Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
This post is dedicated to the loyal, hard-working non-contract Cardinal employees who as of this morning find themselves on furlough.
The New Bidwillian Cost Cutting 2011 Plan:
Press Conference: Cardinals' Headquarters, Glendale Arizona, May 23, 2011.
Michael Bidwill:
"Thank you all for attending at such short notice, but we have a very specific plan for the 2011 season and rather that allow the fans to wallow in increased speculation, we thought we would make our plans and our vision clear to you and all the fans today."
"When we took a closer examination of our personnel, what we realized is, we already have virtually all of the answers we need on the current roster. We place a significant amount of faith into our scouting department under the astute leadership of Rod Graves and Steve Keim---and while some may look at the decisions we are about to outline for you as economically driven, we contend that we already have the personnel to make us highly competitive and a favorite to win the NFC West. This is all about believing in our system, and we are extremely excited about challenging for the NFC West title this year and every year beyond."
"To apprise you of the personnel decisions, I am going to turn the microphone over to Rod Graves. Rod."
Rod Graves:
"Thank you, Michael. First of all, we are very excited about the direction of our football team and we will continue to do everything in our power to provide the fans of Arizona with the best possible product---a product that they can be proud of and believe in."
"When we examined our options at QB, we discovered that the players we currently have on the roster are on a par or are better fits for us than the current QBs on the market. We recognize that Derek Anderson was not the exact fit we were looking for. Derek played hard and worked hard---so we want to thank him for his efforts. Following in the footsteps of Kurt Warner was a very difficult challenge and Derek learned that first hand, and at times he played very well. But, we have decided we will be releasing Derek from his contract, and again we would like to thank him for his efforts and would like to wish him well."
"We like all three of the QBs on our roster...and we like them a lot. John Skelton, a player we traded up for in the 5th round last year, has the toughness and the big arm we want in a QB. He played well for the most part in going 2-2 for us over the last four games and we are encouraged by what we see, especially the excitement he provided in the comeback win over the Cowboys on Christmas night."
"We are also very high on Richard Bartel, a player that our scouts recommended to us late in the season last year. He is athletic, smart, very accurate and can get rid of the ball in a hurry. In our estimation he is every bit as talented as the young QBs being discussed for trades this off-season."
"And we still haven't forgotten Max Hall. Max gave us a spark last year and he took some lumps, but he will be stronger for it. We know that he will work his tail off to try to become the starter and we are excited to have such a determined and tenacious young QB in the fold."
"We are going to head into camp with all three QBs vying for the starting job---and as Coach Whisenhunt can tell you, there's nothing better for a football team than competition."
"At RB we are delirious about the depth we have acquired there----and we think we have 4 great options in Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells, LaRod Stephens-Howling and this year's dynamic 2nd round steal, Ryan Williams."
"Each of these players brings a different set of skills and talents to the position---and we plan to use all four of them in situations that best fit their respective talents."
"As you know, we drafted a FB in Anthony Sherman in the 5th round this year and we are very excited to have not only a stout, tough FB on our team, but a guy who is going to be one of our most productive special teamers. Sherman will have to beat out Reagan Maui'a and Charles Ali---two players we already like---but we want more special team production from that spot and we had Sherman ranked in the top 3 ST players in college."
"At WR we had a very difficult decision to make and that is we have decided to let Steve Breaston test the free agent market. We will try to re-sign him, but in case we cannot, we appreciate all that Steve has brought to our football team."
"We like the depth we have at the WR position and feel that if we cannot re-sign Steve, it's time to turn the #2 WR role over to last year's 3rd round pick and rookie surprise, Andre Roberts. We thought Roberts made tremendous strides last year and felt that at the end of the season he had developed into a dynamic WR threat."
"Obviously we are going to do everything we can to re-sign Larry Fitzgerald...that will remain our top priority this off-season. We are still talking with Larry's agent and we hope to have a deal in place whenever the lockout is lifted."
"We also remain very high on our 2008 3rd round pick, Early Doucet---who will show what he can do when he shakes the injury bug. Youngsters Stephen Williams---a big target with speed and soft hands---and Max Komar---a nifty little slot WR with RAC ability---will have expanded roles in the offense this year---and we are very high on our 7th round pick DeMarco Sampson who we think is a major sleeper. And let's not forget about Isaiah Williams who played very well on our practice squad last year---he is a good target with speed to burn."
"At TE we feel we are set with three young good players. Third round draft pick Rob Housler gives us a receiving threat at the position that we have lacked---and we were delerious to find him on the board in the third round. And in Stephen Spach and last year's 7th round pick, Jim Dray of Stanford, we feel we have two solid TEs whose best football are ahead of them."
