SeattleCard
Back in Arizona!!!
anyone read this article?
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insi...espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=2476651
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insi...espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=2476651
Cards to challenge Seahawks?
- Thread starter SeattleCard
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ThunderCard
Registered User
Can you post the whole article. I am not a Insider ... Thanks
OP
OP
SeattleCard
Back in Arizona!!!
ThunderCard said:
I'm not either...
brettman82
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Ask and you shall receive
The NFC West was a runaway for the Seattle Seahawks last season. It was the least competitive division in football. Seattle was the first team to clinch a division title, as no other team had more than six victories.
Even though the Seahawks are still the favorites, every team in the NFC West helped itself this offseason. The Arizona Cardinals dipped into free agency and instantly improved their 2006 outlook by adding All-Pro running back Edgerrin James. The St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers took another route and primarily built this offseason through the draft.
Seattle is clearly the front-runner, however. Despite representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks did not rest on their laurels. Even though they lost elite guard Steve Hutchinson and wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, they have done a good job of trying to fill the holes. Only time will tell how the new additions pan out, but one thing is for sure, don't expect the NFC West to be a runaway for the Seahawks this season.
Let's take a team-by-team look at all the competitors in the NFC West and analyze their offseasons. Have the teams improved or taken a step back?
Seattle Seahawks
They have had an up-and-down offseason. They definitely have kept their fans on the edge of their seats through March, April and May. Every lost player was met with an addition, and on paper, this team is every bit as good as it was last season.
Gone are Hutchinson, Jurevicius and key reserve safety Marquand Manuel. However, the additions have been very fruitful. The first key was re-signing MVP running back Shaun Alexander. The team was also able to keep his backup, Maurice Morris, and added wide receiver Nate Burleson and offensive tackle Tom Ashworth, who likely will play on the right side, with Sean Locklear sliding to the left in place of Hutchinson.
Julian Peterson
Linebacker
Seattle Seahawks
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Sack FF Int
83 58 3.0 1 0
We can't forget about the defense, either. The Seahawks were able to re-sign defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, one of the best pass-rushing DTs in the NFL. They were able to add a Pro Bowl-caliber outside linebacker in Julian Peterson, who will team up with the best young duo in the NFL (Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill.)
The team also will get free safety Ken Hamlin back. Hamlin was on the verge of developing into an upper-echelon safety before a head injury suffered in an off-the-field incident. He is a player who will need to be back to full strength to help the team deal with the vaunted Cardinals passing attack.
Seattle has pushed the majority of the right buttons this offseason. Sure, losing Hutchinson will hurt, but this is still a very good team. The biggest roadblock to the Seahawks getting back to the big game might not be an opponent on the field but rather their own mind-set.
There is a history of teams that lost in the Super Bowl faltering the next season. How hungry is this team? Can the Seahawks put the Super Bowl defeat behind them and rebound?
We should get answers to these questions very early. Seattle flew under the radar for much of last season, but you can bet it will be in the spotlight when the 2006 NFL season kicks off.
Arizona Cardinals
It has been the Cardinals, not the Seahawks, who have been the talk of the NFL this offseason. Never has so much hope been bestowed on a team coming off a 5-11 season.
So what is all the hoopla about? Well, let's start with the addition of James, who becomes the face of the Cardinals organization. James plus the No. 1-ranked pass offense from 2005 should present an extremely lethal offensive football team.
Keep this in mind. The Cardinals finished last season ranked in the top 10 in offense and defense, yet won only five games. There were two main reasons for this.
First and foremost, despite finishing the 2005 season with the eighth-ranked offense in the NFL, the Cards were 32nd in rushing. Those numbers give you a very good indication of how much this team relied on throwing the football. Second, Arizona finished the regular season ranked 31st in red zone offense. Seven of its 11 losses were by 11 or fewer points. It also should be noted that in those games, they missed numerous opportunities in the red zone or could not put the game away late because of an unreliable running game.
The Cardinals also are coming off their third draft in the Dennis Green era. This one was a draft that allowed them to add their quarterback of the future in Matt Leinart and an offensive lineman for now in former USC guard Deuce Lutui.
