Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
In one of the most famous and yet masterfully paradoxical poems ever written, Robert Frost, donning the persona of a man who looks back at the choices he made in life with a mixture of regret and satisfaction, arrives at the salient conclusion that despite not knowing where the other paths in life would have taken him, contends that the paths he did choose, the ones "less traveled," eventually "made all the difference."
Such sentiments and epiphanies can be applied to the Arizona Cardinals 2014 Draft.
Clearly, the Cardinals were faced with some very difficult choices---because this draft did not go as they expected---as many of the top players on their board were taken in spots immediately above their own spots---and despite trying very diligently on numerous occasions to make trades in order to work the draft more in their favor, they were unable to do so, because as Steve Keim asserted, "it takes two to make a deal."
The immediate thought was that the Cardinals were going to take a high impact, speedy edge pass rusher in the first round. There was hope that the raw, but highly talented Anthony Barr would slide down to #20---which was erased when the Minnesota Vikings took him at #9. Jadaveon Clowney and Khalil Mack were also the #1 and #5 picks respectively.
Then, rather unexpectedly, Ryan Shazier was taken at #15 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here's where "two roads diverged" for the Arizona Cardinals.
With Barr and Shazier off the board, the choice was to focus in on OLB/DE Dee Ford with the #20 or turn their attention to drafting one of the three stud safeties in Calvin Pryor, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Deone Bucannon.
Calvin Pryor came off the board at #18 to the New York Jets. With Pryor and Shazier off the board, Steve Keim saw this as an opportunity to trade down in order to pick up an extra pick. Mission accomplished. At that point his commitment was to draft the safety he felt was the right fit for the Cardinals in Deone Bucannon...a player, like Jonathan Cooper last year, the Cardinals had spent significant time evaluating and recruiting.
The Cardinals' number one need was at strong safety.
Between picks 27 and 52, a number of edge OLBers that the Cardinals were likely high on were gobbled up---one could argue that the Cardinals, now with an extra 3rd rounder could make a move up the board to grab one of the edge players like Kyle Van Noy or Jeremiah Attoachu (as the Chargers did at #50, two spots ahead of the Cardinals).
However, the Cardinals only had six picks going into the draft---and adding that extra 3rd rounder was a coup. Can one blame them for standing pat? Was Attoachu so good a prospect as to give up a third rounder to get him? Plus, he was still on the board at #50---so there was hope he would still be there at #52---why trade up two spots?
Just the same, the Cardinals were hoping that massive TE Troy Niklas of Notre Dame would be on the board at #52. Bruce Arians and Steve Keim had discussed this scenario prior to the draft. Niklas clearly was the guy they wanted at #52, and rightfully so, because there is not a blocker like him on the roster or in any other TE in the draft.
So what this "road less traveled" draft then became was a mission to take players with skill sets that cannot be currently found on the roster:
1. Deone Bucannon, S. Washington St. Big, physical, hard-hitting box defender who has the size and speed to cover TEs (a high priority need area).
2. Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame. A big, physical mauler in the running game who can make the whole offensive line better.
3. Kareem Martin, OLB/DE, North Carolina. A highly athletic edge rusher with the length BA&SK were stating they were looking for in this draft---something that Dee Ford, Kyle Van Noy or Jeremiah Attoachu do not have.
3. John Brown, WR, Pittsburg St. A T.Y. Hilton/Antonio Brown type field stretcher with speed to burn who can threaten the deep and intermediate middle and sidelines. Plus, a player with impressive punt and kickoff return ability.
4. Logan Thomas, QB, Virgina Tech. A tall, athletic QB with a Juggs gun for an arm, who can be groomed behind Carson Palmer while helping the team prepare for the likes of Colin Kaepernick and the athleticism of Russell Wilson. In the process with the hope of being groomed into an unstoppable force at the QB position.
5. Ed Stinson, DE/DT, Alabama. A strong inside 5 technique run defender to back up Darnell Dockett.
6. Walter Powell, WR, Murray St. A deceptively strong and elusive WR who has an uncanny way of making tacklers miss. It's a jail break every time he catches the ball.
Following the last pick BA&SK worked diligently to recruit a few more talented undrafted free agents who will have a chance to make the roster. The most notable are:
7. Kadeem Williams, T, Albany St. Massive and athletic prospect who was signed to a three-year contract.
8. Anthony Steen, G, Alabama. This guy is tough as nails and may even come right in and take over the RG spot.
9. Glenn Carson, ILB, Penn St. One of the steadiest and surest tacklers of all the ILB prospects in the draft.
10. Chandler Catanzaro, K, Clemson. One of the more talented kickers in college football who has a chance to win the PK job.
Will Bruce Arians and Steve Keim be "telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence?"
Sure---only they know and can lament the players they missed out on---but that's the way the draft goes. You cannot take two players at one spot.
So, Bruce Arians and Steve Keim went and took the players whom they felt offered a little something that no one else on the roster gave the team---and those little somethings, like a Deone Bucannon running stride for stride with Vernon Davis up the seam, like a Troy Niklas pancaking Richard Quinn, like a Kareem Martin deflecting a Russell Wilson pass into the waiting arms of Tyrann Mathieu, like a John Brown racing up the seam like a flash blowing past Eric Reid to the house, like a Logan Thomas preparing the team to beat Colin Kaepernick for once and possibly twice, like an Ed Stinson getting a key 4th and inches stop on Marshawn Lynch, like a Walter Powell breaking Richard Sherman's ankles on the sidelines after a nifty catch and sudden juke---little somethings that when all added up can help to make "all the difference" in the formidable NFC West.
