Cardinals 2006: Youth Abounds

[Mitch]

Yesterday, I wrote about the questions and concerns for the 2006 season.

Today I would like to focus on one of the most positive aspects of the Cardinals makeup: the impressive infusion of youth that Dennis Green and Rod Graves have brought to this football team.

Like My Cousin Vinny says: "Your honor, dese two yutes!"

Or...like the old Mormon theme song: "If you are going to bring 'em...Brigham Young!"

The focus here will be on the Cardinals who currently have four or less years of experience in the NFL...in other words, those Cardinals who are still playing under their rookie contracts...

Quarterback: Rookie Matt Leinart is the QBOF the Cardinals have been seeking for several years. A Heisman Trophy winner in 2004...and the QB for two National Championship at USC...who might have been the #1 pick in the 2005 draft...and at #10 may arguably be the absolute steal of the 2006 draft.

'04 7th round draft pick John Navarre is heading into his third year with the Cardinals. Navarre had an up and down career at Michigan, but played well in some key games and his career numbers were good. Right now, Navarre is struggling...but Dennis Green still sees the positives in Navarre...a big strong pocket presence, who needs to improve his footwork and delivery.

Running Back: 2005 2nd round pick J.J. Arrington of California had a disappointing rookie season, but looks ready this year to make a very positive contribution to the team as a kickoff returner and change of pace running back.

2005 UCFA Roger Robinson was the rushing champion of NFL Europe...Robinson is fast and decisive...looks to be headed to the IR this year, but don't forget about him for next year.

Fullback: UCFA John Bronson of Penn. St. has made the switch from TE to FB...made some impressive isolation blocks in game one...but needs to improve his pass blocking. Bronson's versatility as a TE, H-Back and special teams dynamo is an asset to the team.

Offensive Guard: 2003 6th round pick Reggie Wells is heading into his 4th year...he has a new contract because he was signed to a lucrative offer sheet as a restricted free agent, and the Cardinals matched. Wells is an impressive athlete for a player his size, and might be the Cardinals most versatile offensive lineman in that he can play all the line positions.

2003 6th round pick of the Phildelphia Eagles, Jeremy Bridges, is also quite versatile and has been filling in respectably for Oliver Ross at RT while Ross is rehabbing a leg injury.

2005 4th round pick Elton Brown started 9 games at RG for the Cardinals last year. Brown is a rugged player who moves very well in space, on traps, pulls and screens. If and when he gets in tip-top shape, he could play at a very high level.

2006 2nd round pick Deuce Lutui, of USC, is one of the prize offensive linemen of the 2006 draft. Lutui protected Matt Leinart's backside at RT as a junior, and made the switch to LG (his most natural position) as a senior. Lutui could very well be the starter at LG this year once he fully adjusts to the system. Lutui could be the starting LG for years to come.

Center: 2004 4th round pick, Alex Stepanovich, of Ohio St., was a rookie starter for the Cardinals who has battled through injuries to contend for the starting jog this year. Step has talent and needs to hold his own better at the point of attack. He's a solid pass portector.

2004 6th round pick, Nick Leckey, of Kansas St., provided good stability as a second half of the year starter for the Cardinals last year. he is a smart, tenacious player who makes the most of his ability.

Tight End: 2004 UCFA Eric Edwards, of LSU, has become the Cardinals' starter at TE. Edwards is a fiery competitor and a smart player.

2005 UCFA Adam Bergen, of Lehigh, has significant talent as a pass receiver.

2006 3rd round pick, Leonard Pope, of Georgia, is a superb athlete and target at 6'7", 256 pounds.

Wide Receiver: 2003 1st round pick, Bryant Johnson, of Penn. St., is really coming into his own this year, following a 40/432/10.8/1 effort in 2005.

2003 2nd round super steal, Anquan Boldin, of FSU, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and deserved to make it lasy year, putting up these stellar numbers: 102/1402/13.7/7. Bolidin is a RAC highlight film.

2004 1st round pick Larry Fitzgerald, of Pittsburgh, earned his first Pro Bowl berth following a stellar 103/1409/13.7/10 campaign. A real thoroughbred.

2005 7th round pick, LeRon McCoy, of Indiana, Pa., made a very positive impact as a rookie, and seized the #4 WR position. McCoy's speed and ability to make defenders miss are his greatest assets.

2005 UCFA Carlyle Holiday, of Notre Dame, has made the transition from QB to WR. Was making dazzling plays in practice as a practice squad player last year and is vying for the #5 WR spot this pre-season.