Although a lot will be made of the Arizona offense this season, and rightfully so, it might be the defense that makes the difference. We know the Cardinals are going to score points, so it is the defense that could be the deciding factor in determining whether this organization can take the next step.
In defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, the Cardinals have one of the brightest young coaches in the NFL. Under his tutelage, they have finished in the top 10 defensively the past two seasons. Pendergast is a tireless worker who devises new and innovative schemes on a weekly basis.
History has shown it takes three years to get a program turned around. With three drafts and three free-agency periods to build on, this is a revamped Cardinals roster that features only seven players from the pre-Dennis Green era.
If Arizona can't turn the corner and become a playoff team this season, one would be left to wonder whether this franchise ever will turn the corner.
St. Louis Rams
Like many NFL teams, the Rams will begin the 2006 season under the watchful eye of a new head coach. Scott Linehan will take over the reins this year after the team fired Mike Martz.
Like Martz, Linehan is an offensive-minded coach. However, Linehan might take a different approach. He has talked a lot this season about becoming tougher, more physical, and committing to running the football.
The Rams have had some solid acquisitions this offseason and some tough losses. The best offseason move they made was the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Sure, Haslett struggled as the head man in New Orleans, but he knows something about being tough and knows a lot about coaching defense. This might be just the right situation for Haslett to take over and get him back in the NFL ranks as the head coach.
Will Witherspoon
Linebacker
St. Louis Rams
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Sack FF Int
80 65 2.5 0 2
Defensively, the Rams traded in one leader for another. Although the team was not able to keep strong safety and defensive leader Adam Archuleta, it was able to add a better playmaker in former Carolina outside linebacker Will Witherspoon, who will get to take over a Rams defense devoid of leadership. Witherspoon gives Haslett an athletic playmaker he can try to build his defense around.
Offensively, the Rams were very good during the Martz era. However, it is an offense that is starting to show its age. It is getting old at wide receiver and across the offensive line. The team really focused on the offensive line and the tight end position in the draft. The beefing up of those positions is another indication this team has recommitted itself to getting tougher up front on both sides of the football.
The main focus of the Rams this season should be developing a mentality that they are going to run the football. As explosive as they have been on offense through the years, they no longer possess the same type of weapons the Cardinals and Seahawks have.
This is a new era in Rams football, and to be successful, they are going to need to be a team that can run the ball and use a physical style of play defensively.
San Francisco 49ers
One of the most storied franchises in NFL history has won exactly six games in the past two seasons combined.
After a marginal offseason in their first seasons together, vice president of player personnel Scott McCloughan and coach Mike Nolan have started to put this team on the right road. The 49ers moved up and down the draft board this past April, and the result was that they were able to acquire a lot of talented football players. However, building through the draft takes time, so management and the San Francisco fan base will have to stay patient.
The 49ers' success this season will not be based on the 2006 draft class. It will be based more on the 2005 draft class and how much quarterback Alex Smith can develop. The 49ers have been extremely tight-lipped this offseason about how Smith has progressed. The team did add veteran Trent Dilfer to compete for the starting spot. If Dilfer were to beat Smith out, it would be a huge blow to the second-year player and could set the organization back in the sense that questions will arise as to whether Smith was the right choice to lead this franchise into its future.
Another area of concern for the 49ers is the secondary. The team plays in a division that will boast three teams near the top of the NFC in terms of pass offense. The 49ers had the worst pass defense in the NFL last season. They did have a lot of injuries last season, and a lot of young players got valuable experience. The question becomes whether those young players will build on that experience or be somewhat shell-shocked after being picked on weekly last year.
Nolan has his hands full with this roster. Although the Niners have improved in some key areas, they are still a very young and raw group in many areas. Nolan will have the tough task of trying to keep up the confidence of his young players as they all work to grow together.
The NFC West was a runaway for the Seattle Seahawks last season. It was the least competitive division in football. Seattle was the first team to clinch a division title, as no other team had more than six victories.
Even though the Seahawks are still the favorites, every team in the NFC West helped itself this offseason. The Arizona Cardinals dipped into free agency and instantly improved their 2006 outlook by adding All-Pro running back Edgerrin James. The St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers took another route and primarily built this offseason through the draft.
