Arizona Cardinals off season, week 1. 01/08/24-01/14/23

slanidrac16

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Let's grade the rookies after their first year!

Paris Johnson, Jr., B. Got a lot of help from the system but wasn't a catastrophe. Showed the traits expected and was a positive marker for the culture the front office is trying to build. A worthy successor to D.J. Humphries.

BJ Ojulari, C-. Woof. Unexpected scratch from the offseason program and much of the preseason due to unexplained injury. Showed little juice in the pass rush with just four sacks and eight pressures in 409 snaps mostly in pass rush situation. Much room to grow.

Garrett Williams, B+. After sitting out the first six games recovering from an ACL suffered in college, had a remarkable first game with an INT. Wasn't challenged often through the rest of his season, but showed he belonged on an NFL field.

Michael Wilson, A-. Missed games in the middle of his rookie season with injury but showed he can be an impactful third or fourth option, which is spectacular for the 94th overall pick in the draft. Another great culture add.

Jon Gaines, INC. Placed on IR during training camp following a knee injury suffered during a preseason game. In limited action, looked like he belonged in the NFL.

Clayton Tune, B-. He was never going to live up to the lofty preseason hype. He wasn't even the best quarterback taken in the fifth round of this draft. But he filled the Chris Streveler Memorial QB dive role as effectively as he filled the Chris Streveler Struggling to Throw NFL passes role.

Owen Pappoe, C. Pappoe played a lot of special teams snaps without distinction and was fairly bad when forced to take snaps with the regular defense. This is about what you expect from a rookie off-ball linebacker selected in the fifth round.

Kei'Trel Clark, C-. Ordinarily getting four passes defensed and seven starts from a rookie sixth round pick would seem like an immense accomplishment. Instead, Clark is an enigma who was not allowed to participate in the defense because we liked UDFA rookie Starling Thomas III more. ST3 regularly gave receivers 10 or more yards of separation at the time they caught the ball.

Dante Stills, A+. The rookie sixth rounder was perhaps the best player on the Cards' worst unit. His 3.5 sacks were largely schemed, not beating opponents straight-up, but he showed that he belongs on an NFL roster as a rotational defensive lineman.

Overall Draft Grade: B-. Monti Williams probably didn't get a miraculous rookie class, but he got a solid unit to help fill the holes he created in his first offseason. It's easier to find solid role players than exceptional game-changers, but it's not easy. Ossenfort will likely need to find one offensive playmaker and three or four defensive playmakers in the next two drafts to position the Cards as long-term playoff contenders.
Not much different, but.
I can’t give Wilson an A-. He has had a few mental lapses, short on some blocking efforts and availability. Great hands. I’d give him a B-.
Tune I’ll give him a C.
 

Chopper0080

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Let's grade the rookies after their first year!

Paris Johnson, Jr., B. Got a lot of help from the system but wasn't a catastrophe. Showed the traits expected and was a positive marker for the culture the front office is trying to build. A worthy successor to D.J. Humphries.

BJ Ojulari, C-. Woof. Unexpected scratch from the offseason program and much of the preseason due to unexplained injury. Showed little juice in the pass rush with just four sacks and eight pressures in 409 snaps mostly in pass rush situation. Much room to grow.

Garrett Williams, B+. After sitting out the first six games recovering from an ACL suffered in college, had a remarkable first game with an INT. Wasn't challenged often through the rest of his season, but showed he belonged on an NFL field.

Michael Wilson, A-. Missed games in the middle of his rookie season with injury but showed he can be an impactful third or fourth option, which is spectacular for the 94th overall pick in the draft. Another great culture add.

Jon Gaines, INC. Placed on IR during training camp following a knee injury suffered during a preseason game. In limited action, looked like he belonged in the NFL.

Clayton Tune, B-. He was never going to live up to the lofty preseason hype. He wasn't even the best quarterback taken in the fifth round of this draft. But he filled the Chris Streveler Memorial QB dive role as effectively as he filled the Chris Streveler Struggling to Throw NFL passes role.

Owen Pappoe, C. Pappoe played a lot of special teams snaps without distinction and was fairly bad when forced to take snaps with the regular defense. This is about what you expect from a rookie off-ball linebacker selected in the fifth round.

