Here's What I Would Do

[Mitch]

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.

3. Terrell Suggs is next. Gotta have him. A 4 year deal at $29M, with $8M up front.

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.

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.

6. I re-sign RB J.J. Arrington, G Elton Brown, LB Monte Beisel, LB Clark Haggans and CB Ralph Brown.

7. I re-sign Antonio Smith to a 3 year $14.5M contract with $4M up front.

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!

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.

 

[moklerman]

I don't have a problem with a lot of what you came up with but you don't mention the backup QB situation. I assume you're comfortable with St. Pierre if Leinart is traded? Seems risky to me. I'd rather have Leinart than a high priced LB/DE draft pick. I also think a 1st for Leinart would never happen.

 

[ActingWild]

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.

3. Terrell Suggs is next. Gotta have him. A 4 year deal at $29M, with $8M up front.

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.

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.

6. I re-sign RB J.J. Arrington, G Elton Brown, LB Monte Beisel, LB Clark Haggans and CB Ralph Brown.

7. I re-sign Antonio Smith to a 3 year $14.5M contract with $4M up front.

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!

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.

What about Boldin?

 

[azsouthendzone]

The Fitz on defense stuff is crazy. What do you do with Boldin?

 

[conraddobler]

I was making a case that if Haley goes to the Chiefs he could take Matt with him.

Those are the draft picks you want, high ones.

It might not be a first from them though but I'd take their 2nd for Matt in a heartbeat, they need a QB of the future and if you get our OC and he brings an offense taking a QB that has studied it like Matt makes sense.

 

[moklerman]

Wow, talk about weirdness. I could certainly fathom a Leinart to KC with Haley scenario for a 2nd rounder. But with the St. Louis/Rams/Cardinals links and the ex-Colts RB's links it would be just too weird for Warner's backup that he won the job from after replacing him due to injury went to KC...again(Trent Green).

 

[Mitch]

I keep Boldin. If he makes a stink and won't accept a reasonable offer, I make him play out his contract. It didn't hurt the team this year and it won't next.

I also re-sign FB Terrelle Smith (forgot that one).

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

you don't trade Leinart because St. Pierre won a couple of big high school games in Mass. Trading him now would idiotic especially with no viable backup around. Leinart knows the system,you've invested a bunch of money in him, and you don't have to count on a guy who has thrown 1 pass in his 6 year NFL career.

 

[Ryanwb]

I continue to be puzzled on the Brian St Pierre bandwagon. He is not even remotely close to a quarterback solution. He turns 30 this year, has thrown one (incomplete) pass in the NFL and most notably, he's a free agent

 

[conraddobler]

you don't trade Leinart because St. Pierre won a couple of big high school games in Mass. Trading him now would idiotic especially with no viable backup around. Leinart knows the system,you've invested a bunch of money in him, and you don't have to count on a guy who has thrown 1 pass in his 6 year NFL career.

At this point it's getting to the point where you might as well trade Matt and either take his replacement in the draft or failing that bring in a competent backup there are those out there.

My deal with Matt here is the way he and Whis get along which IMO is not well at all.

Business is business and if Whis isn't ever going to want him as the QB then you might as well get value for him because after this year he'll have less because of the length of the deal left to you, teams will just wait until you cut him as you obviously will because of the clause.

If Matt wanted to stay and wait then he'll need to redo that deal, if he does that then yeah we'll probably see that he's staying for good but I put that as pretty far out there in terms of odds.

 

[Mitch]

you don't trade Leinart because St. Pierre won a couple of big high school games in Mass. Trading him now would idiotic especially with no viable backup around. Leinart knows the system,you've invested a bunch of money in him, and you don't have to count on a guy who has thrown 1 pass in his 6 year NFL career.

I will tell you this CBUS, the Cardinal coaches would pick St. Pierre over Leinart (if there was a key game and Warner was out)...I am not kidding you. Leinart does not fit the AZ system and was not drafted by Whiz. St. Pierre is HIGHLY regarded by these coaches. I promise you that. The highlight of the Super Bowl week practices was the pass he made to Lance Long.

 

[conraddobler]

I've given up on the Matt dream here largely because of what Mitch says, but mostly because of the way Whis looks at the kid.

I remember this year when he went in for Warner on one drive just in mop up duty, Whis was glaring at him like the kid just felt up his daughter.

That could actually be a good sign as why would he care if he hated the kid so much just bide your time and cut him but whatever I took it that Whis just hates him.

 

[azsouthendzone]

I keep Boldin. If he makes a stink and won't accept a reasonable offer, I make him play out his contract. It didn't hurt the team this year and it won't next.

I also re-sign FB Terrelle Smith (forgot that one).

I think you are underestimating the Boldin situation. No way he plays out the current deal. I think the Cards could actively shop the guy and get some big pieces in return.

 

[conraddobler]

I think you are underestimating the Boldin situation. No way he plays out the current deal. I think the Cards could actively shop the guy and get some big pieces in return.

I totally agree.

Boldin IMO is worth more to us in pieces than in terms of getting him to stay.

The amount of the deal it takes to keep him IMO is too high, you can't keep everyone happy and I love Boldin but he's the one that said he'd never sign another deal here, the type of dollars it usually takes to change that answer is too high for him, JMHO.

 

[azsouthendzone]

everyone wants to get sentimental about Boldin and this team but the reality is that in the NFL it is almost impossible to keep teams together. You need to strategically set yourself up to succeed through the draft and Boldin will get us some picks that we can use to improve in multiple areas. I woulod trade him even if he wasn't a pain in the ass.

 

[BigRedArk]

I've given up on the Matt dream here largely because of what Mitch says, but mostly because of the way Whis looks at the kid.

