Going "all in" 2022...

[imaCafan]

"All in" for the Cards is waaaaay different than other teams...

 

[Covert Rain]

The Cards did go all in last year. The problem is they didn't have a winning hand. Time to reshuffle the deck IMO.

 

[BritCard]

I struggle to see how our roster becomes more talented this year than it was last year.

Not without 2-3 hits in the draft

 

[DVontel]

I struggle to see how our roster becomes more talented this year than it was last year.

By going against a less talented conference.

 

[QuebecCard]

Nothing. They are cap constrained. That's why they said 2021 was the all in year.

They didn't say it.

 

[iLLmatiC]

It's really tough for me to care a whole lot right now. The offseason can be a bummer for me because I love it but do not have faith in Keim. The season of missed opportunities.

Also, the Kyler stuff has worn me out. I am sure some of it is confirmation bias but I just see all of the issues that I saw pre-draft still present after 3 seasons and it is a bummer.

I was pretty deflated last off-season. This off-season is even worse for me. The way the season ended again, this whole organization needs to be turned upside down but it doesn't seem like the owner wants to go that route so I expect next seasons outcome to be a repeat of the last 2.

 

[Harry]

I was not “ all in” last season. Watt and Green did nothing to jump start my enthusiasm. I believed both were old and overpriced. They won the first 7 games and buffaloed me into believing.
Turns out I should have stuck to my guns because I was right.

Unless they do everything I believe they should do they’ll be wrong. Sounds crazy huh? But I truly believe 95% of this board could come up with a plan that would turn out better than what Keim does.

Many here say we are capped strap and some say there is always a way around it.
No way I pay Kirk 12m.
I hope Green has already left the state.
I like Cedrick Wilson, Mike Glowinski and depending which running back leaves creates the question can eno take over. Even if he can can Ward be the 3rd back or do we pick up a vet like Mack, Lindsey or Williams?
Te is another big question mark. Ertz too expensive? Will Williams be ready? I say he starts on the pup list.

It sure would be nice to sign a few free agents that will be around for more than one or two years. Sign a guy like TE Mo Alie-Cox and he could be our TE for the next 5-6 years.

It almost worked if Hopkins hadn’t gotten hurt and the Cards hurt

 

[Solar7]

I was not “ all in” last season. Watt and Green did nothing to jump start my enthusiasm. I believed both were old and overpriced. They won the first 7 games and buffaloed me into believing.
Turns out I should have stuck to my guns because I was right.

Unless they do everything I believe they should do they’ll be wrong. Sounds crazy huh? But I truly believe 95% of this board could come up with a plan that would turn out better than what Keim does.

Many here say we are capped strap and some say there is always a way around it.
No way I pay Kirk 12m.
I hope Green has already left the state.
I like Cedrick Wilson, Mike Glowinski and depending which running back leaves creates the question can eno take over. Even if he can can Ward be the 3rd back or do we pick up a vet like Mack, Lindsey or Williams?
Te is another big question mark. Ertz too expensive? Will Williams be ready? I say he starts on the pup list.

It sure would be nice to sign a few free agents that will be around for more than one or two years. Sign a guy like TE Mo Alie-Cox and he could be our TE for the next 5-6 years.

Ditto on the I wasn't "all in" and should have stuck to my guns.

Work has been busy, keeping me away from here as much as I was over the past few years when I was unemployed, but I'm also struggling to muster any enthusiasm right now. Like, is it even worthwhile to swing by just to repeat the stuff I've seen coming for a long time?

I in no way mean to pat myself on the back, but things I've hit on in the Kliff era:

- Kyler is a polarizing QB now, like Jameis Winston was, and we have no certainty if he is the future.
- Cap hell is in full swing, and a whopping amount of the roster needs to be rebuilt.
- Signing old and injured risks came back to bite us.
- Keim is still one of the worst drafters in the league, and our young talent is laughable.
- Kliff is not suited for a head coaching role. I'm sure he'll go somewhere and be an alright/good OC, but it's fair to say at this point that his offense isn't revolutionary, and he makes weird decisions, or occasionally looks like a deer in headlights. He's too buddy-buddy with the players.

