Cardinals lock up QB Davey through 2006
By
Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
In a move that not only addresses a current need at the position, but also the quarterback depth chart for training camp next summer, the
Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday reached a contract agreement with free agent
Rohan Davey, ESPN.com has learned.
A three-year veteran who was released by the
New England Patriots in the final roster reduction at the outset of the season, and who spent three weeks with the Cardinals earlier in the year, Davey will report Wednesday to the team. His contract, which will pay Davey about $53,000 for the two weeks remaining in the 2005 season, runs through the 2006 season. Details were not yet available on the 2006 portion of the deal.
Arizona on Tuesday placed quarterback
Kurt Warner on injured reserve, opening up a spot for Davey, who did not play in any games in his earlier stint with the Cardinals this year. Warner, 34, suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his right knee early in last Sunday's loss at Houston. While the injury will not require surgery, Warner will be sidelined for about a month as he rehabilitates, and would not have been able to play in the remaining two games.
His injury left the Cards with only two quarterbacks,
Josh McCown and
John Navarre, on the roster. It is likely that Davey will serve as the No. 3 quarterback for the games left on the schedule. Given the uncertainty of the quarterback position beyond this year, though, Davey could well figure into Arizona's future plans.
The fact the Cardinals' quarterback depth chart is so unsettled for 2006, and getting another chance to play for coach Dennis Green, prompted Davey to sign a contract for beyond this year.
Complicating the Arizona quarterback situation is that both Warner and McCown are eligible for unrestricted free agency in March. The conventional wisdom was that the Cardinals had all but decided to try to sign Warner, who is playing under a one-year contract worth $4 million, to an extension before he went on the free agent market. Under that scenario, McCown would be allowed to depart.
Having played for three different teams in the last three seasons, Warner probably would be receptive to an extension offer, if the money was right. Because they are up against the spending limit for this year, the Cardinals probably could not make a legitimate offer until after the season ended.
But even with Warner's knee injury not a particularly serious one, and not likely to affect his availability for offseason programs, it does add another element to the Cardinals' consideration of just how to proceed in addressing the quarterback situation for beyond 2005. Warner will be 36 before the start of the '06 season and the Cardinals certainly will closely monitor his rehabilitation from the knee injury.
A physically gifted young passer, Davey is certainly viewing training camp as a chance to compete for playing time, and perhaps even the starting job, depending on how the rest of the Cardinals' moves at quarterback play out in the offseason. There is some feeling the Cardinals may approach Minnesota about the availability of
Daunte Culpepper, who was chosen by Green when he was the Vikings' head coach.
Once regarded by the Patriots as a potential future starter, Davey became expendable this spring when New England signed
Doug Flutie as a free agent and also drafted
Matt Cassel of Southern California in the seventh-round.
Davey, 27, was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in the 2002 draft but, in his three seasons with the team, appeared in just seven games. He completed eight of 19 passes for 88 yards and spent all last season as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart. In 2004, Davey was named as the top offensive player in the NFL Europe League. At 6-feet-2 and 245 pounds, he has nice size and a good enough arm.
Warner started 10 games in his first season with the Cardinals, completing 242 of 375 passes for 2,713 yards, with 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. He threw for over 300 yards in five of his starts. In addition to Warner, the Cardinals on Tuesday also placed offensive lineman
Adam Haayer on injured reserve.
