Cardinals' Management Still Clueless

[john h]

Warning: Kool Aid drinkers...flip to another thread. Why get flustered?

Once again, the Cardinals' management shows its ineptitude in its feeble attempts to build a winner in Arizona. With ample cap room going into the off-season, oceans of cap room available in 2007 and a brand new state-of-the-art stadium to stir tremendous excitement for the much beleaguered Cardinal fans...team management performs its traditional off-season belly flop.

What's immediately clear is that the people in the front office do not know how to evaluate and address the vulnerabilities of its football team...nor do they have any instincts as to how to learn from the shortcomings of a disappointing 5-11 season.

Yeah, management makes moves...but...and it's a big but....they never ever finish the job. Nor do they make the attempt to prioritize their acquisitions.

Let's analyze the key personnel moves of this off-season. Before we get into the specific signings, let's remind ourselves that the Cardinals' greatest needs going into free agency were at QB, LG, RG, RT, NT, WLB and FS.

1. Signing QB Kurt Warner. The positives: (a) he brings continuity; (b) he showed last season he can move the ball in the air between the 20s pretty well still; (c) he still has a solid arm, when healthy; (d) he has the potential to be a good, veteran leader.

The negatives: (a) he is injury prone; (b) $5M plus a year at his age and history of injuries is risky; (c) he is not the QBOF; he is a short-term stop-gap; (d) he was ineffective in the red zone....yeah, yeah, blame it on the running game...but look at his decision making in the red zone...; (e) the Cardinals could have been major players in the Daunte Culpepper/Drew Brees sweepstakes...both young QBs coming off injuries, but scheduled to be healthy by September...and both, QBsOF.

This signing behooves the Cardinals to bring in a veteran backup...yet, as Rod Graves avowed today, the team won't consider a veteran backup until after the draft. So, what does that mean? The backup could be a rookie? And yeah...go ahead...let all the viable backups get signed by other teams now.

What about John Navarre and Rohan Davey? Realistic starters when Warner gets hurt?

2. DT Kendrick Clancy. The team needs a run-stuffing NT. Clancy is an undersized, but effectively quick UT, who could form a prolific rotation with Darnell Dockett...but, unless the Cardinals change their d-line scheme/philosophy, what will they do with Clancy? Who will play NT?

Meanwhile, why doesn't team management even entertain the thought of adding a Ted Washington (gone) or Sam Adams (still available) widebody who could fill the NT role...and groom a successor (to be taken in the draft)?

The Cardinals may get lucky with Langston Moore and/or Tim Bulman...both have potential to be adequate in the NT role...but, at this point, it's like hoping that Navarre and/or Davey are legitimate backup QBs.

3. G Milford Brown. He's a run blocking guard...has upside, but is not a proven commodity. However, this is the most reasonable signing the Cardinals have made this off-season...especially seeing as the Cardinals did not have a guard on the roster last year who could get any push as a run blocker.

Yet, to think that Brown is the ONLY outside free agent o-lineman acquired this off-season is about as mind-boggling as punting from the 42 yard line with 5 minutes left down 14 points.

4. RB Edgerrin James. Great player...noone can deny....but, how effective can he be behind the league's worst run blocking offensive line (and no proven free agents added to the mix)? Also, it seems this one signing broke the bank...ever since Edge was signed, the front office went on vacation...which is the WORST thing this front office could do right now.

5. G Reggie Wells. Remember Matt Joyce? The Cardinals loved his versatility and paid him handsomely...and he never settled down at a position, and he never really played all that well. Why? Matt Joyce was a decent pass blocker, but he couldn't get any formidable push in the running game...so he wasn't really a guard, and he was a fill-in tackle. This is Reggie Wells to date. Watch him on tape on running plays. He gets ZERO push...because he does not match up physically against the league's DTs. And the team opts to pay him 5/$18M???

Even worse...far stronger run blockers like Larry Allen and even Stephen Neal are out there, and the Cardinals have NO interest? Larry Allen at 50% is better than any guard on the current roster, including Milford Brown.

If the Cardinals get lucky and G Max Jean-Gilles slips to them at #42...Jean-Gilles and Milford Brown will be the starting guards...which means Wells may not even start...unless he wins the center or tackle jobs, and right now who knows if Wells can be a good starter at center or tackle? His most natural position...IMO...is at RT. Let's hope he gets tried there and he replaces the inept Oliver Ross.

The Seahawks go out and sign T Tom Ashworth...which means, even though their o-line (even without Hutch) is five times as good as the Cardinals'...the Seahawks have done MORE to upgrade their o-line than the Cardinals have. UNTHINKABLE.

