The offseason truth - no sugar coating

[ajcardfan]

Skkorp, the optimism this year is almost an annual event. People will become even more optimistic right up to camp, reaching a fever pitch right before the first game. My takes:

NEGATIVES:

1. Whiffing on both Colvin and Holliday was brutal. To me, more than the Boston deal even, that shows how far this franchise has to go and what Graves is fighting against. As a result, we really are kind of grasping at straws right now to get a pass rush. Maybe we caught lightining in a bottle with Pace, but that sort of luck has not been the norm for this team. Not much realistic hope for the pass rush being even average.

2. As said so well by other posters in this thread, we could've made a move on improving our CB situation, but have yet to do so.

3. Inexperience to the degree we have it with our WRs means we are almost guaranteed to suffer growing pains like drops at crucial moments, running the wrong route, etc.

4. Davis, Kendall and Clement worry me as far as their ability to stay healthy at this point in their careers. And, although it's not
a popular opinion, Davis himself worries me. I thought he could've played better last year. He's being paid like an Ogden or a Pace, he has to be at that level, not a guy on the fringe of the Pro Bowl because of reputation alone.

5. And the last one, McCown and Parsons for backups with absolutely no competition is mind-boggling stupid to me. I have no idea why the Cards have refused for years to bring in a solid #2. I keep thinking, "They have to get someone at QB," but after the last few years, I'm very cynical that it's going to happen. I'm with Skkorp, if McCown has to be counted on for any signifcant stretch of time, particularly early, the season will be a disaster.

POSITIVES:

1. Blake, as others have said so well. When people started talking about "Who instead of Jake?" in the middle of last season, Blake was at the top of my list. I didn't think he'd come in and provide as much leadership as he has though. I'm tickled pink so far with the way he's carried himself and the way he's thrown the rock in practice.

2. Offensive line depth. I thought the Spikes and Garcia signings were very smart moves and overlooked by most fans. We've been far to reliant on UDFA's and low round draft picks to provide depth. Getting these guys, along with Roundtree, Grace and Dishman, is just dang smart with the history of our line.

3. RB's. I heard Johnny Roland say "this is the best group of stallions I've ever had." I believe him. I think we will run the ball pretty well this year.

4. WRs raw talent. Top to bottom, the group we have has every role covered, with competition even. #1 deep threat: Gilmore, McAddley #2 loser of above, Boldin and Johnson, etc. We will see some spectacular play from the WRs this year, as well as mistakes.

5. LBs. I think this group will play well this year. There is a lot of competition and I LOVED the Hayes pick. This guy is legit, and will see major playing time before the season is over.

SUMMARY:

Teams with as much youth as ours have historically not done well. And, I personally question whether McGinnis has lit enough of a fire under his staff to get more out of his players. Loyalty to his coaches may be Mac's undoing. If this team falters badly out of the gate, the team may tune Mac out quickly. I think we'll see a lot of close games the first half of the season, not going our way. I predict a 6-10 record, with a solid finish of 3-1 giving hope for next year.

My on "the bright side" prediction is, steal a few early, especially the Seattle and Green Bay games, get some more breaks on injuries, anything can happen. If a thoroughly mediocre team like the Chicago Bears of 2001 can go 13-3, why not the Cards in 2003?

 

[Goldfield]

Originally posted by BleedRed
Well, I'm kind of new on this board, but I love the Cards and here's my thoughts:

Things that concern me:
1. #22 starting @ running back. I really felt like Shipp proved that he could be a starting back in this league, and to give Smith the starting job from day one was kind of a slap in the face. I would have much rather have seen us use that money on some of our more glaring needs instead of trying to please all the cowgirl fans in the valley.

2. Bill Bidwill (I sure wish Colangelo would buy the Cards).

3. Actually my only hope for the season is we stay healthy. If our O-line can stay healthy I think our offense will be fine.


