Cardinals | Bryant Released

[O]

Are you serious? What does this have to do with what happenned to Kendall? How is the depth affected by someone who rarely played or contributed anything when he played? He had ONE BIG tackle all of last year. Even Vanden Bosch had 13 tackles on two bad knees.

He played last year? HE HAD A TACKLE LAST YEAR?
Someone call Marmie, let hin know.

 

[40yearfan]

The Article from azcardinals.com says that he is 6-3 292.

CBS Sportsline says he's 310. Maybe he's lost some weight?

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/players/player/gamelogs/2004/281363

 

[az1965]

He played last year? HE HAD A TACKLE LAST YEAR?
Someone call Marmie, let hin know.

That will be great if Marmie and Rams pick him up... That will be another great off season move for Cards.

 

[Sandan]

I am not surprised by this move. I am surprised no one has asked why the Cards didn't trade him for a 5th round draft pick or something.

Why doi you assume anybody would have traded a pick to us for him ?

 

[BACH]

Somewhat surprised...

Not that Bryant was cut but over the timing.

This smells of sending a message like Kendell last year. I just have a hard time believing that they didn't realize Wendell didn't fit the D earlier and I have a very hard time believing an improved Bryant is worse than Kolodziej.

Don't have a problem with it, though...We don't know what's going on "inside" the team and I'm sure Green had his reasons. I personally (as an outsider) would have brought Bryant to camp at least to compete for that #4 DT spot because he has a bigger outside than Kolodziej.

I have to agree with earlier posters this dude is the worst pick in AZ Cards history. Get the heck outta here Wendell!

BTW. I do NOT agree with this. Bryant was the right pick at #12 for us - Without Doubt. He was probably best available player at #12 AND at a need position on top of that.

Worst Pick? - No Way. Biggest Bust? - Strong Candidate.

 

[az1965]

Republic version of the news... same stuff except for the cap info. That kind of make me scratch my head also on the timing. From Green's comments, it seems Bryant was never in Green's plans for this season. Also, Claybrooks seems to be camp fodder.
----------------------------

Green cuts DT Bryant, says he didn't fit a role

Odeen Domingo
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 31, 2005 12:00 AM

Add Wendell Bryant to the growing list of former Cardinals' first-round draft picks that didn't live up to expectations.

The Cardinals released Bryant on Saturday, the No. 12 overall pick of the 2002 draft. Bryant is the sixth first-round draft choice in the past nine years to leave the team.

The team cut Bryant the day before players report to training camp instead of releasing him before June 1, when the Cardinals wouldn't have taken a salary-cap hit this season for Bryant's remaining contract and signing bonus. The Cardinals will take a cap hit of $1.1 million this year and next. Cardinals coach Dennis Green also cut veteran center Pete Kendall around this time last season.

Rod Graves, Cardinals vice president of football operations, has said the team has enough room under the cap this year that cuts after June will not relate to cap issues. Green said Bryant just didn't fit in the team's plans.

"When you look at the numbers and who we have along the defensive line, we just didn't see a role for Wendell," Green said in a statement. "We added Chike Okeafor as a starting end opposite Bertrand Berry and behind them you have a pair of veterans who have been starters, Calvin Pace and Peppi Zellner. Inside we have Kenny King returning which is a big plus. (King) missed all of last year but is back at full strength and ready to contribute. With King, Russell Davis, Darnell Dockett, and Ross Kolodziej, you have a strong veteran presence at tackle as well. Add in prospects like Antonio Smith, who was the defensive player of the year in NFL Europe, and Wendell just did not fit in for us."

The Cardinals owed Bryant $455,000 this season. Bryant and his agent Neil Cornrich did not return phone messages.

The Cardinals replaced Bryant's roster spot by signing fifth-year journeyman DeVone Claybrooks, a defensive tackle who played in eight games with Dallas last season.

 

[CronosCard]

"..And in this corner.."

