Good read on Cards FA acquisitions

[52brandon]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/pos...ms-arizona-cardinals-took-opposite-approaches

says it's about the Cards and Rams, but they mentioned the Rams in like one sentence lol. I didn't realize how much playing time many of the guys have seen. Bell had over 99% of all snaps. Cason and Powers saw a lot of time on the field as well. We added much more to the D secondary than I really thought we did. And Chilo Rachal saw some serious time at G. Between Cooper, Brown's return, the emergence of Massie, the progress of Potter, and a couple potential diamonds in the rough in Kelemete and Watford, I think our line will be much improved week 1 and will continue to improve as the season goes on. Instead of trying to play the least garbage player like we have the past decade, we actually have some talent to choose from to put out there. I'm pretty happy with how it's all played out this offseason. I don't know that it could have played out much better really

 

[Goldfield]

I agree on paper... Let's wait to see how it come together on the field.

Adding Palmer alone is going to change the dynamic of this team.

 

[seesred]

Our FO has done a great job on bringing these players in. We will see the potential of what we have during camp. There is a lot to be excited about. I can;t remember when we went after FA this hard. We generally have more players leaving then signing!

GBR
40

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Our FO has done a great job on bringing these players in. We will see the potential of what we have during camp. There is a lot to be excited about. I can;t remember when we went after FA this hard. We generally have more players leaving then signing!

GBR
40

I am more impressed with the contracts the Cardinals signed these free agents too then the people they signed.

Very manageable contracts that essentially put most of the players on this roster in a 1 year situation with the Cardinals.

 

[NeverSayDieFan]

Rugby makes an excellent point!

How many times over the years have we heard..."He's playing great because it's his "option" year."... I fully believe that players, or for that matter people in general, put forth their best effort when there's the most at stake.

I am very impressed with this new mgmt. group and more hopeful (...And I think it's a very realistic, not false hope) than I have been in a long, long time.

Mark in SC

 

[Duckjake]

I am more impressed with the contracts the Cardinals signed these free agents too then the people they signed.

Very manageable contracts that essentially put most of the players on this roster in a 1 year situation with the Cardinals.

Which is why my motto for 2013 is it's not the pay its the play. Who cares what the contracts are if the players can't perform on the field better than the guys they replaced?

To me the Cards are just doing what so many floundering franchises do, head in the opposite direction of the one that just failed. They overpaid for players the last couple of years so now they are bringing in a bunch of cheap players.

And now they not only have a ton of new guys this season they're looking at having to bring in a ton of new guys next season because of all the one year deals. Meanwhile the ONLY time this franchise has any real success was during the 3 years they didn't turn over the roster every Spring and had more players with more time with the same team than any other team in the NFL.

 

[DutchmanAZ]

The Cardinals moves remind me of what New England does in the off season. Hopefully we'll see similar results.

 

[Chopper0080]

Which is why my motto for 2013 is it's not the pay its the play. Who cares what the contracts are if the players can't perform on the field better than the guys they replaced?

To me the Cards are just doing what so many floundering franchises do, head in the opposite direction of the one that just failed. They overpaid for players the last couple of years so now they are bringing in a bunch of cheap players.

And now they not only have a ton of new guys this season they're looking at having to bring in a ton of new guys next season because of all the one year deals. Meanwhile the ONLY time this franchise has any real success was during the 3 years they didn't turn over the roster every Spring and had more players with more time with the same team than any other team in the NFL.

Meh. We mostly signed replaceable players to deals that allow us to move on in the near future.

Carson Palmer - 2 years
Drew Stanton - 3 years
Rashard Mendenhall - 1 year (drafted Taylor and Ellington)
Chilo Rachal - 1 year (drafted Cooper and Watford)
Matt Shaughnessy - 1 year (4-3 DE who is a tweener in a 3-4)
Frostee Rucker - 1 year (depth)
Karlos Dansby - 1 year (drafted Kevin Minter, have Daryl Washington)
Jasper Brinkley - 2 years
Lorenzo Alexander - 3 years
Jerraud Powers - 3 years
Antoine Cason - 1 year (#3 CB right now, have Flemming)
Yerimiah Bell - 1 year (old player)

Of those one year guys, who will cause huge turnover in our starting lineup when their contract expires next year? We have two rookie RBs behind Mendenhall. We have Minter behind Dansby. Rucker and Shaughnessy will only get sub reps. Bell and Cason should get playing time, but we probably would have had to replace our SS in 2014 anyway and Cason has regressed the past two years in San Diego as a starting CB.

