Pre-draft Player visits

[GimmedaBall]

Here's the list of players the Cards have brought in for pre-draft visits/workouts:

Arizona Cardinals
Kent State running back Dri Archer. [W]
Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine. [V]
Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn. [V]
Miami (Fla.) tight end Asante Cleveland.
McGill (Quebec) offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. [V]
South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington. [V]
Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines.
Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman.
Michigan State defensive tackle Tyler Hoover. [W]
Shepherd (W.V.) defensive end Howard Jones. [V]
Purdue offensive tackle Kevin Pamphile. [V]
Colorado State center Weston Richburg. [V]
TCU cornerback Jason Verrett. [V]
Bloomsburg (Pa.) defensive end Larry Webster. [V]

Not sure if the list is complete since some names appear to be missing. Believe they had John Brown WR in as well. Most appear to be late-round picks with Hageman and Verrett possible 1st round selections?

Full article: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/17/2014-nfl-draft-visits-workouts/related/

 

[cardncubfan]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/f4/cardinals-prospect-meetings-204358.html

 

[Mitch]

U of Miami TE Asante Cleveland---6-5, 260. Athletic---makes good cuts---works hard as a blocker---won Miami's MIOP Award this season. Didn't play much prior to this year. Here's a good video:

http://vimeo.com/86245213

 

[Mitch]

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, T, 6-5, 315, 4.9 40, 34 reps @ 225, McGill University, Montreal. Good article with video (see him run and bench 34 times at 225...32" vertical too):

http://www.montrealgazette.com/spor...Tardif+works+organizations/9670661/story.html

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/4/9/5583396/2014-nfl-draft-laurent-duvernay-tardif-interview

Cardinals were the first of 6 teams to have him visit.

Projects to 6th-7th round as a developmental tackle with strong upside.

 

[Mitch]

Phillip Gaines, CB, 6-0, 193, Rice...good size, although a tad skinny, and blazing 4.38 speed. Blazing triple cone of 6.62. Projects as a 5th rounder.

36 tackles, 4 interceptions, 9 PBUs in 2013. Good, fast, closer on the ball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY5uFG16O4E

Check out his 40 at the Combine:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/0ap2000000329005/Phillip-Gaines-puts-up-blazing-40-time

 

[Mitch]

Tyler Hoover, DT/34DE, 6-7, 290, Michigan St.

31 tackles 4 sacks in 2013. Has had injury issues throughout his college career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQujzRmKPps

 

[Mitch]

Howard Jones, OLB, 6-3, 235, Shepherd. Ran a 4.57 at the Combine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE32cWCBbPY

Plus has a 40" vertical and did 21 reps at 225.

Developmental speed rusher.

 

[GimmedaBall]

What to make of the Cards pre-draft and Senior Bowl visits/workouts. Are they refining their Top 120' player list? Checking on character issues? Looking for value in late rounds or FA signings after the draft? (Most likely all of the above.)

Did the Cards bring in ANY of the QBs expected to go in the 1st-2nd round? Some of the players on the Cards list for pre-draft visits are also on the list for other teams. What is confusing is the lack of any QBs. Does this mean the QB position is not on the Cards list OR have they already determined that none warrant that first-round selection? Afterall, we have a #1 overall pick with a few miles on the thread as our QB already.


Here's SK giving the Card's draft philosophy. At this point, I take him for his word that this is the operating procedure and not a smokescreen:

http://arizonasports.com/40/1724509/GM-updates-Arizona-Cardinals-draft-progress