"As you know, we like our offensive line just as it is and feel that we will see much improved chemistry and individual production this year. We remain very high and confident in Levi Brown at LT."
"At LG, we were thankful to have a great pro in Alan Faneca last year and we wish him well in his retirement. But knowing this day would come we already had planned ahead when we signed Rex Hadnot last year, a player that we feel can be one of the best at his position."
"Lyle Sendlein and Deuce Lutui have been rock solid for us in the middle and Brandon Keith is one of the more talented young RTs in the league. We also like our depth with Jeremy Bridges, Tom Pestock, D'Anthony Batiste and Ben Claxton."
"Shifting gears over to the defense...it goes without saying how thrilled we are to have Ray Horton as our new defensive coordinator. Ray is going to bring that aggressive Steeler style of 34 defense to the desert and I know he and the players cannot wait to get started."
"First I would like to show my sincere thanks to two veterans that we are planning to release in Clark Haggans and Joey Porter. We've made the tough decision to go with a young talent on defense this year---and the decision was made even harder knowing what consummate pros Clark and Joey are. But---these are the tough decisions we have to make in this business. So---we do want to wish Clark and Joey well and thank them for their leadership."
"The plan is to start Will Davis at SOLB and last year's surprise 4th rounder O'Brien Schofield at WOLB. We like these two young OLBers a lot---which is why we felt we could go young at those positions."
"We also like the two young players we have behind Davis and Schofield. We think this year's 4th round pick, Sam Acho of Texas will have a similar impact as Schofield did last year and a guy we really like a lot that you may not have heard much about is Brandon Sharpe of Texas Tech---and I have to credit Steve Keim and his crew for finding us this diamond in the rough late last year."
"In the middle we feel we are set with last year's free agent prize ILB Paris Lenon and last year's 2nd round rookie sensation Daryl Washington. Ray Horton told me the other day that he is going to turn Washington loose and to look out because this kid is going to be all over the place, making plays and highlight reels."
"On the interior of our defensive line we see big seasons ahead from the trio of DE Darnell Dockett, last year's 1st round pick NT Dan Williams and our 2008 2nd round steal DE Calais Campbell. Coach Rhodes is especially high on this group and feels that the defense will be disprutive as ever up front."
"For depth we intend to do everything we can to pursuade Bryan Robinson and Alan Branch to return. Bryan gives us a veteran option at NT and DE. We love the way Alan has been emerging as the talent we envisioned when we traded up to get him at the top of the second round in the 2007 draft. We hope that Kenny Iwebema our 4th round pick of the 2008 draft will return healthy this year from his knee injury---the layoff has helped him in that regard---and we are also high on this year's 6th round pick David Carter of UCLA who is a strong and athletic option at DE."
"And we are now thrilled with what we've done to make our secondary the very best in the NFL. Adding the player we rated the #5 talent in the draft in CB Patrick Peterson we now have the fastest CB tandem in the league when you pair him up with our 2008 1st round pick and 2009 Por Bowler Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie---add Patrick and DRC to two Pro Bowl caliber safeties in Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes---and we feel our secondary can match any in the league."
"As you know, Adrian played through an injury last year---but this year he will be back to full strength and we knew what we were getting when we traded for Kerry---a big safety with a flair for making big plays."
"We also are very high on our 2009 3rd rounder Rashad Johnson of Alabama who is just starting to emerge as a real force back there in our three safety sets. And we remain very high on 2009 4th round pick, Greg Toler at CB---who will be a key part of the defense, as may a couple of the promising youngsters we like back there at corner and on STs in A.J. Jefferson and Marshay Green."
"On special teams, we love the additions we made in K Jay Feely---who kicked well in the clutch for us last year---P Ben Graham---who is one of the most versatile punters in the NFL---and LS Mike Leach---who is a real pro."
"And now with the addition of Patrick at punt returner we feel that with LaRod handling the kickoff return chores, we have the most dynamic return duo in the league. And Kevin Spencer is thrilled to have such special teams standouts as Michael Adams, Daryl Washington, Calais Campbell and Anthony Sherman to throw at the opponents."
"Thus we feel good about our plan and we feel that we have the puzzle pieces in place to get back to where we belong as perrennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders."
"I will now open the floor for questions---I have a limited amount of time so if you will excuse me I will take three and save the rest for next time."