Things I'm excited about:
1. Our secondary. I feel like this will be one of our most improved areas (baring any injuries). I mean Starks was really only healthy a couple of games last year, and even thought he was one of our best players for quite a few seasons, Lassiter sucked last year. I'm excited to see Adrian Wilson continue to become one of the best safties in the game and to see him play next to a very athletic saftey in Dexter Jackson. I've always loved David Barrett and I've heard he put on some more muscle this year. As if he wasn't already a physical corner. This is a good bunch of DB's.

2. Our young WR's. I'm excited to watch these guys play this year. I can't wait to see the rookies (Johnson and Boldin). Especially Boldin, I hate FSU, but I loved to watch this guy. He actually reminds me of David Boston. I'm also excited about Brian Gilmore (even though I really haven't seen him play too much), escpecially with Jeff Blake's ability to throw the ball down the field.

3. Hopefully our TE. I really felt like Jake should have thrown the ball to Freddie Jones alot more last year. And from the stuff I've read this off season is sounds like Blake will do just that.

If we stay healthy this year I could see us going 7-9. I think 8-8 would be a good year for us.

Sorry I'm not the best of writers , but it's just my opinion.
Go Cards!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, you need to post more! That is exactly how I feel on every point!


I honestly feel the cads can be very solid this year... At best, and I meant VERY best I could see 9-10 wins. 9 being a very doable record if we play good and have very minimal injurys.

With a solid QB and alot of our holes at least filled alittle, I honestly dont see this team being as bad as they usually are...


As far as "candy coating" stuff, I think you have to think with you heart on the offseason. Besides there not being much else to talk about, and the fact that we usually are depressed about 4 games into the season. We are homers are we'll allways think our players are alittle better(ok alot better) than they are...


I am a person that likes to hear the truth. If a guy is flat out crappy. I will agree!

But the one thing(one thing of many) I cant stand is people being sooo negative before the team/player gets a chance to prove themselves! (example: KVB / Pace)

Did I freak out when we drafted Pace...? Hell yea! But I have not ovce ripped the team for their descition. I trust they know what they are doing. And will wait for the results on the field before I judge

 

[Goldfield]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
My fears:

1. The defensive history. For three years, we've heard that "this year the defense will attack more." It always turns out to be nonsense.

Whether that's because of McGinnis' philosophy, Marmie's preferences, Joe Greene's poor coaching, or just lack of talent, the results have been exactly the same for 7 years - a bottom 10 NFL ranked defense.

Will this year be different? My fear is it won't.

2. Backup Quarterback. I see nothing in McCown except a big arm. If he has to play, we will be in big trouble.

3. Health of the offensive line. If the season were to start today, not one single starter from tackle to tackle would be ready. Only TE Freddie Jones is healthy enough to play.


The good:

1. Leadership and drive. Jeff Blake and Emmitt Smith are pushing everybody.

2. Depth at RB. Best we've had in Arizona.

3. Wide Receivers. My eyes are open. I GUARANTEE this will be a team strength by midseason.

4. Depth everywhere except at DB and FB and DT. Excellent. Oline backups are a team strength. Lb - not bad. K - great shape. Gramatica has lost a bunch of weight and may fight off Duncan. Huge upgrade in special teams.


The unknowns:

1. Coaching. Can Sullivan call plays that work? Is Cary Godette the answer as DE coach?

2. Wendell Bryant. I'm worried about him. I see no drive.

3. Calvin Pace. Barring injury, he's a stater right now. He's very impressive and quite a physical specimen. But can he pressuree the passer.

Prediction:

6-10 with 8-8 possible and 3-13 the bottom side if Jeff Blake gets hurt early. No way this team is better than 8-8, even if everything goes right. Too many new coaches, players, and scheme changes.

wow another very good post... I agree with it all, but I think 9 wins could happen if the everything works out like a story book

 

[Goldfield]

Originally posted by AZCB34
This should get interesting.

Negatives
1. The Cards failed to sign a couple critical FAs the targeted...Colvin and Holliday. I was very very high on Colvin and lukewarm to Holliday but the Cards obviously made a strong push for both. The fact the Cards failed to sign either...especially when they offered the top deals...is disturbing and I believe calls into question Graves and/or the coaches salesmanship (money wasn't the issue). There was something in there that these players didn't believe the Cards would be winners.