 

[cardncubfan]

I struggle to see how our roster becomes more talented this year than it was last year.

Strategic moves & voodoo.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Strategic moves & voodoo.

lol. that's probably our best hope.

I mean, we've had to back to back ugly collapses at the end of seasons punctuated by a humiliating round 1 playoff loss and... literally, nothing has changed anywhere in coaching ranks, GM... all while staring at next season, totally cap-strapped with almost the entire starting skill positions save Hop about to be FAs.

 

[daves]

He's too buddy-buddy with the players.

This seems to be a widely accepted premise around here, but i'm curious whether there's any evidence for it.

...dbs

 

[cardncubfan]

I still can’t believe ALL IN last year consisted mainly of wildly spending on a perpetually broken-down and past his prime Watt a washed up AJ Green and a good C who we’d also had to give up draft capital to get... while letting our best young pass rusher walk for 6 million bucks.

Think about this... the biggest producer of the bunch was a running back signed to a 1 year 1 or 2 million dollar deal and Alford (for 13 games anyway) who was signed for pennies on the dollar.

So this is your view of last season?

I for one was highly entertained. It didn't end like I had hoped but they were a very competitive team (who beat the Niners twice btw). This is a game for our entertainment. I want them to compete. I also want them to win as many games as possible.

I realized when they hired KK & drafted Kyler that it was going to take some time to reach the ultimate goal. I'm sure they knew Kliff was going to have some growing pains coaching in the NFL. So far he's gotten better each year. He still has a ways to go but they also have a great young QB to grow with. Kyler is only 24 & still a little immature imo . Give them a little more time & I think everyone will change their views.

 

[Cheesebeef]

So this is your view of last season?

I for one was highly entertained. It didn't end like I had hoped but they were a very competitive team (who beat the Niners twice btw). This is a game for our entertainment. I want them to compete. I also want them to win as many games as possible.

I realized when they hired KK & drafted Kyler that it was going to take some time to reach the ultimate goal. I'm sure they knew Kliff was going to have some growing pains coaching in the NFL. So far he's gotten better each year. He still has a ways to go but they also have a great young QB to grow with. Kyler is only 24 & still a little immature imo . Give them a little more time & I think everyone will change their views.

Yes. My view of last year was it was a second back to back meltdown that ended in humiliating fashion. That’s not some out there opinion Cub.

And the great first half didn’t make up for a disastrous 1-5 end to the season where we ended up the laughingstock of the wild card round. Personally, thoe last two months were only entertaining from a masochistic perspective. If you found that faceplant entertaining, more power to ya.

 

[Jetstream Green]

They need cap space to make major moves which is something we don't have.

There's going to have to be some positions where we stick with what we have on the roster. Like Kennard possibly starting at EDGE and Collins replacing Hicks. The FA Edge market sucks anyway especially for OLB. They could bring Chandler back but it would have to be a crazy backloaded deal and maybe even include void years. He's so bad vs the run I'm not sure I want to.

One move I'd make on DL is bring back Calais Campbell. Yes, he's old but he's still playing 75% of snaps for the Ravens and had a PFF grade of 80. I assume he still has a home here and would welcome ending his career where it started and he could reduce the wear on his body by reducing his snaps a little.

You could play Kennard at OLB on 1st and Campbell could play RDE in Nickel. Would give us a lot of flexibility along the line. I'd also draft an EDGE rusher. Probably in the 2nd.

I'd add a vet CB as depth the what we have as well as resigning Alford for vet min. Jimmy Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Casey Hayward. There are a whole bunch of either vet guys or guys like Sidney Jones who played well above contract value. And I'd draft a young CB in the 3rd to develop.

That's about all we can afford on defense. On offense...

