Cards not planning go after big names FA

[Shane]

Slice it by money and salary cap hit. For a center the salary he will command? PASS!

Slice it by name recognition outside the NFL. This has no bearing on it whatsoever. PASS!

Slice it by prestige of position. Again completely irrelevant he is arguably the best C in football so the prestige is there. PASS!

Slice it by the ability to put average go fans in the seats. Wrong. Fans can see if a team is trying to win. If Bentley is signed it shows just that. PASS!

Slice it by the ability to become league MVP? Neither does a DE but would you consider signing a Strahan in his prime or getting a Freeney a blockbuster signing just as an example? Most people would. PASS!


And of course this is based on the average fan's view...that's who reads the claptrap in the newspapers. I also understand PR, and know that it's basically G&G telling all the fairweather fans not to expect a high profile guy they will recognize. Who do you think they are talking to in the paper when they say something like that? You? Me? No, they are talking to Joe Six Pack who only perks his ears up for known names, not LeCharles Bentley-types. They are priming THEM for disappointment. I'll get disappointed only IF they don't bring in Bentley for an interview

We may bring in lots of peole for an interview. That doesnt mean we have any intention of signing them. Try pushing your hope scale a little higher.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Badabingbadabang!

Hey, you can't quote me!

 

[D-Dogg]

Yeah, all those things have bearing in what is "top tier" and what is not. Sorry, but they do. Bentley isn't in the same tier as Edge or Alexander, in price, position prestige, name value, MVP potential or buttinseatism, no matter how you slice it. And that is the difference in the tiers. ESPECIALLY PRICE. I don't care if he is the most expensive OL out there, he's not in the top RB level. You can't compare those positions across the board and say because one is the top at his position, he's comparable to the top of the other. It doesn't, and hasn't ever, work like that. Bentley is elite for his position, not elite for FA.

And I'd rather have him than any RB in FA.

 

[Stout]

Keep setting them up, and Shane will keep knocking them down. I'm with ya, buddy!

Are we as Cardinal's fans that trained, that conditioned? Do we just expect to be ripped off so badly that we have to make excuses for the team when they don't do their frickin' JOBS?

Yeah, word is today that in a RB market where we could actually get a star, we're interested in Maurice Morris. Yeah, that THRILLS me as a Cards fan

I'll give them the FA period. If they don't sack up and DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, they'll be on probation. I don't know how long I'll give them (a year or 2, probably), but if they become a team that has money that refuses to spend it, even AFTER they have a stadium, they will no longer deserve my support.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yeah, all those things have bearing in what is "top tier" and what is not. Sorry, but they do. Bentley isn't in the same tier as Edge or Alexander, in price, position prestige, name value, MVP potential or buttinseatism, no matter how you slice it. And that is the difference in the tiers. ESPECIALLY PRICE. I don't care if he is the most expensive OL out there, he's not in the top RB level. You can't compare those positions across the board and say because one is the top at his position, he's comparable to the top of the other. It doesn't, and hasn't ever, work like that. Bentley is elite for his position, not elite for FA.

And I'd rather have him than any RB in FA.

i think all this arguing is stupid b/c really, none of us knows how g&g defines "top tier." when i read that i thought it meant that we wouldn't bring in any of the top tier guys at any position. every position has tiers. some of you have read it to mean name guys. w/o any clarification from g&g we have no idea what it means. i'll be surprised if we talk to lecharles bentley. i see us bringing in more rosses and huffs.

 

[Stout]

i'll be surprised if we talk to lecharles bentley. i see us bringing in more rosses and huffs.

And I'll weep...and I'll be called a doom-and-gloomer...and we'll lose...and I'll weep...and the circle of suck goes on.

 

[red desert]

The more I think about it the more I am getting angerer about what Graves said. You may not like the price, but how can you not at least take a look or talk to them. 9 times out of 10 the players initial offer sounds way to high and ends up signing for 25% less. And if you dont at least talk to them you cant be apart of that. There is no harm in at least making an offer and talking to the guy, if he doesnt except your offer then so be it, at least make an honest effort. If he is out of your FA plan price range then so be it, but you will never know until you try.

