Get Your Hate Mail Ready

[Russ Smith]

Re: Just the facts

Originally posted by stlouiecard
Here are Dexter's numbers from last year

TOT SOLO AST SACK STF STFY FF BK INT YDS AVG LNG TD PD
2002 71 57 14 0 3 9 0 0 3 101 33.7 58 0 6


NOT bad numbers. I don't share Harry's opinion and I think that Jackson was well worth the less than 3 mil. per season. Blake is the man and he will prove it! He is underpaid at less than 3 million and Hodgins is the blocking fullback that this team has needed for decades. Jim Otis was the last decent FB this team had 30 years ago - so these 3 for 6 mil. a year is a steal. And I do think that 18 mil. can plug many holes,however, not all holes will be filled. It never is with this team. But, some of the lesser role players have to step up - that's what happens on the good teams in this league. The lower tier role players sometimes can make or break a team.

Hey don't forget Earl Ferrell, drugs ruined his career but that guy could play, like Otis he was a runner not a blocker.

 

[Russ Smith]

Re: Re: Get Your Hate Mail Ready

Originally posted by RLakin
Larry Brown comes to mind. Like Jackson, his two Super Bowl interceptions netted a big contract in free agency and he was a bust. The "benefiting from the system" charge is nothing new. It followed Jackson's predecessor Damian Robinson to NY when, again like Jackson, he netted a big free agent deal. It turned out Robinson was a product of the system (in TB) and the Jets cut him this off-season. Hopefully Jackson will be better, but I must say that Cards might have done better to look at some options at SS, including Tebucky Jones and Sammy Knight, and moved Adrian Wilson to FS. Jones is probably going to be released from the franchise tag sometime soon, now that Rodney Harrison is in NE.

I actually somewhat agree with Rodney's take on Safeties. I think Jackson is better than Rodney apparently thinks, but I think overall the team may have been helped more to get a Jones or a Knight and move Wilson to FS(Is Darius available I thought i read he was).

My problem is not Jackson so much is that I still think Wilson is playing out of position I don't think he's a SS I think he's a FS and I think we're wasting some of his talent by playing him at SS. Remember this time last year the talk was Wilson might be moving to CB, how many other SS's in the NFL are ever mentioned as possibly moving to CB?

Not that I don't think he CAN play SS, just I think he's a more natural FS and I think his judgement will improve if he's playing his natural position.

I do think on paper we have the fastest secondary we've had in YEARS.

 

[kerouac9]

This is the reason that I think the Cards are planning on playing a lot of Cover 2 D's this season. In the Cover 2 scheme, the Safeties play more like Left S and Right S, both have cover responsiblities in the zone, and occasionally the RS will come down to cover the run or blitz the QB, as John Lynch does in Tampa. I think that Adrian can fill that role in this D, and the athleticism of D. Jax and his knowledge of the system will help make it work. The sticking point is that the players must not miss tackles (a coaching issue more than anything else) and there has to be a pass rush from the Front 4. I think we get Suggs or Kennedy in the draft to help address this issue.

 

[RedStorm]

...there has to be a pass rush from the Front 4. I think we get Suggs or Kennedy in the draft to help address this issue.

This needs to be our top priority. I am glad that we are not finished. I think we need to get two DT/DE in FA. Holliday, Okeafor, or others. Then draft well. Hopefully Suggs is there @6

 

[RLakin]

Re: Re: Re: Get Your Hate Mail Ready

Originally posted by Russ Smith
I actually somewhat agree with Rodney's take on Safeties. I think Jackson is better than Rodney apparently thinks, but I think overall the team may have been helped more to get a Jones or a Knight and move Wilson to FS(Is Darius available I thought i read he was).

