Antrel Rolle did not make it as a Cornerback with the Cardinals). Projecting as a safety certainly decreases the value of a player like Peterson, and coupled with the fact that we have already helped our cornerback corps, I feel that passing on Peterson is not cause for concern.
For my third round selection, I choose Jerrell Powe, NT, 6-1, 331, Ole Miss. Through much adversity, Powe has gotten himself on track to graduate at Ole Miss, despite having to go to several different schools in order to gain academic eligibility. While he is not a renowned pass-rusher, ( his moves are pretty much limited to a bull rush at this time), he is VERY stout against the run at the point of attack due to his low center of gravity and his very strong lower body. He does chase sideline to sideline, but tires easily, much like Dan Williams. Paired with Williams, these two will make a very formidable tandem of NT's who keep each other fresh. Because of our difficulty in stopping the run, I feel that NT is the next greatest point of need on this team, and these two would solve that problem for years to come.
In round #4, my selection would be Colin McCarthy, ILB, 6-1, 235, Miami. He is the consumate wrap-up ILB who plays a text-book, (hit, lift, drive), style of tackle football. He also has the ability to make big hits, and supplied some of the heaviest hits in the Senior Bowl, both on defense, and on special teams. While he is just OK against the pass, he is a prime run-stopper. who has the athleticism to break down and tackle the elusive backs in space, yet is not afraid to take on the bigger backs straight up. Additionally, on one play in the Senior Bowl, he displayed a gear that almost no one knew that he even possessed, when he chased down a Nebraska running back and beat him to the side-line to make the tackle. With Daryl Washington and Paris Lenon starting at the ILB slots, he would make the ideal compliment to them, learning by coming off the bench in spot situations.
For round #5, I would select Rashard Carmichael, CB, 6-0, 225, Va. Tech. Carmichael is a very speedy and agile CB who just keeps working and working. While I don't necessarily feel that he would be an upgrade to our current starters, DRC and Toler, I do feel that he would be and excellent compliment to them, and a hedge against injury to one of them. I do feel that he might replace Michael Adams as a nickel back. His addition would be a solid pick-up at this point in the draft, and would add stability and depth to what has been an inconsistant CB tandem.
In the 6th round I would take John Clay, RB, 6-0, 248, Wisconsin. Clay ranks third in Wisconsin history with a 5.43 yards per carry average accumulated over 3000 yards of running at the Big 10 School. He has 18 (100+ yard games), 10 of which came in succession during a stint lasting from late 2009 thru early 2010. He scored a career 41 TD's running the ball at Wisconsin. I selected running back here, because last year, Larod Stevens-Howling proved to be too light to handle the running back slot when forced to work in tandem with Hightower or Wells. It became very clear that he was not capable of pounding the ball with any regularity when forced to do so, and his ability to perform his duties as a special teams gunner and kick returner suffered each time he was forced to do so. Clay's size, strength, and ability to pound the ball over and over will strengthen our running back tandem.
In the seventh round I would take Derek Hall, OT, 6-5, 305, Stanford.
The Cardinals badly need to address this position on the O-line, especially in light of 2012 being Levi Browns contract year, and the year he is also due a substantial pay raise. While Hall lacks the size and the athleticism that wows the draftnicks, he was very instrumental in protecting Andrew Luck during the 2010 season. Luck was the second least-sacked QB in college last year, and most of that was due to his offensive line. Hall is an already proven commodity in a conference where he played against top competition.
It should be pointed out that I totally passed on taking a TE, another feature that has been absent from the Cardinals offense the last several years. I did this, (not because it was my choice), but because it is apparently the choice of Coach Whizenhunt to do so. Thus far, he has never made the TE a priority in his offense, nor has he made it even a real consideration, seeming to be content to merely plug in bodies at that slot. Because he seldom uses the TE, (either in blocking or passing schemes), I chose not to address this position in this draft of needs. That is apparently not a position of need for Coach Whizenhunt, and I chose not to use a valuable pick on a position that will not likely be utilized by the head coach.
As earlier stated, this scenario is just for a No Free Agency and No Trade period in event that the two sides fail to pass a new CBA on time. That wold mean that the only players we could add to our roster are the ones we resign, and the ones who we would add through the draft. Drafting for need will be necessary as it is the only way to fix holes that exist in our roster. I feel that this is the very best possible OVERALL draft that I could assemble. Those were my considerations for these choices.
