Have the Cardinals had a successful FA season?

[BACH]

Translate: the plan is Oliver Ross.

No, I don't know as much as they do, and I don't for sure know what their plan is. It doesn't look good, whatever it is, is all I'm saying. We're entering a draft where we desperately need a few key guys to fall to us at positions that are weak in this draft. That's not good planning, IMO.

But since we don't know what they'll do, it's hard to conclude that it's NOT good planning.

We don't know how Whiz rates the draft prospects. Is not far fetched to guess that Whiz and especially Grimm are drooling over Levi Brown's talent and leadership ability. Maybe they have Brown rated around #5-#6 overall and will take him at #5 if Thomas isn't there. I they rate him that high, then it's a good plan based on the rest of the off-season moves.

 

[DKCards]

Yes, they have done exactly what they said they were going to do. It is not flashy, it is not headline making, and it is downright boring. We will all have to wait to see if success in following a plan will turn into wins on the field.

How many starters have they lost and how many have they gained? They haven’t filled all their wholes but name a NFL team that doesn’t have a weakness somewhere. How can anyone say that they are worse today then last year? Is LT the most important position on the field? Because that is the only position that we arguably got any weaker. And if it is the most important was LD really the answer? Most on this board would say he wasn’t. They now have 4 players that have extended starting experience playing tackle in the NFL.

It looks like they have improved the core of the team. And if Denny Green was as bad as a coach or conversely Whis and Grimm are as good as everyone on this board has proclaimed; they should be better anyway.

 

[cardsfanmd]

We also didn't have a starting caliber C,RG,LG,RT,QB,FG kicker,DT,FS or CB and one of our DEs hasn't played a full season the last two years.

Our only hope is that Leinart, who wasn't a starting caliber QB last year because almost no rookie is in the NFL, will become one with the experience he gained last season and that the Cards do finally get some starting caliber players in the draft.

Leinart can help improve things tremendously by simply not fumbling the ball in the 4th quarter when our opponents have just gift wrapped a huge win for us.

Ok relax bud. You have taken it a bit too far now. We may not have had superstars, but our guards and DTs played decent last year. I think most teams would be happy to have Dockett, Clancy and Watson. Lutui showed that he will be manning his spot for years to come and Brown was a good pickup.

How can you possibly say Matt wasn't of a starting caliber? Warner is ranked as the third best backup in the league by ESPN. Personally I think he is a lot better than David Garrard (whose was #2). Leinart outplayed him and I think that Kurt is better than atleast half of the league's starters, so how is Matt not good enough?

 

[Heucrazy]

The Cards had a terrible FA period. The didn't get Clements, Adalius Thomas, Briggs, Steinbach, Stinchcomb, O'Hara, Graham, and they didn't franchise Big.

At least from most of the posts I've read the only way they could have been succesful was if they had gotten all of those guys.

 

[CardLogic]

As for the whole success thing. I think you can only say the implementation of their plan is without question successfull in the fact that they seemed to have signed everyone they have targeted except for one and they seemed to be following and executing their plan to a T. So yes, they are succesful in their plan but will their plan bring success?

As for being succesfull in the grand scheme, not sure anyone can say that yet.

joeshmo's post is directly to the point of my post at the beginning of the thread.

Will the execution of the plan result in wins? No, not of itself.

But I think that the manner in which the club has conducted itself thus far in the off-season indicates the overall demeanor of Ken Whisenhunt and his staff; smart, tough, disciplined.

Once these characteristics are infused into the players, all of the players, on the team there will be a difference in on-the-field product. I am hopeful that this change in the personality of the team will result in wins.

 

[40yearfan]

All things being equal, they exceeded my expectations, as my expectations were low from mid season to now after seeing the FA market and the money that each team would have.

As for the whole success thing. I think you can only say the implementation of their plan is without question successfull in the fact that they seemed to have signed everyone they have targeted except for one and they seemed to be following and executing their plan to a T. So yes, they are succesful in their plan but will their plan bring success?

As for being succesfull in the grand scheme, not sure anyone can say that yet.

Thank you Joe. For someone who wasn't in favor of this type of plan, you do realize that there was a plan and the Cards did implement it. It's a shame others can't see this.

As you stated, the plan has been implemented. We shall soon see if it worked.

 

[football karma]

I will give them a C-

It would have gone up to a B or B+ had they brought in a better option at Left Tackle -- Pettigout -- or at right tackle -- Stinchcomb-- allowing Wells to go to LT.