Kent Somers:
"In releasing Anderson and going with Skelton, Bartel and Hall at QB, you will be spending less than 2 million total on the QB position---which is a far cry from the $11M you were spending on Kurt Warner. What, therefore, is your reluctance to spend money at the most important position on the team?"
Rod Graves:
"Well, Kent, it isn't necessarily by design. We like the young talent we have---and we feel it's on a par or better with the current options on the market---and the player who emerges as our starter will be handomely compensated---at some point. We have shown that we take care of our core players and this will certainly be the case at QB when the situation presents itself."
Paola Boivin:
"Rod, how is your decision at QB going to affect the team's chances of re-signing WR Larry Fitzgerald? One would imagine that Fitzgerald has been expecting the team to add an accomplished veteran at QB, so this must be a real setback for him, isn't it?"
Rod Graves:
"Actually, Paola, we've spoken with Larry and he says he's fine with the decision. In fact, he is inviting John, Richard and Max to his annual training session in Minnesota this summer and he is as optimistic as we are that we already have the best options on our roster."
Dan Bickley:
"Let's see---you continue to dump salaries---now you take Anderson, Faneca, Breaston, Haggans and Porter off the books---and you maintain that you won't be major players in free agency, that this isn't part of your organizational plan---you cut #30M off the books last year, a year that resulted in a dreadful 5-11 first-to-worst season---and now you are slashing even more payroll---what kind of a message do you think this sends to the hard-working fans who buy season tickets?"
"First of all, Dan, we have every intention of making Larry Fitzgerald the highest paid WR in th NFL---and like I said, we have shown that we are very committed to keeping our core players and paying them handsomely---like we did with Adrian Wilson two years ago and with Darnell Dockett last year. We re-upped Coach Whisenhunt at $5.75M a year this past off-season, so we are showing our commitment and loyalty to the key individuals in the organization."
"The bottom line is, we trust in our scouts and our personnel people and we feel, like other organizations like the Steelers do, that the way to build a successful championship caliber team is from within---so that is what we will stay committed to."
"What I would say to the fans is, just you wait and see come September what this team is going to accomplish. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you see---and, as always, you will have plenty to cheer about---and it's your great cheering at U of P that motivates all of us in the Cardinal organization to work our tails off in order to provide you with a team and organization you can be very proud of."
"Now if you will excuse me---we are short-handed this week, so I have a number of obligations to meet. Thank you all for coming. Take care."
The New Bidwillian Cost Cutting 2011 Plan:
Press Conference: Cardinals' Headquarters, Glendale Arizona, May 23, 2011.
Michael Bidwill:
"Thank you all for attending at such short notice, but we have a very specific plan for the 2011 season and rather that allow the fans to wallow in increased speculation, we thought we would make our plans and our vision clear to you and all the fans today."
"When we took a closer examination of our personnel, what we realized is, we already have virtually all of the answers we need on the current roster. We place a significant amount of faith into our scouting department under the astute leadership of Rod Graves and Steve Keim---and while some may look at the decisions we are about to outline for you as economically driven, we contend that we already have the personnel to make us highly competitive and a favorite to win the NFC West. This is all about believing in our system, and we are extremely excited about challenging for the NFC West title this year and every year beyond."
"To apprise you of the personnel decisions, I am going to turn the microphone over to Rod Graves. Rod."
Rod Graves:
"Thank you, Michael. First of all, we are very excited about the direction of our football team and we will continue to do everything in our power to provide the fans of Arizona with the best possible product---a product that they can be proud of and believe in."
"When we examined our options at QB, we discovered that the players we currently have on the roster are on a par or are better fits for us than the current QBs on the market. We recognize that Derek Anderson was not the exact fit we were looking for. Derek played hard and worked hard---so we want to thank him for his efforts. Following in the footsteps of Kurt Warner was a very difficult challenge and Derek learned that first hand, and at times he played very well. But, we have decided we will be releasing Derek from his contract, and again we would like to thank him for his efforts and would like to wish him well."
"We like all three of the QBs on our roster...and we like them a lot. John Skelton, a player we traded up for in the 5th round last year, has the toughness and the big arm we want in a QB. He played well for the most part in going 2-2 for us over the last four games and we are encouraged by what we see, especially the excitement he provided in the comeback win over the Cowboys on Christmas night."
"We are also very high on Richard Bartel, a player that our scouts recommended to us late in the season last year. He is athletic, smart, very accurate and can get rid of the ball in a hurry. In our estimation he is every bit as talented as the young QBs being discussed for trades this off-season."
"And we still haven't forgotten Max Hall. Max gave us a spark last year and he took some lumps, but he will be stronger for it. We know that he will work his tail off to try to become the starter and we are excited to have such a determined and tenacious young QB in the fold."