The Seahawks have their eyes on the Lombardi Trophy. Obviously, the Cardinals do not.

This is deja-vu all over again. Last year Green signs Ross and announces that the team is set with Wells and Bridges at guard. L.J. Shelton is cut. When asked if he has done enough, he said the team will wait for June 1st cuts. You know the rest. And let's avoid rewinding back another year to you know who.

The fact remains...now that the front office is dormant until the draft....the team still has major needs at QB, LG, RT, NT and FS....not to even mention special teams (horrible last year) and a starting punt returner (equally horrible last year).

Are we really going to watch Robert Griffith get torched at FS another year?

Just as the Cardinals on the field can't finish out games and are poorly managed to do so...the Cardinal front office can't finish out an off-season. This year is the epitome of that notion.

Cannot disagree Jeff. Now I read Larry Allen is close to a deal with 49'ers and we will have deal with him. We absolutely have not addressed our offensive line problem in a manner that would get us over the hump. One would have to be drinking cool-aid to think so.

I would truly like to know what the thinking is in the organization? The comment about a backup QB after the draft is crazy IMHO. As you note the good ones will be likely gone. Any QB we draft would not help us this year although I have no problem in drafting a young QBOF. Perhaps management sees more in our backup QB's than we are aware of but they surely are not so blind as to our OL problems. We are all amateur would be coaches on this board but have earned the right to criticize after decades of front office futility. Green could easily be in his last year or last two years of his contract if he does not improve this team. As it stands now we look like an 8/8 team if Warner stays healthy. That is not good enough with the CAP room we had and a new stadium with a chance to attract a base of fans that will be here for the long run. I get the feeling we are just not very bright at the top when it comes to running a football team. What we really need is a world class GM with real GM powers. Michael Bidwill is a lawyer/owner not a football genius. How many football teams would have retained Rod Graves with his record? We need some players but we also need a change in the way we manage this football team. We still have time to do some decent signings but with each passing day the list of good players goes down.

 

[john h]

This is certainly a matter of opinion. There are many that thought RB was near the top of that list, too.

And, clearly (though I don't really agree), the Cards think they're golden at LG with Wells.

I am one who put a RB at the top of the list and so far the signing of James and Warner have been our two most significant moves. That is no excuse to stop with filling our other most pressing need of offensive lineman. Everyone on the board and every TV broadcaster knows our OL problems. I wonder if our Coach knows just how serious our problem is? One has to wonder if the James signing was partly to put people in the seats? No doubt he is one of the best RB's in the NFL and I applaud the signing.

 

[jefftheshark]

Everyone on the board and every TV broadcaster knows our OL problems. I wonder if our Coach knows just how serious our problem is?

Both Warner & James expressed their concern with the O-line prior to signing. It would seem apparent that the plan for addressing the line was discussed with them, and they bought into the program.

If both of these players can buy into the plan, I don't see why I wouldn't.

The Shark

 

[john h]

Some fair points but at least give green and graves the draft before you blast them. Some of those problems may be resolved on draft day.

Russ: We may make some super selections in the draft but are unlikely to draft someone who will significantly improve the team THIS YEAR. I like many others would like to see a playoff team this year. With the addition of perhaps 2-3 FA players IMHO I think we could make the playoffs. As we stand now I put us at 8/8. A question that might be posed is are we drafting and signing players for this year or the future? What is the plan that management has in mind? Is there any reason that management might not give the fans some ideas of just what they are trying to accomplish? In the military there was an old axiom "keep the f---- troops informed". You do not just want to march into battle even if you are a dogface foot soldier without having some idea of what the plan is. That goes for the fans also. All of us are throwing darts and we cannot even see the dart board.

 

[john h]

Your points have some merit, Walter, BUT you're forgetting cap strategy.

The off-season moves were in perfect correlation with the long-term cap strategy. (The Philly-Model). Graves went out and signed players that would fit with team long-term and doesn't want to overspend on older players on the downslope of their career.

True, it sucks that there probably aren't enough money to add Runyan for depth, but it gives the team more cap room in the future. It's really a very simple trade-off - Do you want to add old players that can help your team this and possibly the next season, or you you want save the money in order to afford extenting your young stars, when their rookie deal expire.

I also think you're way too early with this criticism. You complain about help at FS. Well, it would suck if we had signed McCree and Huff was sitting there at #10 as clearly the BAP on draft day, wouldn't it? The same goes for QB, TE and OLB positions. All position were we are solid (but not great) and all positions that are very likely to be our 1st round pick. Wait until after the draft to rip Graves.