As Bruce Arians avows: "Team is what it takes."
Such sentiments and epiphanies can be applied to the Arizona Cardinals 2014 Draft.
Clearly, the Cardinals were faced with some very difficult choices---because this draft did not go as they expected---as many of the top players on their board were taken in spots immediately above their own spots---and despite trying very diligently on numerous occasions to make trades in order to work the draft more in their favor, they were unable to do so, because as Steve Keim asserted, "it takes two to make a deal."
The immediate thought was that the Cardinals were going to take a high impact, speedy edge pass rusher in the first round. There was hope that the raw, but highly talented Anthony Barr would slide down to #20---which was erased when the Minnesota Vikings took him at #9. Jadaveon Clowney and Khalil Mack were also the #1 and #5 picks respectively.
Then, rather unexpectedly, Ryan Shazier was taken at #15 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here's where "two roads diverged" for the Arizona Cardinals.
With Barr and Shazier off the board, the choice was to focus in on OLB/DE Dee Ford with the #20 or turn their attention to drafting one of the three stud safeties in Calvin Pryor, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Deone Bucannon.
Calvin Pryor came off the board at #18 to the New York Jets. With Pryor and Shazier off the board, Steve Keim saw this as an opportunity to trade down in order to pick up an extra pick. Mission accomplished. At that point his commitment was to draft the safety he felt was the right fit for the Cardinals in Deone Bucannon...a player, like Jonathan Cooper last year, the Cardinals had spent significant time evaluating and recruiting.
The Cardinals' number one need was at strong safety.
Between picks 27 and 52, a number of edge OLBers that the Cardinals were likely high on were gobbled up---one could argue that the Cardinals, now with an extra 3rd rounder could make a move up the board to grab one of the edge players like Kyle Van Noy or Jeremiah Attoachu (as the Chargers did at #50, two spots ahead of the Cardinals).
However, the Cardinals only had six picks going into the draft---and adding that extra 3rd rounder was a coup. Can one blame them for standing pat? Was Attoachu so good a prospect as to give up a third rounder to get him? Plus, he was still on the board at #50---so there was hope he would still be there at #52---why trade up two spots?
Just the same, the Cardinals were hoping that massive TE Troy Niklas of Notre Dame would be on the board at #52. Bruce Arians and Steve Keim had discussed this scenario prior to the draft. Niklas clearly was the guy they wanted at #52, and rightfully so, because there is not a blocker like him on the roster or in any other TE in the draft.
So what this "road less traveled" draft then became was a mission to take players with skill sets that cannot be currently found on the roster:
1. Deone Bucannon, S. Washington St. Big, physical, hard-hitting box defender who has the size and speed to cover TEs (a high priority need area).
2. Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame. A big, physical mauler in the running game who can make the whole offensive line better.
3. Kareem Martin, OLB/DE, North Carolina. A highly athletic edge rusher with the length BA&SK were stating they were looking for in this draft---something that Dee Ford, Kyle Van Noy or Jeremiah Attoachu do not have.
3. John Brown, WR, Pittsburg St. A T.Y. Hilton/Antonio Brown type field stretcher with speed to burn who can threaten the deep and intermediate middle and sidelines. Plus, a player with impressive punt and kickoff return ability.
4. Logan Thomas, QB, Virgina Tech. A tall, athletic QB with a Juggs gun for an arm, who can be groomed behind Carson Palmer while helping the team prepare for the likes of Colin Kaepernick and the athleticism of Russell Wilson. In the process with the hope of being groomed into an unstoppable force at the QB position.
5. Ed Stinson, DE/DT, Alabama. A strong inside 5 technique run defender to back up Darnell Dockett.
6. Walter Powell, WR, Murray St. A deceptively strong and elusive WR who has an uncanny way of making tacklers miss. It's a jail break every time he catches the ball.
Following the last pick BA&SK worked diligently to recruit a few more talented undrafted free agents who will have a chance to make the roster. The most notable are:
7. Kadeem Williams, T, Albany St. Massive and athletic prospect who was signed to a three-year contract.
8. Anthony Steen, G, Alabama. This guy is tough as nails and may even come right in and take over the RG spot.
9. Glenn Carson, ILB, Penn St. One of the steadiest and surest tacklers of all the ILB prospects in the draft.
10. Chandler Catanzaro, K, Clemson. One of the more talented kickers in college football who has a chance to win the PK job.
Will Bruce Arians and Steve Keim be "telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence?"
Sure---only they know and can lament the players they missed out on---but that's the way the draft goes. You cannot take two players at one spot.
So, Bruce Arians and Steve Keim went and took the players whom they felt offered a little something that no one else on the roster gave the team---and those little somethings, like a Deone Bucannon running stride for stride with Vernon Davis up the seam, like a Troy Niklas pancaking Richard Quinn, like a Kareem Martin deflecting a Russell Wilson pass into the waiting arms of Tyrann Mathieu, like a John Brown racing up the seam like a flash blowing past Eric Reid to the house, like a Logan Thomas preparing the team to beat Colin Kaepernick for once and possibly twice, like an Ed Stinson getting a key 4th and inches stop on Marshawn Lynch, like a Walter Powell breaking Richard Sherman's ankles on the sidelines after a nifty catch and sudden juke---little somethings that when all added up can help to make "all the difference" in the formidable NFC West.
As Bruce Arians avows: "Team is what it takes."
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