Green's arrogance via the puppet -- if one assumes Grren is the one calling the shots.

 

[red desert]

Graves, and then Green, were hired to re-build a football team that was in as bad a shape as you can imagine.

Any worse than what Lewis took over in Cinci?

 

[ajcardfan]

Green's arrogance via the puppet -- if one assumes Grren is the one calling the shots.

Anything these two do is via the blessing of the real power in the Cards organization - Mike Bidwill.

The buck still stops with a Bidwill.

 

[Stout]

Anything these two do is via the blessing of the real power in the Cards organization - Mike Bidwill.

The buck still stops with a Bidwill.

Then he shall be held accountable if his checks don't reach far in FA. They whined and cried about the stadium, and promised to change if they got it. We're hearing more of the same vomit spewed year after year after year after year after year after mother-loving year. If it doesn't change, other things will.

 

[ajcardfan]

Then he shall be held accountable if his checks don't reach far in FA. They whined and cried about the stadium, and promised to change if they got it. We're hearing more of the same vomit spewed year after year after year after year after year after mother-loving year. If it doesn't change, other things will.

The main difference between Mike and his dad is that Mike genuinely wants to win. He sold me on that in a conversation I had with him. I think he's willing to make changes until it does finally happen. I just don't see him tolerating a bad season to start off the new stadium. Graves and Green will be fired if we go 5-11 again.

 

[Shane]

And I'll weep...and I'll be called a doom-and-gloomer...and we'll lose...and I'll weep...and the circle of suck goes on.

"The circle of suck" I like that stout. Oh so true however!

 

[Stout]

The main difference between Mike and his dad is that Mike genuinely wants to win. He sold me on that in a conversation I had with him. I think he's willing to make changes until it does finally happen. I just don't see him tolerating a bad season to start off the new stadium. Graves and Green will be fired if we go 5-11 again.

Well then, does this mean 'business as usual', or does this mean we become proactive? I was fully of the opinion that, given our cap room and our supposed desire to improve, we'd become more creative with how we do business.

What will you say if we sign say three players, two of the Huff/Ross caliber and one of the Okeafor caliber? I'll be majorly upset and will laugh off the Bidwill promise to change things. What about you?

 

[D-Dogg]

i think all this arguing is stupid b/c really, none of us knows how g&g defines "top tier." when i read that i thought it meant that we wouldn't bring in any of the top tier guys at any position. every position has tiers. some of you have read it to mean name guys. w/o any clarification from g&g we have no idea what it means.

And that is Somers fault. If he was any type of a reporter he would have asked for clarification, and named a few names. Would X X be considered a top tier guy? How do you define these? Etc. Instead, Somers just writes what he hears, puts no value in the piece and leaves it for us to interpret. Stuff like this is what a reporter is paid to do, yet rarely do you see them actually do it in sports. Bet your a that if this was a business reporter, he'd ask for clarification...sports reporters don't treat sports for what it is, a business.

 

[Stout]

And that is Somers fault. If he was any type of a reporter he would have asked for clarification, and named a few names. Would X X be considered a top tier guy? How do you define these? Etc. Instead, Somers just writes what he hears, puts no value in the piece and leaves it for us to interpret. Stuff like this is what a reporter is paid to do, yet rarely do you see them actually do it in sports. Bet your a that if this was a business reporter, he'd ask for clarification...sports reporters don't treat sports for what it is, a business.

Somers is getting EXACTLY what he wants, though. He's created a stir, and aggravated the anti-Cards sentiment. Sold papers, in other words.

 

[D-Dogg]

Somers is getting EXACTLY what he wants, though. He's created a stir, and aggravated the anti-Cards sentiment. Sold papers, in other words.

Yep, tabloid journalism.

 

[Shane]

Yep, tabloid journalism.

What he printed was nothing close to tabloid journalism but thats great embelishment. In fact I would be willing to bet that Somers doesnt bother even asking questions so specific because he knows both G&G are going to deflect like they always do.

