Cardsmasochist
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For Cards, another missed opportunity
John Gambadoro
Special for azcentral.com
Jan. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
The Arizona Cardinals have made more than their fair share of mistakes over the years. From draft busts to free-agent busts to failing to develop their players, the Cardinals have seen and done it all.
But even when the Cardinals believe they got it right, they got it wrong. In 2004 the Cardinals selected Larry Fitzgerald with the third overall pick in the NFL draft. A very good draft choice, one that has worked out when compared with first-round busts like Tom Knight, Wendell Bryant, Calvin Pace, Leonard Davis, Bryant Johnson, Thomas Jones and others. But while Fitzgerald has proven to be one of the best young receivers in the league, the Cardinals would have been much better had they taken Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the third overall pick.
Arizona already had a talented wideout in Anquan Boldin when they selected Fitzgerald. What they didn't have was a quarterback. That year the Cardinals rolled out Josh McCown as the starter with Shaun King as the backup. The Cardinals did use a draft pick on a quarterback in the 2004 draft, but it came in the seventh round on Michigan's John Navarre.
Roethlisberger should have been the clear choice for Denny Green, who was in his first year with the team and going through his first draft. Roethlisberger would have given Green the quarterback with which to build around and given Arizona its first true franchise signal caller.
The numbers for Roethlisberger in college were gaudy. He threw for 10,829 yards with 84 touchdown passes and just 34 interceptions, shattering almost every school record. He had prototypical size at 6feet 4, 242 pounds and a strong arm. That Eli Manning went ahead of Roethlisberger in the draft is understandable. That Phillip Rivers did is unconscionable.
The Chargers selected Manning first overall and promptly traded him to the New York Giants for Phillip Rivers, whom the Giants selected fourth. Roethlisberger somehow fell to 11th overall, where the Steelers grabbed him and anointed him their quarterback of the present and future. Like Arizona, Pittsburgh had questions at quarterback with Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch in the system. But unlike Arizona, Pittsburgh realized the importance of drafting a franchise quarterback and didn't hesitate to spend the pick on Big Ben.
In his first season in the NFL, Roethlisberger started 13 regular-season games and didn't lose one, throwing for 2,621 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was voted the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Sporting News Rookie of the Year. Roethlisberger also bucked tradition by playing so much in his first season, a time when most rookie quarterbacks are supposed to watch and learn but rarely play.
The Steelers' system was a perfect fit for Roethlisberger with a good running game and strong offensive line. But Big Ben proved that he was the real deal. He came back this year to guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl. He is 26-4 as a starter. In his three playoff games this season, Roethlisberger has been outstanding with seven touchdown passes to just one interception. And he did all of that on the road.
Against the Cincinnatti Bengals in the opening round of the playoffs, Roethlisberger threw for 208 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The next week at Indianapolis he passed for 197 yards with two scores and one pick. And in Denver on Sunday he was a remarkable 21 for 29 for 275 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Roethlisberger is the best quarterback the Steelers have had since Terry Bradshaw led the team to four Super Bowls in the '70s. He has pinpoint accuracy, is tough as nails and intelligent. And to think he is just in his second year. Tom Brady may get more attention and Peyton Manning may have better stats, but Roethlisberger is every bit as good a quarterback as those two and has to be considered among the top five signal callers in the league right now.
Had the Cardinals done the right thing and snatched Roethlisberger with the third pick in the 2004 draft, the Steelers most likely wouldn't be getting ready for the Seattle Seahawks right now. Arizona certainly wouldn't be coming off of seasons of 6-10 and 5-11, and there most certainly would be tremendous hope for the future by having one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
And while Roethlisberger clearly wouldn't have been as successful in Arizona's system as he has been in Pittsburgh's, his talent still would have wowed the fans and the organization and he would be the one player the Cardinals were building a team around.
While building a team is not easy the one thing that can be said is that you can't pass on franchise quarterbacks in the draft. They don't come around that often. And Arizona clearly missed in 2004. Maybe this year they will get it right and draft Jay Cutler with the 10th pick in the draft.
For Cards, another missed opportunity
John Gambadoro
Special for azcentral.com
Jan. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
The Arizona Cardinals have made more than their fair share of mistakes over the years. From draft busts to free-agent busts to failing to develop their players, the Cardinals have seen and done it all.
