Arranging the Cardinals' Priorities

[Duckjake]

This. If the Cards don't re-sign Shaugnessy, it's because they can't afford him.

They also have Alexander, Acho and Okafor. A log jam at OLB?

 

[CFLredzoned]

Still hard to understand how the lions and texans can get Johnson & Johnson open all the time and the Cardinals can't figure out how to do the same for Fitzgerald.

I think the same can be said about Housler. How many times did we see Housler sprinting down the middle of the field wide open, and the QB couldn't get him the ball? I don't remember seeing that happen once this year, at least with him being wide open. I wonder if it's his injury, or if there's just something different about BA's offense that doesn't include a guy like Housler sprinting down the middle wide open?

 

[kerouac9]

They also have Alexander, Acho and Okafor. A log jam at OLB?

I don't know. I don't think that you can say that any of those guys are better than Shaugnessy right now. I think that you have to expect from a Cap point of view that you're going to have to hope to replace the production of the guy by keeping his replacement(s) fresh. We also have Dennard, who has been far better than Dontay Moch and stole all of his game reps.

If the scouting staff believes that Okafor has any future as more than a special teams player, expect Shaugnessy to leave with a good memory and a big signing bonus to motivate those guys left behind.

I think the same can be said about Housler. How many times did we see Housler sprinting down the middle of the field wide open, and the QB couldn't get him the ball? I don't remember seeing that happen once this year, at least with him being wide open. I wonder if it's his injury, or if there's just something different about BA's offense that doesn't include a guy like Housler sprinting down the middle wide open?

I think that Fitz was running those Housler routes. Fitz often got the ball in space quite a bit on those short routes.

 

[Totally_Red]

Still hard to understand how the lions and texans can get Johnson & Johnson open all the time and the Cardinals can't figure out how to do the same for Fitzgerald.

By the way, Acho has been playing ROLB not left. Though I have always thought he was better suited for the strong side. There was talk that Acho would be moved to the strong side this season but it didn't happen.

In the case of the Lions, it' might be because they play six games against Chicago, GB and Minnesota, not exactly defenses that put the fear of God into you. Meanwhile Larry is playing six games against the excellent defenses of the NFC West.

 

[BigRedRage]

They also have Alexander, Acho and Okafor. A log jam at OLB?

jury is out on okafor but shaun seemed to make a bigger impact than acho

 

[RugbyMuffin]

They also have Alexander, Acho and Okafor. A log jam at OLB?

Current OLBers under contract, and RFA's



Sam Acho - (1)
Alex Okafor - (3)
Dan Giordano - (2)
Kenny Rowe - (F)
<Everette Thompson>
John Abraham - (1)
Lorenzo Alexander - (2)
Dontay Moch - (1)
<Marcus Bernard>

and you can add Matt Shaughnessy to that list, I usually have him as a DE, but our defense really is a hybrid, thus DE/OLB are basically the same.

 

[Duckjake]

jury is out on okafor but shaun seemed to make a bigger impact than acho

Didn't Shaunessey replace Alexander? It's hard to tell with the various defensive alignments but like I wrote before it seemed that Abraham was playing the position Acho played last season.

 

[kerouac9]

Didn't Shaunessey replace Alexander? It's hard to tell with the various defensive alignments but like I wrote before it seemed that Abraham was playing the position Acho played last season.

Mmm... I think that Matt "replaced" (played the position occupied previously by) Acho--the Strong Side Outside Linebacker (i.e., the guy playing outside the shoulder of the right tackle). It seemed like once the dross was melted away by injury, Abraham was playing outside the shoulder of the left tackle, and Shaughnessy was aligned on the offense's right side.

Earlier in the season, it seemed to me that Alexander was playing across from the left tackle, and Acho was playing over the right tackle much of the time (when he was on the field, which was increasingly rarely).

 

[Duckjake]

I'll have to look at the first Rams game but I do know that last season Acho primarily played opposite the LT. Same as in 2011.

I had thought Bowles was going to move Sam but was surprised when it didn't happen to start the season.

But I could be misremembering.

 

[Duckjake]

OK forget it. I can't tell who Shaunessey replaced. In the Rams game Alexander was over the LT on the first two plays of the game and Acho over the RT. The next two plays they switched sides. Then Shaunessey came in and lined up at RDE and Calais moved to LDE in a 4 man front for a couple of plays. Then Alexander and Acho came back in and switched sides again.

On the Rams 2nd series Acho is back over the LT.

 

[Chopper0080]

This. If the Cards don't re-sign Shaugnessy, it's because they can't afford him.

He was a player who I was disappointed to see the Cardinals offer a 1 year deal to. I didn't know how he was going to perform in the 3-4, but I thought that if he did well, he would price himself out of AZ. We will see if that is the case.

 

[kerouac9]

He was a player who I was disappointed to see the Cardinals offer a 1 year deal to. I didn't know how he was going to perform in the 3-4, but I thought that if he did well, he would price himself out of AZ. We will see if that is the case.

I'm trying really, really, really hard not to bellyache about the performance of Keim and Licht in-season.

But.

My one cavil about this season is that they weren't able to get any extensions done to take care of guys like Shaugnessy and Rucker before they priced themselves off the team (to say nothing of someone like Dansby).

There's still about 90 days for them to get these kinds of deals done, but I'm not really holding my breath on it.

If that's the worst thing you can say about a front office, they probably deserve to be named executive of the year.

