http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=60799
By Darren Urban, Tribune
March 10, 2006
With plenty of salary cap space, the Cardinals were one of the few NFL teams that could have dominated free agency.
Instead, a new collective bargaining agreement and a higher salary cap have made it easier for every team in the league to chase free agents — and left the Cardinals in an uncomfortable spot of possibly having too much cap space to spend.
“We were certainly poised to take advantage of other teams’ inability to act quickly in free agency,” said Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves. “Clearly, we saw that as an advantage for us in the market. Now, obviously the field has been leveled quite a bit.
“We are disappointed solely from a football operations standpoint that we weren’t able to jump right in there.”
Free agency is supposed to begin tonight at 10:01 p.m. Arizona time, eight days after it was originally scheduled. Graves would not reveal the Cardinals’ current cap space, but it was estimated to be around $25 million after the team recently re-signed players and extended restricted free agents tender offers.
Of that amount, the Cardinals should be willing to use as much as $15 million to $18 million of space on free agency.
Before the labor deal was finalized, a salary cap of $94.5 million would have made the Cardinals one of about 10 teams that could have been active in the market.
The cap is now $102 million, thanks to the new agreement, and most of the league now should be able to bid for players. That will make it harder for the Cardinals to get the players they want. For instance, Arizona will go hard after Ravens defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu, but he is expected to be in high demand.
In addition to Kemoeatu, Free agent offensive linemen Kyle Kosier (Detroit) and Milford Brown (Houston) are a pair of guards whom coach Dennis Green sees as upgrades for a lackluster offensive line.
The Cards are expected to bring in cornerback Will Allen for a visit as well. Other possibilities are center Kevin Mawae, linebacker Julian Peterson and receiver Antwaan Randle El. If free agency starts tonight, Graves said the team is hoping to host free agents as soon as Saturday.
The Cardinals are not however, among the suitors for Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Culpepper was reportedly on the verge of being traded Thursday.
Graves did say the Cardinals have expanded their target list of free agents now that the team has more money to spend.
But, he added, “because the space exists doesn’t necessarily mean you have to chase after players that aren’t necessarily deserving of high dollars.” “We are still going to be selective of the quality of players we will go after,” he said.
The Cardinals plan on using some of the considerable cap space toward extending contracts of their current players. But that list isn’t extensive.
The team wants to re-sign free agent-to-be defensive tackle Russell Davis, although the sides are far apart on money. Tackle Leonard Davis, whose cap number is $8.1 million this season, is heading into the last year of his contract. The team would also like to extend defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (a restricted free agent after 2006) and linebacker Karlos Dansby (whose deal doesn’t end until after the 2007 season).
Beyond that, the Cards have locked up all their key players. The other recognizable Cardinals scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after the 2006 season — linebacker James Darling, running back Marcel Shipp, cornerback David Macklin — may find themselves fighting for a roster spot in training camp.
Other teams have more freedom than before, but the Cardinals still have the cap space to make an impact on the market.
“There is enough out there,” Graves said, “for us to take clear advantage.”
Contact Darren Urban by email, or phone (480) 898-6525
By Darren Urban, Tribune
March 10, 2006
With plenty of salary cap space, the Cardinals were one of the few NFL teams that could have dominated free agency.
Instead, a new collective bargaining agreement and a higher salary cap have made it easier for every team in the league to chase free agents — and left the Cardinals in an uncomfortable spot of possibly having too much cap space to spend.
“We were certainly poised to take advantage of other teams’ inability to act quickly in free agency,” said Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves. “Clearly, we saw that as an advantage for us in the market. Now, obviously the field has been leveled quite a bit.
“We are disappointed solely from a football operations standpoint that we weren’t able to jump right in there.”
Free agency is supposed to begin tonight at 10:01 p.m. Arizona time, eight days after it was originally scheduled. Graves would not reveal the Cardinals’ current cap space, but it was estimated to be around $25 million after the team recently re-signed players and extended restricted free agents tender offers.
Of that amount, the Cardinals should be willing to use as much as $15 million to $18 million of space on free agency.
Before the labor deal was finalized, a salary cap of $94.5 million would have made the Cardinals one of about 10 teams that could have been active in the market.
The cap is now $102 million, thanks to the new agreement, and most of the league now should be able to bid for players. That will make it harder for the Cardinals to get the players they want. For instance, Arizona will go hard after Ravens defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu, but he is expected to be in high demand.
In addition to Kemoeatu, Free agent offensive linemen Kyle Kosier (Detroit) and Milford Brown (Houston) are a pair of guards whom coach Dennis Green sees as upgrades for a lackluster offensive line.
The Cards are expected to bring in cornerback Will Allen for a visit as well. Other possibilities are center Kevin Mawae, linebacker Julian Peterson and receiver Antwaan Randle El. If free agency starts tonight, Graves said the team is hoping to host free agents as soon as Saturday.
The Cardinals are not however, among the suitors for Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Culpepper was reportedly on the verge of being traded Thursday.
Graves did say the Cardinals have expanded their target list of free agents now that the team has more money to spend.
But, he added, “because the space exists doesn’t necessarily mean you have to chase after players that aren’t necessarily deserving of high dollars.” “We are still going to be selective of the quality of players we will go after,” he said.
The Cardinals plan on using some of the considerable cap space toward extending contracts of their current players. But that list isn’t extensive.
The team wants to re-sign free agent-to-be defensive tackle Russell Davis, although the sides are far apart on money. Tackle Leonard Davis, whose cap number is $8.1 million this season, is heading into the last year of his contract. The team would also like to extend defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (a restricted free agent after 2006) and linebacker Karlos Dansby (whose deal doesn’t end until after the 2007 season).
Beyond that, the Cards have locked up all their key players. The other recognizable Cardinals scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after the 2006 season — linebacker James Darling, running back Marcel Shipp, cornerback David Macklin — may find themselves fighting for a roster spot in training camp.
Other teams have more freedom than before, but the Cardinals still have the cap space to make an impact on the market.
“There is enough out there,” Graves said, “for us to take clear advantage.”
Contact Darren Urban by email, or phone (480) 898-6525