Kei'Trel Clark, C-. Ordinarily getting four passes defensed and seven starts from a rookie sixth round pick would seem like an immense accomplishment. Instead, Clark is an enigma who was not allowed to participate in the defense because we liked UDFA rookie Starling Thomas III more. ST3 regularly gave receivers 10 or more yards of separation at the time they caught the ball.

Dante Stills, A+. The rookie sixth rounder was perhaps the best player on the Cards' worst unit. His 3.5 sacks were largely schemed, not beating opponents straight-up, but he showed that he belongs on an NFL roster as a rotational defensive lineman.

Overall Draft Grade: B-. Monti Williams probably didn't get a miraculous rookie class, but he got a solid unit to help fill the holes he created in his first offseason. It's easier to find solid role players than exceptional game-changers, but it's not easy. Ossenfort will likely need to find one offensive playmaker and three or four defensive playmakers in the next two drafts to position the Cards as long-term playoff contenders.
I feel this is pretty generous grading but not going to argue with it.
 

Chopper0080

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Denico Autry. Fletcher Cox. Carl Lawson. Javon Kinlaw. Chase Young. I think these are the type of names to expect in FA.
 
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kerouac9

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I feel this is pretty generous grading but not going to argue with it.

I'm surprised. I weighted for draft placement and expectations they'd improve.

Denico Autry. Fletcher Cox. Carl Lawson. Javon Kinlaw. Chase Young. I think these are the type of names to expect in FA.

Shopping in the scratch-and-dent bins again? Blech. I think a lot of those kinds of guys (Lawson, Autry, Young, Kinlaw) are bad culture fits unless you're really sure.

What if we offered Minnesota the #4 pick for Jefferson? Would you trade the Texans pick for Drake London? You lose two years of cost control, but...
 

DVontel

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Denico Autry. Fletcher Cox. Carl Lawson. Javon Kinlaw. Chase Young. I think these are the type of names to expect in FA.
No thanks to pretty much all of these. Maybe Fletcher, but can’t have him play majority of snaps like he used to.

Man, we always have completely different FA preferences, lol.
 

DVontel

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What if we offered Minnesota the #4 pick for Jefferson? Would you trade the Texans pick for Drake London? You lose two years of cost control, but...
Why would either team do that though?
 

kerouac9

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Why would either team do that though?
I dunno. I'd make the call. Monti's old team traded A.J. Brown for less because they didn't want to pay a wideout big money on a team in transition at QB. Minnesota could potentially get MHJ or a rookie QB/WR battery for the future.

Atlanta's coaching staff might want to re-set as well.
 

Chopper0080

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No thanks to pretty much all of these. Maybe Fletcher, but can’t have him play majority of snaps like he used to.

Man, we always have completely different FA preferences, lol.
I just don't believe a lot of the players are going to be FAs and I don't think the Cardinals are going to be able to land a bunch of them. Justin Madubuike would be great...but I don't know the Cardinals have the juice to get a guy like him. Pay for Chris Jones doesn't seem like a move this org will make. Wilkins probably franchise tag. Josh Allen, franchise tag. Maybe Burns hits the market but I doubt it right now.

Once franchise tags are handed out, the market will clear up. Maybe more players will be available than I think.
 

Chopper0080

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I dunno. I'd make the call. Monti's old team traded A.J. Brown for less because they didn't want to pay a wideout big money on a team in transition at QB. Minnesota could potentially get MHJ or a rookie QB/WR battery for the future.

Atlanta's coaching staff might want to re-set as well.
I think this could be the market where Monti could make the most moves. Can you buy low on Derrick BRown and/or Jaycee Horn? Like you said, Drake London? Justin Jefferson? Both Terry McLaurin and JOnathan Allen have expressed displeasure in Washington. Khalil Mack maybe is available or gets cut.
 

Cards Crazy

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From yesterday
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That was actually unexpected but very Welcome compared to video game image from last year shows maturity and a wiililgness to learn and get better instead of sulking and Whining
 

Krangodnzr

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I think this could be the market where Monti could make the most moves. Can you buy low on Derrick BRown and/or Jaycee Horn? Like you said, Drake London? Justin Jefferson? Both Terry McLaurin and JOnathan Allen have expressed displeasure in Washington. Khalil Mack maybe is available or gets cut.
Maybe Ryan Ramczyk, but that's doubtful with the big cap hit the Saints would take. One can wish.
 

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