Seattle is clearly the front-runner, however. Despite representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks did not rest on their laurels. Even though they lost elite guard Steve Hutchinson and wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, they have done a good job of trying to fill the holes. Only time will tell how the new additions pan out, but one thing is for sure, don't expect the NFC West to be a runaway for the Seahawks this season.
Let's take a team-by-team look at all the competitors in the NFC West and analyze their offseasons. Have the teams improved or taken a step back?
Seattle Seahawks
They have had an up-and-down offseason. They definitely have kept their fans on the edge of their seats through March, April and May. Every lost player was met with an addition, and on paper, this team is every bit as good as it was last season.
Gone are Hutchinson, Jurevicius and key reserve safety Marquand Manuel. However, the additions have been very fruitful. The first key was re-signing MVP running back Shaun Alexander. The team was also able to keep his backup, Maurice Morris, and added wide receiver Nate Burleson and offensive tackle Tom Ashworth, who likely will play on the right side, with Sean Locklear sliding to the left in place of Hutchinson.
Julian Peterson
Linebacker
Seattle Seahawks
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Sack FF Int
83 58 3.0 1 0
We can't forget about the defense, either. The Seahawks were able to re-sign defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, one of the best pass-rushing DTs in the NFL. They were able to add a Pro Bowl-caliber outside linebacker in Julian Peterson, who will team up with the best young duo in the NFL (Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill.)
The team also will get free safety Ken Hamlin back. Hamlin was on the verge of developing into an upper-echelon safety before a head injury suffered in an off-the-field incident. He is a player who will need to be back to full strength to help the team deal with the vaunted Cardinals passing attack.
Seattle has pushed the majority of the right buttons this offseason. Sure, losing Hutchinson will hurt, but this is still a very good team. The biggest roadblock to the Seahawks getting back to the big game might not be an opponent on the field but rather their own mind-set.
There is a history of teams that lost in the Super Bowl faltering the next season. How hungry is this team? Can the Seahawks put the Super Bowl defeat behind them and rebound?
We should get answers to these questions very early. Seattle flew under the radar for much of last season, but you can bet it will be in the spotlight when the 2006 NFL season kicks off.
Arizona Cardinals
It has been the Cardinals, not the Seahawks, who have been the talk of the NFL this offseason. Never has so much hope been bestowed on a team coming off a 5-11 season.
So what is all the hoopla about? Well, let's start with the addition of James, who becomes the face of the Cardinals organization. James plus the No. 1-ranked pass offense from 2005 should present an extremely lethal offensive football team.
Keep this in mind. The Cardinals finished last season ranked in the top 10 in offense and defense, yet won only five games. There were two main reasons for this.
First and foremost, despite finishing the 2005 season with the eighth-ranked offense in the NFL, the Cards were 32nd in rushing. Those numbers give you a very good indication of how much this team relied on throwing the football. Second, Arizona finished the regular season ranked 31st in red zone offense. Seven of its 11 losses were by 11 or fewer points. It also should be noted that in those games, they missed numerous opportunities in the red zone or could not put the game away late because of an unreliable running game.
The Cardinals also are coming off their third draft in the Dennis Green era. This one was a draft that allowed them to add their quarterback of the future in Matt Leinart and an offensive lineman for now in former USC guard Deuce Lutui.
Although a lot will be made of the Arizona offense this season, and rightfully so, it might be the defense that makes the difference. We know the Cardinals are going to score points, so it is the defense that could be the deciding factor in determining whether this organization can take the next step.
In defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, the Cardinals have one of the brightest young coaches in the NFL. Under his tutelage, they have finished in the top 10 defensively the past two seasons. Pendergast is a tireless worker who devises new and innovative schemes on a weekly basis.
History has shown it takes three years to get a program turned around. With three drafts and three free-agency periods to build on, this is a revamped Cardinals roster that features only seven players from the pre-Dennis Green era.
If Arizona can't turn the corner and become a playoff team this season, one would be left to wonder whether this franchise ever will turn the corner.
