Pope Rant

[DakotaCardsFan]

This has been driving me crazy all season and the emotions (and performance of one L. Pope) during the playoffs and SB only made it worse by a factor of 5X.

How is this man allowed onto the field? If he's not getting called for a false start, he's late getting off of the line as if he's not sure what the play is. If he's not called for holding, he's whiffing on a block.

In the NFC Championship game, not only did he do little himself but looked like he was trying to keep Fitz out of the end zone and strip the ball from him in the first quarter. In the SB, he had probably the best chance at stopping Harrison's TD run as Warner was slowing him down a bit. What did he do? He completely misses Harrison and instead lays out his own QB.

The only value he brings is the fact that he's 6'8" and should be a goal line target for Warner, but he isn't. Why? Warner obviously doesn’t trust him.

They would have been better off putting in another fullback at his position in the lineup. At least Castille might have provided an occasional block.

Thanks to asfn for allowing me this platform to vent. That is all...

 

[cardsfanmd]

Yeah, I will be very surprised if he is with the team next year. There just doesn't seem to be enough between the ears for this guy to succeed.

 

[AntSports Steve]

I have to agree about L. Pope also.

He is missing his football IQ. I see him being cut in training camp this year. He can't block worth a lick and seems to forget his assignments.

The OC was basicly forced to play Pope vs the Eagles and they did some nice things to try and make Pope more effective. I noticed they put him in motion more so he would not get false starts. I also notice they used his often missing his block against the Eagles when he thru a fake block then caught a screen pass. I'm sure the Eagle player believed that the half hearted attempt at a block was Popes normal blocking method and never thought about a screen pass.

The Cards need a blocking TE who knows what he is doing, who can catch a few passes in the middle of the field and who will not go down on the 1st hit. If Ben Patrick wasn't so injury prone he would be the guy.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

He is a RFA this offseason. I think the Cardinals will low tender him, if at all. Give him a shot at camp, and he will be cut.

There is SOOOOOO many oppourtunities (players) in Free Agency and the draft to improve our TE position that it is scary. And that is without breaking the bank for Tony Gonzalez.

I am really really hoping the Cardinals sign Andrew Davie as UDFA.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/players/50187/index.html

Ben Patrick, when healthy, is a force in the passing game, but we need a run blocker. Davie is just that.

 

[anks106]

I still can't get over how great it felt when we drafted him.. what a waste

We're better off playing with 10 on the field than 11 including him

 

[Russ Smith]

So if we let the pope walk will they do the same smoke signals stuff the vatican does to let us know when they find a new TE?

I am actually angry that I was right about Pope. When we drafted him I said great athlete, mediocre player, can't block. I was for Marcedes Lewis who hasn't exactly set the world on fire himself but he has about doubled Pope's production so far in the NFL which is of course why he was drafted higher.

Lewis isn't as athletic as Pope(he's athletic) but he's a much better player because he appears to be coachable and smart, where Pope makes the same mistakes over and over.

 

[red desert]

Couldn't agree more with everything posted above. He really is my least favorite player. Francisco second. Rolle third.

 

[stewdog1]

If Chase Coffman can show that he can block, I would be all over him in the 2nd round if he lasts that long.

Reason being, if we were to lose Boldin, we are going to need someone with great hands and punish would be tacklers. Coffman is that man. Especially if you put him in motion and get a safety on him.

 

[DieHardFromMO]

If Chase Coffman can show that he can block, I would be all over him in the 2nd round if he lasts that long.

Reason being, if we were to lose Boldin, we are going to need someone with great hands and punish would be tacklers. Coffman is that man. Especially if you put him in motion and get a safety on him.

I like Chase Coffman a lot, when he is on the field that is. I swear he was injured more often than healthy while with the Tigers. I wouldn't risk anything higher than a 3rd round pick on him since he is injury prone.

 

[Pariah]

I like Patrick as the starter unless we add someone of note. I couldn't care less if Pope, Spach or tuman were let go this offseason. I think the surest thing in the draft for us is that we come away with a TE/H-back type.

 

[Russ Smith]

I like Patrick as the starter unless we add someone of note. I couldn't care less if Pope, Spach or tuman were let go this offseason. I think the surest thing in the draft for us is that we come away with a TE/H-back type.

Agreed I really like Patrick.

With Pope the problem is if you're going to be a no blocking receiver TE, you sure as hell better actually be a good receiver.

I still come back to that screen to Pope in the eagles game where he had 3 blockers in front, one defender had a chance, and he cut right into the defender and went down. He just has no feel for the game, gets by on sheer athletic ability.

Patrick I like quite a bit.

 

[DakotaCardsFan]

I like Patrick too, but I'm a little concerned that our starting TE in the playoffs (Spach) was someone we signed off the street more than halfway through the season.

With Whiz being a former TE, I figured he'd be a decent evaluator of talent at that position. I was more than a little surprised that we started the season with pretty much the same group of tight ends that we ended with last year.

 

[dylanbw]

Sadly, agreed on Pope. I am a Georgia Bulldog diehard as well and thought he would be a nice addition....not so much.....Ben Patrick has a very good feel for the game and needs to stay healthy.....Pope and Tuman are gone, Spach will be back to compete with Patrick and mid-round blocking TE....

 

[anks106]

Sadly, agreed on Pope. I am a Georgia Bulldog diehard as well and thought he would be a nice addition....not so much.....Ben Patrick has a very good feel for the game and needs to stay healthy.....Pope and Tuman are gone, Spach will be back to compete with Patrick and mid-round blocking TE....

Tuman disappointed me as well, his reputation was one of the better blocking TEs in the league and I didn't see it here. Also, I wonder how long Spach's recovery will be.. he might not be back for 09

 

[LVCARDFREAK]

The thing that always struck me about Pope was his skinny legs. I mean they are super skinny for his size. Not a chance he could get the kind of leverage needed to block, even if he showed the desire to do so.

 

[anks106]

The thing that always struck me about Pope was his skinny legs. I mean they are super skinny for his size. Not a chance he could get the kind of leverage needed to block, even if he showed the desire to do so.

Well, I never expected him to become a blocker.. but the thing that got me is the penalties. Its one thing to not contribute, its another to single handedly be moving us backwards.

 

[Skkorpion]

He's gone, I think.

 

[Shogun]

He's gone, I think.

He should be. Never panned out.