Cards working out TE's and RB's

[b8rtm8nn]

Rawls is an enigma to me. He had so much promise and had some really good results. Very strong runner. Had his ankle absolutely shattered and when he came back it was like he forgot how to play.

Was a little hesitant at first, which was expected.

However, he eventually started to look physically OK but he was mentally stunted.

The coaches kept attributing it to trying to hard - not sure, but missing assignments, missing cuts, going to the wrong gap or just running straight into the defender....... Was really odd

Very sad, I was sure they had found a Lynch replacement. After the injury, just not the same player at all - bizarre how that happens. I hope he made decent money and saved it for the amount of abuse he did to himself with his playing style.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

**** I'd be counting my money too.

Amazing that the guy from Northern Iowa who was supposed to show so much heart has so little. See ya. Unfortunately, this is the weakest position in the draft. Fortunately, it is the easiest to replace in later rounds. Run Chase Edmonds and see what he can do

 

[Snoopdog323]

Cut DJ next year. Cards have 80+ in cap space but they won’t get any big time free agents anyways. Use the rest to resign any if our own worthwhile free agents. Look how much dead cap Kiem was willing to take this year.

Draft o-line and go with young cheap hungry rbs.

 

[daves]

If he is on the roster on the third day of the league year in 2019, his 2020 salary becomes fully guaranteed, [....]
They will take a negative cap hit cutting or trading him in 2018 or 2019 [....]
His cap hit in 2018 is just more than $5 million

Juza, did you forget what year it is? :-D

...dave

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Lions release C.J. Anderson


CJ Anderson was released, any interest?

Anderson had three 100-yard games in five games with the Rams last season, including the postseason, after signing off the street.

 

[juza76]

Juza, did you forget what year it is? :-D

...dave

Yes I know
The article was from last year as soon as he got the new contract and the terms of it
Basically for the first three years he get everything guaranteed
No chance to trade or releasing him

It was a horrible contract made by Keim, same as he did for pugh

 

[Russ Smith]

Rawls is an enigma to me. He had so much promise and had some really good results. Very strong runner. Had his ankle absolutely shattered and when he came back it was like he forgot how to play.

Was a little hesitant at first, which was expected.

However, he eventually started to look physically OK but he was mentally stunted.

The coaches kept attributing it to trying to hard - not sure, but missing assignments, missing cuts, going to the wrong gap or just running straight into the defender....... Was really odd

Was going to say what happened to that guy looked like a mini Marshawn and then disappeared.

 

[cardpa]

His 2019 salary is already fully guaranteed.

Half of his 2020 salary is already fully guaranteed ($5.1 million). If he is on the roster on the third day of the league year in 2019, his 2020 salary becomes fully guaranteed, which is almost a guarantee he will be because he will already have more than $10 million in guarantees coming and $9 million prorated salary cap.

As of right now, $2.1 million of his 2021 is guaranteed for injury. If he is on the roster in March 2020, the injury guarantee is a full guarantee.

As things stand, the only real year the Cardinals can get out of the contract is in 2020 and it wouldn’t save them much money.

They will take a negative cap hit cutting or trading him in 2018 or 2019.

His cap hit in 2018 is just more than $5 million, as it went up by $3 million because of the signing bonus proration. Getting out of his deal would mean a negative cap hit of more than $19 million.

His cap hit in 2019 is up to $9.75 million, but cutting or trading him would mean a negative cap hit of more than $10 million.

His cap hit in 2020 is $14.25 million. They can get out of his deal, but it saves only just more than $3 million.

His cap hit in 2021 will be $12 million and cutting him would give the Cardinals $9 million in cap savings.

The way it is structured, they cant cut him or trade him until 2021

Not true, you forget we have Steve Keim as our GM. Let me allow into evidence one Sam Bradford contract.

 

[Russ Smith]

CJ Anderson is intriguing as a runner but not sure he fits out offense because I don't think he's much of a pass receiver. That said, i googled it, in 2017 his best year PFF(your mileage may vary of course) rated him the 2nd best pass blocking RB in the entire NFL.

now in a pass happy offense I'm not sure you pick your RB on can he block not can he be a receiving threat, but given that we don't appear to get any blocking out of DJ might be intriguing.

CJ runs VERY hard, good solid player would be intriguing.

That said I have to assume there's a reason he keeps getting cut. Denver nearly cut him after his best season ever, they held him then cut him the next year. The Rams let him go after he saved their bacon in the postseason, and now Detroit cuts him. I have to assume he either is not a guy content in not being the starter, or he has some other personality issue?

Didn't hear anything like that when he was at Cal but that's 7 years ago

 

[PitchShifter]

Is it Keim or salary cap experts like the now-departed Mike Disner that are the blame for the actual contract numbers?