 

[red desert]

And that is Somers fault. If he was any type of a reporter he would have asked for clarification, and named a few names. Would X X be considered a top tier guy? How do you define these? Etc. Instead, Somers just writes what he hears, puts no value in the piece and leaves it for us to interpret. Stuff like this is what a reporter is paid to do, yet rarely do you see them actually do it in sports. Bet your a that if this was a business reporter, he'd ask for clarification...sports reporters don't treat sports for what it is, a business.

You have a point.

 

[red desert]

What he printed was nothing close to tabloid journalism but thats great embelishment. In fact I would be willing to bet that Somers doesnt bother even asking questions so specific because he knows both G&G are going to deflect like they always do.

Yeah, but he still needs to ask the question.

 

[Stout]

Yep, tabloid journalism.

Not good journalism, certainly not. Still, it's hard to ignore everything that's being said right now. We're high on JJ, we're interested in Morris, we're not interested in Alexander, we're not going after elite players, the disgusting, pathetic salary cap article that was just posted.

It's starting to read like a litany of excuses before we go out, spend little, and enter the season with 5+ million in cap space yet again.

 

[D-Dogg]

What he printed was nothing close to tabloid journalism but thats great embelishment. In fact I would be willing to bet that Somers doesnt bother even asking questions so specific because he knows both G&G are going to deflect like they always do.

Now you're going so far to the doom and gloom that you are making excuses for a reporter not doing his job and writing "open to interpretation" articles?

Wow.

 

[Stout]

Let's stick to the issue at hand, here. Are the Cardinals already making excuses as to why they won't spend, or is it smoke and mirrors? I'm PRAYING TO GOD it's smoke and mirrors, but I'm deathly afraid it is not.

 

[D-Dogg]

Not good journalism, certainly not. Still, it's hard to ignore everything that's being said right now. We're high on JJ, we're interested in Morris, we're not interested in Alexander, we're not going after elite players, the disgusting, pathetic salary cap article that was just posted.

It's starting to read like a litany of excuses before we go out, spend little, and enter the season with 5+ million in cap space yet again.

Me, I'll wait to see what we actually DO in FA before getting up in arms. Not what the spin from the Cards camp is or the half-hearted reporting from the local media morons.

I don't expect, or want, us to go after Edge or Alexander. But there are several players that are perfect and huge upgrades for us that I want to see us go after. I don't even want us to bring in Edge or Alexander...they shouldn't be on our radar. Fix the Oline, finally. Get some CB help. Draft LenDale. Add some depth.

I'm not going to complain until the DON'T do this. I'm not going to waste my anger on sheer speculation. If they don't get it going this offseason, I will have some good anger stored up.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Let's stick to the issue at hand, here. Are the Cardinals already making excuses as to why they won't spend, or is it smoke and mirrors? I'm PRAYING TO GOD it's smoke and mirrors, but I'm deathly afraid it is not.

It's not that difficult to understand. It's the sports business philosophy they enunciated when Green was hired and repeated before last year's Free Agency period. And, I for one - think it's the solid, workmanlike approach that is most likely to bring solid returns on the field.

--------------------------

Both Graves and coach Dennis Green were quick to shoot down the idea the Cardinals have seemingly limitless cap room to spend money (The NFL Network this week said the Cards have an NFL-high $23 million in cap room).

Graves said that after figuring in tender offers to restricted and exclusive-rights free agents and budgeting in estimates for the rookie pool and contract extensions for this season, the money available for free agency “drops dramatically.” Graves wouldn’t provide a number, but he said it is less than $15 million.

As for potential free agent targets, Green reiterated that the team will chase offensive linemen, although he admitted “there aren’t a lot of them.”

“We have identified guys we will go after,” Graves said. “Some of those players might not be top-name players, but we are looking for guys like Bertrand Berry and others who we feel like will come into our situation and still be hungry enough to produce.”

 

[Shane]

Now you're going so far to the doom and gloom that you are making excuses for a reporter not doing his job and writing "open to interpretation" articles?

Wow.

Thsoe guys are constantly deflecting. Especially Green. Thats a fact. Not an excuse.