Finally, I think you are way off on Clancy. Clancy is NOT a one-gap DT. He backed up Hampton at Pittsburgh and played the exact same position, as we're asking him to do, with the Giants. He was very good with NY playing next to their UT Joseph.

It is not to early for criticism as the well of good players is drying up fast. SF had no where near the CAP space we had and now are ready to sign Larry Allen. Every day I look in the paper to read about teams without a lot of Cap signing people we could use. Dallas adds another piece to their puzzle by signing a big time kicker. Dallas and the Bears will be forces to deal with this year. It is like I watch a rerun every year at this time. The only big time deal we have done is James and the resigning of Warner which was a no brainer.

 

[john h]

not all this draft but remember there's guys from the last 2 drafts that can compete too.

I agree that paying Edge that much shut off FA a bit, but I think Edge can be a real difference maker.

And I really think Loney was a huge get, we go from having a complete novice OL coach to having a very well respected one. If our OL's aren't all injured again I think we see a huge improvement.

I think the constant delays in the CBA put us off a bit, we had a plan assuming that wasn't going to happen and then when it did, we made a quick decision to go after Edge. the problem is everyone else did the same thing and my guess is some of the guys we targetted suddenly got much higher offers due to the extra caproom.

I'm no green fan but I think clueless is a bit too far to go at this point.

I also think Edge will add at least 2-3 wins to this team. With good blocking he could put us in the playoffs as it changes the entire dynamic of a game. Teams could no longer load up on pass defense. With no blocking Edge will still get more yards than we got last year but not enough to get us to the playoffs. Edge is our best signing in many years but we cannot stop there.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

It really does amaze me that people are still complaining about the job we have done in free agency. Do we need to bump the James signing threads so people can remember the euphoria that was around less than two weeks ago?

How about we leave all of this gloom and doom crap until we start out 0-3 this year?

 

[Redheart]

The Cardinals may get lucky with Langston Moore and/or Tim Bulman...both have potential to be adequate in the NT role...but, at this point, it's like hoping that Navarre and/or Davey are legitimate backup QBs..

IMO, the Cardinals already got lucky with Tim Bulman. I watched him when he had his opportunity to play last year with the injuries on the DL. He got great penetration, pursued and tackled the RB from behind and plugged well, he played with a hunger.

# 93 Tim Bulman
Position: DT
Height: 6-3
Weight: 294
Born: 10/31/1982
College: Boston College
NFL Experience: 2

This guy is going to be very good. Remember you heard it hear first...

Just as the Cardinals on the field can't finish out games and are poorly managed to do so...the Cardinal front office can't finish out an off-season. This year is the epitome of that notion.

Don't be a hater. It is still too early to be saying this, your order of crow is now being prepared...

 

[john h]

Mitch,

I love reading your posts. Thank goodness you gave advance warning to everyone that what you were about to write might be "hard to swallow".

This is the first time that I choose to take exception to your tirade.

Time will either prove you are right or that you are are like most of us......armchair amateurs or worn out high school coaches.

I see us as playoff bound with the moves we have made......you do not.

Vive la differance

You make some sense Spanky. The bottom line is are we good enough to make the playoffs this year as we stand now? Forget all the other stuff and answer that. I think we are 2-3 FA players away from making the playoffs. Others may agree or disagree. Let us see what the Cards continue to do in FA and let the season begin. After the draft it will be mostly carved in stone as not much will come out of the infamous June 30 cuts. Does our management team think we are ready for playoff football this year?

 

[spanky1]

You make some sense Spanky. The bottom line is are we good enough to make the playoffs this year as we stand now? Forget all the other stuff and answer that. I think we are 2-3 FA players away from making the playoffs. Others may agree or disagree. Let us see what the Cards continue to do in FA and let the season begin. After the draft it will be mostly carved in stone as not much will come out of the infamous June 30 cuts. Does our management team think we are ready for playoff football this year?

The problem I see is that there are not 2-3 FA's left that would be any answer.

As to making the playoffs......it's anyones guess at this point but I believe that the "forces in play" (a solid O-Line coach and the incremental improvement in players like Wells and Elton Brown, along with a RB that has "it") will go a long way to an additional 3-4 wins.

The extra two wins likely needed to secure a playoff berth might just come from a fortunate bounce or two along the way.

We are a much better team than either our record last year showed and the additional talent that we have added. Add in a FS like Huff or a RT like Winston Justice in round 1 and many of the concerns that it seems people have will be eliminated.

