Boldin, Fitz and Johnson...

[Jetstream Green]

I still do not own a Fitzgerald jersey. I just am not sure he wants to be a Cardinal and that stops me from getting too hyped on the possibilites of his contribution to the Cardinals in the long run if he really does not want to be here.

I agree that he is a great WR who will ony get better but as far as what he means to the team and this fan's point of view I would still rather have Boldin if I had to choose. Boldin is a physical WR (the most physical WR I have personally seen since I started watching the NFL thirty something years ago) and my only concern is injury of course with his playing style. Even injured, Boldin went out there with a hip completely screwed up and then a nagging toe problem. I will venture to say that the pain of playing through it was the reason he had mental mistakes and a few drops. I just look at the Baltimore game and it sums up what he means to this team. Boldin does not complain about anything but losing. He is a class act about contract matters and he to me is the leader of this team. His records alone speak volumes in my opinion at this stage in his career and I can't understand why some people have all of sudden placed Fitz well above him.

Fitz is a stud WR but still not he playmaker Boldin is from my perspective. Fitz cannot break a long run after the catch and shades of Rob Moore catching the ball and going down shadow what he could be, dude is built but seldom uses his size past going up for the ball. Fitz is young so he will say things that make one say hmmm from time to time but talking openly about teams he would be interested in trading his services (saw a sports page blurb on him saying the Eagels where one of four teams he would be interested in) to makes me as a fan say he is no leader yet and shows signs of not being half the team player Boldin is. Don't get me wrong, I love the excitement Fitz shown this year on the field when things went right but he contradicts himself sometimes by his actions of really wanting to be a Cardinal.

Johnson, well in reality the best place for him would probably be in Arizona where he could feed off the coverage given to Fitz and Boldin and get decent numbers year and year out. I really don't see the speed or rather football speed of a deep threat in him but coaches still talk about it which confuses me. In the end he would make a decent number two but as most agree he cannot be a priority with Fitz, Dansby and Pace.

These are just my own opinions of course and I understand if people disagree with me and they have valid reasons as well. By ALL MEANS I want Fitz signed up for the long term in Cardinal red but I have a feeling that might not happen and he is part of the reason why.

 

[New Mexico]

I think you should buy a Fitz jersey. Not only is he one of the elite WRs in the NFL, he's seems like a great team guy, and a great guy overall. Everything that I've read indicates he wants to be a Cardinal. He could have been a pain after the Cards fired Denny, but he wasn't. I feel confident that he'll resign here, and continue to be a Pro Bowl player for a long time. His comment about playing in Philly was probably a response to some question posed by some reporter just trying to make something out of nothing.

 

[BigRedMO]

I dont know how old you are but unless you saw football prior to free agency you really missed the NFL in its heyday as far as I am concerned. I wouldnt buy any current players jersey. Almost nobody stays with the same team for a career beyond 5-6 years. Hart played 18 years for the Cards. True he finished his last year with Washington. Bakken played 17 years for the Cards as his only team. Jackie Smith played 14 years for the Cards (1 with Dallas). Roger Wehrli played 13 years. Dan Dierdorf played 12 years. Pat Tilley played 11 years. Players today are mercenaries. Even later guys like Lomax and Anderson left involuntarily. Roy Green played his last year in Philly as I recall but had long service for the Cards. You just dont see it much anymore. I dont get attached.

 

[40yearfan]

I dont know how old you are but unless you saw football prior to free agency you really missed the NFL in its heyday as far as I am concerned. I wouldnt buy any current players jersey. Almost nobody stays with the same team for a career beyond 5-6 years. Hart played 18 years for the Cards. True he finished his last year with Washington. Bakken played 17 years for the Cards as his only team. Jackie Smith played 14 years for the Cards (1 with Dallas). Roger Wehrli played 13 years. Dan Dierdorf played 12 years. Pat Tilley played 11 years. Players today are mercenaries. Even later guys like Lomax and Anderson left involuntarily. Roy Green played his last year in Philly as I recall but had long service for the Cards. You just dont see it much anymore. I dont get attached.

BRM, didn't Jackie Smith only play in the play-offs and SB for Dallas? If I remember correctly, the Cards laid him off after the season so he could sign with Dallas to possibly get a SB ring. Seems as how Dallas lost their TE to injury and had no one to replace him and the TE was a big part of their offense back then.

BTW, I agree with you 100%.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

A (40) yr. fans' perspective.....

I am hopeful that Fitz' will get signed and "HELP" the team with his current contract situation ( Both Manning & Brady had this in mind when they re-structured their contracts). I do think that he IS one of the "elite" receivers in the league and should be paid accordingly. BUT I also feel just as strongly about "Q", as he has shown "class" off-the-field, and a warriors' heart when on it.
BUT what I REALLY want on this team are players who want to be CARDINALS. Who "feel" for (40+) year old fans who have perservered thru all the years of futility. It seems almost Biblical--like a 40-year wandering in the wilderness sort-of-thing.) BUT HOPE springs eternal every Fall that this could be our year. Fitz' & Q could play a HUGE role in seeing that hope finally realized.

GO CARDS!!!

Note: Re: Fitz's playing for the Eagles. I agree that we may not know the whole story. The questioning could've gone something like this. "Larry, IF you can't get a deal done w/the Cards, who else might you be interested in playing for?" Well with-in the realm of possibility I think.

 

[joeshmo]

I still do not own a Fitzgerald jersey. I just am not sure he wants to be a Cardinal and that stops me from getting too hyped on the possibilites of his contribution to the Cardinals in the long run if he really does not want to be here.