2. Letting Boston walk for nothing. To quote the infamous BEERZ...nuff said.

3. A poorly executed trade on draft day where it appears as though Graves, in his desperate desire to bail out of #6 overall, got taken to the cleaners.

4. I believe there to be a lack of CB talent on this team right now since I do not see a #2 CB right now on the roster. Even with a, hopefully improved, pass russ this is going to become a serious issue.

#1 They couldnt sign those guys because they know our history, winning can change all that...

#2 Letting Boston walk is the ONLY Negative IMO of the offseason... Off the field troubls or not he was too good to let go like that. I will forget about it and move on because I have no choice, but how can they shop TJ soo hard and not do the same with a much much bigger trade bait in Boston...?

#3 There is a point scale most teams use for trades. According to that the Cards did give up more than the ravens. BUT it was only by afew points. The trade wasnt a HUGE loppsided one. Unless of course, your a stingy trader like me and only wanna give up pennies for nickles...

#4 maybe you havent see our defense play? When healthy, we have to very solid CB's in Barrett and Starks... the problem isnt DB its pass rush, without it no DB can do thier job... Although we do need a third CB real bad...

 

[Chopper0080]

Here is where I put in my two cents...

Concerns-

1-I'll be honest, it is not the health of our o-line that concerns me as much as it is their constant under achievement. This unit has been touted as teams greatest strength and I really haven't seen it. Like it or not, we always seem to be making excuses on why this unit is not succeeding and that worries me.

2-Our depth at quarterback. I read in another post that Lindy's was a crap publication because they had Denver's QB rating higher than ours and I disagree. Denver has Beuerlein backing up Plummer, how is that a worse situation than we have? If Blake goes down we are screwed.

3-Our linebackers. Another unit that looks better on paper than it ever plays. McKinnon works hard and is our leader on defense but is limited. Our outside backers have also never stayed healthy for an entire season and even when they are, do not seem to make an impact. Maybe it is because of our D-line but I would like some more plays.

4-Letting players leave. I am a big on getting something for your players if they decide to leave. The TJ trade gives me some hope, but how we can let our starting QB and top 3 Wr's go for nothing makes me shake my head in frustration.

5-Our first round picks. We haven't had a impact first round pick since Boston and he took a year and is now gone. Davis is a great player but guard isn't a position that changes a game. Bryant's development has been slow, TJ is a bust, Wadsworth went down to injury, Shelton has been very inconsistent and Knight is a joke. Maybe the new regiment is changing things but players are taken in the top 10 for a reason and we traded back to take two reaches. They could turn out to be good (i am hoping they will be) but we gave up too much to do it.

Positives

1-Our receivers. This unit has started to grow on me the more and more I look at them. This should be a very exciting unit by midseason if we can get the ball to them.

2-Our D-line. Before you all shake your heads in disbelief, hear me out. We have youth in this unit much like our receivers and I believe that we should start seeing something out of this unit. Really, this unit can't get any worse.

3-Our running backs. Emmit Smith is one of the best backs ever and has been in a poop hole called Dallas these last years. 1,000 yards from him isn't being unrealistic. But, thankfully we don't need him to do it by himself because we a guy named Shipp who can pick up any or all slack. Winnign teams run the ball and as far as our backs go, we shouldn't have a problem.

4-Team leadership. This team has brought in winners and that is saying something. If anything we will see this team play harder than we ever have.

5-Intangibles. I have no idea what to expect from this team from its offense to the play of the defense and this is exciting. It seems that our personell is so flexible in what we can do that it make this team difficult to game plan.

As I said this team is an enigma. We have an offensive coordinator that likes to throw but a paper running juggernaught. We have youth on the d-line, in the secondary, and at wide receiver that should only improve. I say we go 7-9 but the door could swing either way.

 

[Indiana Hoosier]

My concerns are mostly with the Defense: Pass Rush, can we stop the other teams Runing Game. Offense: Back-up QB, I don't think the kids are ready, I think Shipp will end up as the starter, like to see us pick up a top notch center. I see the Cards going 7-9, 6-10 on the season. Sure hope I am wrong on this. It would be a real feather in Mac's hat for this team to finish above .500.