This offseason was meant to buy time. Palmer and Stanton are likely stop gaps to get to a better QB class in 2014. Mendenhall to buy time for a drafted RB to develop. Dansby insurance for Washington. Cason insurance for Powers and potentially buying time for Flemming to develop. Bell a stop gap to next year's draft. Shaughnessy and Rucker, filling depth needs since we only had so many draft picks.

I just don't get your angst regarding this.

 

[Duckjake]

Meh. We mostly signed replaceable players to deals that allow us to move on in the near future.

Carson Palmer - 2 years
Drew Stanton - 3 years
Rashard Mendenhall - 1 year (drafted Taylor and Ellington)
Chilo Rachal - 1 year (drafted Cooper and Watford)
Matt Shaughnessy - 1 year (4-3 DE who is a tweener in a 3-4)
Frostee Rucker - 1 year (depth)
Karlos Dansby - 1 year (drafted Kevin Minter, have Daryl Washington)
Jasper Brinkley - 2 years
Lorenzo Alexander - 3 years
Jerraud Powers - 3 years
Antoine Cason - 1 year (#3 CB right now, have Flemming)
Yerimiah Bell - 1 year (old player)

Of those one year guys, who will cause huge turnover in our starting lineup when their contract expires next year? We have two rookie RBs behind Mendenhall. We have Minter behind Dansby. Rucker and Shaughnessy will only get sub reps. Bell and Cason should get playing time, but we probably would have had to replace our SS in 2014 anyway and Cason has regressed the past two years in San Diego as a starting CB.

This offseason was meant to buy time. Palmer and Stanton are likely stop gaps to get to a better QB class in 2014. Mendenhall to buy time for a drafted RB to develop. Dansby insurance for Washington. Cason insurance for Powers and potentially buying time for Flemming to develop. Bell a stop gap to next year's draft. Shaughnessy and Rucker, filling depth needs since we only had so many draft picks.

I just don't get your angst regarding this.

Easy. Your comment "to buy time". You may be content to not compete until 2015 or 2016 but I want the team to be competitive in 2013. We're always having replaceable players. Always filling depth needs that we created. And always finishing 5-11.

 

[Darkside]

I think we can compete with 1-year deal guys this year. Mostly because of Palmer. The Colts made the playoffs last year with a lot of rooks and FA's. But your point is very well taken, for me anyway, because I can't think of a team to make a deep playoff run with a bunch of FA's and rooks. Most deep playoff teams have players who've been with them for a few years.

But having said that, it doesn't change overnight: it just seemed like overnight in '08 and '09. We're not going to be a Cinderella team and win it all this year. That doesn't even happen anyway--even when you look at 'rella teams like Cinci against SF decades ago, that Cinci team was stacked, and so was the Browns team that lost to Elway. There is no Cinderella in the NFL. The uglies never get to dance, never get to wear the crown.

 

[nooch]

Easy. Your comment "to buy time". You may be content to not compete until 2015 or 2016 but I want the team to be competitive in 2013. We're always having replaceable players. Always filling depth needs that we created. And always finishing 5-11.

So you want us to keep the suck a** players from last year. Keep the same staff as before?

What would you have done different this off season? I'm sure we'll have hits and misses from this off season, But at least they finally look like they have direction and a plan.

 

[52brandon]

So you want us to keep the suck a** players from last year. Keep the same staff as before?

What would you have done different this off season? I'm sure we'll have hits and misses from this off season, But at least they finally look like they have direction and a plan.

he's superstitious. Thinks if he gets excited, we suck. So he stays pessimistic. It's impossible to argue that we've gotten worse since a year ago

 

[Duckjake]

So you want us to keep the suck a** players from last year. Keep the same staff as before?

What would you have done different this off season? I'm sure we'll have hits and misses from this off season, But at least they finally look like they have direction and a plan.

