So long Leonard

[PJ1]

There actually is an interview with Davis in the East Valley Tribune today in which Davis says he'd like to play for Whisenhunt and wouldn't mind staying.

Well, well, well, I guess all this crap about him not wanting to be here was more BS from the LD haters and Graves aplogists.

 

[BigRedArk]

I just don't get where several on here are saying LD doesn't want to be here? When did he say that? Some are saying it with such assurance and confidence as well yet they offer no proof of it. This was just a dumb dumb move.

I hope RG can get it together this year and put a winning team out on the field along with the Coaching staff but I just don't have confidence in the man being able to do it. Now I'm worried about the draft. As far as I know Whis hasn't ever been a talent evaluator and if true that leaves RG making draft decisions. I am worried about that. I hope he can do it but without DG but can he make good decisions?

 

[ajcardfan]

It sure sounds like the team is shutting the door, not Davis. Here's what Davis says today.

Cards tackle not worth $11 million next year, team says
Darren Urban, Tribune
Leonard Davis has been on the East Coast this week, vacationing in the snow in Vermont and New York before heading down to North Carolina.

It’s a good time to relax for the veteran offensive tackle, since his professional life is probably going to change soon now that the Cardinals have decided to let him test free agency next month.

“It’s kind of weird because I have been a Cardinal for so long,” Davis said Friday night from Charlotte. “Six years is a long time. I guess for me, it’s been fun with the organization and I’ve made some friends along the way. But it is the NFL. It is a business.

“This is a transition in my career. We’ll see if it means I am still with the Cardinals.”

That would seem unlikely. Davis will be the top tackle on the free agent market and arguably the top offensive lineman.

“We expect a strong number of teams to have a serious interest in Leonard,” Davis’ agent, Ryan Tollner, said.

That in turn will get Davis a contract the Cardinals have no interest in giving the onetime No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft.

New Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said on the team’s Web site that after assessing Davis’ play, “we don’t feel the investment that would be required is equal to the performance.”

Davis would have cost the Cardinals more than $11 million this season had they chosen to use their franchise tag and basically keep him from free agency.

Instead, Tollner said the Cards told him they will use that money to help fill multiple needs. The Cardinals will have more than $30 million in salary cap space heading into free agency.

Yet Davis emphasized he hasn’t closed the door on returning.

“I have interest in that for sure,” Davis said, adding about the possibility of a big contract elsewhere, “I have to see what the best situation is for my family, and that’s the main thing.”

Davis said he had hoped to meet face-to-face with Whisenhunt but that the meeting never came off. He dropped by the team’s complex one day in January, but Whisenhunt was at the Senior Bowl. Another later possible meeting was scuttled when Davis’ own travel plans got in the way.

But Davis said he did talk by phone with Whisenhunt and he was encouraged by the conversation.

“I would like to play for him,” Davis said.

Tollner said the Cardinals had been respectful of Davis to make this announcement so early. Free agency begins at 10 p.m., Arizona time, March 1.

Davis wouldn’t be the only loss for the Cardinals this week. Friday, the Seahawks hired away Cards’ senior director of football operations John Idzik to be Seattle’s new vice president of football administration.

As it was with the Cardinals, Idzik’s main duties will be managing the salary cap and negotiating contracts.

The Seahawks had an opening when Mike Reinfeldt left to become Tennessee’s general manager. Idzik had also interviewed with Seattle for a job after the 2004 season. The Cardinals will replace Idzik, although the timetable is unknown.

 

[BigRedArk]

That article says a whole lot aj. Can we now put to rest this hollow rumor that Big didn't want to be a Cardinal anymore?

 

[DeAnna]

He might be in the same boat that Simeon Rice and other (former Cards) were. He'll sign a 1 year deal with someone so he can prove himself before anyone commits long term to him.

 

[ajcardfan]

He might be in the same boat that Simeon Rice and other (former Cards) were. He'll sign a 1 year deal with someone so he can prove himself before anyone commits long term to him.

I seriously doubt that happens.

 

[40yearfan]

Davis want to be here so sign him

Cats, I didn't know you posted on here. Welcome my friend.

 

[40yearfan]

Oh i've been on the receiving end of you putting words in my mouth also. You seem to be quite skilled in this area. Besides I asked you that's why. Do tell 40.

Really? I sure don't remember that. Must have made an impression on you however. They do have an ignore feature on this board.

 

[BigRedArk]

Really? I sure don't remember that. Must have made an impression on you however. They do have an ignore feature on this board.

No I don't ignore anyone. I am interested in all viewpoints. Are you? Perhaps you should consider asking the author of a post for clarification that you don't agree with or find questionable before you jump to conclusions as to what was said? You still haven't answered my question either.

 

[Mulli]

No I don't ignore anyone. I am interested in all viewpoints. Are you? Perhaps you should consider asking the author of a post for clarification that you don't agree with or find questionable before you jump to conclusions as to what was said? You still haven't answered my question either.

That might be a first in the message board universe. Sounds good in theory.

 

[40yearfan]

No I don't ignore anyone. I am interested in all viewpoints. Are you? Perhaps you should consider asking the author of a post for clarification that you don't agree with or find questionable before you jump to conclusions as to what was said? You still haven't answered my question either.