 

[Walter Mitchell]

Great post, Skkorp. I've got to be brief...off to work. My 2 cents:

I am very excited with not only the prospects of this season, but the prospects of seasons to come. This should be a very exciting year. There will be some growing pains, as usual, but the tide is turning in Arizona.

It will be interesting to see whether the Cardinals make a run at Randall Godfrey because that would confirm, IMO, that the Cardinals are secretly enamored with the prospects of throwing versions of the 3-4 at opposing offenses. The Cardinals drafted as if the 3-4 was in their plans. Regardless, I believe Mac loved the way they threw the kitchen sink at the Rams during that late season Sunday night ESPN game. And now that the Cardinals have added the swift centerfielder in Dexter Jackson, they are even better equipped to blitz like madmen this year. It will be pass rush by committee with all kinds of players contributing. The theory is this: The offense could be dynamic enough that if the Cardinal defense can create some havoc and produce two turnovers a game and some timely three and outs, the chances of winning games in the twenties are pretty good.

The offense is a lot better than any of us think right now. We've been so used to mediocre, inconsistent leadership in the offense that this year will be a major surprise as long as Jeff Blake and the offensive line stay healthy. This offense will open things up to snatch the lead and then pound away on defenses...which in Arizona will cause the defenses to wilt in the heat. There will be more home run touchdowns this year than we have seen in the last five. We will be on the edge of our seats and we will no longer cringe when the quarterback drops back to pass. There will be a swagger and a fierce intensity. Best of all, there will be tremendous attention to the game plans and the fundamentals that will allow for the game plans to work.

I, unlike some of you, thought the draft was a bonanza. You can nitpick over the trade...but I think the Cardinals did the right thing and tabbed the right players. In fact, the key to the draft was not only being able to acquire two future starters in Johnson and Pace in the first round, but being able to select two dynamic players in Boldin and Hayes in rounds two and three respectively. The second day additions were excellent as well.

Rose colored glasses? Nah! Cardinal colored glasses, baby! This is going to be a great ride. Trust me!

 

[EndZone]

So I am writing this without reading the posts above. It will be interesting to read the other posts after I write this.

What do I realistically think this team can win. Well that all depends on one thing in my mind. The Big Red Line. If we are healthy for a good majority of the season on the O-Line I think it is realistic that we could win 8-9 games possibly 10 with a little luck. Looking at last year we were hit with injuries so bad that it was almost un-real.

The Running Game

We can have a very effective running game with Smith and Shipp following Hodgins through the line. This will most likely be the strongest part of the offense outside of the O-Line. Even an injury at the running back position won't hurt us too bad because I like our 3rd and 4th stringers. We should see a couple 100 yard games this year at least. Hopefully from more than one back. Shipp is a very effective receiver too as well as Hodgins from what I am hearing.

The Passing Game

The Passing game should be decent. Blake doesn’t need a go to guy to be good. He has proven that in the past. He will spread the ball around to whoever gets open and move the chains. Freddie Jones accusation last year will pay it dues this year. Freddie is our most experienced receiver and that is a good match up with mostly linebackers covering him. I am confident that one if not both of our rookie receivers will step up. We saw last year what Sullivan can do with late round talent it will be interesting to see what he does with 1st and 3rd round talent. We have a stable of relatively unknown receivers and that will be beneficial at the start of the year because most defenses will focus on the run and hopefully we will surprise them with a respectable passing game.

The Defense

Again we were really hurt with injuries last year and hopefully we will not be hit as bad this year. That combined with some younger talented players with another year and training camp under their belts should pay. I think the biggest impact will be the change of defensive schemes. We will see much more production from the defensive line this year. Our secondary is solid and our Linebackers should be good at worst.

Special Teams

I am not even going to talk about kicking because we are good there. Boldin and Johnson will be big here too. Last year our Punt returners were terrible and that weighed heavily on the offense. We should see much better results this year at both the Punt and Kick return games. Our Kickoff team is not bad, as long as we can keep the ball inbounds with some more talent it should be even better.


