My Off-Season Plan: Cardinals Are Hot

[JeffGollin]

** OC: Mike Miller

** DC: Keith Butler

** Trade: Leinart to Tampa Bay for their 1st round draft pick.

** Trade: Anquan Boldin to Oakland for their 2nd and 3rd rounders and their 3rd in 2010.

** Out of House Free Agent Signings:

1. LB Terrell Suggs--who becomes the James Harrison of the new 3-4 defense.

2. RB Darren Sproles--huge impact on an already explosive offense with his blazing speed and elusiveness.

3. P Shane Lechler--may well be the top punter in the game today.

4. LB Jonathan Vilma--is the inside 3-4 LB the team needs to pair with Gerald Hayes.

5. S Jermaine Phillips--finally a true cover 2 deep safety.


** Cardinals' Draft:

1A (from TB): T Michael Oher, Mississippi

1B: NT Fili Maola, USC

OK. Let's see what we've got:

- Miller and Butler as coordinators.

- A hole at QB (If Warner's hip was to go out, he;d be backed up by St. Pierre or Palko.

- Fitz and Breaston backed up by Doucet and Urban - certainly not a net-plus over this year.

- No big thumper at RB (We'd have to depend on Hightower, Sproles and Arrington to pound it between the tackles.

- Bolstered OT position by adding Oher (with Levi Brown able to play either LT or RT)

- No improvement at TE

- Bolstered LB corps.

- We still have Hood to go with DRC at corner. A better safety opposite Adrian Wilson ((with Rolle in a special role of nickel/dime corner-safety).

- Upgrade at punter and (assuming Sproles could do double-duty) returner.

Bottom line - We do help ourselves in some areas, but - despite making so many moves that it would threaten to blow up the team - I'm not sold that we'd necessarily wind up any better overall than we are now.

 

[Skkorpion]

Jeff, when did you turn so cautious? You never feared massive upheaval before and the changes, most of them inevitable, are not that cumulatively massive.

Situation restated from my perspective: We almost won a Super Bowl in spite of some large personnel hurdles -- an ageing QB, a very weak run game, not one decent healthy TE, an inexperienced and youngish oline, a damaged and unhappy WR and team leader, weak FS play, inconsistent defense and ageing and injured OLBs and DEs.

How could we not address most of those problems head on?

 

[TJ]

Yup. Mitch is predicting correctly, if Warner signs a 2 year extention. You, TJ, have ostrich head buried in sand.

Don't believe everything you read, it will make your head spin.

But say we do trade Leinart, what do we do at back up QB? Warner made it through one whole season, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will hold up next year. We need someone who can step in and keep the motor running. Leinart is the most talented option and the most familiar with the system. St. Pierre can only take you so far.

Losing Leinart under this scenario will only create yet another hole on this team

 

[john h]

Mitch Pos

Mitch I like your entire package. Will it fit under our CAP? Last I heard we had 47 mil. Do you think the Bidwills will use all the available CAP. They must have done real well financially this year. I sure would like to see how much better they did than last year. Of course I know this is a family business and that is not available to the public but we sure can figure how much they are spending or keeping on our CAP. Well done.

 

[lobo]

Vilma is asscheeks in the 34. He is strictly a 4-3 linebacker.

I would agree 100%....but maybe not as visual!!!

 

[john h]

Do you think guys like Wilson and Dockett will get contract extensions?

I think Docket is an absolute must. I hope we sign Wilson. He has given his entire career to us and made the pro bowl multiple times. He should an deserves a contract. We owe Wilson.

 

[TJ]

I think Wilson gets a new deal this offseason. I think they wait on Dockett, unless he starts bitching and moaning

 

[john h]

Mitch has been on the "trade Leinart" bandwagon for months now. Its a horrible idea IMO. If you can keep both Warner and Leinart, you have two quality starting QBs. St. Pierre is an emergency QB at best. Nothing more, nothing less

I got this gut feeling that St. Pierre will someday be a starter for someone.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I got this gut feeling that St. Pierre will someday be a starter for someone.

the only team St.Pierre is ever going to start for is Mitch's fantasy team.

 

[WildBB]

2. RB Darren Sproles--huge impact on an already explosive offense with his blazing speed and elusiveness.


5. S Jermaine Phillips--finally a true cover 2 deep safety.

I'd take these two signings and be happy.

 

[WildBB]

Mitch - What do you think about Kevin Jones coming here?

 

[joeshmo]

I got this gut feeling that St. Pierre will someday be a starter for someone.

He better get moving then. He is 30 years old and hasnt even been a #2 QB yet.

 

[Mitch]

Mitch - What do you think about Kevin Jones coming here?

I always liked Kevin Jones (he's quick and reasonably tough)...the question is can he hold up physically?

One thing about Edge that was stellar was his durability.

 

[Shogun]

I got this gut feeling that St. Pierre will someday be a starter for someone.

St. Pierre would not start for anyone on Madden, even if you ran him through all the progression mini-games.

 

[Ryanwb]

St. Pierre would not start for anyone on Madden, even if you ran him through all the progression mini-games.

Agree, the guy is terrible

 

[Chopper0080]

At best we could probably get a 2nd round pick for Leinart and even that is a stretch. Not only that, but by trading him we have also created another personnel hole to fill as we would only have the 38 year old Warner under contract at QB. I am not a fan of this train of thought.

 

[Chopper0080]

How about Boldin for the Bears 1st and 3rd? We might be able to grab one of the pass rushers from that spot.

 

[Zeno]

John Parker Wilson will not be a good NFL QB. I want no part of a college QB that can't complete 60% of his passes and can't manage close to 2-1 on TD to INT ratio.

He also looked awful in the Senior Bowl practices.