K9 is a big boy and he doesn't need you defending him. The conversation was between K9 and myself. With your attitude, I don't feel like answering what I consider to be a dumb question.

 

[joeshmo]

K9 is a big boy and he doesn't need you defending him. The conversation was between K9 and myself. With your attitude, I don't feel like answering what I consider to be a dumb question.

If it is a dumb question it should be easy to answer then right? And why cant others chim in on a debate. If you dont want others to chim in with their opinions then you and K9 should just have a debate through the private message system.

 

[40yearfan]

If it is a dumb question it should be easy to answer then right.

Only to the dumb.

 

[Mulli]

Only to the dumb.

What was the question again?

 

[joeshmo]

Only to the dumb.

You cant answer the question so you resort to personal attacks.

The questions he asked is the same exact question and line of thinking you ask to the Graves bashers, yet when it is turn around on you you says its dumb?

Question is dumb or you just cant answer it?

Since you have only been able to answer it by hiding behing a personal attack I guess I know that answer to that question.

 

[joeshmo]

What was the question again?

The same exact supposed DUMB question and reasoning he likes to throw at the graves bashers.

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1251827&postcount=156

 

[40yearfan]

You cant answer the question so you resort to personal attacks.

The questions he asked is the same exact question and line of thinking you ask to the Graves bashers, yet when it is turn around on you you says its dumb?

Question is dumb or you just cant answer it?

Since you have only been able to answer it by hiding behing a personal attack I guess I know that answer to that question.

So now you want to jump on my ass also. What is it with you people? If someone's opinion is different than yours, it's alright to rag on them and brow beat them.

It's my freaking opinion and I see no need to explain it to you, so bug off and go bother someone who gives a damn.

 

[Mulli]

That was a ridiculous question.

 

[lobo]

That was a ridiculous question.

Not that I am going to judge the question, but what was it?

 

[Stout]

Pure conjecture.

Now, before you answer this, ask yourself if you actually want to maintain any sort of credibility.

Are you honestly telling me that a team would not be willing to trade us a mid-round draft pick for LD and sign him to a market-value extension? I mean, do you honestly believe that?

 

[Stout]

Nope! You cannot trade a player not under contract.
Can we agree that $11.4M is well-above Big's market value. The number is that high, because it's 20% higher than his enormous base salary is the last year of his rookie deal. The only recent example of this is Charles Woodson, and he signed his tender the same day as it was offered.

Why? Because your logic still doesn't add up. If Big gets injured then that long-term contract doesn't do him any good anyway...

Big would jump on a one year deal in a second. He gets $11.4M to play one year for us and then next season he gets a long-term deal form the Texans with a $12-$15M Signing Bonus. That's $25M in 13 months.

The only reason why Big would take a long term deal, is if the signing bonus is significantly higher than $11.4M. It's not, and therefore he would sign the tender in a second. That's the whole difference in this situation. The Base Salary is almost a big as a the signing bonus on a long-term deal, so the the advantages of a long term deal disappears.

As to your first point, I will simply assume that you don't understand the issue, because otherwise you are simply dead wrong. You may absolutely trade an UFA if you have franchised him. I don't know the particulars of the sign-and-trade, but you basically allow another team to work out an extension with the franchised player, and you work out draft pick compensation with that team. It happened more than once, but here is an example:

http://www.titansradio.com/news2001/news739380.html

As to the rest, I will again assume you still don't understand. If he signs a good market-deal extension, Big will definitely be guaranteed at least 11 million, so he would be crazy not to extend with another team, especially if he wants to leave.

I'm not sure why you're being so obstinate about this. There is every likelihood we would get draft picks back for Big if we franchise and trade him. Worst case scenario is that he's on the books for 11 million, which is highly doubtful, and we still have more cap room than we can realistically spend in the shallow FA pool.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

I'll say that of the number of people who post here, about maybe 5 percent of us have an "inside source" that keeps us informed of what the Cardinal FO may possibly be thinking.

40 was basing his comment off what the majority of us here do-- a thought out opinion.. Same with K9, and anyone else who may not be lucky enough to be in the know. To ask the extent of our inside knowledge of ANYONE is a bit hasty.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

these are all great examples of teams doing it once each. the cards do it repeatedly which only compounds the other errors they consistently make that those other teams listed do not. therein lies the difference.

Once each? Hell, the Patriots seemingly do it every post-season. Difference is, they've got the depth to back it up.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Once each? Hell, the Patriots seemingly do it every post-season. Difference is, they've got the depth to back it up.

that's a mighty big difference. they always either have a replacement waiting the in wings or a plan for betterment.

the cards rarely, if ever, seem to have that. to argue otherwise forgets the wr debacle and cb debacle of our past.

 

[Duckjake]

that's a mighty big difference. they always either have a replacement waiting the in wings or a plan for betterment.

the cards rarely, if ever, seem to have that. to argue otherwise forgets the wr debacle and cb debacle of our past.

Add in the offensive line debacle of '04-'05. Maybe the Bidwills think they're in the retail business and that a high turnover ratio is a good thing.