What sucky players? It's well known here that I believed Grimm was the problem with the offensive line not the players and everyone knew QB was the main reason for the poor showing the last 3 seasons along with the massive roster turnover after 2009. Grimm is gone. We got Carson Palmer. We didn't need to do yet another purge especially with a bunch of one year deals which could lead to another roster upheaval.

 

[Chopper0080]

Easy. Your comment "to buy time". You may be content to not compete until 2015 or 2016 but I want the team to be competitive in 2013. We're always having replaceable players. Always filling depth needs that we created. And always finishing 5-11.

Ok, but what were not going to have to be filled in 2014 anyway or what better alternatives were available?

Palmer and Stanton are better than Kolb and Skelton, and there wasn't a player in the draft that I would have been comfortable drafting.

Would you rather have paid 5mil to get Reggie Bush? What other back available was better than Rashard Mendenhall, especially if the team had a feeling they were going to draft one.

Cason was a one year deal but he is a #3 CB. Who else would you have wanted us to sign as a #3 CB?

Chances are that we would have had to replace Rhodes and Wilson in 2014 so, while I don't love Bell, what is the harm of signing a vet to a one year deal? What other S on the market did you want?

Shaughnessy and Rucker? Are we really lamenting signing depth defensive linemen to one year deals when future draft picks will be much more cost effective and probably only contribute on a part time basis?

I understand if you wanted the Cardinals to sign bigger names in free agency or make certain positions more of a priority, but to cite the length of the contracts we signed players to as a problem is kind of silly IMO. Only three of the free agents we signing to 1 year deals this offseason will receive significant snaps and those are Mendenhall, Dansby and Cason. What 1 year deal are the Cardinals being short sighted in signing?

 

[Cardiac]

I get Duck's concern because when teams typically do well they have a core group of players that have been with the team for 3 to 5 years. Duck has posted this and backed it up with research. It's what we experienced in 08 & 09 with the Cards.

Yes the Colts got to the playoffs with a lot of new faces on their team but did any of us expect them to advance very far in the playoffs?

I do agree with Chopper that this was a good offseason and I really like how several of the FA's were signed to a one year prove yourself deal. Very realistic approach to where this team is now, especially with a new coaching staff.

While we probably won't make the playoffs this team will at least be competitive and vastly far more watchable than last year.

Now if the Cards don't extend some players during the course of this season then I will be concerned.

 

[Chopper0080]

I get Duck's concern because when teams typically do well they have a core group of players that have been with the team for 3 to 5 years. Duck has posted this and backed it up with research. It's what we experienced in 08 & 09 with the Cards.

Yes the Colts got to the playoffs with a lot of new faces on their team but did any of us expect them to advance very far in the playoffs?

I do agree with Chopper that this was a good offseason and I really like how several of the FA's were signed to a one year prove yourself deal. Very realistic approach to where this team is now, especially with a new coaching staff.

While we probably won't make the playoffs this team will at least be competitive and vastly far more watchable than last year.

Now if the Cards don't extend some players during the course of this season then I will be concerned.

Fitzgerald
Campbell
Dockett
Acho
Washington
Peterson

That is our corp group. We also have Floyd, Roberts, Housler, Cooper, Massie, Dan Williams, Minter and Mathieu who are trying to break into that catagory.

Look, our roster is far from perfect and this offseason was good, not great. The Cardinals made some good moves and some questionable ones. Of all of the things people can get upset about, I find it a stretch to lament our players signed for 1 year contracts.

 

[Duckjake]

I understand if you wanted the Cardinals to sign bigger names in free agency or make certain positions more of a priority, but to cite the length of the contracts we signed players to as a problem is kind of silly IMO. Only three of the free agents we signing to 1 year deals this offseason will receive significant snaps and those are Mendenhall, Dansby and Cason. What 1 year deal are the Cardinals being short sighted in signing?
__________________

First of all I specifically refrained from mentioning any players because I wasn't unhappy with who they signed, except for Rachal and replacing Wilson with Bell, but the term of the contracts.

However, now that I have researched it in responding to the post about keeping the suck players from last year and thinking about yours I realized that I was under the impression we had more 1 year deals and you are correct. Mendenhall, Cason, Bell, Dansby and Shaughnessy are the free agents next year. So in reality the only area the Cards could be hit would be in the secondary again and its risky to think that two late round RBs can replace Mendenhall but its not that critical.

