Next years #1 draft need

[Black T]

I am resolved in the belief that next years draft, the 2012 NFL draft, the Cardinals need to target a franchise pass rusher.

LB or DE.

Im not going to speculate who, although I know who Id like, because we obviously dont know whos going to be avilable when we pick (hopefully dead last )but just somebody to get after the QB. I feel we have every other position locked down for the most part. Got our QB. doubt you'd waste a 1st round draft pick on a WR when we have Larry (although Larry + a stud young WR would be awesome!). Wont be a RB. Wont be a Dlineman. Wont be a FS or SS. After picking up Patrick Peterson I doubt wed use another pick on a CB. However, if hes good enough, getting a beast #2 CB across from PP would be epic.

That leaves LBs or Olineman.

From what ive seen in preseason, our Oline is playing suprisingly well. Sendlein, Deuce and College make up a very good interior. Our tackles are a problem. Specifically Levi and with his contract coming up id fully expect this is his last season has a Cardinal. So we will have a need there. Id Much rather pursue a veteran FA tackle than draft one. its just too risky and Levi was a major bust.

So besides Olineman, our only need is at LB. We got two future studs in OBS and Daryl Washington. How awesome would it be to have a Patrick Willis type linebacker on our team? I know fellas like that are hard to come by, but i think that would just complete us. Wed have a big name at most every position.

I understand the need for an olineman, i just hate burning 1st's on them. Its such a boring, unsexy pick. And the risk of them being a bust is considerably high comared to other positions.

If not LB, id be all for DE. Not a big fan of Calais Cambell. Hes been 'ready to blow up' for 3 years now. Somebody his size should be tossing guys into the stands. I just dont think hes got a killers mentality. Hes big, but hes not mean enough to get to the QB.

I know its hard drafting a good 3-4 DE. You know Mario Williams is a FA next year. Considering the Cardinals found there checkbook behind the stove this offseason, It wouldnt be that farfetched that they made a run at such a talent. Hes an avid outdoorsman and theres nowhere more perfect for that than Arizona. He could go hunting with Jared Allen up in Prescott. A guy that size and talent, we could stick him in a 3-4 and hed do just fine.

may be too early for draft talk, but im just saying, as of right now..a big time LB or DE would really complete this team. I wouldnt be against a Olineman, WR or CB either if they were sure things.

 

[187]

CC already broke out from a 3-4 DE's perspective, there aren't many better pass rushers from that position than CC. His second season was sick, yet people still think he hasn't "broken out". Newsflash, he broke out in '09. People don't understand the sack numbers from a 3-4 DE will never be in the same ball park as an elite 4-3 DE. They are completely different positions. An elite pass rushing 3-4 DE gets 6-7 sacks maybe 8 in a lucky year.

First round pick basically has to be a tackle or OLB. I wouldn't mind a stud WR if one fell to us either. We desperately need protection on the edges and the ability to get pressure from the edge. We suck on the edge on both sides of the ball, unfortunately.

 

[WarnerHOF]

The only position the Cards are picking next year in the first round is LT. WHY? Because Levi Brown is f'ing horrible and the Cards just invested 63 million in their franchise QB.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

Well without their second rounder its one or the other. Either they get a good tackle or a good OLB. I think a decent tackle would be much easier to find in FA than a stud outside LB so id see them going OLB with their number 1.

And its not a foregone conclusion that Levi is gone after this year. He could restructure his contract.

I think id rather they get a tackle however, i dont thinkntheirnpass rush will be that bad this year. I think it was just bad because they were so unmotivated last year...

 

[Cardiac]

I love the draft but it is a bit early to be if full discussion mode.

Through 2 weeks of preseason games the Cards have the top passing offense in the NFL (avg yds per game) and are in the top 3 in just about every other passing category. Our rush O is middle of the pack as is our TOP.

Our Pass D stats are near the bottom of the league. Our Run D is middle of the pack.

So knowing preseason stats are fairly worthless and it's still too early to know which players will step up and who won't and it's still to early to talk draft.......

