I am feeling especially good today about what the Cardinals did in New York the past three days.
I am so thrilled that the Cardinals actually worked the draft in ways we have never ever seen before. I equate this to blitzing Aaron Rodgers on 3rd and 7, rather than rushing three and playing soft zone. We all know how that one worked out!
In short, our Cardinals "got after it" big-time!
The upsides of these draftees...
1. Dan Williams, NT. Not only does he have the strength to command and anchor the middle of the defense, this kid has legitimate pass rush ability and is a fast, quick closer on the QB. Imagining the trio of Docket, Williams and Campbell teeing off up that middle every play is pure joy. And our backup trio of Iwebema, Watson and Branch ain't too shabby either.
2. Daryl Washington, WILB. The more I think about it, the more I realize how special this player is for what the Cardinals want in their WILB. They want their "best athlete" to play there...and what I've come to realize is, because the Cardinals do a good job up front of keeping their WILB free, what they want more than anything else is a fast rangy athlete who is proficient at getting to the ball as quickly as possible and equally proficient at angle tackling. These two things are what Washington does best and better than any LB in that draft. Once he settles in, because he is faster than Dansby and a little more explosive in finishing off angle tackles, I think his numbers will exceed Dansby's. Where Washington will have to improve the most is in coverage, where he has the speed and athleticism to match up one on one with RBs...but will need to develop the proper techniques and ball skills that Dansby absolutely excells at. Because Washington reacts so quickly to plays in front of him, I think he will already be better at blowing up screens and WR hitch passes and screens to his side, which was one of Dansby's biggest shortcomings. In essence, in Washington, we have the freak athlete at the position the Cardinals want.
3. Andre Roberts, WR. May have the best hands of any WR in the draft, and this is especially important now that passes may not be as consistently on the money each time when Warner was throwing them. Plus, we lost our best YAC WR, and this kid has tremendous YAC ability. In addition, it was clear the past two years that Steve Breaston lost a little of his passion for punt returns. What Roberts gives us is a legitimate home run threat as a punt returner...and, when needed, Breaston should feel extra happy and motivated to jump in there on occasional punt returns when the situation dictates it. In other words, this takes the pressure off Stevie, who is now our #2 WR!
4. O'Brien Schofield, OLB. To me this pick made the draft...I was totally bummed out we missed the opportunity to draft OLB Jerry Hughes and QB Mike Kafka. When the Eagles snatched Kafka right in front of us at #122, and it was clear the Cardinals were planning to select Kafka at #123...what transpired from that point on was magical. Immediately the Cardinals traded out of the #123 spot to add the extra pick which enabled them not only to draft Schofield, but then give them the extra felxibility to swing the trade with Pittsburgh that landed John Skelton. To me this was akin to getting burned deep for a TD and answering right back with a 12 play 80 yard TD drive. The thing is...Schofield, when he gets healthy, is a better fit for our defense than Hughesm because he's a better all-around player. I think Hughes would have just been a sitautional pass rusher for us, and I would have been fine with that, because he's so good at rushing the passer. But, Schofield is such a versatile athlete that he will be a three down player at OLB for the Cardinals...and we will have just as furious a pass rush with him coming off the edge.
5. John Skelton, QB. Was it just me or did you find it rather amazing and serendipitous that shortly after making the trade to select Skelton, ESPN shows a special on him, and Skelton could not have been more impressive in those bright lights under laboratory conditions. (Satruday Night Live joke: "What the leading cause of high blood pressure in laboratory mice? Exposure to laboratory tests!") As much as I was enamored with Mike Kafka's outstanding comeptitiveness and aggressive style, Skelton has far better size and skills. Skelton has protoypical size, superior arm strength and equal mobility. Then to learn that as much as the Cardinals liked Kafka, they covered their bases 10 days before the draft by sending Chris Miller and Mike Miller to NY to meet with Skelton and work him out. This is GREAT work on the Cardinals' part, and what's even greater work is what they did---in the aftermath of getting edged out for Kafka---and having no fifth round pick---they pulled a rabbit out of the hat to move up to get this kid. I have been saying ever since that day after the season there was no way the Cardinals were going to pay BMF $5M this season. They probably were just going to release him anyway. We got the best arm in the draft and we had to be extremely creative to get him, and we regained a cool $5M. Plus, I love that we just added the most accurate passer in the draft in Max Hall, who I think will eventually be a perfect #3 and possible #2 QB for the Cardinals for years to come. And he's from Mesa! When is his birthday, Brian?
6. Jorrick Calvin, CB. Talk about combing the grass for prospects. It's amazing to me how widespread the Cardinals scouting ranges. I think the Cardinals have become the best small school gold miners of the NFL. The reason why the Cardinals took this kid instead of Donovan Warren? He's faster and he can play press. It's that simple. Same reason why BMF is no longer a Cardinal---that and the $5M.
7. Jim Dray, TE. To think of what this guy has been through to get drafted is an amazing story. He shattered his knee and he was back playing eight months later. He even admitted that he had to just concentrate on blocking upon his return because his knee wasn't ready to run double moves. We are becoming a smashmouth offense and this guy is our next Anthony Becht. Dray's determination and character are remarkable. And that knee gets better and stronger every day. While I think he's probably going to spend a year on the PS, because of his determination and character, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he makes the team as the #3 TE.
I will leave you with this thought...the 49ers are a thing of the past. The Cardinals are the 10ers!
