Old Dirty Offseason

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I thought that with all of the recent shakeups, I'd provide my version of what I thnk that the offseason will look like (this is in line with the things that Grimm and Whiz have been saying).

Free Agents

B.J. Sams: KR/PR Baltimore
--Before injuring himself late last season, Sams was considered one of the best pure returners in the league. With Baltimore focused on resigning Adalius Thomas and trying to get a new running back, I think that Sams will be the one that slips through the cracks. Lucky us.

Fred Smoot: CB Minnesota Vikings
--Smoot has already asked to be released from his contract with the Vikings because he isn't a very good cover 2 cornerback. Despite some character issues, he can still play, and would probably start next to Rolle for next season.

Daniel Graham: TE New England Patriots
--Whiz has an affinity for the two tight end set, and Graham will give him the ideal tight end to start next to Pope.

Donnie Edwards: SLB San Diego Chargers
--With the dismissal of Marty Schottenheimer, Edwards has already said that he's on the way out of San Diego. Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby have both shown alot of promise as young up-and-coming linebackers, but they need a veteran like Edwards to shown them the ropes.

Todd Steussie: G/T St. Louis Rams
--Steussie is a seasoned vet with the ability to play multiple positions across the line. Although he won't start, he will provide real depth at both the tackle and guard position.

Ian Scott: DT Chicago Bears
--Whiz has said that he wants to bulk up the interior defense, and give us a fresh rotation at DT. Scott has played very well with Chicago, but he's definitely expendable to them.

The Draft

*Arizona trades the fifth and thirty-seventh overall pick to Detroit for the second overall pick*

Joe Thomas: OT Wisconsin
--No Leonard Davis, no problem. Whiz, who has alot of experience trading up from his time at Pittsburgh, pulls the trigger on this deal to fill our most gaping hole at LT. Thomas is long lean, good wingspan, great feat and agility, with the frame to add more strength. In a nutshell, he's the prototypical LT prospect.

Doug Datish: C/G/T Ohio State
--Datish has starting experience at guard, left tackle, and center during his tenure at OSU. Tall with room to add more weight, Datish plays with a killer instinct and is very nasty. Is our future at center and will be a valuable back up all across the board.

Prescott Burgess: SLB Michigan
--Burgess has great physical tools, but hasn't seen the results on field yet. Donnie Edwards' years are numbered, and Burgess could sit and learn from a great player for a couple of years before ascending to the starting position.

Mkristo Bruce: DE Washington State
--Bruce has a fierce competitor who is just a straight up football player. Has the kind of attitude that you want on the football field and although he isn't as physically gifted as other players, he'll be a quality back up and a potential starter.

Corey Anderson: FB Tennessee
--The premier blocking fullback in the country. Though he can't do much else, Whiz's has stated that we need a Lorenzo Neal type full back who can pave the way for our running backs.

​

 

[joeshmo]

BJ Sams is a RFA - Do you think the Ravens wont put a 2nd round tender on him or pay him more then the Ravens arent willing to match. But I am all for trying if they give him the low tender which would mean we wouldnt have to give up a draft pick for him becuase he was an undrafted free agent, all the Ravens would have is the right to match the offer.

I like the other pickups and they seem to be one of the more realistic FA offseason speculations.

I am not a fan of the trade but I like the players selected especially the Brugess and Bruce selections. But I really dont think McClain will make it to the 7th round. By all accounts he had one of the best if not the best weeks during the senior bowl practices, he really raised his draft stock that day.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

BJ Sams is a RFA - Do you think the Ravens wont put a 2nd round tender on him or pay him more then the Ravens arent willing to match. But I am all for trying if they give him the low tender which would mean we wouldnt have to give up a draft pick for him becuase he was an undrafted free agent, all the Ravens would have is the right to match the offer.

I like the other pickups and they seem to be one of the more realistic FA offseason speculations.

I am not a fan of the trade but I like the players selected especially the Brugess and Bruce selections. But I really dont think McClain will make it to the 7th round. By all accounts he had one of the best if not the best weeks during the senior bowl practices, he really raised his draft stock that day.

Sams is good, but they've shown that they can live with him. I honsetly think that they're going to be heavily pursuing Thomas and a RB, so they can only place the low tender on Sams (which like you said would not entail compensation).