SeeYa Momma's boy Wendell...

 

[vince56]

I have to agree with earlier posters this dude is the worst pick in AZ Cards history. Get the heck outta here Wendell!

I dunno, Tom Knight's definitely up there. I guess Knight played a lot more than Wendell and while Knight's cover skills sucked serious ass, he could definitely tackle in open field, so I guess that makes him # 2 behind Wendell in the "bust" category.

I'm happy to see Wendell off the team. Loser. It chaps my ass to see someone paid that much friggin' money and just throw their career away like he has. What's he got, 2 sacks in 3 years in the league, and both of them came against Carolina in his rookie year if I'm not mistaken. Good riddance.

 

[JeffGollin]

Stouffer, Clyde Duncan and Anthony Bell are equally as bad draft busts, but Wendell definitely must be included in that "ring of honor."

Begs the question - Without insisting on hard and fast rules when evaluating players, doesn't it seem as though your typical "character player" who views football as a lucrative weigh-station on the way to becoming a stockbroker or lawyer is a bigger risk than the hungry kid who lives, eats and breathes football?

 

[Mulli]

Why doi you assume anybody would have traded a pick to us for him ?

I don't. SMILEY FACE!!!

 

[joeshmo]

The team cut Bryant the day before players report to training camp instead of releasing him before June 1, when the Cardinals wouldn't have taken a salary-cap hit this season for Bryant's remaining contract and signing bonus. The Cardinals will take a cap hit of $1.1 million this year and next. Cardinals coach Dennis Green also cut veteran center Pete Kendall around this time last season.

Someone needs to give this domingho Fella a cap lesson.

If cut before June 1st we would have had a bigger cap hit becuase all of his remaining signing bonus would count against the cap. After June 1st it gets seperated between this year and the next.

 

[blindseyed]

Stouffer, Clyde Duncan and Anthony Bell are equally as bad draft busts

I'd like to add Leeland McElroy to that list

 

[BigDavis75]

Are you serious? What does this have to do with what happenned to Kendall? How is the depth affected by someone who rarely played or contributed anything when he played? He had ONE BIG tackle all of last year. Even Vanden Bosch had 13 tackles on two bad knees.

Are you serious?

 

[CardsGuy]

Cardinals notebook

Cardinals notebook - Cardinals part with former first-rounder Bryant
By Darren Urban, Tribune
July 31, 2005

Wendell Bryant’s tenure as an Arizona Cardinal never went well — from his long holdout as the team’s 2002 No. 1 draft pick to his struggles on the field.

Any chance the defensive tackle might have had when Dennis Green was hired as coach seemed to fade as soon as the first minicamp practice last summer, when a reporter asked Bryant if he felt pressure since Green had already called him out publicly.

“I’m always under the gun — is there anything (expletive) new around here?” Bryant said.

Green called Bryant out in front of the entire team the next morning, a message to the other players to watch what they said to the media and a message to Bryant that he was on a short leash. Saturday, two days before training camp was to start, the leash was finally cut for good.

Bryant was released, a move that was surprising if only that it had taken so long to happen.

Bryant did not return a message left on his cell phone. In a statement released by the team, coach Dennis Green cited at least eight defensive linemen ahead of Bryant on the depth chart, including Kenny King, Russell Davis, Darnell Dockett and Ross Kolodziej at tackle.

“When you look at the numbers and who we have along the defensive line, we just didn’t see a role for Wendell,” Green said.

Bryant, who had two years remaining on his rookie contract, will cost the Cardinals about $1.1 million in pro-rated signing bonus money against the salary cap each of the next two seasons. He was scheduled to make only $455,000 in salary this season.

Still, it wasn’t worth it for a player who appeared in just 29 games in three seasons, starting nine times and getting just one sack. He played in just three games last season, and was credited with a lone assisted tackle.

To replace Bryant on the roster, the Cardinals signed journeyman defensive tackle Devone Claybrooks to a one-year deal.