 

[War Birds]

It really does amaze me that people are still complaining about the job we have done in free agency. Do we need to bump the James signing threads so people can remember the euphoria that was around less than two weeks ago?

How about we leave all of this gloom and doom crap until we start out 0-3 this year?

because some people on this board need something to complain about

 

[joeshmo]

That is not good enough with the CAP room we had

Key Word there is had.

We resigned Warner and Wells who our new OL coach likes a lot to long term contracts.

We paid big money to a big time FA in Edge.

We paid for an upgrade at RG and NT(yes I know we do need some depth).

Thats 5 players we signed with the cap room that we HAD. 3 New starters.

Now some are complaining that we didnt sign Larry Allen to 5 Mill a year, who is making it on name alone, becuase he isnt being judged on his play last year.

Now could we have pushed a little more money into future years. Of course we could have, but not a lot. We are going to have a lot of our young players who need new contracts soon. Young players that we need to keep and built through the draft, which is how winning teams win through the draft, developing their talent then keeping them. Thats how Seattle did it, thats how Pitt did it, Thats how the ravens did it, thats how NE did it. It wasnt from FA's. Dansby, Dockett, Hayes, Step, Leckey, King(maybe), Davis, a few of our TE's, a few others all will need new contracts soon and we left ourselves the opportunity to do so next year.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Damn Mitch, lighten up. Still appreciate your insight but take a chill pill...and Larry Allen had his mind made up about signing on the West Coast where he has a house anyways...he was a Niner as soon as he got released.

 

[Snakester]

Good write up Walter! I agree with most everything you said. It is a little early yet to worry too much. After the draft we'll get a better picture of what the team looks like and what positions have been filled. I like the signings of M Brown and Clancy for depth. They do strengthen the team at both positions either as a rotation player or backup, but I think both of us are on the same page when it comes to not being very impressed overall with their signings. I love the Edge signing and think it will give us several wins this season just having him back there.

We really do need a QB to back up Warner. Whether we get one in the draft or free agency remains to be seen. I am hoping that we draft a tackle or a guard in the first two rounds. If we don't then I would start worrying about what are Green and Graves thinking when it comes to the o-line. There is no doubt in my mind that this team must aquire a top-notch offensive lineman this year period, whether its in the draft or free agency.

 

[DieHardFromMO]

Did you not see how many playeers they were going to drop before the CBA ratification. THat's cap management for you.

Did you not notice how conveniently the league increased the salary cap limit for teams such as the Redskins so they did not have to cut a bunch of players. These teams back-loaded their contracts under the presumption that more salary cap dollars would be added and they were correct.

 

[joeshmo]

Did you not notice how conveniently the league increased the salary cap limit for teams such as the Redskins so they did not have to cut a bunch of players. These teams back-loaded their contracts under the presumption that more salary cap dollars would be added and they were correct.

The Redskins also dont have any draft picks this year, they havent had many draft picks the last 2-3 years as well. So they dont have to spend anything on the rookie cap. But it also means the team cant build the core of their team with young talent, then retian them like all the other really succesfull teams in the league.

 

[DieHardFromMO]

What exactly has Dan Snyder done, since buying the Redskins???? Paid a lot of money to players who are individual talents, but suck with team chemistry! I don't see any rings on the fingers of the Redskins since Danny Boy blew into town and began to blow out the $$.

I didn't advocate overpaying for the talent that Dan Snyder brings in every year. My point was with his bank account the Cardinals could have fixed their OL problems over night by being players for Bentley and Hutchinson, but no we get the Milford Browns of the world. I am sure Snyder would have been able to fit a lot more than Warner, Edge, Clancy and Brown under this teams salary cap.

 

[joeshmo]

I didn't advocate overpaying for the talent that Dan Snyder brings in every year. My point was with his bank account the Cardinals could have fixed their OL problems over night by being players for Bentley and Hutchinson, but no we get the Milford Browns of the world. I am sure Snyder would have been able to fit a lot more than Warner, Edge, Clancy and Brown under this teams salary cap.

And Wells. But you are right.

But Snyder also cant keep those players for long periods of time before their contracts are to much for the cap. Which means a lot of turn over and the biggest reason why his team isnt a team. Just a glob of players who dont know how to work together. It also means little to no depth at all.

 

[john h]

Walter, contrary to other opinions, I liked your post and you hit on a lot of the concerns I have. The fact is as long as Billy B. owns this team we will never be able to play the free agency game the way it could be played. Can you imagine what a Dan Snyder could have done with our cap room? He probably could have fit half the NFL on our team with his cap management capabilities. Billy B. sell this franchise so us long suffering fans can watch a winner before we die.