You're probably right about McClain. I'll replace him with Corey Anderson out of Tennessee, who's the best blocking fullback in college football IMO (though he isn't much good at anything else).

As for the trade, I really think that our hand is forced. Staley probably won't be around in the second, and Ugoh isn't very good, so I really think we can afford to move up to fill our by far most glaring weakness.

 

[az jam]

Very realistic outlook on free agency. Per the draft, the Lions would love to trade down and get a second rounder and still have a top five pick. I just don't know if the Cards would do that and basically pay for Thomas at #2 close to what it would have cost to keep Davis.

 

[joeshmo]

I just don't know if the Cards would do that and basically pay for Thomas at #2 close to what it would have cost to keep Davis.

You may have a point. I also think from what I have seen of Whis, Grimm and what MJ stated his specualtions were that we would rather go with veterans instead of highly drafted rookies to fill the OL holes and or depth.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I though Whiz said he wasn't looking for a KR through free agency.I like the other draft picks but i don't like Datish.Also, i don't think the Cards are in position to give up draft picks, especially high 2nd rounders with all the help that is needed.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I though Whiz said he wasn't looking for a KR through free agency.I like the other draft picks but i don't like Datish.Also, i don't think the Cards are in position to give up draft picks, especially high 2nd rounders with all the help that is needed.

I was originally thinking that and had us signing Luke Petitgout instead of Fred Smoot, but then I didn't know what other position we really needed (with the announcement that Francisco is starting). I thought that we could address most of our needs without the second rounder.

Also, why don't you like Datish? I don't watch that much Big Ten ball, so most of my formation is based off of scouting reports and the like.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Anymore thoughts?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I understand Daniel Graham, but do you really think that both he and Pope would be starting? You know that Edge, Boldin, and Fitz will start, so are we really going to start only one RB?

 

[kerouac9]

I don't really like how old you're making this roster, Big Baby Jesus. I like Smoot, but I don't think he's a necessity, and I don't think he'd come here. Not for the money that it would take to get a starter.

I really don't like trading up. This team needs playmakers. They'll get one with both the 5th pick and second-rounder. They won't find those guys in free agency. Edwards could still be useful in a two-gap system that keeps blockers off him, but that's not what we're playing here.

I think that you go hard after Stinchcomb/Pashos in free agency so that you don't have to hope that the Lions will trade down with you to fill your glaring hole. I think that Wells+TE will be all right for the LT position, at least as a season-long experiment until the first-day draft pick that you use at OT develops.

All in all, I don't think it's a bad plan, but it's not the course that I would take.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I understand Daniel Graham, but do you really think that both he and Pope would be starting? You know that Edge, Boldin, and Fitz will start, so are we really going to start only one RB?

I'd like to use Graham similar to the way the San Deigo used their tight ends this past year. Whiz is a big fan of the two tight end set, and Graham's strength lies in his blocking whereas Pope is more receiving oriented. They both won't be in on every snap obviously, but both will see a good amount of playing time.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I don't really like how old you're making this roster, Big Baby Jesus. I like Smoot, but I don't think he's a necessity, and I don't think he'd come here. Not for the money that it would take to get a starter.

I really don't like trading up. This team needs playmakers. They'll get one with both the 5th pick and second-rounder. They won't find those guys in free agency. Edwards could still be useful in a two-gap system that keeps blockers off him, but that's not what we're playing here.

I think that you go hard after Stinchcomb/Pashos in free agency so that you don't have to hope that the Lions will trade down with you to fill your glaring hole. I think that Wells+TE will be all right for the LT position, at least as a season-long experiment until the first-day draft pick that you use at OT develops.

All in all, I don't think it's a bad plan, but it's not the course that I would take.

Smoot isn't a necessity, but I think that both Eric Green and David Macklin prove that they aren't ready to start. Smoot already said that he wants out of Minnesota and we'd be able to provide him with a starting spot that he covets. Plus, it's hilarious to listen to people refer to themselves in the third person during press conferences. Smoot is the only veteran CB availabe in the free agency that won't cost upwards of a kidney and your first born child.

True we need playmakers, and normally I'm not one to advocate trading up. However, right now we have no LT. I guess we could move Wells over to the left side, but "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Thomas is a franchise tackle, which is really the key piece that this offense needs. The same cannot be said about Reggie Wells. We might be able to get buy with a Stinchomb/Wells combo, but I think that Thomas is the right choice for the future of the team.

