Draft Friday: Cardinals' Thoughts

[Mitch]

1. No offers for Q. Still curious about the rather ambiguous remark Rod Graves made at this week's press conference when he said that just because the Cardinals haven't gotten a concrete offer, "I don't know if that is any indication how the rest of the league feels about Anquan."

Curious too that Graves and Whisenhunt chose to divulge that no offers had been made for Q. Why not keep all teams guessing? Wouldn't that increase the Cardinals' chances of creating a bidding war among teams if those teams were thinking they would have to outbid the competition?

What all of this suggests to me is that the Cardinals have no intention of trading Boldin, and never have. What they aimed to accomplish is to show Q that his contract demands are too lofty, seeing as no other team wants to pay him $9-10M a year.

I personally think this a bogus way to go about business.

Rod Graves KNOWS what the rest of the league feels about Boldin. He would start on every team in the league. What teams don't want to do on the eve of the draft is surrender a first and third round draft picks and then have to negotiate a $36-40M contract with Drew Rosenhaus. The Cardinals don't want to negotiate a $36-40M contract with Rosenhaus and they don't have to give up any draft picks.

The Cardinals SAY they want to re-sign Boldin...but come on. The smoke from all the smokescreens sent Boldin's way has blown away, and it's still Rod Graves behind the curtain, pressing the delay of game buttons once again, and proclaiming, "when there's a window..."

What this latest debacle proves is that the Cardinals want to get what they have always wanted: Q to play out his current contract.

Only Q has made this tough, hasn't he?

Raise your hand if you honestly believe that because there have been no "concrete offers" for Boldin that this is going to make him look at his situation with the Cardinals any differently? Please.

This will only exacerbate his indignance for and distrust of the Cardinals' management...because in Q's mind the front office created this mess in the first place by promising him a new contract two years ago.

Sure, many will say that Q will be the good teammate and the good soldier on the field...that he will be hungry to increase his market value for his next contract.

The ONLY resolution I can see, other than a trade, is that the Cardinals compensate Boldin asap by finding a way to re-sign him to a new deal or by finding a way to restructure his current deal so that he gets paid $3M more for each of the next two years. That way at least Boldin can feel as if he is making coser to what he deserves. Both Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald have offered to restructure their deals to get Q signed to a new deal...maybe those gestures--if followed through--would galvanize this team.

Right now the disparity of what he is making and what he is worth is too egregious.

I would be surprised if Boldin is traded at this point. Reading the fans' reactions of the message boards in Philly, Baltimore, New York and Tennessee, pretty much all of the fans LOVE Q, but they don't love the prohibitive cost of high draft picks and a $9-10M/year price tag. This is the reality.

And as I said before, one would think any team that would give up high draft picks to trade for Boldin would have to have their medical staff put him through an extensive physical in order to allay any doubts about Q's previous injuries, particularly the hip injury he suffered two years ago.

The problem now will be the daily media coverage that will ensue until some sort of a resolution is made. This is already a 350 pound gorilla who is gobbling down bananas at a frenzied rate...

While I object to the way Q has handled this situation and feel as if he has been poorly advised by Rodenhaus, I do feel some sympathy for him right now. In a symbolic way, this latest maneuver by the Cardinals is leaving Q about as vulnerable and suspended in mid-air the way he was in the far end zone at the Meadowlands. Only this time it appears as if a pass isn't even heading his way, and he is going to have to absorb another devastating blow.

2. The Cardinals' front office deserves a great deal of credit for the depth they have assembled on the football team. However, ate there still questions as to their ability to understand the ways in which to build a championship caliber football team? I know that must sound strange to ask following the Cardinals' first ever Super Bowl appearance...but...the reality is the chips fell auspiciously in the Cardinals' favor last season when as the #4 seed in the NFC (despite the worst record of any of the NFC playoff teams) they were able to host two of their three NFC playoff games, including the NFC Championship. All of this happenening was a minor miracle, especially with how poorly the team played on defense throughout the year. Let's be honest: what kind of chance would the Cardinals have had if the NFC Chapmionship game was on the frozen turf of the Meadowlands?

What the Cardinals were able to do is ride the hot gloved hand of one of the best and most prolific playoff QBs in the history of the NFL...and ride the shirtails of the most focused, talented and determined WR since Jerry Rice.

