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..... But don't get too stoked up, they really can't get much worse.
But, because I am, really, a nice guy, I will give you a true, outside, opinion as to how I view this team, without the bias one usually gets from most of you guys in here.
By the way, I respect you guys for being some of the most loyal and passionate Cardinal fans there are..... or you wouldn't be here.
Anyway, why do I think they will be a better team? Here is the NEMananylis.
1: While Jeff Blake is not really, what I would call, a "winning" quarterback, at least he has field intelligence, something that Jake Plummer has never had, and never willl have.
Upgrading the quarterback position has been one of the only things this team has done correctly in free agency, however, it is a major upgrade. It should have been done years ago.
2: Emmitt Smith. While I don[t believe that Smith will do very much, his mere presence on the field, in certain situations, will allow the offense to vary their attack.
The negative side, however, of the signing of Smith, will be that, unless they upgrade their receiver corps, opposing defenses will be able to stack the box on Smith, not having to worry about the passing game, and might be able to make him ineffective.
And, there is concern, on my part, as to whether Smith, at his age, can remain injury free and handle the "heat" conditions on a week to week basis.
Hodgins, as big and fat as he is, could be a plus for Smith.
The rest of the running backs are "average" at best.
3: The key to any improvement on the offensive line will be to move leonard Davis to left tackle, something I have been advocating since they drafted him. For all the "positives" about how he has played at right guard, moving him to his "natural" postion will be the right thing to do, and will enable the offense to get the "best" out of him, not the "almost" best.
However, as was the case last year, the offrensive line is very, very thin, and once again, possibly just "one" major injury away from chaos. The backup offensive linemen are barely capable of playing for any other NFL team.
4: Tight end is a BIG question mark. Freddie Jones came, with promise, yet failed to deliver. Was it Plummer's fault or was it Jones' fault? If he doesnt produce this season, we will know the answer.
The offensive game plan MUST include a lot of Freddie Jones, over the middle, if it is to succeed. By using Jones as a weapon early in the season, it will force opposing defenses to loosen up on the Cards wide receivers, slightly, and give them opportunities. This is necessary because, overall, the wide receiver corps is non-existent.
If Jones goes down with an injury, the TE position becomes non existent, too.
5: Wide receivers. Nice kids, but, for the most part, none would be more than backups on any other NFL team, except Frank Sanders, and who knows if he will be here. And, who wants him, anyway?
6: Defensively, all of you know there are major problems....the secondary is extremely thin, and weak. IMO, they were conned by Dexter Jackson, who is vastly over rated and made a name for himself with a mere 30 minutes of football in the SuperBowl, but other than that has had, barely, and average career, and with a defensive team that made him look better than he actually is. The DL has no pass rush at all, and Wendell Bryant will not make a difference.....So, is Suggs the answer, if he is available? I think not.
Dewayne Robertson would be MY choice, in the first round, not Suggs.
So, with all those negatives above, why do Ithink this team will be better? Mainly because the distraction, and the departure of Jake Plummer, being the main cog.
For years, six to be exact, and even prior to the drafting of Plummer, I have been, probably, his biggest antagonist, and took a lot of heat for it. Many of you, finally, saw the light, and how his presence set this team back years and years, of progress.
Now that he is gone, this team can take the next step forward. I don't believe it will be a big step, in fact they may not win any more games than they did last year, but the team will Look better,, play better, and for the most part, be competitive.
It will be very hard to lure decent free agents here, but by looking like they belong, that could change.
Now, for the draft, do they go offense, or defense? Or, should they make a deal and acquire additional draft choices.
Conventional wisdom, and the way they have been in the past with high first round picks, and their refusal to bend over contracts, leads me to believe that they would be better served trading the pick, if the can, and pick up a later round pick, or two, or a player from another team......
This team needs an awful lot of bodies.
So, there's the NEMananysis. Take it for what you want.
This is still and very bad football team, one that has been mismanaged for many years.
However, as weak, and thin, as they are, they WILL be better, maybe not in wins and losses, but better , and more competitive.
But, if Blake gets hurt, or Emmitt goes down......there is no depth behind them.......
I have never seen an NFL franchise dig a hole as deep as this franchise has dug, not even Cincinnati.
And, for the record, don't be conned by Rod Graves, he is still, and always will be, a Bidwill "yes" man...... He screwed up the Bears, and he will continue to make the same mistakes here.....
Until the Bidwills loosen their grip on any GM, or Personnel director, don't expect too much change, just enough to keep all of the Cardinal fans in line with a little hope.