In round 1 I'd draft either the best Guard if one of the top guys is available or the best WR if not. Either way, I'm still signing one of each in FA as we need depth too.

We don't have a lot of money so we have to look for value. I like Sammy Watkins here. His reputation is down after a rough couple of years but I think this offense can bring the best out of him. He just played for $5m with the Ravens. I can't see why he would cost more and should at least replace Green's production.

At Guard, again looking for value vs potential my first choice would be Will Hernandez who I think has much more in him that he could show at the Giants. I think he could be had for $6m per and play well above that. If not, then someone like Glowinski.

At RB I'd resign Edmonds (I like Conner, I appreciate the TDs, but Edmonds is better) and I'd try find value again as we did with Conner last year. Darrel Williams, Marlon Mack, RJIII, Damian Williams etc all for me offer more than they would likely cost.

I'd also draft a RB in round 6.

I'd resign Maxx Williams at $3m per and Zach Ertz at no more than $6m per (even this would take some backloading or void years).

All that should be just about doable with the space and draft picks we have.

Edit -

To fill this out via the draft I did a mock and drafted the following

#1 Zion Johnson IOL
#2 Arnold Ebiketie Edge
#3 Derion Kendrick CB
#6 Zaquandre White, RB

(I like Conner, I appreciate the TDs, but Edmonds is better)
They are both good backs but I disagree giving the nod to Edmonds. He lacks Conner ability to score (when you say TDs, you did not do it justice, rather a ton of TDs) and make short yardage for first downs, Edmonds can catch but we found out not better than Conner, Conner is a physical leader and Edmonds appears not, I have seen no games of recent where Edmonds was remotely able to try and carry the offense but Conner came close and remarkably Conner stays healthy more than Edmonds who seems not to be able to carry the load past four games, Edmonds is faster but those are actually the complimentary backs one can find late in the draft while Conner can be a every down back

 

[slanidrac16]

Ditto on the I wasn't "all in" and should have stuck to my guns.

Work has been busy, keeping me away from here as much as I was over the past few years when I was unemployed, but I'm also struggling to muster any enthusiasm right now. Like, is it even worthwhile to swing by just to repeat the stuff I've seen coming for a long time?

I in no way mean to pat myself on the back, but things I've hit on in the Kliff era:

- Kyler is a polarizing QB now, like Jameis Winston was, and we have no certainty if he is the future.
- Cap hell is in full swing, and a whopping amount of the roster needs to be rebuilt.
- Signing old and injured risks came back to bite us.
- Keim is still one of the worst drafters in the league, and our young talent is laughable.
- Kliff is not suited for a head coaching role. I'm sure he'll go somewhere and be an alright/good OC, but it's fair to say at this point that his offense isn't revolutionary, and he makes weird decisions, or occasionally looks like a deer in headlights. He's too buddy-buddy with the players.

Kliff has disappointed me with many of his decisions. But it was Keim that thought Hopkins, Kirk and Green would be lethal. When Hopkins went down we went right back to last year. Was Moore the wrong pick or was it Kliff fault not finding a way to utilize him better.

Running back. Conner and Edmonds provide a better than adequate combo. But I bemoaned the fact that we needed a third back for depth. When Edmonds went down we ran Conner into the ground. When Conner went down we did the same with Edmonds. Heading into the 2021 season our 3rd and 4th backs had 1 (ONE) touch the previous year. Again is Eno not capable or another failure by Kliff to utilize him.

TE. We went into the season with Max Williams as our guy. Fit the offense well. Our backup TE’s would be hard pressed to make any other roster in the league. This was a solid plan??? So we have to trade for Ertz. Okay. But now there goes another drsft pick and a player we might not be able to sign.

All our shortcomings heading into last year were shored up with a lick and a promise. This year Those same shortcomings are the same and maybe more.

It will be interesting to see the moves we make this year. What mantra will be spewed out to the fans this year. I have one. “Patch Job”. That’s the best we are going to see. Keim will act like the shrewdest GM in the NFL. He will try to convince us we are playoff bound.

