Haggans officially a Card

[CardsGuy]

http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=2290

 

[az jam]

An excellent signing.

 

[DaisyCutter]

“I was surprised he was on the market,” Whisenhunt said. “We had a high grade on him and we thought he would go early in the free-agency process.

Uh-oh. This is almost word-for-word what we said about Terrance Holt last year.

It's a solid signing, IMO. He doesn't have the upside of Brandon Chillar, but he's an experienced veteran who can compete at two positions. I think that Chike will be a more effective player, but we now have 4 players who can man the OLB spots, and someone to push Chike to produce.

It only took 5 years, but it seems that Rod Graves is finally "building the belly of the team."

 

[Pariah]

It only took 5 years, but it seems that Rod Graves is finally "building the belly of the team."

I dunno. Our "belly" seems a little shaky to me. Berry, Okeafor and Haggins are a little long in the tooth. That's not what I think of when I hear "buidling the belly of the team." I think of young guys that will be around for a while. Our LB corps is going to look vastly different in 3 years, even by NFL standards.

JMHO

That said, I DO like the corps for this year.

 

[DaisyCutter]

I dunno. Our "belly" seems a little shaky to me. Berry, Okeafor and Haggins are a little long in the tooth. That's not what I think of when I hear "buidling the belly of the team." I think of young guys that will be around for a while. Our LB corps is going to look vastly different in 3 years, even by NFL standards.

JMHO

That said, I DO like the corps for this year.

Maybe. But mostly I just mean some quality depth in case an injury happens. No team in the NFL has quality depth at all positions on both sides of the ball, but I feel all right if someone goes down at either ILB or OLB, all along the OL, QB, S & CB (Rolle would go back to corner if one goes down--it's not perfect, but it's okay).

Not long ago, the season would be over if there were more than 2 even short-term injuries.

EDIT: Realistically, though, this team would be in much better shape had they found actual core players in the positions where they drafted Stepanovich, Leckey, Buster Davis, Brandon Johnson, Daryl Blackstock, etc., etc. But instilling short-term veterans in those positions is better, IMO, than hoping that you'll find a half-dozen gems in the UDFA pool every year.

 

[joeshmo]

The most interesting part of the article to me was that they may still bring in Matt Stewart. They are stock piling up on LB's it would seem for some reason and I think its becuase they would rather focus on other positions in the draft. Also we may have the same ideals as the Patriots who hate rookie LB's and havent drafted one any higher then the 3rd round in 7 years and havent had a rookie LB start for them ever over 7 years. They dont like them becuase they think their defense is to complicated for a rookie to understand fast enough and would rather have veterans who can come in and pick it up much faster. With Pendy and his constant tinkering and use of a wide variety of schemes and looks we just may feel the same way and this just might be a pattern we see from this staff for some time as long as they are here.

 

[DaisyCutter]

The most interesting part of the article to me was that they may still bring in Matt Stewart. They are stock piling up on LB's it would seem for some reason and I think its becuase they would rather focus on other positions in the draft. Also we may have the same ideals as the Patriots who hate rookie LB's and havent drafted one any higher then the 3rd round in 7 years and havent had a rookie LB start for them ever over 7 years. They dont like them becuase they think their defense is to complicated for a rookie to understand fast enough and would rather have veterans who can come in and pick it up much faster. With Pendy and his constant tinkering and use of a wide variety of schemes and looks we just may feel the same way and this just might be a pattern we see from this staff for some time as long as they are here.

Great point. I wonder if this might be a reason why Blackstock failed so completely?

 

[Savage58]

How many backers did we keep last season, 7 or 8 ?

This year we'll keep 9 maybe?? Because of the move to 3-4 more full time?

Serious questions

I really like this signing, depth is a wonderful thing, pushes the starters etc. I like what this could do for us in the draft. Instead of pushing for Harvey or Avril we can focus on CB and OL.

 

[joeshmo]

Instead of pushing for Harvey or Avril we can focus on CB and OL.

And RB.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I was kind of shocked that Haggans lasted around this long. He had decent numbers and with so many teams going to the 3-4 I though there would be a better market for him.

For what its worth:

The Sporting News(TSN) had Haggans rated as one of the top 25 Free Agents available at the begining of the offseason. In fact they had him rated above Calvin Pace and Kawika Mitchell. They had Brandon Chillar rated down around 75 overall from their top 99 Free agents.

 

[joeshmo]

For all of you keeping track at home we are still looking at a pretty good comp pick or two next year. With Haggans we have only signed 2 Qualifing free agents but have lost 3 qualifing free agents.

Haggans and Laboy (Tuman doesnt count becuase he was cut, and Johnson doesnt count becuase he wasnt on a roster last year long enough) vs. Pace, BJ, and Vincent (Blackstock and Johnson do not count becuase we didnt tender them, and Cooper doesnt count becuase he was cut.)

If we signed Matt Stewart he wouldnt count as a qualifing free agent because he wasnt in enough games last year, so we would still be at a 2 to 3 ratio in our favor.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

For all of you keeping track at home we are still looking at a pretty good comp pick or two next year. With Haggans we have only signed 2 Qualifing free agents but have lost 3 qualifing free agents.

Haggans and Laboy (Tuman doesnt count becuase he was cut, and Johnson doesnt count becuase he wasnt on a roster last year long enough) vs. Pace, BJ, and Vincent (Blackstock and Johnson do not count becuase we didnt tender them, and Cooper doesnt count becuase he was cut.)

If we signed Matt Stewart he wouldnt count as a qualifing free agent because he wasnt in enough games last year, so we would still be at a 2 to 3 ratio in our favor.

Nope... we have you to keep track of things like this.

 

[football karma]

Uh-oh. This is almost word-for-word what we said about Terrance Holt last year.