In the aftermath of all of this, and with much at stake, the Cardinals' front office has been spinning its wheels and treading water...they nearly screwed up the most important off-season transaction in the effort to re-sign Kurt Warner...they have not solved the Dansby, Boldin or Wilson contract situations...they failed to land a high profile defensive coordinator, electing instead to do the easy thing by promoting an existing member of the staff (who quite frankly didn't do a stellar job as LB coach, as his LBers [Okeafor-Hayes-Dansby-LaBoy] played extremely inconsistently the entire season) and while they made one great move by signing UFA CB Bryant McFadden, they failed to address the team's most pressing need: the lack of a pass rush...which for all intents and purposes cost them severa of the seven regular season losses and ultimately a Super Bowl ring.

The front office elected to re-sign Bertrand Berry and Clark Haggans and basically keep the status quo...and while both Berry and Haggans add strong value as veterans, both have had injury problems at these late stages in their career and neither one of them is a reliable pass rushing threat when asked to rush the passer on a series of consecutive pass plays. What the Cardinals really need are some fresh younger legs, and now that prospect all hinges on this draft, a draft in which Kent Somers, the Cardinals' beat writer for the Arizona Republic, has the Cardinals taking a RB in round one....because of another lingering front office issue: the prolonged captivity of RB Edgerrin James.

In addition, for as long as Rod Graves has been the GM or has had anything to do with the Cardinals' personnel, there has been no attempt at all to acquire a FS (either through free agency or the draft) who can actually provide deep help for the CBs. In fact, under Graves' watch, typically the slowest player in the secondary has been the FS. It's therefore no coincidence that the Cardinals' pass defense year after year has been a glaring weakness. If your CBs can't be aggressive, how good can a pass defense be?

Fortunately, the Cardinals drafted DRC last year, and his addition is a great start. But even he needs a FS to have his back...see the NFC Championship game and the TD bomb to DeSean Jackson. And see the last drive of the Super Bowl...think a good FS could have altered the outcome?

And the addition of Bryant McFadden is another great move...but McFadden loves to jump routes and to do that he needs a FS with speed and range behind him.

Clearly, Antrel Rolle made strides in run support as a FS last year, but in pass protection his strength is playing the intermediate zones. He is not a centerfielder and lacks the speed and range to give the CBs the help they need.

So...heading into this draft is it reasonable to assume the Cardinals can draft two pass rushers who can improve the pass rush immediately? And can the Cardinals finally add a FS with speed and range?

Based on these priorities, I think it may be best for the team to keep RB Edgerrin James (or commit to a trio of Hightower, Wright and a second day draft pick) and focus this draft on revitalizing and fortifying the defense.

Let's see how the draft goes...here's my updated 1st Round Mock:

1. DET: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia.
2. STL: Jason Smith, T, Baylor.
3. WAS(from KC): Mark Sanchez, QB, USC.
4. SEA: Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia.
5. CLE: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest.
6. CIN: Andre Smith, T, Alabama.
7. OAK: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech.
8. PHI(from JAX): Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia.
9. GB: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College.
10. SF: Michael Oher, T, Mississippi.
11. BUF: Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn. St.
12. DEN: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU.
13. KC: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri.
14. NO: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio St.
15. HOU: Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi.
16. SD: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio St.
17. NYJ: Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida St.
18. DEN: Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois.
19. TB: Evander "Ziggy" Hood, DT, Missouri.
20. DET: Rey Maulauga, LB, USC.
21. JAX: Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina.
22. MIN: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida.
23. NE: Robert Ayers, DE/OLB, Tennessee.
24. ATL: Clay Matthews, LB, USC.
25. MIA: Brian Cushing, LB, USC.
26. BAL: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St.
27. IND: Darrius Heywood-Bey, WR, Maryland.
28. BUF: Phil Loadholt, T, Oklahoma.
29. NYG: Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut.
30. TEN: Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers.
31. ARI: ??? As you know, I like Connor Barwin, DE/OLB, Cincinnati (what is your choice here?).
32. PIT: Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose St.
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33. DET: Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia.
34. NE: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest.
35. STL: James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio St.
36. CLE: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois.
37. SEA: Eben Britton, T, Arizona.
38. CIN: Alex Mack, C, California.
39. JAX: Louis Murphy, WR, Florida.
40. OAK: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
41. GB: William Beatty, T, Connecticut.
42. BUF: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Mississippi.
43. SF: Louis Delmas, FS, Western Michigan.
44. MIA: Ron Brace, NT, Boston College.
45. NYG: T.J. Lang, T, Eastern Michigan.
46. HOU: Derek Pegues, S, Mississippi St..
47. NE: Sean Smith, CB, Utah.
48. DEN: Darry Beckwith, LB, LSU.
49. CHI: Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma.
50. TB: Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa.
51. DAL: William Moore, S, Missouri.
52. NYJ: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas St.
53. PHI: Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina.
54. MIN: Jason Watkins, T, Florida.
55. ATL: Sherrod Martin, FS, Troy.
56. MIA: Brandon Tate, WR, North Carolina.
57. BAL: Dannell Ellerby, LB, Georgia.
58. NE: Paul Kruger, LB, Utah.
59. CAR: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt.
60. NYG: Coye Francies, CB, San Jose St.
61. IND: Fili Moala, DT, USC.
62. TEN: Asher Allen, CB, Georgia.
63. ARI: ??? Your choice???
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So, if these are the secarios my preferences would be:

1. Connor Barwin, OLB/TE, Cincinnati. Fastest edge player in this draft. Has a great feel for the position and is extraordinarily versatile.

2. Max Unger, C/G, Oregon. Rugged, intense player who galvanizes an offensive line.

3. Jason Williams, OLB, Western Illinois. Speedy and sudden...forced 14 tackles in his career at WIU.

4. Jason Phillips, ILB, TCU. Productive inside tackler with 4.6 speed.

5. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian. Check this kid out on youtube...he's a mini Hightower with cat quick feet, good bounce and slippery moves.

6. Brandon Underwood, FS, Cincinnati. has the speed and playmaking instincts to be the nickel and dime FS the Cardinals need.

7. Travis McCall, FB, Alabama. A 6-1, 276 pound blocking load.

7. Johnny Williams, OLB, Kentucky. Another pass rusher with room to grow and upside.

Add your own...and we'll see if any of us gets a pick right. last year was the first time the Cardinals drafted the player I wanted in the first round: DRC!

The year before I wanted FS LaRon Landry of LSU over Levi and Adrian (was really torn about his frequesnt injuries and am shocked he's been good for two straight years).

The year before that I wanted QB Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt. Almost on that one...and would have happened if Matt Leinart has been taken earlier as most predicted.

 

[cardpa]

Q gets moved tomorrow. This is the calm before the storm. Have no idea where he goes but I say he is donning a different uniform by the end of the day tomorrow.

 

[JeffGollin]

1. We have another 33 hours to sweat out Q. (I still believe any decision will be made on Draft Day after we know whether we've resolved our RB situation so that Edge can be let go and $4 mil in cap space freed up).

2. I don't think anyone can say with certitude that they know Q will or will not be traded.

3. The first round is still very fluid with the possibility of 6 or more different trades (logically involving as many as 12 teams) screwing up anyone's scenarios as to how we think players will be coming off the board.

4. Regarding Barwin - I'm intirigued by the kid, but there are several issues that would surround that pick: (1) Is he all workout scores and unproven as a player? (b) He's one of those DE/OLB tweeners, right? What would be his learning curve moving from DE to OLB in the 3-4? (c) Do the Cards need someone who can help them right away? Or are they willing to to possibly waste the first year or two of his 4 or 5 year contract teaching him how to move to 3-4 LB so that he helps some other team after his contract is up?

 

[football karma]

in any auction, it is really rare for somebody to make their final and last offer in the first few minutes

no team wants their best offer to be available for the Cards to let other teams mull over it for a few days in trying to beat it --

the action will heat up tonight and best offers (if any) will be made Saturday morning, or perhaps, during the first half of the draft as teams get a better idea of who will be there.

 

[NuttinButTDs]

Q gets moved tomorrow. This is the calm before the storm. Have no idea where he goes but I say he is donning a different uniform by the end of the day tomorrow.

I agree. Suprisingly the agent has been very quiet. Drew was quick to get an offer for TO within a couple of days. Not a word from Drew, which is out of character.

My guess is he has contract offers from different teams and Cards will trade provided they want the player available at that spot in the draft.

 

[joeshmo]

(b) He's one of those DE/OLB tweeners, right? What would be his learning curve moving from DE to OLB in the 3-4?

I think you can take that question even deeper. He has only played defense for one year. What is going to be his learning curve learning how to play defense all together let alone a different position.

 

[corrado]

Mitch

Why do you have the Bears picking at 18? They surrendered that pick to Denver in the Cutler deal?

 

[joeshmo]

Concerning the bashing of Graves not getting a pass rusher in free agency. Who exactly was available for the Cards to get?

Young pass rushers like you said we should ahve got dont grow on tree's and just dont hit free agency. Pass rush has to be built through the draft without a doubt.

 

[Cardiac]

Mitch, as always enjoy your posts and knowledge/insight. There are crazy things that happen in the NFL on a daily basis and especially during the draft. Having said that:
Do the Redskins have enough Ammo to move up in the draft, especially the 3rd pick?
Will the Eagles give up the compensation required to move up in the top 10 for a RB. History tells us no way jose. Under Reid the Eagles have never drafted a RB in the 1st Rd and IIRC not even in the 2nd rd.