This is just the rough draft, the new and improved plan is in the works.

 

[stretchthefield]

I don't like the trade up.

Would rather reach for Levi Brown @ 5 and take a safety like Meriweather in the 2nd than come out of 2 rounds with only Joe thomas.

 

[TheCardFan]

I like Smoot...he is an above avg corner that makes and gives up big plays. We have a ton of money and right now Clements needs to be our target.

I would not trade up and lose such a high #2 pick for only a few slots in rd 1. We still have a good chance to grab a starter in Rd 2...and that would mean a 2 for 1 trade...too expensive for us. There are proven RT's in FA that can be had.

We need to address the DE as well...we need more pressure on the QB.

Graham is nothing special at TE, IMO.

Steussie is long in the tooth and gave up about the same number of sacks as LD...not an upgrade, I would go for Stinchcomb, Pashos, or Columbo.

I don't see how Ian Scott is that much of an upgrade for us. We supposedly got our run stuffing specialist last year in Clancy...we have Dockett and we have the beefy gap stuffer in Watson.

I prefer Kalil of Datish and I am not sure either is much of an upgrade over Lechey.

 

[CardLogic]

Let's see... Davis, an underperforming, former #2 pick, isn't worth $11 mill to tag.

So instead draft his unproven replacement (Thomas) at #2, whose first year contract amount (bonus + salary) will cost more than it would to tag Davis; plus give up a high 2nd round pick to do it.

McGirt, is your real name George Boone?

 

[cardsfanmd]

I live in Baltimore and have season tickets to the ravens, so I have seen a lot of them. Their st is great every year, and it seems like no matter who the return guy is they do great. I maintain that our problem as far as special teams goes has been the coaching/blocking scheme. Hopefully this new guy can get it together. Looking from what he did previously, I am starting to have faith (violation of a cardinal rule).

 

[BACH]

I don't like the trade up.

Would rather reach for Levi Brown @ 5 and take a safety like Meriweather in the 2nd than come out of 2 rounds with only Joe thomas.

I will garantee that Graves will NOT draft a thug like Merriweather.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Let's see... Davis, an underperforming, former #2 pick, isn't worth $11 mill to tag.

So instead draft his unproven replacement (Thomas) at #2, whose first year contract amount (bonus + salary) will cost more than it would to tag Davis; plus give up a high 2nd round pick to do it.

McGirt, is your real name George Boone?

First of all, Davis is already gone so it's useless to compare players to him, because it's already done. We could either overpay a RT and hope that either him or Reggie Wells can play LT, or take the best LT prospect in recent memory. Doesn't sound like it's that big of a decision.

 

[TheCardFan]

First of all, Davis is already gone so it's useless to compare players to him, because it's already done. We could either overpay a RT and hope that either him or Reggie Wells can play LT, or take the best LT prospect in recent memory. Doesn't sound like it's that big of a decision.

The door seems to be a bit open.

“I wouldn’t say (Davis’ tenure) is necessarily over by any stretch of the imagination,” Whisenhunt said. “It’s not that we didn’t want Leonard back, we just didn’t feel we could get a contract done before free agency and it was such a high value if we had to use the franchise tag, we didn’t feel comfortable with that.”

 

[Duckjake]

The door seems to be a bit open.

“I wouldn’t say (Davis’ tenure) is necessarily over by any stretch of the imagination,” Whisenhunt said. “It’s not that we didn’t want Leonard back, we just didn’t feel we could get a contract done before free agency and it was such a high value if we had to use the franchise tag, we didn’t feel comfortable with that.”

The Cards moved Davis to LT because of the money and removed him from LT because of the money.

Too bad they couldn't have moved him somewhere because he would help the team win.

But the NFL is big business and it will almost always be about the money whether its the Cardinals or any other team.

 

[BACH]

We could either overpay a RT and hope that either him or Reggie Wells can play LT, or take the best LT prospect in recent memory. Doesn't sound like it's that big of a decision.

If I went back in time, I would still draft Leinart - not Ferguson.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

If I went back in time, I would still draft Leinart - not Ferguson.

Thomas is a better all around prospect than Ferguson is. But I agree with you.