I'm thinking we go BPA with LT and OLB weighted higher based on need.

 

[Totally_Red]

The only position the Cards are picking next year in the first round is LT. WHY? Because Levi Brown is f'ing horrible and the Cards just invested 63 million in their franchise QB.

Agree on LT! Levi was a need-based pick who continues to struggle mightily against most above-average defenders. Pass rusher is also a need but I have some hope that one of the young players can develop. I don't have that hope for Levi.

 

[Garthshort]

This year, at last, we went BPA. I would think we'd do the same next year. And also hope that our needs and the BPA coincide.

 

[Catfish]

It has been obvious that the team has concentrated on developing the offense every year since Whiz and company has been here. It's not that they have exclusively drafted offense, just that the predominate efforts have been 'O' as opposed to 'D'. Most of the picks have been offense each year.

This whole defensive unit has been sadly neglected since Whiz has taken the reins. Something needs to change. Either the draft philosophy needs to adjust to taking the best player available, (according to positional need), or we need to fill holes by signing QUALIFIED AND PROVEN free agents. Otherwise, taking BPA (regardless) of position, is not a great benefit. It helps depth little, if you trade your top CB at the same time you draft his replacement.

As much as I really liked this year's draft, I was saddened that we passed on two big, fast, strong, DE types who might have been the outside pass rush threat we have been looking for since Whiz has been here. Even at that, it appeared the staff was looking more to the smaller olb from A&M, (who they eventually passed on). Yes, you can argue that PP was a defensive draft at our #1. The bottom line is that his position was not our greatest need on defense. I know that we are looking for great things from PP-21, but there are no guarantees that he will excell as a CB. In fact many were touting him to actually play as a SS in the pros. With his size, 6-1,220, and blazing speed, that argument has merit, and (with Wilson's injury), that may yet be the case before the year is over, if a depth signing can't be found after cuts are made.

Horton has been assessing each defensive players strengths and weaknesses in an attempt to keep from continuing the Cards poor habit of attempting to pound square pegs into round holes with their players. He is attempting to adapt his defense to the strengths of our available defensive players. So far he is succeeding. Notice the success he had with starting 4 CB's against GB, which got some cover sacks for us. This allowed the biggies up front to each win a man-up battle against the GB offense. We also saw Joey Porter drop into coverage, and defend a pass with his speed and savvy, despite his age. Used situationally, he is still a force to be considered.

What would really be helpful, would be to draft a player that (fits) a position of need. That way, if he is a hit, and succeeds in winning that job, then we have gained a position of strength instead of need. Barring that method of growth, if we insist on drafting BPA regardless of need, then we MUST begin to fill positions of need through free agency, with players who have already proven that they can do that job.

 

[conraddobler]

We have to have a pass rush and in our system you can get that from a LBer so I would bet that would be the highest priority, not that we'll take one with our first pick but I'd say we do address this in the draft.

 

[JeffGollin]

This year, at last, we went BPA. I would think we'd do the same next year. And also hope that our needs and the BPA coincide.

Roger that.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

This year, at last, we went BPA. I would think we'd do the same next year. And also hope that our needs and the BPA coincide.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

CC already broke out from a 3-4 DE's perspective, there aren't many better pass rushers from that position than CC. His second season was sick, yet people still think he hasn't "broken out". Newsflash, he broke out in '09. People don't understand the sack numbers from a 3-4 DE will never be in the same ball park as an elite 4-3 DE. They are completely different positions. An elite pass rushing 3-4 DE gets 6-7 sacks maybe 8 in a lucky year.

First round pick basically has to be a tackle or OLB. I wouldn't mind a stud WR if one fell to us either. We desperately need protection on the edges and the ability to get pressure from the edge. We suck on the edge on both sides of the ball, unfortunately.

And CC is all of 24 years of age!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The only position the Cards are picking next year in the first round is LT. WHY? Because Levi Brown is f'ing horrible and the Cards just invested 63 million in their franchise QB.

