DT Russell Davis signs 3 year deal

[Skkorpion]

Cards Continue Player Signings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Saturday, March 15, 2003

Tempe, Arizona-The Arizona Cardinals continued their
activity in the NFL free agent market Saturday as
defensive tackle Russell Davis, who became a free agent
Feb. 28, agreed to terms of a three-year contract.

Since the conclusion of the 2002 season, the Cardinals
have signed 23 players to the squad, including 11 in
the past four days. The 11 include five newcomers to
the club-Super Bowl XXXVIII most-valuable-player safety
Dexter Jackson (Tampa Bay), quarterback Jeff Blake
(Baltimore), fullback James Hodgins (St. Louis),
linebacker James Darling (N.Y. Jets), and Phoenix
native and Maryvale grad offensive lineman Frank Garcia
(St. Louis)-and six returning veterans from last
year-Davis, linebacker Greg Jones, fullback Dennis
McKinley, running back Travis Prentice, offensive
lineman Raleigh Roundtree, and linebacker LeVar Woods.

Davis has started 41 of the past 42 games for the
Cardinals since being claimed from the Chicago Bears on
the final roster reduction in 2000. The former 1999
all-rookie selection from North Carolina, who started
all 16 games for the Cards at defensive tackle last
year, led the club's defensive linemen with 36 solo
tackles and his 58 tackles overall ranked second to
defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (66). Overall, Davis
posted 36 solo stops, 22 assists, 2 quarterback sacks,
7 hurries, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass deflections.
He owns Cardinal career totals of 180 tackles (107
solos), and 4.5 quarterback sacks.

 

[Skkorpion]

This tells me Vonnie Holliday is lost to us. Chike Okeafor too. Am I reading too much into this?

 

[Bobcat]

Skkorpion
Don't be so down!!! We don't want players or people on our team that play us.

Allan

 

[pinnacle]

I take it to mean that we will not be drafting kennedy or robertson with the 6th pick (there have been rumors on local radio we were not sold on either of these guys). It could mean holliday is lost - but okeafer and holliday are defensive ends and davis is a tackle..we now have 4 guys on the roster at tackle who will not be cut (Bryant, tanner, davis and bell). Wakefield moves down to tackle on pass rushing downs..and dwyer will probably be in camp..

bidwill jr said on the radio this am graves was in the office today working the phones!

 

[pinnacle]

interesting that davis, holliday and freddie jones played together at north carolina...thought I would point this out..not that it means anything..

 

[Ryanwb]

Originally posted by pinnacle
interesting that davis, holliday and freddie jones played together at north carolina...thought I would point this out..not that it means anything..

Maybe Davis made Holliday look good in college, maybe they can do that again here!

 

[john h]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
This tells me Vonnie Holliday is lost to us. Chike Okeafor too. Am I reading too much into this?

I like Russell Davis. Glad he is on board.

 

[pinnacle]

something tells me we will be signing frank sanders soon...russell and frank are two of the most outgoing guys on the team..and if frank wants to sign here for a very cheap contract - it would probably show martay we probably only have 1 spot left for a veteran (i.e. better hurry).. with sullivan now oc..I would bet he wants frank back as the short yardage guy and to set an example in the locker room for the younger guys...

 

[ajcardfan]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
This tells me Vonnie Holliday is lost to us. Chike Okeafor too. Am I reading too much into this?

Yes, you are. We have yet to fill the 'gaping wound' left by the departure of Tom Burke. We won't give up on Holliday until he signs elsewhere.

I'm very hopeful that this means we won't take Kennedy or Robertson. Neither guy does much at all for me.

 

[mizzoucardfan]

The way taht I see it is on D we have one large hole and asmall hole left to fill. The large hole in my opinion is DE. I think that will be filled in the draft ( Suggs ) and the 2nd hole is Linebacker. I personally would love to see Junior Seau signed and moved to our middle linebacker spot and move our current Middle LB ( McKinnon ) to the outside where he can make better use of his speed. Junior would bring a toughness to the Card D. that I don't believe that I have ever seen.

 

[JeffGollin]

This tells me Vonnie Holliday is lost to us. Chike Okeafor too. Am I reading too much into this?