2006 7th round pick, Todd Watkins, of BYU, has sprinter speed and outstanding potential.

2006 UCFA's Greg Lee of Pittsburgh and Michael Spurlock of Mississippi are likely candidates for the practice squad. Lee turned heads with his play in the Big East and Spurlock, a QB at Ol' Miss, is successfully making the transition to WR/PR.

Will post this right now...take a break...and bring you the defense in a minute.

 

[RedRob]

Thanks Mitch for giving us something to discuss as things have seemed to slow down.

To summarize your post:

We've done a great job at identifying recievers.

We got lucky with a QB.

The rest of our "infusion" has been mediocre.

 

[Mitch]

Defensive Tackle: 2004 3rd round pick Darnell Dockett, of FSU, is heading into his third year with the Cardinals and has been a starter from day one. Dockett is a disprutive force at UT who needs to become a more consistent finisher. Major league talent.

2005 UCFA Tim Bulman, of Boston College, was elevated to the roster from the practice squad last year, and is a rugged presence in the middle, and a first-rate tackler.

2003 6th round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, Langston Moore, appears to be blossoming in this his third year in the league. Moore's impressive run stopping ability has secured him a spot in the team's NT rotation.

2006 4th round pick, Gabe Watson, of Michigan, is a massive NT with considerable ahtletic ability for a player his size and figures to be a solid contributor this year in the rotation.

2006 6th round pick, Jonathan Lewis, of Va. Tech, is an All Big East performer who brings a non-stop motor to the UT position. Has to be one of the hidden gems of the 2006 draft...could have easily warranted a first day selection.

Defensive End: 2003 5th round pick, Kenny King, of Alabama, is an above average talent who unfortunately has been sidelined by a chronically injured wrist.

2004 5th round pick, Antonio Smith, of Oklahoma St., returned from a solid NFL Europe performance in 2005 to make a key contribution to the Cardinals at DE last year, filling in for the injured Bertrand Berry. Smith has skyrocketed up the charts and shows tremendous upside as an athletic, strong pass rushing DE and UT.

2006 UCFA A.J. Schable, of South Dakota, has been one of the more pleasant surprises of camp. Schable is an aggressive and tough player on the edge.

Linebacker: 2003 1st round pick, Calvin Pace, has emerged as the team's starting SAM linebacker this pre-season. Pace was making notable strides at DE last year before his arm injury during the bye week. His outstanding versatility has enabled the team to compensate for Karlos Dansby's absence. Pace is an instinctive player who finishes plays.

2003 3rd round pick, Gerald Hayes, has overcome injuries after a season on the IR last year, to regain his starting MLB job. Hayes has good feet and is a punishing tackler.

2005 3rd round pick, Daryl Blackstock, was an early entry in the draft who is still adjusting to the system. Blackstock wreaked havoc from the edge in college and could do the same in the pros once he assimilates more comfortably into the defensive schemes.

2005 5th round pick, Lance Mitchell, has been hurt this pre-season, but had developed into one of the team's better special teams players last year.

2006 5th round pick, Brandon Johnson, may well have been the fastest LB in the draft. He needs to strengthen his slight frame to be an every down player, but should be able to contribute this year on STs and in the nickel where he has the speed and athletic ability to cover the division's prolific TEs.

Cornerback: 2005 1st round pick, Antrel Rolle, is a dynamic athlete and big time hitter in the secondary. Has battled back strong from injuries and is playing at a high level in pre-season, albeit giving up a little too much cushion in coverage.

2005 3rd round pick, Eric Green, has been battling David Macklin for the starting RCB job and is playing well. Green garnered significant playing time last year and was up for the challenge. He's a nifty, swift footed corner who has a nose for the ball.

2005 UCFA, Lamont Reid, filled in admirably for Antrel Rolle at LCB last year when Rolle was injured. Reid is a smart player who makes the most of his athletic ability.

2005 UFA, Dyshod Carter, a 3rd year pro, has been called back to the team on a couple of occasions. Carter is a fiesty player...and made one of the more textbook tackles one will ever see in last week's game in New England.

2006 UCFAs Darrell Hunter (Miami, OH), Jay McCareins (Princeton) and Justin Wyatt (USC) have had good camps and each will likely be given strong consideration for the practice squad. Hunter is a speedster, McCareins a gamer, and Wyatt a sound technician.

Safety: 2005 UCFA Aaron Francisco, from BYU, has been one of the major surprises of camp this year. Francisco has been starring on STs and showing excellent promise as an open field tackler and deep cover free safety.