Anyway, have a nice day.
But, because I am, really, a nice guy, I will give you a true, outside, opinion as to how I view this team, without the bias one usually gets from most of you guys in here.
By the way, I respect you guys for being some of the most loyal and passionate Cardinal fans there are..... or you wouldn't be here.
Anyway, why do I think they will be a better team? Here is the NEMananylis.
1: While Jeff Blake is not really, what I would call, a "winning" quarterback, at least he has field intelligence, something that Jake Plummer has never had, and never willl have.
Upgrading the quarterback position has been one of the only things this team has done correctly in free agency, however, it is a major upgrade. It should have been done years ago.
2: Emmitt Smith. While I don[t believe that Smith will do very much, his mere presence on the field, in certain situations, will allow the offense to vary their attack.
The negative side, however, of the signing of Smith, will be that, unless they upgrade their receiver corps, opposing defenses will be able to stack the box on Smith, not having to worry about the passing game, and might be able to make him ineffective.
And, there is concern, on my part, as to whether Smith, at his age, can remain injury free and handle the "heat" conditions on a week to week basis.
Hodgins, as big and fat as he is, could be a plus for Smith.
The rest of the running backs are "average" at best.
3: The key to any improvement on the offensive line will be to move leonard Davis to left tackle, something I have been advocating since they drafted him. For all the "positives" about how he has played at right guard, moving him to his "natural" postion will be the right thing to do, and will enable the offense to get the "best" out of him, not the "almost" best.
However, as was the case last year, the offrensive line is very, very thin, and once again, possibly just "one" major injury away from chaos. The backup offensive linemen are barely capable of playing for any other NFL team.
4: Tight end is a BIG question mark. Freddie Jones came, with promise, yet failed to deliver. Was it Plummer's fault or was it Jones' fault? If he doesnt produce this season, we will know the answer.
The offensive game plan MUST include a lot of Freddie Jones, over the middle, if it is to succeed. By using Jones as a weapon early in the season, it will force opposing defenses to loosen up on the Cards wide receivers, slightly, and give them opportunities. This is necessary because, overall, the wide receiver corps is non-existent.
If Jones goes down with an injury, the TE position becomes non existent, too.
5: Wide receivers. Nice kids, but, for the most part, none would be more than backups on any other NFL team, except Frank Sanders, and who knows if he will be here. And, who wants him, anyway?
6: Defensively, all of you know there are major problems....the secondary is extremely thin, and weak. IMO, they were conned by Dexter Jackson, who is vastly over rated and made a name for himself with a mere 30 minutes of football in the SuperBowl, but other than that has had, barely, and average career, and with a defensive team that made him look better than he actually is. The DL has no pass rush at all, and Wendell Bryant will not make a difference.....So, is Suggs the answer, if he is available? I think not.
Dewayne Robertson would be MY choice, in the first round, not Suggs.
So, with all those negatives above, why do Ithink this team will be better? Mainly because the distraction, and the departure of Jake Plummer, being the main cog.
For years, six to be exact, and even prior to the drafting of Plummer, I have been, probably, his biggest antagonist, and took a lot of heat for it. Many of you, finally, saw the light, and how his presence set this team back years and years, of progress.
Now that he is gone, this team can take the next step forward. I don't believe it will be a big step, in fact they may not win any more games than they did last year, but the team will Look better,, play better, and for the most part, be competitive.
It will be very hard to lure decent free agents here, but by looking like they belong, that could change.
Now, for the draft, do they go offense, or defense? Or, should they make a deal and acquire additional draft choices.
Conventional wisdom, and the way they have been in the past with high first round picks, and their refusal to bend over contracts, leads me to believe that they would be better served trading the pick, if the can, and pick up a later round pick, or two, or a player from another team......
This team needs an awful lot of bodies.
So, there's the NEMananysis. Take it for what you want.
This is still and very bad football team, one that has been mismanaged for many years.
However, as weak, and thin, as they are, they WILL be better, maybe not in wins and losses, but better , and more competitive.
But, if Blake gets hurt, or Emmitt goes down......there is no depth behind them.......
I have never seen an NFL franchise dig a hole as deep as this franchise has dug, not even Cincinnati.
And, for the record, don't be conned by Rod Graves, he is still, and always will be, a Bidwill "yes" man...... He screwed up the Bears, and he will continue to make the same mistakes here.....
Until the Bidwills loosen their grip on any GM, or Personnel director, don't expect too much change, just enough to keep all of the Cardinal fans in line with a little hope.
Anyway, have a nice day.