St. Louis Rams
Like many NFL teams, the Rams will begin the 2006 season under the watchful eye of a new head coach. Scott Linehan will take over the reins this year after the team fired Mike Martz.
Like Martz, Linehan is an offensive-minded coach. However, Linehan might take a different approach. He has talked a lot this season about becoming tougher, more physical, and committing to running the football.
The Rams have had some solid acquisitions this offseason and some tough losses. The best offseason move they made was the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Sure, Haslett struggled as the head man in New Orleans, but he knows something about being tough and knows a lot about coaching defense. This might be just the right situation for Haslett to take over and get him back in the NFL ranks as the head coach.
Will Witherspoon
Linebacker
St. Louis Rams
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Solo Sack FF Int
80 65 2.5 0 2
Defensively, the Rams traded in one leader for another. Although the team was not able to keep strong safety and defensive leader Adam Archuleta, it was able to add a better playmaker in former Carolina outside linebacker Will Witherspoon, who will get to take over a Rams defense devoid of leadership. Witherspoon gives Haslett an athletic playmaker he can try to build his defense around.
Offensively, the Rams were very good during the Martz era. However, it is an offense that is starting to show its age. It is getting old at wide receiver and across the offensive line. The team really focused on the offensive line and the tight end position in the draft. The beefing up of those positions is another indication this team has recommitted itself to getting tougher up front on both sides of the football.
The main focus of the Rams this season should be developing a mentality that they are going to run the football. As explosive as they have been on offense through the years, they no longer possess the same type of weapons the Cardinals and Seahawks have.
This is a new era in Rams football, and to be successful, they are going to need to be a team that can run the ball and use a physical style of play defensively.
San Francisco 49ers
One of the most storied franchises in NFL history has won exactly six games in the past two seasons combined.
After a marginal offseason in their first seasons together, vice president of player personnel Scott McCloughan and coach Mike Nolan have started to put this team on the right road. The 49ers moved up and down the draft board this past April, and the result was that they were able to acquire a lot of talented football players. However, building through the draft takes time, so management and the San Francisco fan base will have to stay patient.
The 49ers' success this season will not be based on the 2006 draft class. It will be based more on the 2005 draft class and how much quarterback Alex Smith can develop. The 49ers have been extremely tight-lipped this offseason about how Smith has progressed. The team did add veteran Trent Dilfer to compete for the starting spot. If Dilfer were to beat Smith out, it would be a huge blow to the second-year player and could set the organization back in the sense that questions will arise as to whether Smith was the right choice to lead this franchise into its future.
Another area of concern for the 49ers is the secondary. The team plays in a division that will boast three teams near the top of the NFC in terms of pass offense. The 49ers had the worst pass defense in the NFL last season. They did have a lot of injuries last season, and a lot of young players got valuable experience. The question becomes whether those young players will build on that experience or be somewhat shell-shocked after being picked on weekly last year.
Nolan has his hands full with this roster. Although the Niners have improved in some key areas, they are still a very young and raw group in many areas. Nolan will have the tough task of trying to keep up the confidence of his young players as they all work to grow together.
Renz
An Army of One
I would love for that to happen. The 49er fan MB's would implode.brettman82 said:
CardinalLaw
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Wow didn't think it was that low. Then you think about it and its hard to name the 7. ADub, Q, Big, Wakefield, BJ, Shipp, Damian Anderson(maybe).
\CardinalLaw said:
Wells
MaoTosiFanClub
The problem
I'm more amazed about Damien Anderson still being in the NFL. Who does he have dirt on?
LoyaltyisaCurse
IF AND WHEN HEALTHY...
maybe he meant 7 starters?
Arizona's Finest
Your My Favorite Mistake
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If Arizona can't turn the corner and become a playoff team this season, one would be left to wonder whether this franchise ever will turn the corner.
How true.
How true.
OP
OP
SeattleCard
Back in Arizona!!!
I totally agree. If the Cards fail this year and D. Green is fired, I may forever give up hope...
CardShark
DEAL WITH IT!
