RugbyMuffin
ASFN IDOL
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2003
- Posts
- 30,485
- Reaction score
- 4,877
I am going to try my hardest to join Bruce Arians in not talking about D-Waste anymore. He's done, he is gone as soon as the Cardinals are done bleeding him dry of every cent they can.
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Moving forward, there is without a doubt, a couple of voids this leaves in the defense. The speed and quickness is not going to be replaced, and the pass rushing skill is not going to be replaced. Those are gone, but at least the pass rush can be picked up by other players in other areas.
Stopping the run ? That role is covered by Minter, Foote and Alexander, IMO.
The big problem is on passing downs. You don't have any safeties that are the size of Adrian Wilson, and you need at least one linebacker out there, IMO.
Yet, pass coverage is not something that Minter, Foote and Alexander, is going to excel at. Thus, again IMHO, the biggest need is to get a linebacker to play in nickel situations.
Free Agents:
- Ernie Sims
- Michael Boley
- Pat Angerer - Coming off injury
- Stewart Bradley
- Desmond Bishop - Coming off injury
- Jonathan Vilma - Coming off injury
- Nick Barnett - Coming off injury
- Will Witherspoon
- Dan Connor
The well is pretty much dry for ILBers that are available. All have huge red flags on them. Ernie Sims had speed, but also has had a lot of injuries in his career. The Cardinals already brought in Sims for a workout, and didn't sign him. Keeping in mind we need someone who can cover, Desmond Bishop, and Nick Barnett come to mind, and both are coming off injury, and Barnett is getting very long in the tooth. The rest of the names on that last are no better than Larry Foote in my opinion.
In House
Kevin Minter
Lorenzo Alexander
Larry Foote
Keenan Clayton
Kenny Demens
Jonathan Brown
Glenn Carson
As stated above, the first three names listed are not going to help in coverage too much. There was some talk on ASFN about moving Sam Acho to ILB but he is not going to do much more for the Cardinals at that position than Alexander will, IMHO. As for the rest, Kenny Demens has shown some ability but I have yet to see anything in coverage that would make me think he will be a starting nickel package linebacker. As for the rest of the UDFA the Cardinals signed, I don't know much about any of them other than Glenn Carson grew up down the road from where I work.
Trades
Rey Maualuga (Bengals)
Sio Moore (Raiders)
Craig Robertson (Browns)
Trades are tough. The cap numbers have to line up, and you gotta give something to get something.
Rey Maualuga may become available since he is already in a camp battle for his starting position. With a year left on his contract and possibly losing playing time, this may be a good opportunity for the Cardinals to bring in a player they had interest in before. Not sure how much Maualuga is going to help in coverage, and the Cardinals are going to have to give something up in value (draft pick or player) to get a "known" player like Maualuga, but its an optino.
Sio Moore is a very interesting option, and the best one for the Cardinals, IMHO, if they go the trade route. Moore is going to be out of a starting spot in Oakland since they draft Khalil Mack. Moore has good speed, and good coverage skills. I would not expect him to cost more than Maualuga and his salary is very team friendly.
Craig Robertson suffered badly from a sophmore slump, coupled with the fact that he landed in the dog house with then DC Ray Horton didn't help. Supposidely, Robertson is know for his coverage skills, and speed. Yet, he dropped off so much last season the Cardinal may be able to wait it out for Robertson and see if he is cut later on. Even if they do trade from him, it would not take much to get him. Robertson is in no way a complete linebacker, he gets destroyed in the run game, but if his coverage skills get back to 2012 form he could fill the role the Cardinals need to fill.
To be honest, past those options. There is not much left, that I can see, that the Cardinals can do.
Linebackers, both inside and outside are going to be the talk of next year's draft.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moving forward, there is without a doubt, a couple of voids this leaves in the defense. The speed and quickness is not going to be replaced, and the pass rushing skill is not going to be replaced. Those are gone, but at least the pass rush can be picked up by other players in other areas.
Stopping the run ? That role is covered by Minter, Foote and Alexander, IMO.
The big problem is on passing downs. You don't have any safeties that are the size of Adrian Wilson, and you need at least one linebacker out there, IMO.
Yet, pass coverage is not something that Minter, Foote and Alexander, is going to excel at. Thus, again IMHO, the biggest need is to get a linebacker to play in nickel situations.
Free Agents:
- Ernie Sims
- Michael Boley
- Pat Angerer - Coming off injury
- Stewart Bradley
- Desmond Bishop - Coming off injury
- Jonathan Vilma - Coming off injury
- Nick Barnett - Coming off injury
- Will Witherspoon
- Dan Connor
The well is pretty much dry for ILBers that are available. All have huge red flags on them. Ernie Sims had speed, but also has had a lot of injuries in his career. The Cardinals already brought in Sims for a workout, and didn't sign him. Keeping in mind we need someone who can cover, Desmond Bishop, and Nick Barnett come to mind, and both are coming off injury, and Barnett is getting very long in the tooth. The rest of the names on that last are no better than Larry Foote in my opinion.
In House
Kevin Minter
Lorenzo Alexander
Larry Foote
Keenan Clayton
Kenny Demens
Jonathan Brown
Glenn Carson
As stated above, the first three names listed are not going to help in coverage too much. There was some talk on ASFN about moving Sam Acho to ILB but he is not going to do much more for the Cardinals at that position than Alexander will, IMHO. As for the rest, Kenny Demens has shown some ability but I have yet to see anything in coverage that would make me think he will be a starting nickel package linebacker. As for the rest of the UDFA the Cardinals signed, I don't know much about any of them other than Glenn Carson grew up down the road from where I work.
Trades
Rey Maualuga (Bengals)
Sio Moore (Raiders)
Craig Robertson (Browns)
Trades are tough. The cap numbers have to line up, and you gotta give something to get something.
Rey Maualuga may become available since he is already in a camp battle for his starting position. With a year left on his contract and possibly losing playing time, this may be a good opportunity for the Cardinals to bring in a player they had interest in before. Not sure how much Maualuga is going to help in coverage, and the Cardinals are going to have to give something up in value (draft pick or player) to get a "known" player like Maualuga, but its an optino.
Sio Moore is a very interesting option, and the best one for the Cardinals, IMHO, if they go the trade route. Moore is going to be out of a starting spot in Oakland since they draft Khalil Mack. Moore has good speed, and good coverage skills. I would not expect him to cost more than Maualuga and his salary is very team friendly.
Craig Robertson suffered badly from a sophmore slump, coupled with the fact that he landed in the dog house with then DC Ray Horton didn't help. Supposidely, Robertson is know for his coverage skills, and speed. Yet, he dropped off so much last season the Cardinal may be able to wait it out for Robertson and see if he is cut later on. Even if they do trade from him, it would not take much to get him. Robertson is in no way a complete linebacker, he gets destroyed in the run game, but if his coverage skills get back to 2012 form he could fill the role the Cardinals need to fill.
To be honest, past those options. There is not much left, that I can see, that the Cardinals can do.
Linebackers, both inside and outside are going to be the talk of next year's draft.
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