 

[Cardiac]

Fitzgerald
Campbell
Dockett
Acho
Washington
Peterson

That is our corp group. We also have Floyd, Roberts, Housler, Cooper, Massie, Dan Williams, Minter and Mathieu who are trying to break into that catagory.

Look, our roster is far from perfect and this offseason was good, not great. The Cardinals made some good moves and some questionable ones. Of all of the things people can get upset about, I find it a stretch to lament our players signed for 1 year contracts.

I would add Fitz to the core group. Sad thing is that is the only Offensive player in this group. Potential good news is Massie, Floyd, Roberts, Cooper and Housler all could be included if they play to expectations this year. Maybe Levi solidifies himself as our LT.

Very interesting to see how Rashad Johnson plays this year and if he joins the core, same for Dumpster Dan.

 

[Chopper0080]

First of all I specifically refrained from mentioning any players because I wasn't unhappy with who they signed, except for Rachal and replacing Wilson with Bell, but the term of the contracts.

However, now that I have researched it in responding to the post about keeping the suck players from last year and thinking about yours I realized that I was under the impression we had more 1 year deals and you are correct. Mendenhall, Cason, Bell, Dansby and Shaughnessy are the free agents next year. So in reality the only area the Cards could be hit would be in the secondary again and its risky to think that two late round RBs can replace Mendenhall but its not that critical.

In regards to RBs, Arians got really production out of Vick Ballard so I am not too concerned there. RBs can be found in many areas and rookies can contribute right away generally.

In regards to the rest of the team, we will have some holes in 2014. QB will of course be a concern with Palmer's age though I think he will do well this year. LT will be a need, but Levi will determine how much of a need it will be. Sendlein is very replacable, and even if Housler develops, I think TE will be an area that needs to be upgraded. On defense, OLB and S will probably still be huge areas of need though Okafer and Mathieu do both have talent. CB is almost always a need, but we do have pieces that we might be able to re-sign in Arenas, Cason, and possibly Flemming develops.

Personally, I would have liked to see the Cardinals sign Shaughnessy to a two or three year deal because he has shown solid pass rush ability in the past. If he takes to the 3-4 system, we are stuck with trying to re-sign him at a premium price though it is a stretch to think he will be anything more than a role player.

 

[Duckjake]

In regards to RBs, Arians got really production out of Vick Ballard so I am not too concerned there. RBs can be found in many areas and rookies can contribute right away generally.

But not generally in Arizona. It's something that is just hard to understand: if RBs are so easy to find why has it been 25 years since the Cardinals have had a decent RB play for them for more than a couple of seasons? And why has every RB the Cardinals have drafted in the 2nd round over the last 50 years been a bust?

 

[52brandon]

I would add Fitz to the core group. Sad thing is that is the only Offensive player in this group. Potential good news is Massie, Floyd, Roberts, Cooper and Housler all could be included if they play to expectations this year. Maybe Levi solidifies himself as our LT.

Very interesting to see how Rashad Johnson plays this year and if he joins the core, same for Dumpster Dan.

??? I don't get it

 

[Cardiac]

??? I don't get it

I swear I didn't see his name listed. Man I'm getting old and blind.

 

[Duckjake]

Javier Arenas will also be a free agent in 2014 as I believe he is in the last year of his rookie contract.

 

[52brandon]

I swear I didn't see his name listed. Man I'm getting old and blind.

lmao. I thought it was a joke and I was missing something

 

[RugbyMuffin]

The Cardinals moves remind me of what New England does in the off season. Hopefully we'll see similar results.

I guess.

The Patriots are no longer the Patriots that won 3 Superbowls. A lot of that player personnel has been distributed throughout the league.

That and since this is a copycat league the Patriots don't have the players to choose from that they once did.

If you look at the last few year the Patriots have signed some strange players in free agency, and a lot of them have not played out to what the Patriots needed.

There current success comes from the draft. I mean their defensive front seven are all their draft picks, and on offense it is all about the two TE's they drafted.

Draft, Draft, Draft - that is the #1 place to improve your team's roster. So, much so that the better you draft the more draft picks you end up having each year, so every good draft allows you to have better drafts then the year before.