1. The one major solace I take from the tough Super Bowl loss: Warner is much more apt to return and with him and only him over the next two years is our BEST chance to get back there...imagine the symmetry: Warner wins his fitst Super Bowl, loses his 2nd and 3rd and wins his 4th...and then retires into a comfy niche at Canton. I re-sign him to a two year $18M contract with $9M up front.
2. I trade Leinart...for a first rounder, which in this thin QB market this year is quite feasible, especially for those teams that need a QB desperately. I say Leinart to the Jets. It's a nice fit. It really is. Leinart becomes "Broadway Matt" and the Cardinals get a first rounder in the teens, in which we take Larry English, LB/DE, Northern Illinois. We sign Brian St. Pierre as the #2. I was wrong about hoping for others, but I am not wrong about St. Pierre...I am a BC grad and I've know this kid since he was winning HS Super Bowls in MA.
This is absolutely silly. I'm not a big Leinart fan (had nothing to do with his play w/ the Cards), but at this point you pretty much have to keep him. I know St. Pierre is a hometown hero for you, but this is just crazy talk.
3. Terrell Suggs is next. Gotta have him. A 4 year deal at $29M, with $8M up front.
As much as I'd love to have Suggs, I really think this won't happen. He's already stated that he would give the Ravens a discount, and I'm pretty sure due to age and ability he will be their top priority of the FA LBs they have.
4. I f-tag Dansby. He needs to stay motivated to keep his value high. And I get a DC who will move him around to wreak havoc. That's next.
I don't want him on the books for 10.2 mil this year. Sign him to a long term deal please.
5. I go right to the Steelers' staff and hire their LBers coach Keith Butler as DC. Butler knows Dick LeBeau's system and brings it to Arizona.
Would love to see it happen, but I'm willing to be no changes made to coaching staff, especially if Haley goes to KC.
6. I re-sign RB J.J. Arrington, G Elton Brown, LB Monte Beisel, LB Clark Haggans and CB Ralph Brown.
With 9 mil for Warner, 10.2 for Dansby and 8ish to Suggs, won't be able to sign many of these guys.
7. I re-sign Antonio Smith to a 3 year $14.5M contract with $4M up front.
See above
8. At #31 I draft LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh and I get him John Lott a.s.a.p. We cashed in with Fitz and the Pitt connection resumes!
Haven't watched the kid play much, but would rather get a pass rusher or CB here. RBs can be gotten later in the draft and by far our biggest weakness this year was pass defense (running the ball would be 2nd in my eyes).
9. At #63 I draft S Patrick Chung, Oregon or S Derek Pegues, Mississippi St.
10. At #95 I draft C Antoine Campbell, Alabama or DT/DE Mitch King, Iowa.
11. In the 4th round I take LB Maurice Crum, Notre Dame and in the 5th round I take CB DeAndre Wright of New Mexico...who becomes our #4 CB.
12. In the 6th round, I take QB John Parker Wilson, Alabama. In the 7th round, I take RB Tyrell Fenroy, UL-Lafaytte.
And get this...when games are on the line, I play DRC and Larry Fitzgerald as Cover 2 FSs...with Hood, Brown, Wright and Rolle as underneath cover men...with Fitz playing over the top of the other team's best WR...hey if defensive players can help out on offense, Fitz was a LB in high school, and imagine what he could do with the ball in the air. Like I said, it would just be late in the game with games on the line.
My breakout players in 2009: T/G Brandon Keith, WR Lance Long, LB Ali Highsmith, TE Ben Patrick, QB Brian St. Pierre and G Elton Brown.
. Not for the Pittsburgh pharmaceutical comment but that LeBeau was on it.
