azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 2, 2004 12:00 AM
TONIGHT'S GAME
CARDINALS AT BRONCOS
WHEN: 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Invesco Field at Mile High.
TV/RADIO: KAZ-TV/KDUS-AM (1060), KSLX-FM (100.7).
DENVER - There are few things as insignificant as an NFL team's fourth preseason game. Unless it's the fifth.
The Cardinals (0-3) finish the preseason tonight against the Broncos (2-2). Denver coach Mike Shanahan figures he's played his starters enough in the four games, and they're not expected to play much in the fifth.
Cardinals coach Dennis Green, meanwhile, probably will stay with his first units longer than usual for a fourth preseason game. He isn't happy yet with how they've played, and he thinks they need the work.
"I know we're not there yet, and the only way to get there is playing the game," Green said. "I don't think we're playing well enough to be a playoff team right now, and that's a big concern. I think we're better than we were the first week. That's the good news. But the bad news is we're not good enough right now."
Final roster cuts must be made by Sunday, and the Cardinals have to trim 15 players to get down to 53. A day later, they can form an eight-man practice squad, with an additional exemption for offensive lineman Rolando Cantu, who was placed here through an NFL program for international players.
By now, Green knows what he has, and what he doesn't. The difficulty comes in deciding if the club can afford to hold roster spots open for injured players, such as free safety Dexter Jackson, who's been out with a back ailment; and defensive tackle Kenny King, who recently underwent wrist surgery and is expected to be out several weeks.
The team will hold a roster spot for receiver Anquan Boldin, who won't return from a knee injury until mid-October at the earliest. That could mean carrying an extra receiver in the meantime, resulting in a shortage at another position.
Even after Sunday, the roster will evolve.
The Cardinals have made liberal use of the waiver wire and that will continue.
On Wednesday, they claimed two players cut by Dallas: running back Aveion Cason, who played in 20 games over the past two years; and Shaun Smith, a defensive tackle who spent last season on the practice squad.
That brings the total number of players claimed this training camp to 12.
To make room for them, the team placed running back Marcel Shipp (fractured fibula/dislocated ankle) and fullback James Hodgins (shoulder) on injured reserve, which means they're gone for the season.
Cason is the second former Dallas running back the Cardinals have added in the past two days. They traded with Oakland for Troy Hambrick and defensive end Peppi Zellner Tuesday.
The four new players are expected to be in uniform tonight.
The moves indicate Green's dissatisfaction with backups Damien Anderson and Josh Scobey, who now seem in serious trouble of making the club.
Guessing which players will be cut is risky with Green, who's always good for a surprise. And he has a knack of periodically delivering big news.
He promoted Emmitt Smith to starting running back during summer workouts and demoted offensive tackle L.J. Shelton. He also cut center Pete Kendall on the eve of the first training camp practice.
Few players on the roster should feel comfortable.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/04cardscamp/0902cardslead0902.html
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 2, 2004 12:00 AM
TONIGHT'S GAME
CARDINALS AT BRONCOS
WHEN: 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Invesco Field at Mile High.
TV/RADIO: KAZ-TV/KDUS-AM (1060), KSLX-FM (100.7).
DENVER - There are few things as insignificant as an NFL team's fourth preseason game. Unless it's the fifth.
The Cardinals (0-3) finish the preseason tonight against the Broncos (2-2). Denver coach Mike Shanahan figures he's played his starters enough in the four games, and they're not expected to play much in the fifth.
Cardinals coach Dennis Green, meanwhile, probably will stay with his first units longer than usual for a fourth preseason game. He isn't happy yet with how they've played, and he thinks they need the work.
"I know we're not there yet, and the only way to get there is playing the game," Green said. "I don't think we're playing well enough to be a playoff team right now, and that's a big concern. I think we're better than we were the first week. That's the good news. But the bad news is we're not good enough right now."
Final roster cuts must be made by Sunday, and the Cardinals have to trim 15 players to get down to 53. A day later, they can form an eight-man practice squad, with an additional exemption for offensive lineman Rolando Cantu, who was placed here through an NFL program for international players.
By now, Green knows what he has, and what he doesn't. The difficulty comes in deciding if the club can afford to hold roster spots open for injured players, such as free safety Dexter Jackson, who's been out with a back ailment; and defensive tackle Kenny King, who recently underwent wrist surgery and is expected to be out several weeks.
The team will hold a roster spot for receiver Anquan Boldin, who won't return from a knee injury until mid-October at the earliest. That could mean carrying an extra receiver in the meantime, resulting in a shortage at another position.
Even after Sunday, the roster will evolve.
The Cardinals have made liberal use of the waiver wire and that will continue.
On Wednesday, they claimed two players cut by Dallas: running back Aveion Cason, who played in 20 games over the past two years; and Shaun Smith, a defensive tackle who spent last season on the practice squad.
That brings the total number of players claimed this training camp to 12.
To make room for them, the team placed running back Marcel Shipp (fractured fibula/dislocated ankle) and fullback James Hodgins (shoulder) on injured reserve, which means they're gone for the season.
Cason is the second former Dallas running back the Cardinals have added in the past two days. They traded with Oakland for Troy Hambrick and defensive end Peppi Zellner Tuesday.
The four new players are expected to be in uniform tonight.
The moves indicate Green's dissatisfaction with backups Damien Anderson and Josh Scobey, who now seem in serious trouble of making the club.
Guessing which players will be cut is risky with Green, who's always good for a surprise. And he has a knack of periodically delivering big news.
He promoted Emmitt Smith to starting running back during summer workouts and demoted offensive tackle L.J. Shelton. He also cut center Pete Kendall on the eve of the first training camp practice.
Few players on the roster should feel comfortable.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/04cardscamp/0902cardslead0902.html
