Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Team Offense: Stats
Points: 26.7 (4th)...Yards: 365.8 (4th)...Passing Yards: 292.1 (2nd)...Rushing Yards: 73.6 (32nd)
Quarterbacks:
13 Kurt Warner (16 401/598 67.1% 4,583 30 14 96.8). MVP caliber season. NFC Starting QB in NFC Championship, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Had a 112.3 passer rating in the playoffs. Was sacked 26 times, fumbled 11 times, losing 7. But held up well physically as evidenced by his stellar performance in the playoffs. Has a knack for reading defenses and making defenses pay on blitzes. Throws with great timing and accuracy. Hates to give up on a play which causes some of his fumbles. Involves every player in the offense. Knows his personnel exceptionally well. Smart and tough. A must re-signing for the Cardinals if they want the best chance to maintain their high scoring offense.
Prediction: Warner re-signs for 2 years @ $19-20M.
7 Matt Leinart. If Warner is re-signed for the next two years, Leinart is going to ask to be traded. Who can blame him? He's entering his 4th season in the league, and having watched Matt Cassell, his backup at USC, rise to stardom this past season (thus earning a $14.6M franchise tag contract), Leinart is champing at the bit to make his mark. What's unlcear at this point is whether the Cardinals would accomodate Leinart's wishes to be traded. Much would likely depend on whether the Cardinals believe they have either a capable #2 QB in Brian St. Pierre or whether there is another QB out there that they could sign to be a good #2 option. Keeping Leinart would offer the team added security...but with Leinart's $15M roster bonus due a year from now, a decision on his future with the Cardinals is going to have to be made one ay or another in the next year. The market for young talented starting QBs is high right now...the draft is not deep, nor is the free agent pool, especially with Matt Cassell being franchise tagged. Teams that would likely be most interested in making a move for a QB are the Jets, Vikings, Lions and Bucs...a possibly even the Panthers, Dolphins and Jaguars.
Leinart showed some maturity this season. He handled his backup situation with class and acquitted himself rather well in his brief appearances, highlighted by a beautful long TD strike to Larry Fitzgerald versus the Patriots, which was virtually the sole highlight of the game for the Cardinals that day. Leinart has the smarts and the poise to be a solid NFL QB. While he lacks exemplary arm strength, he is a fluid and accurate passer, who would be at his best in an offense, like he had at USC, that has a dependable ground game.
Prediction: Leinart is traded to the New York Jets.
2 Brian St. Pierre. St. Pierre was signed last season to be the team's #3 QB. His familiarity with Coach Whizenhunt and his system gave St. Pierre and the team a comfort zone. In the pre-season, St. Pierre showed a solid command of the offense and displayed grittiness, good mobility and a quick release on his throws. After one strong performance last summer, Steve Mariucci of NFL Network said of St. Pierre, "At some point, he will be a good starter for some team in this league." St. Pierre ran the scout team in practices and received high praise from the coaches in that regard. He is currently an unrestricted free agent, and could be an important signing if the team wants to entertain trade offers for Matt Leinart. Because of St. Pierre's strong relationship with Whisenhunt and his knowledge of the system, it will be interesting to see whether he is re-signed and what the team's expectations are for him next season. He lacks NFL game experience, so the coaches would have to feel confident enough in his abilities to promote him to the #2 role.
Prediction: St. Pierre signs a three year deal to remain in Arizona and becomes the team's #2 QB if Leinart is traded.
3 Tyler Palko. Signed just recently, Palko, Fitz's old QB at Pittsburgh, will compete for the #3 QB job. He's a crafty player, a lefty, who lacks ideal size and arm strength. His greatest strengths are his accuracy, his decent mobility and his competitiveness.
Prediction: The Cardinals will draft a QB at some point in the draft this year, thus making Palko's chances of sticking very slim.
Running Backs:
32 Edgerrin James (133/514 3.9 3). Edge wants out of Arizona where he felt he was being stifled and held hostage. He did prevail this season as evidenced by his strong showing in the playoffs. It's interesting that the Cardinals haven't released him yet...but that seems inevitable. In doing so the Cardinals will recover nearly $5M in cap space.
Prediction: Edge is released and is signed by the Baltimore Ravens to split time with fellow Hurricane Willis McGahee.
34 Tim Hightower (113/399 2.8 10...34/237 7.0 0). Hightower was an integral part of the team's success both during the regular season and the playoffs. His hard running style and uncanny nose for the end zone served him well, especially for a wet behind the ears rookie. He seemed far more comfortable and confident coming in off the bench. Perhaps it was tough psychologically to find himself starting in front of a future Hall of Famer and a mentor who took him under his wing during training camp. The question is: can Hightower be the starter in 2009? It should help that Edge will be gone and that he comes to camp bigger and stronger thanks to John Lott. Hightower's toughness is remarkable. The way he attacked the fiercest safety in the league in Brian Dawkins was inspiring. Whiz likes to involve all three of his running backs, which will take some of the pressure off Hightower.