It would have gone up to A- or so if there was a suitable OLB brought in-- again, not necessarily an Adalius Thomas type -- but someone like a Napoleon Harris.

 

[kerouac9]

Yes, they have done exactly what they said they were going to do. It is not flashy, it is not headline making, and it is downright boring. We will all have to wait to see if success in following a plan will turn into wins on the field.

How many starters have they lost and how many have they gained? They haven’t filled all their wholes but name a NFL team that doesn’t have a weakness somewhere. How can anyone say that they are worse today then last year? Is LT the most important position on the field? Because that is the only position that we arguably got any weaker. And if it is the most important was LD really the answer? Most on this board would say he wasn’t. They now have 4 players that have extended starting experience playing tackle in the NFL.

It looks like they have improved the core of the team. And if Denny Green was as bad as a coach or conversely Whis and Grimm are as good as everyone on this board has proclaimed; they should be better anyway.

According to the NFL payscale, after quarterback, LT is the most important position on the field. Read Michael Lewis's The Blind Side if you doubt this is the case. On average, starting LTs in the NFL are paid more than starting QBs.

 

[CardShark]

I don't fault the Cards for not going after players they could not afford and this was a relatively weak free agent class. The area were I believe the Cards blew it was in not franchising Davis. Franchising him doesn't mean they had to keep him. What it would have done is give the Cards options going into the draft. With all that Dallas gave him to play gaurd, don't you think they would've been willing to do a sign and trade deal? Maybe in addition to Big we could have swapped picks, our second for their first, our third for their second or any other of a myriad of scenarios. Even if it ended with Davis staying another year, the Cards wouldn't be in a desperate situation to find a starting tackle. Davis was playing well when the rest of the line was playing well. I just see this as the Big blunder of the offseason. Now we have to hope that somehow it pans out. To me that is not a plan.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Cards have had an active FA period. They were slow out of the gate then picked things up. Success will completely depend on how these guys help the team. We will see.

 

[ajcardfan]

Couldn't that be said of every free agent class?

Not to the degree of this one.

 

[lobo]

Fact is you don't really know what the whole plan looks like with respect to LT and OLB, none of us do. Further you assume that the current staff knows less than you with regards to evaluation of the existing talent on the club.



Excellent points. There are people who will complain that their cashews are not warm enough on their plane trip, if you get my drift. We could have signed the next Jim Brown, but you would read a comment that we have not addressed so and so. That the way it is.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The Cards have had an active FA period. They were slow out of the gate then picked things up. Success will completely depend on how these guys help the team. We will see.

That is my take as well.

 

[CardinalChris]

According to the NFL payscale, after quarterback, LT is the most important position on the field. Read Michael Lewis's The Blind Side if you doubt this is the case. On average, starting LTs in the NFL are paid more than starting QBs.

Great freaking book. I can't wait to see how Michael Oher ends up professionally.

 

[kerouac9]

Great freaking book. I can't wait to see how Michael Oher ends up professionally.

I know. It was incredible. I'm thinking about writing a review of it for ASFN over the summer depending on who we get to play LT this season. There are some Oher highlights on YouTube if you look. He dominates people. The kid is scary fast.

 

[CardLogic]

There are people who will complain that their cashews are not warm enough on their plane trip, if you get my drift.

CASHEWS... All I ever get is freakin' peanuts!

 

[Duckjake]

Ok relax bud. You have taken it a bit too far now. We may not have had superstars, but our guards and DTs played decent last year. I think most teams would be happy to have Dockett, Clancy and Watson. Lutui showed that he will be manning his spot for years to come and Brown was a good pickup.

How can you possibly say Matt wasn't of a starting caliber? Warner is ranked as the third best backup in the league by ESPN. Personally I think he is a lot better than David Garrard (whose was #2). Leinart outplayed him and I think that Kurt is better than atleast half of the league's starters, so how is Matt not good enough?

I was using the "Leonard Davis and Orlando Huff were not capable starters" rating system. Using that method I determined that the only real capable starters the Cards had were Player, Dansby,Okeafor,Hayes,Wilson,Boldin, Fitzgerald and 3-Card. Of course that's 5 more capable starters than we had in 2003.

Matt was a rookie and so by definition couldn't be classed as a "capable starter".

