First of all: to each of my fellow Cardinal fans on this board..."I LOVE YOU, MAN!" Thanks for hanging in there with me through this most frustrating ordeal. We have a great board...thanks to Skaniac, and Co. We all have loved these Cardinals through thick and thin...and today a dark cloud has been lifted. Rekindled hopes and new dreams abound. Like Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) said to Red (Morgan Freeman) in "The Shawshank Redemption"..."Without HOPE...we have nothing." And perhaps...like Andy Dusfresne, as Red put it so well, "he crawled through two miles of sh#t and came out smelling sweet on the other side." Today it looks more and more like the Cardinals have finally escaped...and are smelling sweet on the other side!
James Hodgins is a flat-out load and is a devastating blocker. He sure takes the romance out of the safety blitz! They signed him for 4 years at basically $1M per. That's a steal...because this guy is a winner.
Dexter Jackson is one of the top five free agents in this year's free agent pool. He's a Cover 2 safety who gets to the football as fast as any safety in the NFL. He is exactly what the Cardinals needed...a rangy, fast ballhawk, who has natural instincts. At 5 years and $14.5M...the price is right...because, guess what, we just got one prodigious step closer to beating the Rams and 49ers with Jackson manning our deep patrol.
Jeff Blake brings the vertical passing game the Cardinals have lacked since the days of Neil Lomax. This guy can flat-out sling the ball...and has remarkable accuracy on his deep throws. He also attacks the middle of the field far better than any QB we've had recently, which is excellent news for Freddie Jones and the slot receivers. Blake can beat teams from the pocket, which is exactly what the Cardinals need. Also, one has to be impressed with the way he came to town yesterday and layed it all on the line. A three year deal for $7.5M for a QB of his caliber and experience is a major boon for the organization.
Emmitt arrives tomorrow at a very good time. I, for one, like the idea of him coming to Arizona, especially if the Cardinals can sign him to an incentive laden deal. Every team needs TWO running backs through the course of a game and a 16 game schedule. Emmitt and Marcel would compliment each other...and now that they have a tough thick FB like Hodgins leading the way...the offensive line would have all the more incentive to knock the defenses on their butts. Emmitt would come here with a chip on his shoulder and he would inspire not only the offensive line, but the entire team.
At center, why not make a run at Jeff Christy? Did you see the blocks he threw on the Raider DTs in the Super Bowl? He and Cosey Coleman manhandled Sam Adams and drove him five yards backward play after play, even on the goalline. Christy may not be a perennial Pro-Bowler anymore, but he sure still plays like it.
At DE I still prefer Chidi Okeafor because he has the edge pass rushing quickness and speed the team lacks. And I would still like to see the Cardinals pursue Willie Whitehead, who is a diamond in the rough.
As for losing out on Roosevelt Colvin, let's not forget that we haven't seen the best of Levar Fisher yet, due to his injuries last year. Fisher may not be the edge rusher that Colvin is, but he may very well be a better all-around LB than Colvin, especially as an open field tackler and pass defender.
At WR, it would be interesting to hear which free agents Jeff Blake would like to throw to. Mac and Sully should meet with Blake a.s.a.p to get Blake's imput. Germain Crowell is high on my list...as is Curtis Conway.
While I questioned the Cardinals' approach to the interviews and delayed offers...and still do...kudos to Rod Graves for his good, hard work these past few days. Outbidding the Steelers for Jackson is a major coup...as is not wasting any more time in getting the job done with Hodgins and Blake.
The Cardinals desperately needed players with the guts and leadership skills to stare down the Cardinal stigma and prepare to obliterate it. That's what we got today, my friends. It all started last night when Blake said he loves the challenge. That's the spirit this team needs...and it couldn't have come at a more fortuitous time.
James Hodgins is a flat-out load and is a devastating blocker. He sure takes the romance out of the safety blitz! They signed him for 4 years at basically $1M per. That's a steal...because this guy is a winner.
Dexter Jackson is one of the top five free agents in this year's free agent pool. He's a Cover 2 safety who gets to the football as fast as any safety in the NFL. He is exactly what the Cardinals needed...a rangy, fast ballhawk, who has natural instincts. At 5 years and $14.5M...the price is right...because, guess what, we just got one prodigious step closer to beating the Rams and 49ers with Jackson manning our deep patrol.
Jeff Blake brings the vertical passing game the Cardinals have lacked since the days of Neil Lomax. This guy can flat-out sling the ball...and has remarkable accuracy on his deep throws. He also attacks the middle of the field far better than any QB we've had recently, which is excellent news for Freddie Jones and the slot receivers. Blake can beat teams from the pocket, which is exactly what the Cardinals need. Also, one has to be impressed with the way he came to town yesterday and layed it all on the line. A three year deal for $7.5M for a QB of his caliber and experience is a major boon for the organization.
Emmitt arrives tomorrow at a very good time. I, for one, like the idea of him coming to Arizona, especially if the Cardinals can sign him to an incentive laden deal. Every team needs TWO running backs through the course of a game and a 16 game schedule. Emmitt and Marcel would compliment each other...and now that they have a tough thick FB like Hodgins leading the way...the offensive line would have all the more incentive to knock the defenses on their butts. Emmitt would come here with a chip on his shoulder and he would inspire not only the offensive line, but the entire team.
At center, why not make a run at Jeff Christy? Did you see the blocks he threw on the Raider DTs in the Super Bowl? He and Cosey Coleman manhandled Sam Adams and drove him five yards backward play after play, even on the goalline. Christy may not be a perennial Pro-Bowler anymore, but he sure still plays like it.
At DE I still prefer Chidi Okeafor because he has the edge pass rushing quickness and speed the team lacks. And I would still like to see the Cardinals pursue Willie Whitehead, who is a diamond in the rough.
As for losing out on Roosevelt Colvin, let's not forget that we haven't seen the best of Levar Fisher yet, due to his injuries last year. Fisher may not be the edge rusher that Colvin is, but he may very well be a better all-around LB than Colvin, especially as an open field tackler and pass defender.
At WR, it would be interesting to hear which free agents Jeff Blake would like to throw to. Mac and Sully should meet with Blake a.s.a.p to get Blake's imput. Germain Crowell is high on my list...as is Curtis Conway.
While I questioned the Cardinals' approach to the interviews and delayed offers...and still do...kudos to Rod Graves for his good, hard work these past few days. Outbidding the Steelers for Jackson is a major coup...as is not wasting any more time in getting the job done with Hodgins and Blake.
The Cardinals desperately needed players with the guts and leadership skills to stare down the Cardinal stigma and prepare to obliterate it. That's what we got today, my friends. It all started last night when Blake said he loves the challenge. That's the spirit this team needs...and it couldn't have come at a more fortuitous time.