We will be lucky to win 6 games. Kliff will be fired on black Monday and we will start the whole merry-go-round again. AND, Keim will still be here.

 

[slanidrac16]

It almost worked if Hopkins hadn’t gotten hurt and the Cards hurt

Harry, with all due respect, the season collapse was not because of one player.

 

[imaCafan]

And the only “move” the Cards have made so far is letting their DL coach leave without replacing him. Not inspiring hope…

 

[Cards_Campos]

I think we can a major contender in 22 if we stay clear
Of injuries. Watt and Hopkins derailed us. Our WR are good against that one level
Less defensive back. When Hopkins went down we lost a 80% catch on 3rd down or 90% in red zone. Watt made Jones a sack machine. Take Cupp off the Rams they are not winning. Bengals got hot and lucky at the right time. If Rams beat 49ers last game of season we probably beat Dallas. You guys look at things like we are the Chiefs every year. 3 years ago we were abysmal. We are in a good spot with talent. I mean you guys Blast is for our finishes of the season. Green Bay has had the number 1 seed 5 times and reached super bowl 1 time ever. And not only
Do they lose they lose to teams
Worse then they. The Chiefs have underperformed. The Titans have under performed. I mean we were 11-6. I honestly would take that every year and I don’t care how we get there. The playoffs are who gets hot and lucky at same time.

 

[Cards_Campos]

I mean the Packers were #1 seed playing at home and won zero
Playoff games scoring 10 points. With all his weapons and he is the MVP. This board would melt down if we did what the packers do every year

 

[iLLmatiC]

I mean the Packers were #1 seed playing at home and won zero
Playoff games scoring 10 points. With all his weapons and he is the MVP. This board would melt down if we did what the packers do every year

They've won a Superbowl with that QB. And I'm pretty sure Packer fans are melting down over their team.

 

[Mainstreet]

There is nothing more I'd like for the pieces come together.

I still think it begins with the GM.

As fans though, all we can do is jump on the train and hope it doesn't jump the track.

 

[eastcoastDave]

My thought is that there is something wrong with the Cardinals management structure….and it might not be easily fixed. Year-in-year out, our drafts are poor, we rely on free agents who are usually passed their prime and we end up with so little cap dollars that we can’t move forward from one year to another. As it stands right now, we’ll rely on lesser FAs than we signed last year. I have no faith that the draft will be better for the team. Hey, we might even draft another LB. Something needs to change. And I don’t know if it’s the owner being too passive or whether the GM is just down right not good at his job. Anyone have thoughts?

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think we can a major contender in 22 if we stay clear
Of injuries. Watt and Hopkins derailed us. Our WR are good against that one level
Less defensive back. When Hopkins went down we lost a 80% catch on 3rd down or 90% in red zone. Watt made Jones a sack machine. Take Cupp off the Rams they are not winning. Bengals got hot and lucky at the right time. If Rams beat 49ers last game of season we probably beat Dallas. You guys look at things like we are the Chiefs every year. 3 years ago we were abysmal. We are in a good spot with talent. I mean you guys Blast is for our finishes of the season. Green Bay has had the number 1 seed 5 times and reached super bowl 1 time ever. And not only
Do they lose they lose to teams
Worse then they. The Chiefs have underperformed. The Titans have under performed. I mean we were 11-6. I honestly would take that every year and I don’t care how we get there. The playoffs are who gets hot and lucky at same time.

Anyone expecting JJ Watt to play more than half a season is smoking crack at this point.

Also, Watt made Jones a “sack machine”?! Where do you come up with this stuff? Jones had 5 sacks in his first game with Watt... then NONE in his last 6 games with Watt healthy.

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

We were all in.

It didn't work

With the cap mess Keim created, we will have a weaker roster in 22

 

[Stout]

In retrospect, the Ertz trade wasn't a good one. We went nowhere and now we're down another draft pick.