Bye Bye Budda

[AZCrazy]

A ground up rebuild like the one going on here now, when well performed, is a two year project.
This year is going as perfectly as could have been hoped for. Bare bones roster, stockpiling cash and picks, getting a new coaching staff up to speed as to running a team in the real world, and keeping the men up and fighting even through the tough times. This team has had a halftime lead in most of its games and has remained competitive the whole season. They are coached well and fighting hard, just don't yet have full horsepower.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

is he decent in coverage though? Like truly?

I think he's considered middle of the road. Smarter people than me will probably have more of a take on this.

 

[kerouac9]

Regarding the draft ..I'm happy if the goal is to have 1 starter from day one...1 pick who becomes a starter during season one...and 1 pick who develops into a starter by week 1 of season two...the rest of the picks need to be quality (hopefully) depth and rotation guys...and if you develop any more starters, that's just a bonus.

The problem with that is you don't end up having enough impact players on your roster. Unless you plan to extend all of those draft picks who work out, you're swimming to keep up with everyone else.

We really need an annus mirabilis draft to get ahead of most of the league.

 

[Krangodnzr]

The problem with that is you don't end up having enough impact players on your roster. Unless you plan to extend all of those draft picks who work out, you're swimming to keep up with everyone else.

We really need an annus mirabilis draft to get ahead of most of the league.

I think the best expectation next year is that the Cardinals are only competing to make the NFC playoffs. Even the moribund Rams, Saints, and Falcons are competing for a playoff spot right now.

 

[kerouac9]

I think the best expectation next year is that the Cardinals are only competing to make the NFC playoffs. Even the moribund Rams, Saints, and Falcons are competing for a playoff spot right now.

I think that should be the baseline expectation for next year. Kingsbury had us competing for a playoff spot into December in year 2.

 

[CardNots]

The overall point is that the roster is extremely talent deficient, and it is not in the position to build primarily through the draft. The Cardinals have not given themselves that luxury. Because of this, they likely have to retain some players they should bail on, overpay some players in FA, explore trades, and hit on draft pick. Fair or not the NFL is a production league, and people who don't produce get shipped out.

I know I thought this was the case. Given we have a tough schedule for this year with a draft pick rental at QB, how is it we aren’t getting smoked in every game we play? Coaching? Yes this team has weaknesses at CB, DL and Guard but extremely talent deficient, I’m not sure. Maybe I‘m just viewing the game through a different lense.

 

[kerouac9]

I know I thought this was the case. Given we have a tough schedule for this year with a draft pick rental at QB, how is it we aren’t getting smoked in every game we play? Coaching? Yes this team has weaknesses at CB, DL and Guard but extremely talent deficient, I’m not sure. Maybe I‘m just viewing the game through a different lense.

Because even in the NFL there's a baseline of competence. The Denver Broncos can have 70 points rung up on them and still have more wins than us.

It's hard to win in the NFL, and there aren't games like in the NCAA when Alabama just goes HAM on a directional school from Missouri.

There were moments when the score was relatively close over the course of this five game (and counting) losing streak, but there have been very few moments when opponents didn't feel like the result was well in hand.

The Cards haven't really been playing to win, either. They've been playing not to lose by an embarrassing amount.

Look at the roster and think about how many guys we have that could start for the Bills/Eagles/Chiefs/49ers. That number should be around zero.

That's extremely talent deficient.

 

[DVontel]

Because even in the NFL there's a baseline of competence. The Denver Broncos can have 70 points rung up on them and still have more wins than us.

It's hard to win in the NFL, and there aren't games like in the NCAA when Alabama just goes HAM on a directional school from Missouri.

There were moments when the score was relatively close over the course of this five game (and counting) losing streak, but there have been very few moments when opponents didn't feel like the result was well in hand.

The Cards haven't really been playing to win, either. They've been playing not to lose by an embarrassing amount.

Look at the roster and think about how many guys we have that could start for the Bills/Eagles/Chiefs/49ers. That number should be around zero.

That's extremely talent deficient.

We do have a few guys that would start on that Buffalo squad. Their talent is massively overrated.

 

[kerouac9]

We do have a few guys that would start on that Buffalo squad. Their talent is massively overrated.

You mostly credit McDermott, Diggs, and Allen?

 

[DVontel]

You mostly credit McDermott, Diggs, and Allen?