No, I'm not saying Jackson is a bad player, but there is precedent for someone that fits his profile to not turn out the way the Cards want. Obviously he has plenty of speed and playmaking ability, and the like signing more than retaining Lassiter, mostly because of the age difference. Might have done better, though, to at least bring in Jones from NE once he's released from the tag. Then again, Jackson probably would have signed w/ Pittsburgh if they waited.
Darius also has a franchise tag, so he'll probably stay in Fla.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Get Your Hate Mail Ready

Originally posted by RLakin
No, I'm not saying Jackson is a bad player, but there is precedent for someone that fits his profile to not turn out the way the Cards want. Obviously he has plenty of speed and playmaking ability, and the like signing more than retaining Lassiter, mostly because of the age difference. Might have done better, though, to at least bring in Jones from NE once he's released from the tag. Then again, Jackson probably would have signed w/ Pittsburgh if they waited.
Darius also has a franchise tag, so he'll probably stay in Fla.

He's already been released from the tag, and he is a terrible coverage safety. NE was nuts for putting the tag on him in the first place.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

first, i agree with harry's breakdown of the players, however, i am a bit more optimistic than harry 'cuz, despite the fact that none of these are world-beaters, or even really impact players, they are all upgrades over what we already had, and that, is a step in the right direction. also, i think the figures we gave each of 'em were pretty reasonable.

now my cheesy was in phx yesterday and reported that graves and cowboy mac were all geeked up over the signings. that worries me. these guys should be happy about the signings as they did something, but to get geeked up over these guys tells me they're probably overvaluing the work they did. if each of these guys were signed individually over a span of a couple of months no one would be that excited.

on that note, i am pleasantly surprised that everyone on this board seems to be taking these signings with the proper amount of enthusiasm. everyone is happy that they happened, but no one is proclaiming playoffs next year (as i assumed i would find). congrats, our boys are all growns up!

 

[HoodieBets]

Originally posted by PHXSPORTS4LIFE
first, i agree with harry's breakdown of the players, however, i am a bit more optimistic than harry 'cuz, despite the fact that none of these are world-beaters, or even really impact players, they are all upgrades over what we already had, and that, is a step in the right direction. also, i think the figures we gave each of 'em were pretty reasonable.

now my cheesy was in phx yesterday and reported that graves and cowboy mac were all geeked up over the signings. that worries me. these guys should be happy about the signings as they did something, but to get geeked up over these guys tells me they're probably overvaluing the work they did. if each of these guys were signed individually over a span of a couple of months no one would be that excited.

on that note, i am pleasantly surprised that everyone on this board seems to be taking these signings with the proper amount of enthusiasm. everyone is happy that they happened, but no one is proclaiming playoffs next year (as i assumed i would find). congrats, our boys are all growns up!

I agree with you on most of it but i dont think all of these are upgrades. Jackson is probably a push with lassiter, and like i said earlier in another thread i think blake is a push with jake. He might be better stat(by stats i mean td-int ratio) wise but i dont think he can produce more wins than jake. Darling is an upgrade as a special teamer and hodgins is an upgrade at FB. They did not address the biggest problem though. They need a pash rush more than anything else and they wont get that with darling or jackson. Once they do that they can call it a productive off-season.

 

[Harry]

I won't take up a lot of everyone's time. As to using a PFW pre-season quote, I did so intentionally, because I wanted to show Jackson was not viewed as special before this year. By the way I watch the guy play probably 15 games in college and did not have him highly rated. In any case the current issue of PFW lists Jackson as the 52nd best free agent. Lassiter was listed as 44th. As to the free safety, stong safety debate. The distinction has indeed blurred in recent years. I really think it would be hard to find many professional talent evaluators who would view this as an upgrade.

I agree Darling is a decent player. He won't start and I just think there were better places to put the available cap money. As the free dollars continue to decline, I just don't see adding a linebacker as a major move forward.

Barrett is marginal at best at corner. He gives too much cushion and showed little ability to handle taller wideouts and there are more of them every year.

Finally, the response that all teams have weaknesses. The Cards don't have weakness they have holes. They lost their top three receivers (most likely) and they lost their center. They don't have a weak pass rush; they have no pass rush. Only Barrett at corner would be classed as a weakness rather than a hole.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by Harry


Barrett is marginal at best at corner. He gives too much cushion and showed little ability to handle taller wideouts and there are more of them every year.

(Note to self: totally ignore anything that Harry writes)