Disner apparently worked on contract extensions for key players. Does Keim give him the basic numbers & tell the Disners of the world to figure it out within the cap?

 

[BigRedRage]

4th highest paid back in the league and nonchalant about the team running for 21 yards. Very disappointing for someone being paid so much with that much tread left on the tires

prefer him to blast the team?

 

[Chopper0080]

Too many times we have only 5 linemen blocking. I firmly we believe we need to run two tight end sets at least to make it appear we are going to run the ball.

The more people you have to block, the more people the defense brings. Also, the more cluttered the box is, the harder it is for the QB to identify who is coming on blitzes. There is a reason the smart coaches in the league like to spread defenses out. Also, some of it is on Kyler to develop that feel and make a free rusher, or a defender who beats his man, miss.

 

[Chopper0080]

Some ideas to start considering...

1-two RBs or more usage of TEs give us increased size in our personnel sets. That could be what is driving this move.

2-Crabtree doesn't bring much speed or physicality and so the ability to flex DJ out wide and have a RB in the backfield who can pass protect potentially provides better matchups and minimizes DJ flaws for defenses to exploit.

 

[slanidrac16]

The more people you have to block, the more people the defense brings. Also, the more cluttered the box is, the harder it is for the QB to identify who is coming on blitzes. There is a reason the smart coaches in the league like to spread defenses out. Also, some of it is on Kyler to develop that feel and make a free rusher, or a defender who beats his man, miss.

I get it. But as we’ve seen the TE can be used as a weapon. I’m not suggesting changing or offensive philosophy because we are moving the ball.

 

[Cards_Campos]

Ok. DJ had 140+ yards of total.offense in first game and had a nice WR catch for TD. There are many teams who have struggled against Baltimore running the ball. Lets overreact a little. The offense isnt very favorable for running backs running the ball when they dont use Kyler as an option. Lets get a little more data on DJ this year before we assume he is toast. Lets remember all the great backs we drafted in 90s and 2000s who left us after we let them go .....Hearst and Jones.

 

[bojack]

I don't think DJ is toast, he is versatile by having the run and pass ability. The problem is on the run side he needs big gaps to gain meaningful yardage. Put another quality back behind our line and I think they gain more yards. I think our line is not helping in the run game, but then again we are running 10 personnel so much that we haven't even tried to establish a power run.

 

[TheCardFan]

Why do we need TE's when we aren't using TE's?

 

[Cards_Campos]

remember. Backs look better when your offense is explosive. More options make it hard to stop a RB. Conner did well last year in Pitt. Leveon is struggling at New York. With Drew Brees down...Kamara will struggle because they can contain him. Barry Sanders is the only back who can really create on his own no matter what. Everyone says Emmitt was great. Put Barry Sanders behind Dallas's line back then and he would have had 200 yards a game. Put DJ on the Payriots and he would be a absolute star

 

[GatorAZ]

remember. Backs look better when your offense is explosive. More options make it hard to stop a RB. Conner did well last year in Pitt. Leveon is struggling at New York. With Drew Brees down...Kamara will struggle because they can contain him. Barry Sanders is the only back who can really create on his own no matter what. Everyone says Emmitt was great. Put Barry Sanders behind Dallas's line back then and he would have had 200 yards a game. Put DJ on the Payriots and he would be a absolute star

Don’t leave out Sweetness.

 

[Proximo]

Why do we need TE's when we aren't using TE's?

Probably because the plan is to start using more tight ends - hopefully in the red zone in particular.

 

[Chopper0080]

I get it. But as we’ve seen the TE can be used as a weapon. I’m not suggesting changing or offensive philosophy because we are moving the ball.

I agree 100% that implementing TEs into spread formations is a way Kingsbury can add more physicality and mismatches into his offense. The toughest part is that there just are not many TEs, certainly not on our roster, who are better than a 4th WR on the field for us. Especially with Fitz and his speed limitations.

However, this is one reason I would love to see the Cardinals trade for a TE like OJ Howard or use a high draft pick on one. The decision on what personnel to use to defend TEs, especially athletic ones, is really tough for defenses to decide and can influence roster configs.

 

[slanidrac16]

I agree 100% that implementing TEs into spread formations is a way Kingsbury can add more physicality and mismatches into his offense. The toughest part is that there just are not many TEs, certainly not on our roster, who are better than a 4th WR on the field for us. Especially with Fitz and his speed limitations.

However, this is one reason I would love to see the Cardinals trade for a TE like OJ Howard or use a high draft pick on one. The decision on what personnel to use to defend TEs, especially athletic ones, is really tough for defenses to decide and can influence roster configs.

The thing I like about the TE is he can stay in line, go in motion and still stay in and block or release into the pattern.

I’ve seen a lot of teams putting their TE in motion cut into the middle of the line like a lead blocker then release into the pattern because it was play/action. Hockenson killed us on that play.