Prediction: Hightower becomes the team's starting RB.
28 J.J. Arrington (31/187 6.0 1...29/255 8.8 1). Arrington returned to the field with a bang after being inactive for the first four games, as he returned the opening kickoff versus the Cowboys for a scintillating TD. As the team's speedy spread RB, Arrington was very productive and clutch, averaging 6 yards a run and nearly 9 yards a catch. One scrutinized for being a tad tentaive, Arrington now runs without any hesitation. He's ideal for his role in the offense, but will need to be re-signed as he is an unrestricted free agent.
Prediction: Arrington is re-signed to a 3 year $6M contract with incentives.
45 Terrell Smith. One of the real feel-good stories in the NFL this year as Smith realized his ailing mother's dream of playing in the Super Bowl. While the Cardinals did not run the ball much, when Smith was called upon he delivered. His block during THE DRIVE in the NFC Championship game on the 4th and 1 sweep to Hightower is one of the main reasons why Smith did find himself and the team in the Super Bowl. Smith is an unrestricted free agent, but has done more than enough to warrant a new contract.
Preciction: Smith re-signs for 2 years @ $2M.
46 Tim Castille. Castille is a versatile FB whose greatest strength is catching the ball out of the backfield, especially in the red zone. He made eight tackles on STs this year, but was not consistently strong in that area. But, Castille seems highly motivated and should be poised to make a splash next training camp.
Prediction: Castille makes the 53 man roster for a third straight year and has his most productive season.
33 Justin Green. This kid from Montana was recently signed and has shown some promise in other camps. At 5-11, 250, he's very similar size-wise to Terrelle Smith. The Cardinals may well be grooming him to be Smith's eventual replacement.
Prediction: If Smith is not re-signed, he has a shot. If Smith is re-signed, Green may be headed for the PS.
Draft Predictions:
Rd 2. RB Arian Foster (6-1, 215, Tennessee). Foster is this year's Matt Forte. A good sized back who hits the holes hard, catches the ball well out of the backfield and blocks well in protection.
Rd. 6. QB Curtis Painter (6-4, 230, Purdue). Reminds the coaching staff a little of, guess who? Kurt Warner. Has size, strength and a big arm. Has been a little erratic at times, but threw for Warner-type numbers as a junior: 29 TDs and 11 ints.
Points: 26.7 (4th)...Yards: 365.8 (4th)...Passing Yards: 292.1 (2nd)...Rushing Yards: 73.6 (32nd)
Quarterbacks:
13 Kurt Warner (16 401/598 67.1% 4,583 30 14 96.8). MVP caliber season. NFC Starting QB in NFC Championship, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Had a 112.3 passer rating in the playoffs. Was sacked 26 times, fumbled 11 times, losing 7. But held up well physically as evidenced by his stellar performance in the playoffs. Has a knack for reading defenses and making defenses pay on blitzes. Throws with great timing and accuracy. Hates to give up on a play which causes some of his fumbles. Involves every player in the offense. Knows his personnel exceptionally well. Smart and tough. A must re-signing for the Cardinals if they want the best chance to maintain their high scoring offense.
Prediction: Warner re-signs for 2 years @ $19-20M.
7 Matt Leinart. If Warner is re-signed for the next two years, Leinart is going to ask to be traded. Who can blame him? He's entering his 4th season in the league, and having watched Matt Cassell, his backup at USC, rise to stardom this past season (thus earning a $14.6M franchise tag contract), Leinart is champing at the bit to make his mark. What's unlcear at this point is whether the Cardinals would accomodate Leinart's wishes to be traded. Much would likely depend on whether the Cardinals believe they have either a capable #2 QB in Brian St. Pierre or whether there is another QB out there that they could sign to be a good #2 option. Keeping Leinart would offer the team added security...but with Leinart's $15M roster bonus due a year from now, a decision on his future with the Cardinals is going to have to be made one ay or another in the next year. The market for young talented starting QBs is high right now...the draft is not deep, nor is the free agent pool, especially with Matt Cassell being franchise tagged. Teams that would likely be most interested in making a move for a QB are the Jets, Vikings, Lions and Bucs...a possibly even the Panthers, Dolphins and Jaguars.
Leinart showed some maturity this season. He handled his backup situation with class and acquitted himself rather well in his brief appearances, highlighted by a beautful long TD strike to Larry Fitzgerald versus the Patriots, which was virtually the sole highlight of the game for the Cardinals that day. Leinart has the smarts and the poise to be a solid NFL QB. While he lacks exemplary arm strength, he is a fluid and accurate passer, who would be at his best in an offense, like he had at USC, that has a dependable ground game.
Prediction: Leinart is traded to the New York Jets.