I don't see the malice from the FO that you do with Q. I believe that they decided to listen to offers because this draft is deep in our biggest areas of need and with the Dansby situation reworking Q's contract became almost impossible. They can also now say they tried to work with Q on his desire to be paid or traded. Any attempt on their part to tell Q "See, we tried and you aren't worth what you think you are" would add Gas to the fire and be squashed by Rosenhaus.

I also think you are too harsh about the Pass rushing "miss" by the FO. Pass rushing FA's are incredibly Expen$ive. This is a fantastic draft to address this need and at a CAP cost that fits. Glaring holes on the team were taken care of during FA except for the Pass rush. Areas that still need improvement are RB, FS & KR. Maybe the O-line will be looked at as well. Not the glaring miss you portray.

IMHO the FO looked at the needs of the Team and developed a plan to address those during FA and the draft.

 

[Mitch]

1. We have another 33 hours to sweat out Q. (I still believe any decision will be made on Draft Day after we know whether we've resolved our RB situation so that Edge can be let go and $4 mil in cap space freed up).

2. I don't think anyone can say with certitude that they know Q will or will not be traded.

3. The first round is still very fluid with the possibility of 6 or more different trades (logically involving as many as 12 teams) screwing up anyone's scenarios as to how we think players will be coming off the board.

4. Regarding Barwin - I'm intirigued by the kid, but there are several issues that would surround that pick: (1) Is he all workout scores and unproven as a player? (b) He's one of those DE/OLB tweeners, right? What would be his learning curve moving from DE to OLB in the 3-4? (c) Do the Cards need someone who can help them right away? Or are they willing to to possibly waste the first year or two of his 4 or 5 year contract teaching him how to move to 3-4 LB so that he helps some other team after his contract is up?

First of all, as you know Jeff, all rookies need to learn their new defenses...there is an assimilation period for every rookie.

As I said about Barwin yesterday, he isn't need to start right away. What he's need for is to give the team a speed rusher in passing situations. Pretty simple role form the start. That and star on STs, which is another one of his special talents.

Secondly, have you watched Barwin play. Rushing the passer isn't rocket science. He has one of the fastest first steps in the draft, if not the fastest. And his closing speed in getting to the ball is special. Plus, he's strong at the point of attack. The kid plays strong and tenaciously.

Obviously Barwin is a fast learner...he played the DE position at Cincinnati this past year at an unbelievable level. One would never know he hadn't played there before.

 

[Mitch]

Why do you have the Bears picking at 18? They surrendered that pick to Denver in the Cutler deal?

Right. Thanks, corrado. I will change it.

 

[joeshmo]

Secondly, have you watched Barwin play. Rushing the passer isn't rocket science.

I think you may be over simplifing it. If it was so easy why do pass rushers rarely come into the league and make a splash right away. It took Gaines Adams 3/4 of his rookie season for the lights to turn on. Mario Williams a whole season. That DE who the Raiders drafted and cut in the 3rd round we tried out was a pure pas rusher and he still is learning it. Jags drafted two of them in the first round last year and they are still learning how to do it. It took Woodley a year to learn it. NFL tackles are just to good, strong, and fast for a rookie pass rusher to make an impact their first year until they learn more then one pass rush move and learn the nuances of it.

Note that I am not saying I wouldnt draft the kid if the draft fell that way. I just think that the word "Patience" needs to be the word of the day at training camp and his first season, becuase it will look frustrating otherwise.

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, as always enjoy your posts and knowledge/insight. There are crazy things that happen in the NFL on a daily basis and especially during the draft. Having said that:
Do the Redskins have enough Ammo to move up in the draft, especially the 3rd pick?
Will the Eagles give up the compensation required to move up in the top 10 for a RB. History tells us no way jose. Under Reid the Eagles have never drafted a RB in the 1st Rd and IIRC not even in the 2nd rd.

I don't see the malice from the FO that you do with Q. I believe that they decided to listen to offers because this draft is deep in our biggest areas of need and with the Dansby situation reworking Q's contract became almost impossible. They can also now say they tried to work with Q on his desire to be paid or traded. Any attempt on their part to tell Q "See, we tried and you aren't worth what you think you are" would add Gas to the fire and be squashed by Rosenhaus.

Good fair points, Cardiac. Good rebuttal.

Who created the mess with Q in the first place is all that I would ask?