I am not in the camp of kool-aid drinkers that think the tweeking we did with the OL this off-season to date is the cure for our inept running game.

Uh Rah DieHardFrom Mo. There is still speculation the Tribune may sell the Cubs so anything is possible. Price estimated at $500 -$600 mil.

 

[john h]

For gods sake, this team signs arguably the biggest FA on the market and now we have people bitching that the Cardinals aren't active enough and aren't spending enough money.

Some of you make me want to puke.

Signing the best FA on the market does not mean we should stop there. One big time FA does not a team make. It was a great start but we need to continue to finish the job with a big time OL. James was just part of the puzzle.

 

[TheCardFan]

Mitch/Wally = Post Count Assist MVP

 

[john h]

If this was Dave Mac who signed Edge, Clancy, and Brown (not that a moron like McGinnis could ever get good players to sign here) then "Mitch" would be running through the streets talking Super Bowl.

It's funny how "Mitch" could never offer up enough praise for McGinnis' crew of losers (Parsons, Shipp, Damien Anderson, etc) while no player Green acquires ever can live up to Walter's high personnel standards.

Until this team does it on the field and has a record to prove it we are still walking in mud. Yes, on paper we have signed a big time RB and on the field have perhaps the best receiving corps in the NFL but we still have yet to produce a respectable won/loss record for decades. Mitch is on solid ground until our record shows otherwise. This will be settled between those who are happy and those who are not when the season is underway. Everything else is opinion or speculation. I am waiting and hoping for the best as I have been since 1945.

 

[john h]

The Cards have resigned Kurt Warner and Reggie Wells. They have signed free agents Milford Brown and Kendrick Clancy. These are solid players. Plus the signing of Edgerrin James is the top free agent signing the Cards ever made. To think that we did not need a quality rb is absurd!

Additionally, we have the draft coming up with the the #10 pick in round one; the #9 pick in round 2 and the #8 pick in round 3. This is one of the best draft years in recent history. I expect we will get 3 very good players.
Plus some surprises on the other rounds.

Finally, listening to Rod Graves this morning he said that we will continue to sign some more free agents to add depth to the team. However, he said that will happen over the next several months.

We all know that Mitch hates Denny Green and vowed never to post again while he was head coach. Unfortunately he changed his mind and we get his latest "glass is always empty" post. He certainly has his right to his own opinion which I do respect but can't he at least wait until June to blast the Cards as we certainly don't have a finished roster??

I do not know that Mitch "Hates" Denny Green or anyone else. I suspect he questions his coaching ability as do I. Go ahead and prove me wrong Denny and I will be happy to eat crow.

 

[john h]

BTW, I disagree with your PS. Whenever Billy B. passes on I fail to see how anybody in the Bidwill family will have the coin to pay the estate taxes necessary without selling the team. I have not read any stories about the Cardinals taking the necessary steps to bypass this predicament. It is how Dan Snyder became owner of the Redskins. I believe Lamar Hunt did something a few years ago to circumvent this problem, but I don't recall seeing that the Bidwill's have addressed this issue.

DieHard you are right on this point as many family businesses have had to been sold to pay the taxes. I suspect there may be some legal loopholes but smarter people than Bill Bidwill have had to bite the bullet when inheriting a large business. Would be interesting to know just how the family has set this up. My guess is the family would somehow retain the business but it is no easy thing in a privately held company and being privately held there is no way way we will ever have privy to what will happen. You can bet there is a plan in place.

 

[john h]

I'm worried about the line....but I'm not.

Edge immediately makes this unit better. He's a vet that will take the hole that is given.....he's strong enough to actually fall forward once in awhile.

Loney immediately makes this line better. I'm not even exaggerating saying that Everett Lindsay did the worst job of coaching, at any position I've ever seen. It was like the line is not even allowed to talk to each other.

Milford Brown immediately makes the run blocking better.

As for BIG and Elton Brown....this is where Loney has to work his magic. He's got to get some type of scheme in place....and he's got to get these guys to get their blocks and get out to the 2nd level. Also wouldn't mind seeing Loney beat their cages with sticks and tease them with steaks....make them mean.

Green has put all of his chips behind Loney.....I think it'll work because I'm a big fan of coaching. I think they'll rise to about 20th in the league in YPC. The coaching last year was so bad we really don't even know what type of talent we have on the oline....if they fail again...the unit will be overhauled.....with a new head coach doing so.

I have never got over having a line coach who had basically never coached an NFL line. Does not say much for who selected him.