 

[kerouac9]

I was using the "Leonard Davis and Orlando Huff were not capable starters" rating system. Using that method I determined that the only real capable starters the Cards had were Player, Dansby,Okeafor,Hayes,Wilson,Boldin, Fitzgerald and 3-Card. Of course that's 5 more capable starters than we had in 2003.

Matt was a rookie and so by definition couldn't be classed as a "capable starter".

Who's "3-card"? I really don't care, actually, but that nickname's got to stick.

Don't forget that Dansby didn't even start the season. We went into Week 1 with proven starters at RB, both WRs, both DEs, both DTs, one CB, SS, and FS (the loss of Griffith is going to be greater than anyone realizes next season). That's it. Calvin Pace was our starting SS linebacker--by Clancy Pendergast's estimation.

How anyone can trust this guy to make good personnel decisions is totally beyond me.

 

[Heucrazy]

Who's "3-card"? I really don't care, actually, but that nickname's got to stick.

Don't forget that Dansby didn't even start the season. We went into Week 1 with proven starters at RB, both WRs, both DEs, both DTs, one CB, SS, and FS (the loss of Griffith is going to be greater than anyone realizes next season). That's it. Calvin Pace was our starting SS linebacker--by Clancy Pendergast's estimation.

How anyone can trust this guy to make good personnel decisions is totally beyond me.

3-Card has got to be Monty Beisel.

You know 3-card Monty.

 

[kerouac9]

3-Card has got to be Monty Beisel.

You know 3-card Monty.

But he wasn't a starter until Hayes went down with injury. He wasn't a starter for the Pats, either. I thought about that, but I really don't think that Beisel is a quality starter, so I wondered if it was a clever name for someone else.

Like Neil Rackers, who showed you that he was good until the money was on the line, and everyone's luck ran out.

 

[CardShark]

But he wasn't a starter until Hayes went down with injury. He wasn't a starter for the Pats, either. I thought about that, but I really don't think that Beisel is a quality starter, so I wondered if it was a clever name for someone else.

Like Neil Rackers, who showed you that he was good until the money was on the line, and everyone's luck ran out.

Ah, but maybe you'll see the full Monty and like what you see.

 

[CardinalChris]

I know. It was incredible. I'm thinking about writing a review of it for ASFN over the summer depending on who we get to play LT this season. There are some Oher highlights on YouTube if you look. He dominates people. The kid is scary fast.

He'll be a junior, right? The scene in the book where he picked up the DE carried him 15 yards, turned right and CARRIED the kid out of bounds and to the fence because he called him a name was enough to scare me!!!

 

[Zeno]

I give the free agency period a C-, they signed adequate depth or possible starters(Hood & Holt) but ignored needs at positions like OT and OLB.

Signing Johnson for the size of contract they did was unnecessary IMO, Leckey played well but whoever loses that battle will be a quality back-up. I just think its unfortunate that Leckey won't get a fair shot(IMO Johnson didn't sign a big deal to sit on the bench).

Hood has the best chance of all our signees to develop in to a quality starter. This is my favorite signing by far.

Holt may be an upgrade over Griffith but his play in Detroit was so average that they tried to replace him last year. Its bad when a player isn't good enough for Detroit to start is called by our coaches, "the best safety in free agency", I have to question that. Between he and Francisco though I think we'll get OK play out of the position though, but I don't think its an upgrade over what we got out of an old Griffith.

Gandy? Blech. Terrible starter, ok for depth, I guess.

Then we signed a bunch of our own guys who were fringe players anyway and didn't even visit other teams and a special teamer. Nothing to get excited about there.

They didn't sit still and do nothing but they didn't do enough to improve the team...until proven otherwise its barely a passing grade.

 

[CardLogic]

I don't understand how people can think that they just ignored to OT and OLB positions... It makes no sense.

You can disagree with the conclusions that were arrived at regarding those two positions. But to think that the incoming staff did not consider each and every position and player on the team, well that just doesn't pass the common sense test.

 

[CardLogic]

I was using the "Leonard Davis and Orlando Huff were not capable starters" rating system. Using that method I determined that the only real capable starters the Cards had were Player, Dansby,Okeafor,Hayes,Wilson,Boldin, Fitzgerald and 3-Card. Of course that's 5 more capable starters than we had in 2003.

Matt was a rookie and so by definition couldn't be classed as a "capable starter".

Player has lost it, Dansby is a head case, Hayes is too slow and injury prone, and 3-Card is not even a starter, so that leaves them with only three players capable of starting for any other NFL team: A-dub, Q, and Fitz!