2005 UCFA Ernest Shazor, of Michigan, has been making a strong roster spot bid this year. Shazor is a big strong SS who is showing improved speed and recognition this year, as evidenced by the nice interception he made in game one.

2006 UCFA Chris Harrell, of Penn. St., is a good STs player and intruiging prospect at FS who may have a chance to make the practice squad.

Punter: 2005 UCFA Fred Capshaw has been booming punts in pre-season with regularity, so much so that he may be challenging Scott Player for the punting job.

Kicker: 2005 UFA Nick Novak filled in admirably for Neil Rackers late last season and has the talent to be a steady NFL kicker.

Not only have DG and RG drafted superbly well...they and the scouts deserve the highest kudos for the UCFA signings they have made the past three years.

This is the most evenly talented roster the Cardinals have ever had.

There is no question, IMO, about that!

 

[Duckjake]

And for balance we have 14 players listed first on the nfl.com depth chart who have played at least 4 years in the NFL.

Nine with 7 or more seasons. Warner,James,Ross,Femi,Okeafor,Berry,Darling,Griffith and Macklin.

A marked improvement from being the youngest team in the NFL for several years.

 

[abomb]

Great write ups Mitch.

BTW, I think Eric Green and Aaron Francisco are two players I am going to focus on more during games.

 

[Garthshort]

Seven or More NFL Seasons

I thought Tate had a lot of experience.

 

[spanky1]

Unfortunately, a lot of this "talent" will end up elsewhere cuz there is just no way we can keep them all and fit them on to the PS.

We are thin at DE...Schable is a beneficiary of this and will end up on the PS.

If Capshaw doesn't beat out Player, we will try and hide him on the PS. There has been comments made that he would be snapped up by some other team, but I'm not so sure......we really haven't showcased him during preseason games, so we are the only ones that have much info on him at this point.

Green will not give up on Watkins, so there is another PS spot taken up this year.

I see McCareins and Hunter as definite PS players. Teams like to have CB's on the "project list", hoping that a gem surfaces. Same with RB's, hence I see Ferri as PS bound.

That leaves two more spots......allow one for Carlisle Holiday.

Now, who gets the nod for the final spot?

Tim Bulman....it would be tough to let this guy loose, but we have real depth ahead of him (five to be exact....six if Kenny King, who doubles as a DE/UT comes back).

LaMont Reid....everyone has him locking up a roster spot, but if he does it will be at the expense of Brewer who I think has more value. I see us taking a CB early in the draft next year.....so is he destined to be cut or PS bound?

Dyshod Carter....so he made a great tackle in last weeks game. Is that enough to justify a PS spot, considering he, like I. Keys, have been cut and brought back more times than teenage acne.

M. Spurlock...he supposedly has good P Returner skills, but have we really seen that much out of him to put him on the PS?

Tough decisions ahead to be sure.

 

[Mitch]

Unfortunately, a lot of this "talent" will end up elsewhere cuz there is just no way we can keep them all and fit them on to the PS.

We are thin at DE...Schable is a beneficiary of this and will end up on the PS.

If Capshaw doesn't beat out Player, we will try and hide him on the PS. There has been comments made that he would be snapped up by some other team, but I'm not so sure......we really haven't showcased him during preseason games, so we are the only ones that have much info on him at this point.

Green will not give up on Watkins, so there is another PS spot taken up this year.

I see McCareins and Hunter as definite PS players. Teams like to have CB's on the "project list", hoping that a gem surfaces. Same with RB's, hence I see Ferri as PS bound.

That leaves two more spots......allow one for Carlisle Holiday.

Now, who gets the nod for the final spot?

Tim Bulman....it would be tough to let this guy loose, but we have real depth ahead of him (five to be exact....six if Kenny King, who doubles as a DE/UT comes back).

LaMont Reid....everyone has him locking up a roster spot, but if he does it will be at the expense of Brewer who I think has more value. I see us taking a CB early in the draft next year.....so is he destined to be cut or PS bound?

Dyshod Carter....so he made a great tackle in last weeks game. Is that enough to justify a PS spot, considering he, like I. Keys, have been cut and brought back more times than teenage acne.

M. Spurlock...he supposedly has good P Returner skills, but have we really seen that much out of him to put him on the PS?

Tough decisions ahead to be sure.

Excellent post, Spanky...

IMO, locks for the practice squad: DE Schable, P Capshaw (if he isn't claimed), WR Spurlock (they like this kid's athelticism and versatilty...and is good insurance as the PR in case Walters gets hurt), WR Watkins (Green exposed LeRon McCoy last year, signed him to the practice squad and then called him up...7th round WRs are not usually claimed by any team), DT Bulman (yes, there's depth at DT this year, but Bulman is good insurance...he already showed last year he can play and contribute)...