In retrospect, it was wishful thinking that a guy who was a free safety from a team that was terrible against the pass could come in a be effective.

What I like about this year is that the team signed two defensive players off of teams that actually had good defenses.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I dunno. Our "belly" seems a little shaky to me. Berry, Okeafor and Haggins are a little long in the tooth. That's not what I think of when I hear "buidling the belly of the team." I think of young guys that will be around for a while. Our LB corps is going to look vastly different in 3 years, even by NFL standards.

JMHO

That said, I DO like the corps for this year.

The Patriots have been using ultra-old LB's for years.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Great point. I wonder if this might be a reason why Blackstock failed so completely?

I think it was the fact Blackstock just sucked in all areas.

 

[az jam]

I think it was the fact Blackstock just sucked in all areas.

Don't forget our 3rd round pick last year: LB Buster Davis

 

[Redsz]

This is a really good signing. Scouts INC gives him a rating of '70' which indicates a good starter.

I'm quite comftable with our LB situation now.

 

[40yearfan]

As far as I'm concerned, the Cards have addressed their biggest need---the pass rush--- and did a great job of it. To me, that was a much greater need than CB. Hood and Green will be adequate if we don't give the opposing QB 6 to 8 seconds on every passing down. It will even make our safeties better and maybe free up Wilson to help with that pass rush.

Now in the draft, the Cards can go CB or RB in the first round and CB or RB in the second round giving them a much better chance at BPA instead of drafting for need. They could even go OT if Jake Long happened to drop to them (I know, I know, but it's my fantasy. Who thought Leinart would drop to #10 and that was my fantasy?) Our luck has turned and now Dame Fortune has many years of bad luck to make up for.

 

[Stout]

As far as I'm concerned, the Cards have addressed their biggest need---the pass rush--- and did a great job of it. To me, that was a much greater need than CB. Hood and Green will be adequate if we don't give the opposing QB 6 to 8 seconds on every passing down. It will even make our safeties better and maybe free up Wilson to help with that pass rush.

Agreed 100 percent. I mean, I'm not happy with the starters per se, but we really did what we could with the thin FA market. Hood and Green as the starters? I think that's a risk, but you have to take some risks with your starters. Hopefully Hood remains solid and Green turns it on because of the contract year.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

I like this signing alot and it didn't cost a lot of $.

 

[football karma]

I like the signing -- but Haggans isnt necessarily a "pass rusher".

He is a good all around LB who will get to the QB on blitzes from time to time -- much like the departed Calvin Pace.

I still think the Cards need to add another guy somewhere along the front who can put pressure on the QB.

The Cards right now have a bunch of guys who can be reasonably expected to produce between 5 - 7 sacks for the year-- I think they need a legit double digit guy (and I realize the rest of the NFL is looking for that same player).

 

[DaisyCutter]

I like the signing -- but Haggans isnt necessarily a "pass rusher".

He is a good all around LB who will get to the QB on blitzes from time to time -- much like the departed Calvin Pace.

I still think the Cards need to add another guy somewhere along the front who can put pressure on the QB.

The Cards right now have a bunch of guys who can be reasonably expected to produce between 5 - 7 sacks for the year-- I think they need a legit double digit guy (and I realize the rest of the NFL is looking for that same player).

I would agree, but I don't see that happening this season. There isn't a player like that available in the draft to the Cards (I'm not 100% sure that Vernon Gholston will be a 10+ sack guy for his career).

I think if they get consistent pressure on the quarterback with Berry, Okeafor, and LaBoy, along with helps from Dansby and Adrian Wilson, I think we can manufacture a pass rush. Especially when you factor in 6+ sacks from Dockett and Antonio Smith.

It seems that a premire pass rush specialist is more important in schemes like the Tampa 2 than it really is in many 3-4 alignments, where the sack threat comes from the odd angles of blitz and the variety of positions from which the blitz can come.

 

[BACH]

I like the signing -- but Haggans isnt necessarily a "pass rusher".

He is a good all around LB who will get to the QB on blitzes from time to time -- much like the departed Calvin Pace.

I still think the Cards need to add another guy somewhere along the front who can put pressure on the QB.

The Cards right now have a bunch of guys who can be reasonably expected to produce between 5 - 7 sacks for the year-- I think they need a legit double digit guy (and I realize the rest of the NFL is looking for that same player).

Correct. HAggans isn't the pass-rushing OLB. He has always been the WOLB in the Steelers' 3-4 meaning that he has played opposite their pass-rushers Joey Porter and James Harrison.

IMO Haggans will start at WOLB 3-4 with Chike and LaBoy playing the SOLB. Berry will back up Haggans

 

[DaisyCutter]

Correct. HAggans isn't the pass-rushing OLB. He has always been the WOLB in the Steelers' 3-4 meaning that he has played opposite their pass-rushers Joey Porter and James Harrison.

IMO Haggans will start at WOLB 3-4 with Chike and LaBoy playing the SOLB. Berry will back up Haggans

I think you mean SOLB. That's how Lindy's listed him last season. He almost always played on the the right side of the formation, from the opposing QB's perspective.

WOLBs are generally the pass-rush specialists. Here is the Steelers' depth chart from last season, which still includes Haggans' position: http://www.nfl.com/teams/depthchart?team=PIT

 

[pogoowner]

I think you mean SOLB. That's how Lindy's listed him last season. He almost always played on the the right side of the formation, from the opposing QB's perspective.

WOLBs are generally the pass-rush specialists. Here is the Steelers' depth chart from last season, which still includes Haggans' position: http://www.nfl.com/teams/depthchart?team=PIT

Indeed. The SOLB is forced to cover the TE a great deal of time, and therefore will generally do much less pass-rushing than the WOLB.