+1,000,000

 

[Krangodnzr]

This year, at last, we went BPA. I would think we'd do the same next year. And also hope that our needs and the BPA coincide.

We went BPA because free agency didn't happen before the draft. Normally we go BPA at a Position of Need, which is how most teams draft.

First you build your board, then you arrange players based on need. It's not a terrible approach, it builds the depth of your team.

Next year we almost HAVE to draft a LT. We'll likely be parting with Levi Brown and we need a serious upgrade.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

I wonder if anyone would care to wait 16 games and a possible playoff before concluding that Levi is no longer in the Cards future. Just saying....

 

[Krangodnzr]

Black, dude, you are way wrong on Calais. While Calais has a few holes in his game, when he plays with good pad level he is a dominate 3-4 defensive end. No way should we draft a replacement for him. We need to resign him longterm SOON.

I like the Steelers approach to 3-4 OLB; draft them all the time, but don't draft them high. Constantly rotate the 2nd/3rd string until you find the guy that can be a beast, then let the veteran go and BAM, you have strong OLBs.

 

[ajcardfan]

I wonder if anyone would care to wait 16 games and a possible playoff before concluding that Levi is no longer in the Cards future. Just saying....

Why do that? People are throwing Patrick Peterson under the bus after two preseason games.

Better add CB to the mix with DE and LT.

 

[Catfish]

We have to have a pass rush and in our system you can get that from a LBer so I would bet that would be the highest priority, not that we'll take one with our first pick but I'd say we do address this in the draft.

I agree wholeheartedly with you. When I said DE types, I meant to convert to Rush OLB, instead of the quick little college OLB's who get trashed because they are too light to compete with the strong edge blockers. We passed on two excellent versions of those players last draft, and both were super quick, (one having the best first step in the entire draft), and the other being quick enough to drop back into coverage as well, (just like Porter did in the GB game). Either one of them could well have been the edge rusher we have been looking for all along. I'm talking 250-260 lbs college DE's who can be converted to a Rush OLB, but have the advantage of being bigger, taller, stronger than the average college rush olb.

 

[crisper57]

We need to replace Levi. However we do that, I don't care. Even if it is by burning a #1 pick again on that position next year, he needs to go.

 

[Denny Green Fan]

Which one of these pass rushers do you want to see harrassing Andrew Luck next year?

Bruce Irvin West Virginia (blazing 4.54 speed

Branden Jenkins-Florida State

Brandon Lindsey-Pitt

Courtney Upshaw-Alabama

Donte Paige Moss-North Carolina

Devin Taylor-South Carolina

 

[DoTheDew]

This year, at last, we went BPA. I would think we'd do the same next year. And also hope that our needs and the BPA coincide.

Dan Williams, Beanie, and arguably DRC were considered BPA. The only 1st round pick Whiz has made that was a reach at draft time was Levi.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This year, at last, we went BPA. I would think we'd do the same next year. And also hope that our needs and the BPA coincide.

i think this team knew all along that DRC was gonna be involved in that Kolb trade which actually made this year's pick a draft of need. lucky for us, the guy happened to be the BPA.

 

[Duckjake]

Dan Williams, Beanie, and arguably DRC were considered BPA. The only 1st round pick Whiz has made that was a reach at draft time was Levi.

We needed a NT. We needed a RB. We needed a CB. What is overlooked is the difference between having to pick a player at a position because you have nothing there and picking a guy to improve one of your weaker positions.

You can live with Brian Robinson and Gabe Watson at NT you can't with Chris Liwienski at LT.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

i think this team knew all along that DRC was gonna be involved in that Kolb trade which actually made this year's pick a draft of need. lucky for us, the guy happened to be the BPA.

Yep.

 

[Duckjake]

i think this team knew all along that DRC was gonna be involved in that Kolb trade which actually made this year's pick a draft of need. lucky for us, the guy happened to be the BPA.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if the deal for Kolb had been made before the draft. All they then had to do was wait until the lockout was over to finalize it.