That leaves three spots...Denny likes WR Carlyle Holliday and he's great for the scout team...I imagine he would be one....

The other two would likely be CB Darrell Hunter and DB Jay McCareins (or CB Justin Wyatt)...

The other possibility is that the team will sign an offensive lineman to the PS...someone who is waived and not signed to his team's practice squad.

As for Diamond Ferri...I think the team believes that if one of the three RBs get hurt and has to go on the IR...they can re-sign Damien Anderson (who won't get claimed by another team...he never has). Ferri might be called back at a later date once PS players start getting promoted to the 53 man roster.

Dyshod Carter is in his third year, so he is not PS eligible.

Lamont Reid is currently the #2 LCB...and unless they claim a CB off waivers, Reid sticks on the 53 man roster.

 

[spanky1]

Mitch,

I'll concede that Ferri may be a cut versus PS......Anderson will hang around town in the event that we do need another RB in the event of injury. This would free up a spot.

I'm a fan of LaMont Reid but if he makes the 53 man roster, do we cut Tate? Regarding Justin Wyatt......I can't see three having three "project CB's" on the PS and I like McCareins and Hunter better. Wyatt, at 5'9" isn't exactly in the mode size wise that Green looks for in CB's

Where I see log jams is at the FS and FB positions. Francisco is a lock and I think the same for Brewer but where does Griffith fit in? Personally, I share your thoughts that Francisco should be the #1.

Similarily, I like Bronson as a FB/TE back up over Hodgins, but if Hodgins makes the roster, I would assume that Bronson goes to PS....taking the place of Ferri as per above.

Getting to the 53 man roster is going to cause a surprise cut or two ....could E. Edwards and F. Wakefield become cut down casualties.....or even Kenny King, cuz putting him on IR for the third year in a row seems to be delaying the inevitable?

And what is to become of Lance Mitchell? I'm against cutting him. Does he go to the PS?

BIG BIG time decisions ahead.

 

[Mitch]

Mitch,

I'll concede that Ferri may be a cut versus PS......Anderson will hang around town in the event that we do need another RB in the event of injury. This would free up a spot.

I'm a fan of LaMont Reid but if he makes the 53 man roster, do we cut Tate? Regarding Justin Wyatt......I can't see three having three "project CB's" on the PS and I like McCareins and Hunter better. Wyatt, at 5'9" isn't exactly in the mode size wise that Green looks for in CB's

Where I see log jams is at the FS and FB positions. Francisco is a lock and I think the same for Brewer but where does Griffith fit in? Personally, I share your thoughts that Francisco should be the #1.

Similarily, I like Bronson as a FB/TE back up over Hodgins, but if Hodgins makes the roster, I would assume that Bronson goes to PS....taking the place of Ferri as per above.

Getting to the 53 man roster is going to cause a surprise cut or two ....could E. Edwards and F. Wakefield become cut down casualties.....or even Kenny King, cuz putting him on IR for the third year in a row seems to be delaying the inevitable?

And what is to become of Lance Mitchell? I'm against cutting him. Does he go to the PS?

BIG BIG time decisions ahead.

You're right, Spanky, and you are targetting all the right areas and all the tough decisions.

I think Bronson is a lock...he can be counted on to lead block in short yardage situations and can double at a TE.

Hodgins and King are IR mainstays...unfortunately...King will probably be retained on the IR, although you're right his release would seem inevitable after three years...Hodgins will likely be released...this guy came in wanting to be a pass catching FB and hasn't blocked anyone since he arrived.

With the addition of Brandon Gorin, Fred Wakefield's chances of sticking are dwindling...but, like Damien Anderson, he's a phone call away if needed down the line.

I like Eric Edwards...if I am making the decision, I would keep him. He made good strides last year and he's a gamer.

I also like Lance Mitchell...especially a year or two from now as he gets stronger...his ankle may force him on the IR...and, if not, he's eligible for the PS.

 

[Duckjake]

With the addition of Brandon Gorin, Fred Wakefield's chances of sticking are dwindling...but, like Damien Anderson, he's a phone call away if needed down the line.

Do most NFL teams have guys they cut,re-sign, cut, re-sign, like we do?

 

[BACH]

Do most NFL teams have guys they cut,re-sign, cut, re-sign, like we do?

Yes

 

[Duckjake]

Yes

Which brings up the next question. Why doesn't any other team ever sign those players?