Your point about the pass rush and the draft is a very good one. But I worry about what happens if we take a RB at #31. The best rated pass rushers will most likely all be gone at #63. We need a pass rush now.

Thank for being kind.

Mitch

 

[Matt L]

If we draft Barwin, I am buying his jersey...there I said it.

 

[Buckybird]

You're so right about the pass rushers being gone by #63. I still think the Cards will lose out on English and Sintim, the 2 guys I fell will fit here best unless a trade is made by us (or Q is dealt).

 

[az jam]

You're so right about the pass rushers being gone by #63. I still think the Cards will lose out on English and Sintim, the 2 guys I fell will fit here best unless a trade is made by us (or Q is dealt).

I think Sintim will be there when we pick at #31 but most likely English will be gone but really who knows

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

RE: Galvanizing the team....

I agree completely that IF Kurt & Fitz' step-up to help Q's contract position it'll help tremendously. Whereas, it's likely that Fitz' will be here for several more GREAT years, Kurt knows his "championship" window is very small. Maybe even a year, if he should get injured and Matt goes in and plays well. Anyways, I'm curious to see how it all turns out. So long as Whiz' is walking our sidelines I feel good about the Cardinals' future. GO CARDS!!

 

[WildBB]

You're so right about the pass rushers being gone by #63. I still think the Cards will lose out on English and Sintim, the 2 guys I fell will fit here best unless a trade is made by us (or Q is dealt).

Disagree. You can find players to rush the passer throughout. There are plenty of tweeners, smallish DE's in college that can go to the outside and rush the passer.

 

[Buckybird]

Disagree. You can find players to rush the passer throughout. There are plenty of tweeners, smallish DE's in college that can go to the outside and rush the passer.

but not like these 2 guys, they are made to fit the 3-4 and THEY PRODUCE SACKS.

 

[Mitch]

but not like these 2 guys, they are made to fit the 3-4 and THEY PRODUCE SACKS.

Exactly.

 

[perivolaki]

but not like these 2 guys, they are made to fit the 3-4 and THEY PRODUCE SACKS.

I disagee. I think there are quite a few good 3-4 OLBs in this years draft. I heard a talent evaluator say yesterday that he has never seen so many 6'2" 255 4.8 players in any draft.

With the tweener thing going on with players in this category you know there are some guys in college with some talent that never found their position or were playing out of position.

 

[Mitch]

I disagee. I think there are quite a few good 3-4 OLBs in this years draft. I heard a talent evaluator say yesterday that he has never seen so many 6'2" 255 4.8 players in any draft.

With the tweener thing going on with players in this category you know there are some guys in college with some talent that never found their position or were playing out of position.

That's true, perivolaki. But the Cardinals need someone who can rush the passer this year, not a project. They would have to get very lucky to find one past the middle of round three. But hey they came up aces with Hightower last year, so who knows?

 

[Cardiac]

Thanks. [/COLOR]

Who created the mess with Q in the first place is all that I would ask?

No one is innocent, everyone involved has to take their fair share of the blame. A common and often stated phrase is that RG is an honest man. I doubt he decided that he would go against his basic belief system and lie to Q.

Your point about the pass rush and the draft is a very good one. But I worry about what happens if we take a RB at #31. The best rated pass rushers will most likely all be gone at #63. We need a pass rush now.

I doubt we take a RB at 31. I agree that a pass rusher is a screaming must have need.

Thank for being kind.

Can't imagine why anyone would not treat you with respect and kindness. You NEVER attach anyone else unless provoked countless times and treat everyone on this board with respect and kindness.

Mitch

Barwin or English and we are happy campers.

 

[lauraw]

Mitch, I totally agree with your point about the front office falling short this off-season in renegotiations, as well as the rest of your points. I've been upset all offseason about the FO's inability to get things done with player reups[AW, KW, Dansby, Boldin, etc.] in a timely manner.

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, I totally agree with your point about the front office falling short this off-season in renegotiations, as well as the rest of your points. I've been upset all offseason about the FO's inability to get things done with player reups[AW, KW, Dansby, Boldin, etc.] in a timely manner.

LW:

They've kept the depth of the team...but have grossly mismanaged player contracts and even risked losing Warner which was an embarrassing situation that should have never happened.

Now they've boxed themselves into a corner with the Boldin thing. Even if Boldin stays and they say they didn't get a good offer, Boldin will continue to fume and even today RG reiterated that same old "when we see a window of opportunity" (re: a new deal)...please...

If they trade Boldin and the deal is less than what the media and the fans think is good, the Cardinals will reassume the "they don't want to win" stigma.

That's why I called this thing a monster and it already biting the Cardinals where it hurts.