"We are going to head into camp with all three QBs vying for the starting job---and as Coach Whisenhunt can tell you, there's nothing better for a football team than competition."
"At RB we are delirious about the depth we have acquired there----and we think we have 4 great options in Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells, LaRod Stephens-Howling and this year's dynamic 2nd round steal, Ryan Williams."
"Each of these players brings a different set of skills and talents to the position---and we plan to use all four of them in situations that best fit their respective talents."
"As you know, we drafted a FB in Anthony Sherman in the 5th round this year and we are very excited to have not only a stout, tough FB on our team, but a guy who is going to be one of our most productive special teamers. Sherman will have to beat out Reagan Maui'a and Charles Ali---two players we already like---but we want more special team production from that spot and we had Sherman ranked in the top 3 ST players in college."
"At WR we had a very difficult decision to make and that is we have decided to let Steve Breaston test the free agent market. We will try to re-sign him, but in case we cannot, we appreciate all that Steve has brought to our football team."
"We like the depth we have at the WR position and feel that if we cannot re-sign Steve, it's time to turn the #2 WR role over to last year's 3rd round pick and rookie surprise, Andre Roberts. We thought Roberts made tremendous strides last year and felt that at the end of the season he had developed into a dynamic WR threat."
"Obviously we are going to do everything we can to re-sign Larry Fitzgerald...that will remain our top priority this off-season. We are still talking with Larry's agent and we hope to have a deal in place whenever the lockout is lifted."
"We also remain very high on our 2008 3rd round pick, Early Doucet---who will show what he can do when he shakes the injury bug. Youngsters Stephen Williams---a big target with speed and soft hands---and Max Komar---a nifty little slot WR with RAC ability---will have expanded roles in the offense this year---and we are very high on our 7th round pick DeMarco Sampson who we think is a major sleeper. And let's not forget about Isaiah Williams who played very well on our practice squad last year---he is a good target with speed to burn."
"At TE we feel we are set with three young good players. Third round draft pick Rob Housler gives us a receiving threat at the position that we have lacked---and we were delerious to find him on the board in the third round. And in Stephen Spach and last year's 7th round pick, Jim Dray of Stanford, we feel we have two solid TEs whose best football are ahead of them."
"As you know, we like our offensive line just as it is and feel that we will see much improved chemistry and individual production this year. We remain very high and confident in Levi Brown at LT."
"At LG, we were thankful to have a great pro in Alan Faneca last year and we wish him well in his retirement. But knowing this day would come we already had planned ahead when we signed Rex Hadnot last year, a player that we feel can be one of the best at his position."
"Lyle Sendlein and Deuce Lutui have been rock solid for us in the middle and Brandon Keith is one of the more talented young RTs in the league. We also like our depth with Jeremy Bridges, Tom Pestock, D'Anthony Batiste and Ben Claxton."
"Shifting gears over to the defense...it goes without saying how thrilled we are to have Ray Horton as our new defensive coordinator. Ray is going to bring that aggressive Steeler style of 34 defense to the desert and I know he and the players cannot wait to get started."
"First I would like to show my sincere thanks to two veterans that we are planning to release in Clark Haggans and Joey Porter. We've made the tough decision to go with a young talent on defense this year---and the decision was made even harder knowing what consummate pros Clark and Joey are. But---these are the tough decisions we have to make in this business. So---we do want to wish Clark and Joey well and thank them for their leadership."
"The plan is to start Will Davis at SOLB and last year's surprise 4th rounder O'Brien Schofield at WOLB. We like these two young OLBers a lot---which is why we felt we could go young at those positions."
"We also like the two young players we have behind Davis and Schofield. We think this year's 4th round pick, Sam Acho of Texas will have a similar impact as Schofield did last year and a guy we really like a lot that you may not have heard much about is Brandon Sharpe of Texas Tech---and I have to credit Steve Keim and his crew for finding us this diamond in the rough late last year."
"In the middle we feel we are set with last year's free agent prize ILB Paris Lenon and last year's 2nd round rookie sensation Daryl Washington. Ray Horton told me the other day that he is going to turn Washington loose and to look out because this kid is going to be all over the place, making plays and highlight reels."
"On the interior of our defensive line we see big seasons ahead from the trio of DE Darnell Dockett, last year's 1st round pick NT Dan Williams and our 2008 2nd round steal DE Calais Campbell. Coach Rhodes is especially high on this group and feels that the defense will be disprutive as ever up front."
