azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Darren Urban, Tribune
Cardinals coach Dennis Green said Friday he would wait until Sunday’s deadline before making the final cuts on his 53-man roster.
But Green also dropped some hints about how that roster might take shape.
While talking about Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson, Green mentioned having five receivers plus the injured Anquan Boldin. Karl Williams is already a lock and Nate Poole seems to have played his way into a spot, so the final hole will likely be between Kevin Kasper and Reggie Newhouse.
Green raved about offensive lineman Nick Leckey, a sixth-round pick. He was less certain about defensive end Antonio Smith, a fifth-round selection. Defensive tackle Wendell Bryant has improved, Green said, but is still far behind starter Russell Davis on the depth chart.
Green also praised running back Troy Hambrick and defensive end Peppi Zellner, acquired earlier this week in a trade from Oakland.
Fouling up some of Green’s roster plans are the number of lingering injuries. There was no new news on either the back of safety Dexter Jackson or the groin of cornerback Duane Starks and no knowledge if either player is anywhere close to returning.
Backup tackle L.J. Shelton, meanwhile, had his bad back flare up during warmups in Denver and his two bulging discs are cause for concern. Now linebacker Raynoch Thompson has, at the least, a serious knee sprain.
Green said that while injuries are part of the game, they would make his final cuts harder.
What is evident is that Green likes the way his roster is headed.
"I think there are guys on the team that really want to win," Green said, declining to name them. "But they expect the team to win and expect me to run it the way I said I would because that gives them the best chance to win."
How the roster has performed is a slightly different story. Green said the offense will perform better now that the regular season is starting, a progression he said must come quickly.
"For us to be a playoff team we have to play considerably better than we played on offense," Green said. "I don’t think there is any doubt about that."
Quarterback Josh McCown had good statistics in the preseason, collecting an 85.5 quarterback rating and completing 66 percent of his passes. He threw no touchdown passes but didn’t throw an interception either.
He preferred to play safe much of the time, defending the idea of settling for field goals early in the game against the Broncos on Thursday night, and his coach agreed with the strategy. In fact, Green said if he was worried about anything it was McCown getting too risky.
"He is a gunslinger," Green said. "He has to resist the urge to do too much."
If Johnson and Fitzgerald return from injuries for the Sept. 12 opener — which they are scheduled to do — the offense will benefit. Green said both should slide into the offense despite missing much practice time, although he also said the Cardinals shouldn’t have to depend on them.
McCown echoed those thoughts.
"I’m not going to shortchange any of our (backup) receivers," McCown said. "I don’t think there has ever been a point in the red zone thinking, ‘Man, if we only had these (starters), we’d be better.’ "
EXTRA POINTS: Green had no update on Thompson, who underwent an MRI Friday on the sprain that Thompson worried Thursday night might be worse.
Hambrick reportedly weighs around 260 pounds, much more than the 233 he is listed on the roster. But Green said it wasn’t an issue as long as Hambrick was able to produce. "I never get after guys about their weight," Green said. "Troy played fine (Thursday)."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=27469
Cardinals coach Dennis Green said Friday he would wait until Sunday’s deadline before making the final cuts on his 53-man roster.
But Green also dropped some hints about how that roster might take shape.
While talking about Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson, Green mentioned having five receivers plus the injured Anquan Boldin. Karl Williams is already a lock and Nate Poole seems to have played his way into a spot, so the final hole will likely be between Kevin Kasper and Reggie Newhouse.
Green raved about offensive lineman Nick Leckey, a sixth-round pick. He was less certain about defensive end Antonio Smith, a fifth-round selection. Defensive tackle Wendell Bryant has improved, Green said, but is still far behind starter Russell Davis on the depth chart.
Green also praised running back Troy Hambrick and defensive end Peppi Zellner, acquired earlier this week in a trade from Oakland.
Fouling up some of Green’s roster plans are the number of lingering injuries. There was no new news on either the back of safety Dexter Jackson or the groin of cornerback Duane Starks and no knowledge if either player is anywhere close to returning.
Backup tackle L.J. Shelton, meanwhile, had his bad back flare up during warmups in Denver and his two bulging discs are cause for concern. Now linebacker Raynoch Thompson has, at the least, a serious knee sprain.
Green said that while injuries are part of the game, they would make his final cuts harder.
What is evident is that Green likes the way his roster is headed.
"I think there are guys on the team that really want to win," Green said, declining to name them. "But they expect the team to win and expect me to run it the way I said I would because that gives them the best chance to win."
How the roster has performed is a slightly different story. Green said the offense will perform better now that the regular season is starting, a progression he said must come quickly.
"For us to be a playoff team we have to play considerably better than we played on offense," Green said. "I don’t think there is any doubt about that."
Quarterback Josh McCown had good statistics in the preseason, collecting an 85.5 quarterback rating and completing 66 percent of his passes. He threw no touchdown passes but didn’t throw an interception either.
He preferred to play safe much of the time, defending the idea of settling for field goals early in the game against the Broncos on Thursday night, and his coach agreed with the strategy. In fact, Green said if he was worried about anything it was McCown getting too risky.
"He is a gunslinger," Green said. "He has to resist the urge to do too much."
If Johnson and Fitzgerald return from injuries for the Sept. 12 opener — which they are scheduled to do — the offense will benefit. Green said both should slide into the offense despite missing much practice time, although he also said the Cardinals shouldn’t have to depend on them.
McCown echoed those thoughts.
"I’m not going to shortchange any of our (backup) receivers," McCown said. "I don’t think there has ever been a point in the red zone thinking, ‘Man, if we only had these (starters), we’d be better.’ "
EXTRA POINTS: Green had no update on Thompson, who underwent an MRI Friday on the sprain that Thompson worried Thursday night might be worse.
Hambrick reportedly weighs around 260 pounds, much more than the 233 he is listed on the roster. But Green said it wasn’t an issue as long as Hambrick was able to produce. "I never get after guys about their weight," Green said. "Troy played fine (Thursday)."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=27469