Why do people keep saying this. He hasnt said or done anything to even give an inkling of that. Any reports that have, have all been shot down or proven wrong. The guy has done more appearances and Charity events for the Cards then any other Cardinal according to the last Podcast I believe.

Boldin does not complain about anything but losing. He is a class act about contract matters and he to me is the leader of this team.

He was full well ready to miss part of training camp when they were in Prescott if he didn't get his new deal. Last minute deal saved that from happening. People were irate about it the time and blaming his agent. He will without question make a fuss about his contract. Which isn't a knock on him because 99% of the players in the league make fusses about their contract at one point or another. What ever it takes to get your money, more power to you IMO because I would do the same.

 

[joeshmo]

( Both Manning & Brady had this in mind when they re-structured their contracts).

Keep in mind that both players did not take a pay cut. They help spread out their cap hit by taking lower base salaries and actually got raises in the form of more bonuses which means bigger cap hits later down the road then will have to restructure again do it in the from of more bonuses. Its a vicious cycle.

 

[BigRedMO]

BRM, didn't Jackie Smith only play in the play-offs and SB for Dallas? If I remember correctly, the Cards laid him off after the season so he could sign with Dallas to possibly get a SB ring. Seems as how Dallas lost their TE to injury and had no one to replace him and the TE was a big part of their offense back then.

BTW, I agree with you 100%.

You might be correct about Smith. I knew he played in post season for Dallas and assumed he played that entire year for them.

 

[Billy Flynt]

I dont know how old you are but unless you saw football prior to free agency you really missed the NFL in its heyday as far as I am concerned. I wouldnt buy any current players jersey. Almost nobody stays with the same team for a career beyond 5-6 years. Hart played 18 years for the Cards. True he finished his last year with Washington. Bakken played 17 years for the Cards as his only team. Jackie Smith played 14 years for the Cards (1 with Dallas). Roger Wehrli played 13 years. Dan Dierdorf played 12 years. Pat Tilley played 11 years. Players today are mercenaries. Even later guys like Lomax and Anderson left involuntarily. Roy Green played his last year in Philly as I recall but had long service for the Cards. You just dont see it much anymore. I dont get attached.

To be fair- all of these players played prior to NFL free agency.

It's hard to hold on to good players even when your team is winning.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Why do people keep saying this. He hasnt said or done anything to even give an inkling of that. Any reports that have, have all been shot down or proven wrong. The guy has done more appearances and Charity events for the Cards then any other Cardinal according to the last Podcast I believe.



He was full well ready to miss part of training camp when they were in Prescott if he didn't get his new deal. Last minute deal saved that from happening. People were irate about it the time and blaming his agent. He will without question make a fuss about his contract. Which isn't a knock on him because 99% of the players in the league make fusses about their contract at one point or another. What ever it takes to get your money, more power to you IMO because I would do the same.

I thought it was just the opposite. This is when T.O. was sitting out and having issues and everyone thought Boldin would do the same thing, because he had the same agent. ...But, I remember him making a statement about playing while a new contract was negotiated, instead of sitting out.

I may be dead wrong, but that's what I remember.

 

[BigRedMO]

Another thing that doesnt get discussed much is how the intensity of rivalries were greater prior to free agency. The teams had the same core players year after year. It generated real team identity for players and intense hatred for certain other players and teams. The nearly average person salaries also made the game more about the game and team and less about the paycheck and bank statements and investments.

What the Cards had with Washington and Dallas will never occur again. Even rivalries like KC and Oakland are not what they were. Neil Smith played for years with KC than went to rival Denver. So I just cant imagine Chiefs players disliked Smith while he played for rival Denver. All you have to do is hear about the battles between Conrad Dobler and Bill Bergey or Merlin Olsen to know the game has changed and is not as intense or personal as it was.

Another game from the tail end of that era was a pre-season game in 85 or 86 I think between the Bears and Cards. Perry sacked Lomax and through him to the ground. That caused a near riot and multiple objections of players for the rest of the PRESEASON game. Lomax was more than just the guy taking the snaps. He was their team mate and leader and they were the hated former same city rivals.

 

[CardShark]

Why do people keep saying this. He hasnt said or done anything to even give an inkling of that. Any reports that have, have all been shot down or proven wrong. The guy has done more appearances and Charity events for the Cards then any other Cardinal according to the last Podcast I believe.



He was full well ready to miss part of training camp when they were in Prescott if he didn't get his new deal. Last minute deal saved that from happening. People were irate about it the time and blaming his agent. He will without question make a fuss about his contract. Which isn't a knock on him because 99% of the players in the league make fusses about their contract at one point or another. What ever it takes to get your money, more power to you IMO because I would do the same.

I agree with the 1st part of your post, but you're wrong about Boldin. There was talk that he would hold out but he came out and said that he will be in camp and has the faith that his contract would be worked out.

 

[earthsci]

I thought it was just the opposite. This is when T.O. was sitting out and having issues and everyone thought Boldin would do the same thing, because he had the same agent. ...But, I remember him making a statement about playing while a new contract was negotiated, instead of sitting out.

I may be dead wrong, but that's what I remember.

I agree with the 1st part of your post, but you're wrong about Boldin. There was talk that he would hold out but he came out and said that he will be in camp and has the faith that his contract would be worked out.

That is my recollection as well.

 

[earthsci]

Anquan skipped mini-camp but showed up for off season conditioning and training camp. He got his new contract during camp.

 

[Lloydian]

You might be correct about Smith. I knew he played in post season for Dallas and assumed he played that entire year for them.

Dallas was the only team Smith played for in 1978, and while he was on the roster for 12 games, he caught no regular season passes. His last year in St. Louis was 1977.