 

[Chopper0080]

I'm trying really, really, really hard not to bellyache about the performance of Keim and Licht in-season.

But.

My one cavil about this season is that they weren't able to get any extensions done to take care of guys like Shaugnessy and Rucker before they priced themselves off the team (to say nothing of someone like Dansby).

There's still about 90 days for them to get these kinds of deals done, but I'm not really holding my breath on it.

If that's the worst thing you can say about a front office, they probably deserve to be named executive of the year.

Especially after what the Cardinals have been subjected to in the past. I agree, it would be nice to have some of these guys taken care of in season, but I also have to think they specifically took 1 year deals to see what they could command on the open market if they played well. Winston, Dansby, Shaughnessy and Cason all fit that mold IMO. I am not sure it is the case, but I would guess it is what their agents advised them.

All in all, I am pretty happy and shocked with how well Keim's moves panned out and that includes the hire of Arians. I'm not spouting team BASK yet, but they have gotten off to a very good start and I am hoping they can keep it going.

 

[GuernseyCard]

I'm trying really, really, really hard not to bellyache about the performance of Keim and Licht in-season.

But.

My one cavil about this season is that they weren't able to get any extensions done to take care of guys like Shaugnessy and Rucker before they priced themselves off the team (to say nothing of someone like Dansby).

There's still about 90 days for them to get these kinds of deals done, but I'm not really holding my breath on it.

If that's the worst thing you can say about a front office, they probably deserve to be named executive of the year.

Keim, as the end of year approached, said that he was in conversation with a number of our free agents, And, for one, this was confirmed by Winston.

 

[Totally_Red]

I'm trying really, really, really hard not to bellyache about the performance of Keim and Licht in-season.

But.

My one cavil about this season is that they weren't able to get any extensions done to take care of guys like Shaugnessy and Rucker before they priced themselves off the team (to say nothing of someone like Dansby).

There's still about 90 days for them to get these kinds of deals done, but I'm not really holding my breath on it.

If that's the worst thing you can say about a front office, they probably deserve to be named executive of the year.

It will interesting to see how many free agents the Cardinals retain, and how many are 'lost'. I know B.A. wants to retain several, but reality says they will be hard-pressed to do that with how well Dansby, Shsugnessy, Rucker, etcetera played. You also have the mid-tier guys like Cason and Winston to consider as well as Dray, Roberts, etcetera.

They will be the most interesting offseason since the one where Kurt retired, Boldin was traded and Dansby & Rolle were lost or cut in the space of a few hours.

 

[kerouac9]

Keim, as the end of year approached, said that he was in conversation with a number of our free agents, And, for one, this was confirmed by Winston.

Well, talking isn't really the same as doing. It's much easier to get someone extended in October than it is in January.

Waiting until January to approach a pending free agent is essentially allowing them to reach free agency.

It's fine, but let's not pretend that's an active engagement. Likely, the communication is "X is what we're willing to pay when Player Y comes back." Maybe there's a "this offer expires March 15" attached.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Well, talking isn't really the same as doing. It's much easier to get someone extended in October than it is in January.

Waiting until January to approach a pending free agent is essentially allowing them to reach free agency.

It's fine, but let's not pretend that's an active engagement. Likely, the communication is "X is what we're willing to pay when Player Y comes back." Maybe there's a "this offer expires March 15" attached.

Talking leads to doing and let's not suggest we actually know how engaged they are at this point.

 

[kerouac9]

Talking leads to doing and let's not suggest we actually know how engaged they are at this point.

Yes. Lets. Care to wager on whether or not Keim gets a single pending free agent extended between now and the opening of the league year?

 

[GuernseyCard]

Yes. Lets. Care to wager on whether or not Keim gets a single pending free agent extended between now and the opening of the league year?

Ok...

$5k

What do we do next?

 

[kerouac9]

Ok...

$5k

What do we do next?

Fun times. How about something more publicly entertaining?

Winner picks the loser's avatar from the start of the league year through the draft. Wager is decided at the earlier of the beginning of the league year/start of free agency or Keim's first extension of a pending free agent.

 

[desertdawg]

Yes. Lets. Care to wager on whether or not Keim gets a single pending free agent extended between now and the opening of the league year?

If he hasn't got them on paper yet they will probably test the waters, I do wish Dansby had gotten rewarded/extended during the season but Keim has stated he is about returning Karlos. The Karlos interest meter will be interesting to say the least. I think we have the biggest need for him.

 

[desertdawg]

Yes. Lets. Care to wager on whether or not Keim gets a single pending free agent extended between now and the opening of the league year?

Ok...

$5k

What do we do next?

Fun times. How about something more publicly entertaining?

Winner picks the loser's avatar from the start of the league year through the draft. Wager is decided at the earlier of the beginning of the league year/start of free agency or Keim's first extension of a pending free agent.

You guys need to make a list of the players that will be acceptable Cardinal FAs.

 

[GuernseyCard]

You guys need to make a list of the players that will be acceptable Cardinal FAs.

No we don't. He's already set the parameter.

 

[desertdawg]

No we don't. He's already set the parameter.

Doesn't it have to be somebody we've at least heard of before?

 

[GuernseyCard]

Fun times. How about something more publicly entertaining?

Winner picks the loser's avatar from the start of the league year through the draft. Wager is decided at the earlier of the beginning of the league year/start of free agency or Keim's first extension of a pending free agent.

Sure re: avatar.

But, explain the time frame further.