Sort of.

I think Hollywood, Budda, & Hernandez would easily start on that team, tbh.

 

[CardNots]

Because even in the NFL there's a baseline of competence. The Denver Broncos can have 70 points rung up on them and still have more wins than us.

It's hard to win in the NFL, and there aren't games like in the NCAA when Alabama just goes HAM on a directional school from Missouri.

There were moments when the score was relatively close over the course of this five game (and counting) losing streak, but there have been very few moments when opponents didn't feel like the result was well in hand.

The Cards haven't really been playing to win, either. They've been playing not to lose by an embarrassing amount.

Look at the roster and think about how many guys we have that could start for the Bills/Eagles/Chiefs/49ers. That number should be around zero.

That's extremely talent deficient.

Solid point. By the way thank you for taking your time to express your position without slamming me about my opinion.

 

[Chopper0080]

I think if the Cardinals can get three good starters out of the draft, three good starters in free agency, the team will be competitive again.

Agree but just feel like that is a huge mountain to climb. Maybe not as huge with all of our high draft picks but still not much margin for error.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Agree but just feel like that is a huge mountain to climb. Maybe not as huge with all of our high draft picks but still not much margin for error.

The Cardinals have six picks in the top 100. If they don't walk away with three starters, they have done something very wrong.

The Cardinals have enough to resign everyone and add probably one marquee free agent and probably two mid tier free agents.

I think the pessimism is clouding some posters thinking a little. Everything I'm saying is pretty reasonable based on the circumstances.

 

[kerouac9]

The Cardinals have enough to resign everyone and add probably one marquee free agent and probably two mid tier free agents.

Really not sure about this.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Really not sure about this.

A few restructures/cuts and this can be easily done.

 

[Stout]

Really not sure about this.

They SHOULD be able to do this. WILL they do this is the question.

 

[kerouac9]

A few restructures/cuts and this can be easily done.

Who?

 

[Krangodnzr]

Who?

Cut Ertz and restructure Murray and Humphries.

 

[kerouac9]

Cut Ertz and restructure Murray and Humphries.

Cutting Ertz creates $5 million in dead cap but opens $7.55 million in new space. That seems like a no-brainer to me. Maybe he even gives back some money to stay on the roster.

Humphries only has 2025 left on his contract. You have a lot of opportunity to convert that $15.7 million 2024 salary to bonus if you're willing to settle for a cap number of $30 million or a dead cap charger of $20 million or more in his walk year in 2025. Dunno.

Kyler has a fully guaranteed $37 million salary in 2024 that can be converted into bonus if you're sure he's staying--but converting even $10 million of that into bonus creates some pretty challenging cap numbers in the out years.

Do you want to leverage the cap into the future to maybe win 9-10 games in 2024? Is that building for the future?

The upside is that the 2025 free agent class for the Cards looks pretty dire. Budda Baker, Conner, White, Hernandez, Zaven Collins, Gardeck, Foholdt, and Rondale Moore.

 

[BritCard]

Really not sure about this.

Wait, what's the argument here. I'm lost.

On the one hand there are a bunch of people saying we have enough money and don't need to move on from Budda's ridiculous contract. And on the other you're saying that we don't enough to sign Hollywood, a few vet min depth guys and 1 top end FA and a couple of mid tier ones.

 

[BritCard]

They SHOULD be able to do this. WILL they do this is the question.

Yes, the only way they can justify a losing season this year is Kyler's injury. They don't get that pass again.

 

[Stout]

Wait, what's the argument here. I'm lost.

On the one hand there are a bunch of people saying we have enough money and don't need to move on from Budda's ridiculous contract. And on the other you're saying that we don't enough to sign Hollywood, a few vet min depth guys and 1 top end FA and a couple of mid tier ones.

It's the Bidwill factor.

 

[Stout]

Yes, the only way they can justify a losing season this year is Kyler's injury. They don't get that pass again.

Again, it's the Bidwill factor. Will they do it remains to be seen.

 

[BritCard]

Again, it's the Bidwill factor. Will they do it remains to be seen.

What's Bidwill got to do with it? They have a cap and over a 4 year period they have to spend a minimum 90% of that cap.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Again - we already shopped the guy - nobody wants to pay Budda what we're paying him plus trade draft picks to make it happen - this was all common knowledge before the deadline