"For depth we intend to do everything we can to pursuade Bryan Robinson and Alan Branch to return. Bryan gives us a veteran option at NT and DE. We love the way Alan has been emerging as the talent we envisioned when we traded up to get him at the top of the second round in the 2007 draft. We hope that Kenny Iwebema our 4th round pick of the 2008 draft will return healthy this year from his knee injury---the layoff has helped him in that regard---and we are also high on this year's 6th round pick David Carter of UCLA who is a strong and athletic option at DE."
"And we are now thrilled with what we've done to make our secondary the very best in the NFL. Adding the player we rated the #5 talent in the draft in CB Patrick Peterson we now have the fastest CB tandem in the league when you pair him up with our 2008 1st round pick and 2009 Por Bowler Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie---add Patrick and DRC to two Pro Bowl caliber safeties in Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes---and we feel our secondary can match any in the league."
"As you know, Adrian played through an injury last year---but this year he will be back to full strength and we knew what we were getting when we traded for Kerry---a big safety with a flair for making big plays."
"We also are very high on our 2009 3rd rounder Rashad Johnson of Alabama who is just starting to emerge as a real force back there in our three safety sets. And we remain very high on 2009 4th round pick, Greg Toler at CB---who will be a key part of the defense, as may a couple of the promising youngsters we like back there at corner and on STs in A.J. Jefferson and Marshay Green."
"On special teams, we love the additions we made in K Jay Feely---who kicked well in the clutch for us last year---P Ben Graham---who is one of the most versatile punters in the NFL---and LS Mike Leach---who is a real pro."
"And now with the addition of Patrick at punt returner we feel that with LaRod handling the kickoff return chores, we have the most dynamic return duo in the league. And Kevin Spencer is thrilled to have such special teams standouts as Michael Adams, Daryl Washington, Calais Campbell and Anthony Sherman to throw at the opponents."
"Thus we feel good about our plan and we feel that we have the puzzle pieces in place to get back to where we belong as perrennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders."
"I will now open the floor for questions---I have a limited amount of time so if you will excuse me I will take three and save the rest for next time."
Kent Somers:
"In releasing Anderson and going with Skelton, Bartel and Hall at QB, you will be spending less than 2 million total on the QB position---which is a far cry from the $11M you were spending on Kurt Warner. What, therefore, is your reluctance to spend money at the most important position on the team?"
Rod Graves:
"Well, Kent, it isn't necessarily by design. We like the young talent we have---and we feel it's on a par or better with the current options on the market---and the player who emerges as our starter will be handomely compensated---at some point. We have shown that we take care of our core players and this will certainly be the case at QB when the situation presents itself."
Paola Boivin:
"Rod, how is your decision at QB going to affect the team's chances of re-signing WR Larry Fitzgerald? One would imagine that Fitzgerald has been expecting the team to add an accomplished veteran at QB, so this must be a real setback for him, isn't it?"
Rod Graves:
"Actually, Paola, we've spoken with Larry and he says he's fine with the decision. In fact, he is inviting John, Richard and Max to his annual training session in Minnesota this summer and he is as optimistic as we are that we already have the best options on our roster."
Dan Bickley:
"Let's see---you continue to dump salaries---now you take Anderson, Faneca, Breaston, Haggans and Porter off the books---and you maintain that you won't be major players in free agency, that this isn't part of your organizational plan---you cut #30M off the books last year, a year that resulted in a dreadful 5-11 first-to-worst season---and now you are slashing even more payroll---what kind of a message do you think this sends to the hard-working fans who buy season tickets?"
"First of all, Dan, we have every intention of making Larry Fitzgerald the highest paid WR in th NFL---and like I said, we have shown that we are very committed to keeping our core players and paying them handsomely---like we did with Adrian Wilson two years ago and with Darnell Dockett last year. We re-upped Coach Whisenhunt at $5.75M a year this past off-season, so we are showing our commitment and loyalty to the key individuals in the organization."
"The bottom line is, we trust in our scouts and our personnel people and we feel, like other organizations like the Steelers do, that the way to build a successful championship caliber team is from within---so that is what we will stay committed to."
"What I would say to the fans is, just you wait and see come September what this team is going to accomplish. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you see---and, as always, you will have plenty to cheer about---and it's your great cheering at U of P that motivates all of us in the Cardinal organization to work our tails off in order to provide you with a team and organization you can be very proud of."
"Now if you will excuse me---we are short-handed this week, so I have a number of obligations to meet. Thank you all for coming. Take care."
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<== Mitch Cheering Section. Great Job!
Well done, Mitch. 