But even when the Cardinals believe they got it right, they got it wrong. In 2004 the Cardinals selected Larry Fitzgerald with the third overall pick in the NFL draft. A very good draft choice, one that has worked out when compared with first-round busts like Tom Knight, Wendell Bryant, Calvin Pace, Leonard Davis, Bryant Johnson, Thomas Jones and others. But while Fitzgerald has proven to be one of the best young receivers in the league, the Cardinals would have been much better had they taken Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the third overall pick.
Arizona already had a talented wideout in Anquan Boldin when they selected Fitzgerald. What they didn't have was a quarterback. That year the Cardinals rolled out Josh McCown as the starter with Shaun King as the backup. The Cardinals did use a draft pick on a quarterback in the 2004 draft, but it came in the seventh round on Michigan's John Navarre.
Roethlisberger should have been the clear choice for Denny Green, who was in his first year with the team and going through his first draft. Roethlisberger would have given Green the quarterback with which to build around and given Arizona its first true franchise signal caller.
The numbers for Roethlisberger in college were gaudy. He threw for 10,829 yards with 84 touchdown passes and just 34 interceptions, shattering almost every school record. He had prototypical size at 6feet 4, 242 pounds and a strong arm. That Eli Manning went ahead of Roethlisberger in the draft is understandable. That Phillip Rivers did is unconscionable.
The Chargers selected Manning first overall and promptly traded him to the New York Giants for Phillip Rivers, whom the Giants selected fourth. Roethlisberger somehow fell to 11th overall, where the Steelers grabbed him and anointed him their quarterback of the present and future. Like Arizona, Pittsburgh had questions at quarterback with Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch in the system. But unlike Arizona, Pittsburgh realized the importance of drafting a franchise quarterback and didn't hesitate to spend the pick on Big Ben.
In his first season in the NFL, Roethlisberger started 13 regular-season games and didn't lose one, throwing for 2,621 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was voted the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Sporting News Rookie of the Year. Roethlisberger also bucked tradition by playing so much in his first season, a time when most rookie quarterbacks are supposed to watch and learn but rarely play.
The Steelers' system was a perfect fit for Roethlisberger with a good running game and strong offensive line. But Big Ben proved that he was the real deal. He came back this year to guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl. He is 26-4 as a starter. In his three playoff games this season, Roethlisberger has been outstanding with seven touchdown passes to just one interception. And he did all of that on the road.
Against the Cincinnatti Bengals in the opening round of the playoffs, Roethlisberger threw for 208 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The next week at Indianapolis he passed for 197 yards with two scores and one pick. And in Denver on Sunday he was a remarkable 21 for 29 for 275 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Roethlisberger is the best quarterback the Steelers have had since Terry Bradshaw led the team to four Super Bowls in the '70s. He has pinpoint accuracy, is tough as nails and intelligent. And to think he is just in his second year. Tom Brady may get more attention and Peyton Manning may have better stats, but Roethlisberger is every bit as good a quarterback as those two and has to be considered among the top five signal callers in the league right now.
Had the Cardinals done the right thing and snatched Roethlisberger with the third pick in the 2004 draft, the Steelers most likely wouldn't be getting ready for the Seattle Seahawks right now. Arizona certainly wouldn't be coming off of seasons of 6-10 and 5-11, and there most certainly would be tremendous hope for the future by having one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
And while Roethlisberger clearly wouldn't have been as successful in Arizona's system as he has been in Pittsburgh's, his talent still would have wowed the fans and the organization and he would be the one player the Cardinals were building a team around.
While building a team is not easy the one thing that can be said is that you can't pass on franchise quarterbacks in the draft. They don't come around that often. And Arizona clearly missed in 2004. Maybe this year they will get it right and draft Jay Cutler with the 10th pick in the draft.
Whatever Gambo... Roethlisburger would not be anywhere near the QB here as he is in Pitt... Our O-line would have gotten him killed in his 1st year alone... He is gonna be great, but this is coming from a guy who--when I emailed him years ago (before I knew he was a douche) suggesting the Cards should take Shockey in the draft--told me that we didn't need to because we were getting our AllStar TE Freddy Jones.