2 Brian St. Pierre. St. Pierre was signed last season to be the team's #3 QB. His familiarity with Coach Whizenhunt and his system gave St. Pierre and the team a comfort zone. In the pre-season, St. Pierre showed a solid command of the offense and displayed grittiness, good mobility and a quick release on his throws. After one strong performance last summer, Steve Mariucci of NFL Network said of St. Pierre, "At some point, he will be a good starter for some team in this league." St. Pierre ran the scout team in practices and received high praise from the coaches in that regard. He is currently an unrestricted free agent, and could be an important signing if the team wants to entertain trade offers for Matt Leinart. Because of St. Pierre's strong relationship with Whisenhunt and his knowledge of the system, it will be interesting to see whether he is re-signed and what the team's expectations are for him next season. He lacks NFL game experience, so the coaches would have to feel confident enough in his abilities to promote him to the #2 role.
Prediction: St. Pierre signs a three year deal to remain in Arizona and becomes the team's #2 QB if Leinart is traded.
3 Tyler Palko. Signed just recently, Palko, Fitz's old QB at Pittsburgh, will compete for the #3 QB job. He's a crafty player, a lefty, who lacks ideal size and arm strength. His greatest strengths are his accuracy, his decent mobility and his competitiveness.
Prediction: The Cardinals will draft a QB at some point in the draft this year, thus making Palko's chances of sticking very slim.
Running Backs:
32 Edgerrin James (133/514 3.9 3). Edge wants out of Arizona where he felt he was being stifled and held hostage. He did prevail this season as evidenced by his strong showing in the playoffs. It's interesting that the Cardinals haven't released him yet...but that seems inevitable. In doing so the Cardinals will recover nearly $5M in cap space.
Prediction: Edge is released and is signed by the Baltimore Ravens to split time with fellow Hurricane Willis McGahee.
34 Tim Hightower (113/399 2.8 10...34/237 7.0 0). Hightower was an integral part of the team's success both during the regular season and the playoffs. His hard running style and uncanny nose for the end zone served him well, especially for a wet behind the ears rookie. He seemed far more comfortable and confident coming in off the bench. Perhaps it was tough psychologically to find himself starting in front of a future Hall of Famer and a mentor who took him under his wing during training camp. The question is: can Hightower be the starter in 2009? It should help that Edge will be gone and that he comes to camp bigger and stronger thanks to John Lott. Hightower's toughness is remarkable. The way he attacked the fiercest safety in the league in Brian Dawkins was inspiring. Whiz likes to involve all three of his running backs, which will take some of the pressure off Hightower.
Prediction: Hightower becomes the team's starting RB.
28 J.J. Arrington (31/187 6.0 1...29/255 8.8 1). Arrington returned to the field with a bang after being inactive for the first four games, as he returned the opening kickoff versus the Cowboys for a scintillating TD. As the team's speedy spread RB, Arrington was very productive and clutch, averaging 6 yards a run and nearly 9 yards a catch. One scrutinized for being a tad tentaive, Arrington now runs without any hesitation. He's ideal for his role in the offense, but will need to be re-signed as he is an unrestricted free agent.
Prediction: Arrington is re-signed to a 3 year $6M contract with incentives.
45 Terrell Smith. One of the real feel-good stories in the NFL this year as Smith realized his ailing mother's dream of playing in the Super Bowl. While the Cardinals did not run the ball much, when Smith was called upon he delivered. His block during THE DRIVE in the NFC Championship game on the 4th and 1 sweep to Hightower is one of the main reasons why Smith did find himself and the team in the Super Bowl. Smith is an unrestricted free agent, but has done more than enough to warrant a new contract.
Preciction: Smith re-signs for 2 years @ $2M.
46 Tim Castille. Castille is a versatile FB whose greatest strength is catching the ball out of the backfield, especially in the red zone. He made eight tackles on STs this year, but was not consistently strong in that area. But, Castille seems highly motivated and should be poised to make a splash next training camp.
Prediction: Castille makes the 53 man roster for a third straight year and has his most productive season.
33 Justin Green. This kid from Montana was recently signed and has shown some promise in other camps. At 5-11, 250, he's very similar size-wise to Terrelle Smith. The Cardinals may well be grooming him to be Smith's eventual replacement.
Prediction: If Smith is not re-signed, he has a shot. If Smith is re-signed, Green may be headed for the PS.
Draft Predictions:
Rd 2. RB Arian Foster (6-1, 215, Tennessee). Foster is this year's Matt Forte. A good sized back who hits the holes hard, catches the ball well out of the backfield and blocks well in protection.
Rd. 6. QB Curtis Painter (6-4, 230, Purdue). Reminds the coaching staff a little of, guess who? Kurt Warner. Has size, strength and a big arm. Has been a little erratic at times, but threw for Warner-type numbers as a junior: 29 TDs and 11 ints.
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