TWO LEFT
The Cardinals agreed to terms with third-round pick Eric Green on a three-year contract Saturday afternoon, leaving only their top two picks — first-round cornerback Antrel Rolle and second-round running back J.J. Arrington — unsigned with the team’s first practice Monday.

Vice president of football operations Rod Graves said earlier Saturday that there was a “good chance” for multiple signings by the time the team reported to Prescott for training camp tonight. Asked if negotiations with Rolle had any stumbling blocks, Graves said “not at this point.”

Arrington seems much more likely to ink a pact in time for the start of camp than Rolle. As of Saturday night, only 14 of 32 first-round picks had come to terms, and only two — No. 1 overall selection Alex Smith, quarterback for San Francisco, and No. 5 choice Cadillac Williams, running back for Tampa Bay — among the top 10.

Rolle’s agent did not return a phone message Saturday.

Graves also said talks remain “open and ongoing” with Anquan Boldin’s agent for a contract extension, and emphasized equal attention has been given to that situation as with the draft picks.

Contact Darren Urban by email, or phone (480) 898-6525

 

[joeshmo]

Vice president of football operations Rod Graves said earlier Saturday that there was a “good chance” for multiple signings by the time the team reported to Prescott for training camp tonight. Asked if negotiations with Rolle had any stumbling blocks, Graves said “not at this point.”

Graves also said talks remain “open and ongoing” with Anquan Boldin’s agent for a contract extension, and emphasized equal attention has been given to that situation as with the draft picks.

Plus he said multiple signings. To me that means more then just Rolle and JJ. Could Boldin be around the corner as well, or does he mean other veteran FA's/wavier wires. I am probably just reading to much into it.

 

[ajcardfan]

Plus he said multiple signings. To me that means more then just Rolle and JJ. Could Boldin be around the corner as well, or does he mean other veteran FA's/wavier wires. I am probably just reading to much into it.

He said that before Green was signed. But, I see no reason to not hope it can happen. Signing Rolle and Boldin very early in camp, or before, would create a very positive buzz.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

If Kolodziej is going to stick on the roster, we need a nickname for him because its too hard to remember how to spell his name.

How about Kmart? anybody got anything else?

 

[Big Deal]

Sadly all I remember about Bryant is a DUI, and sitting on the sideline all colio with a pick in his hair, while others who are unable to play get involved with the team or ride stationary bike or something!

 

[john h]

"I proclaim Bryant the biggest bust in cardinal history"

Kelly Stouffer says thank you

Seems we had a #1 DB a few years ago that was a terrible pick and I think is out of the NFL.

 

[JeffGollin]

Move over Kelly (Stouffer), Leeland (McElroy), Anthony (Bell) and Clyde (Duncan) and make room for Wendell.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

If Kolodziej is going to stick on the roster, we need a nickname for him because its too hard to remember how to spell his name.

How about Kmart? anybody got anything else?

K-PAC (He came from planet "nowhere" to make this team)

 

[BACH]

K-PAC (He came from planet "nowhere" to make this team)

 

[az1965]

Are you serious?

Yes. Kendall was cut because he did not buy into Denny's program. Bryant has been a piece of crap and should have been scraped long time ago.

 

[artp]

I am an old time, long time believer in the Cardinals. I had hopes that Bryant could still contribute. I cannot believe he is worse than Kolodziev? It was a Kendall move by Denny.

 

[ajcardfan]

I am an old time, long time believer in the Cardinals. I had hopes that Bryant could still contribute. I cannot believe he is worse than Kolodziev? It was a Kendall move by Denny.

Sadly, Kolodziej played with more fire, (and was more of a presence on the field last year), than Bryant had in his entire Cardinals career. Kolodziej is not a world beater, but he beat Bryant fair-and-square. Besides, Kendall was THE leader going into last year, Bryant had nowhere near that stature.