Yes. Holliday and Okeafor are DE's. Davis is a DT (and in my opinion not a real good one either). He'd have a couple of moments during a season, but for the most part would get stood up in the hole and turned around by enemy blockers.

 

[WizardOfAz]

Originally posted by pinnacle
bidwill jr said on the radio this am graves was in the office today working the phones!

I heard that too. It seems that Michael and Graves seem to be working pretty well together.

Also liked the comment he had when they asked him about how involved he was on these FA signings and he had a comment to the effect of "I have my opinions, but I let the football peopel take care of football decisions ans I'll take care of the business side of things like getting the stadium built".

 

[pinnacle]

#'s on the deal:
Cardinals | Davis Agrees to 3-year Deal - posted at KFFL (http://nfl.kffl.com)
19:54 PT: ESPN.com’s Len Pasquarelli reports the Arizona Cardinals have reached a contract with DT Russell Davis, one of their own unrestricted free agents. The team agreed to a three-year, $3.2 million deal with him, which includes a $800,000 signing bonus. Davis will have base salaries of $800,000 (2003), $800,000 (2004) and $800,000 (2005).

Fair enough..russell will have a $1.06 mil cap hit in each year...I know the cards say russell is 6' 4" and weighs 305 - he looks small to me..I have seen him up close at training camp and he looks like he needs to get bigger..his play on the field would indicate the same - he occasionally gets decent penetration but seems to get pushed around..

 

[WizardOfAz]

Full Pasquarelli story on Davis:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1524354.html

 

[Tangodnzr]

I think Davis has steadily been improving. Two years ago there didn't seem to be a person around who didn't consider him a total bust. Maybe Joe Green isn't as bad a coach as some have accused him of being.

I'm glad to see Davis signed. The only signing so far that I would even remotely queston is McKinley's, but that was evidently more to do with his special teams play than anything.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by Tangodnzr
I think Davis has steadily been improving. Two years ago there didn't seem to be a person around who didn't consider him a total bust. Maybe Joe Green isn't as bad a coach as some have accused him of being.

I'm glad to see Davis signed. The only signing so far that I would even remotely queston is McKinley's, but that was evidently more to do with his special teams play than anything.

Err...I still think Joe Greene is a terrible coach. Davis has improved a little, but I would chalk that up to learning through playing so much.

 

[pinnacle]

It was reported that davis had a trip scheduled to visit green bay but it was cancelled after signing with the cards on sunday..

 

[Rats]

Originally posted by pinnacle
It was reported that davis had a trip scheduled to visit green bay but it was cancelled after signing with the cards on sunday..

I think this is a tremendous signing givin the circumstances....I didn't think with Tanner returning we would be able to bring Russell Davis back...this continues to give good vet depth to our DLINE...he can play everydown...and showed some flashes against the run that he knows the system...with a quality DE...thru draft or bringing in Okifeor...or possibly Holliday...we could see a very good Line........we would then need to Get one of the two top Cb...and this D is going to be good when they gel.

 

[slanidrac16]

hustle points..

What stands out in my memory of Russell Davis is his hustle. Time after time he made tackles considerably downfield and near the sidelines.

We are developing depth and I like it.

 

[john h]

Originally posted by Rats
I think this is a tremendous signing givin the circumstances....I didn't think with Tanner returning we would be able to bring Russell Davis back...this continues to give good vet depth to our DLINE...he can play everydown...and showed some flashes against the run that he knows the system...with a quality DE...thru draft or bringing in Okifeor...or possibly Holliday...we could see a very good Line........we would then need to Get one of the two top Cb...and this D is going to be good when they gel.

I think Davis will continue to improve and I am glad to see us keeping some of the guys who might improve and want to stay here.

 

[Ed B]

Originally posted by Tangodnzr
Maybe Joe Green isn't as bad a coach as some have accused him of being.

No, he is.

 

[ajcardfan]

Joe Greene isn't a bad coach.....

you can't be bad at something you've never done!


Seriously, watch the guy at camp this year anyone who goes. Maybe I'm missing something, but he just stands around and barely talks even.