Duckjake said:
Stop thinking in terms of the past. This team has not played one down of football yet. This team has not won or lost a game yet. This team is starting a new season with new players and players that were injured last year. This team has players with more experience than last year. This team has better coaches. This team has a new home. This team will be playing in front of crowd filled with it's fans for eight games of the year for the first time since the club moved to Phoenix. This teams fate has not yet been decided so let's at least let them play the games before we decide whether or not they stood a chance of challenging anybody.
Redsz
We do this together
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Duckjake said:
I also remember us being one missed tackle away from sweeping the Hawks in 04'. Sorry, I don't buy that we are THAT far away.
Anderson has heart and talent and will play anywhere. I do honestly believe that an offense with no identity, leads to a confused and undisciplined offense and it hurts thr RBs' more than anyoneelse in the scheme.
rhe car accident, that had to physical and pschological havoc with him. He';s 2 years removed and maybe, with a new direction, identity and coach, his promise will shine through.
I could be wrong, but, I've been correct on a few of these.
We'll see.
rhe car accident, that had to physical and pschological havoc with him. He';s 2 years removed and maybe, with a new direction, identity and coach, his promise will shine through.
I could be wrong, but, I've been correct on a few of these.
We'll see.
I don't think this is the year to abandon all hope if we don't make the playoffs. Next year, maybe. But not this year.
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Pariah said:
We should make a coaching change, if we don't make it this year. If we struggle this year, it can only be, IMO, our young players aren't living up to potential. We'd need to find a tough coach to goad them into a higher gear.
It's asking a lot to go from 5 wins to 10 or 11 in a season, IMO.
If we're not 9-7, then maybe it is time for a change. But, I personally wouldn't be calling for his head. If we're not a playoff team in the 07 season I would be, though.
If we're not 9-7, then maybe it is time for a change. But, I personally wouldn't be calling for his head. If we're not a playoff team in the 07 season I would be, though.
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Pariah said:
My goal is really entirely record drive, next year. I, as well wanna see 9-7. I would be much happier with 10-6 and missing the playoffs, then 8-8 and making it.
I think the NFC West will be way down next year. 9ers are down....the rams are way down. Seattle has the curse of losing the SB, it's silly, but it's been golden lately.
8-8 or 9-7 might be enough to win the division next year. If they can't muster that, then a tough talker needs to be brought in.
BigDavis75
Making a Comeback
NEZCardsfan said:
I wouldn't. Making the playoffs is a very very rare thing for the Cards, and it would be a great accomplishment.
SeaChicken
The Other Bird
Just an interesting side note on that article. It's written by a guy name Jeremy Green... who is the son of Cardinals head coach Dennis Green.
http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=Jeremy_Green&rT=sports
I didn't see it brought up in the thread so I thought some of you might not know that. Not that that makes it a good or bad review, but it kind of gives you some context for reading his articles, especially as they pertain to our division.
http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=Jeremy_Green&rT=sports
I didn't see it brought up in the thread so I thought some of you might not know that. Not that that makes it a good or bad review, but it kind of gives you some context for reading his articles, especially as they pertain to our division.
BACH
Superbowl, Homeboy!
Can you post it for people without ESPN Insider?SeaChicken said:
NEZCardsfan said:
I disagree. If we have a worse record, then yes, but this is something that we have not seen. We have a great team on paper...we have never had that. We've had good or ok teams on paper, but this is a GREAT paper team. Denny is putting talent on our roster and getting us strong. If we step back, there's an issue. 7-9 I'll be ok with, and will ask for Denny's head the next year if we aren't 10-6, but I'm hoping 9-7 is our bottom this year. Regardless, we are moving forward talent wise and are going to push through.
If we suck this year, next year should be Denny's make or shakeitoutoftown year. Not this one though. I want us to draft a bad-ass RB next offseason though, because Edge won't be here forever, and I want Denny picking that guy in the second round. A guy who will back Edge next year and then challenge him in Edge's third year.
The fact that I am thinking about this team as to drafting DEPTH says a lot about Denny...I'd love for him to have success here for a few years, then take a front office GM-type job in charge of FA and drafting.
8-8 SHOULD be our floor, but I'm hoping 9-7. 7-9 won't be "fire the coach" for me though...but it will be evil eye on Denny. Here's hoping double digit wins! The stars are aligned....