I remember this year when he went in for Warner on one drive just in mop up duty, Whis was glaring at him like the kid just felt up his daughter.

That could actually be a good sign as why would he care if he hated the kid so much just bide your time and cut him but whatever I took it that Whis just hates him.

You might be right about Whis' feelings towards Matt conrad but...then again...you might be wrong too. It might be a slight reach to arrive at the conclusion that he just doesn't like him based on that though. In what other ways or what else makes you think this way about this?

 

[conraddobler]

You might be right about Whis' feelings towards Matt conrad but...then again...you might be wrong too. It might be a slight reach to arrive at the conclusion that he just doesn't like him based on that though. In what other ways or what else makes you think this way about this?

Oh it's just a guess based on what I've seen and the way the whole platoon thing came down.

That was in retrospect just a politically correct way of benching someone IMO.

It's really a humiliating way to treat a kid, it's never done that I know of and it's harsh as heck.

The book on that is basically that you want to instill confidence in the kid and let him know he's your guy, platooning him is sort of the opposite of that.

I don't think any of us really appreciated it at the time for what it was but if it was a test I think Matt either failed or Whis wanted him to fail, it was looking back a huge vote of no confidence and I don't care how it's explained to the kid he had to get shaken by it.

 

[BigRedArk]

Oh it's just a guess based on what I've seen and the way the whole platoon thing came down.

That was in retrospect just a politically correct way of benching someone IMO.

It's really a humiliating way to treat a kid, it's never done that I know of and it's harsh as heck.

The book on that is basically that you want to instill confidence in the kid and let him know he's your guy, platooning him is sort of the opposite of that.

I don't think any of us really appreciated it at the time for what it was but if it was a test I think Matt either failed or Whis wanted him to fail, it was looking back a huge vote of no confidence and I don't care how it's explained to the kid he had to get shaken by it.

Hadn't thought about all of that especially not in that way conrad. Good point. You could very well be right. I guess maybe it might come down to how well ML responds and continues to respond and how much talent Whis thinks the kid has. If he loves his talent and potential and if he is as good of a coach as he seems to be it seems like he wouldn't necessarily be ready to write the kid off yet. Unless he just feels he is not his type of QB though. I dunno. Food for thought for sure.

 

[D-Dogg]

Other than your Gambo-esque infatuation with the dumbest move ever of trading leinart, I really think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

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.

That is exactly what we need to do. EXACTLY. I can't stand one more minute of Pendy.

 

[seesred]

You're not going to let your best offensive player coming in as a cover 2. All Larry should do is catch passes. Matt is needed here. I know Kurt played every down this year. But whats the likleyhood he does the same next year. That's if Kurt plays.

As for the Q, the man many on this board use to call superman, well, he still is. The run for 65 yards in the bowl was Q all the way. If we can sign him(I'm not sure we can), I say get er done or trade him. You will get more value for Q then you will with Matt. I would hate to see them go.

GBR
40

 

[Brian]

Other than your Gambo-esque infatuation with the dumbest move ever of trading leinart, I really think you hit the nail on the head with this one.



That is exactly what we need to do. EXACTLY. I can't stand one more minute of Pendy.

A-Freakin'-men!

I never, ever want to see Pendy's name associated with this team. 20 bucks says he is the DC next year though.

 

[TheHopToad]

Bring in Ray Lewis to toughen up the defense (in addition to hiring Keith Butler as DC). Anything he did on the field would be gravy, but I'd like to have him for his leadership and the killer attitude he instills in his teammates.

These aren't the same old Cardinals. We have moved into the higher echelon of teams. Premium free agents will want to come here and play. We have a great city, warm weather, nice new stadium, brilliant coach, and now a commitment to winning, evidenced by overachieving their way to a Super Bowl ahead of anyone's best guess schedule.

We have plenty of cap room to keep this team at the top. Now is the time to go for the knockout punch.

 

[moklerman]

LB will likely get the most attention but the secondary needs a lot of help, maybe more. Francisco is a true liability and I'm just not sure about the Antrel Rolle experiment at safety. He seems okay at times and pretty bad at times. It could be chalked up to his first year at the position but it could be he just isn't a good safety. Maybe get a good safety to replace Rolle, move him down into Francisco's spot and wave goodbye to Francisco.

 

[IAWarnerFan]

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.

3. Terrell Suggs is next. Gotta have him. A 4 year deal at $29M, with $8M up front.

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.

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.

6. I re-sign RB J.J. Arrington, G Elton Brown, LB Monte Beisel, LB Clark Haggans and CB Ralph Brown.

7. I re-sign Antonio Smith to a 3 year $14.5M contract with $4M up front.

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!

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.

Even though I'd do most of this differently, I have to admit the outcome would be similar. Different players, but overall this is the same way I feel.

 

[Zeno]

I will tell you this CBUS, the Cardinal coaches would pick St. Pierre over Leinart (if there was a key game and Warner was out)...I am not kidding you. Leinart does not fit the AZ system and was not drafted by Whiz. St. Pierre is HIGHLY regarded by these coaches. I promise you that. The highlight of the Super Bowl week practices was the pass he made to Lance Long.

Unless you are getting the info on St Pierre from Whisenhunt, Rutledge or Haley I call BS. I am sure a lot of us read the Super Bowl practice report from one of the pool writers about the pass to Long but to take that to mean St Pierre is NFL ready is a stretch.

You float crap out there and it rarely ever rings true...like Boldin to Cowboys for Crayton and a pick...or Fitz to Philly for a pick and Lito Shepherd.

Trading Leinart and then having faith in a 30 yr old journeyman with no NFL starts in his career to back up a 37+ yr old QB is S T U P I D.

We trade Leinart and we'll be regretting it in the same way the Bucs did trading Steve Young.