Well thats it. Lets get the season under way!

 

[JeffGollin]

Skkorp raises two separate but related issues: (1) are ASFN writers too homerish and (2) where do we realistically feel the Cardinals are at right now?

Yesterday, I posted on the BRS a comprehensive comparison of where we were going into Camp a year ago and where we are going into Camp this year. Some conclusions -

1. We can only judge what we see "on paper." Stuff will take place during preseason and then the regular season that we cannot dream of accurately predicting. (Most of the surprises will be bad if things remain true to Cardinal history - i.e. injuries, fatness, warped attitudes, bad coaching. But sometimes you get lucky - like when a Justin Lucas or Marcel Shipp emerges or when Boomer Esiason came in and tore things up for us that one year).

2. Because of all the injuries last year, it makes sense for us to not only compare rosters going into camp but also this years Camp roster with what we were stuck with at the end of the season after all those injuries. I feel this current roster at nearly every position - on paper - represents a decent improvement over last year at the same time and a significant improvement over our decimated squad at the end of the season.

As to ASFN being too pollyannish, I don't think so. What I do detect (more from the regulars than from the staff writers) is the tendency to go overboard and jump to conclusions (both positively and negatively) - i.e.

- We're never going to sign every free agent who's out there. That's simply the nature of the NFL. We won a few; we lost a few. It isn't the end of the world. You just hope we improve our batting average with each ensuing year.

- One or two good or bad players (except maybe at QB) isn't going to make or break our season. We're talking about an 80 some odd player Camp roster here. We tend to get too all hyped up about one or two players instead of focusing on over all quality and depth.

- My sole concerns are on defense - I believe "the weak point in our dyke" remains at CB - Starks (injury notwithstanding) was not All World and Barrett was far from being a lockdown corner (and in fact was late to the ball way too often). Note - The Rhett Nelson factor is fun to daydream about but realistically, he hasn't done anything yet. And until I see us consistently stuff the run, I'll remain concerned about our toughness up the middle.

But other than that, I think ASFN reporting is fairly objective and reflects what fans are thinking - which is what this site is all about. And the icing on the cake is that you're now giving us "inside football" info that we fans never were privy to in the past.

 

[CardNots]

Biggest concerns for 2003 are:

Preseason game at Minnesota...

From an injuries standpoint, the team is cursed, we need some MoJo...

 

[Northern Card]

Originally posted by en fuego
[
Mac is gone at the end of the year, and Rick Neuheisel is hired to replace him (it couldnt get that bad, could it?) [/B]

NEUHEISEL? Only if he has the betting slips proving that he backed the CARDS with hard cash this season

 

[Russ Smith]

I've sort of already done this several times but here goes.

Negatives:

OL health and depth concerns me. Depth is only good if the starters are playing, if the backups are already in because of injuries, we have a depth problem. I think you have to view it that way because as of right now, the starters ARE hurting.

DL it's not just pass rush as Krang said, our DL has stunk for several years and has to get better. Wendell is in shape, now he's got to make plays.2 years ago I thought Bell was a steal, last year he did nothing, he's got to step up because the other guys simply don't have the talent. Pace should help, KVB is in the mix but I think Dennis Johnson has to step up too at least as a pass rusher.

Kicking obvious Grammatica or Duncan have to be better and more consistent than last years kicking game.

Special Teams we really stunk last year, sure it was because we lost so many key special teams guys but we need to improve coverage and we need to get someone back there who can take a kick back big yardage now and then, not sure who that is yet?

Coaching, Mac is a great motivator I'm not sure yet if he's a great coach. He has a lot of integration to do this year with so many new players, new systems, new coaches etc. I'm not sure that's going to be easy, off to a good start but it could cause blips during the season.



Positives:

First and foremost Jeff Blake is not Jake Plummer, Jake is -24 TD to INT in his career, Blake is +36, that's a skewed way of pointing out the difference. My one concern with Blake is he had a "bad" year last year only 13 to 11, he's over 30, what if that was the start of his downslide?

RB is a position of strength, I think Shipp should be starting but I think he'll wind up getting the ball more than Emmitt anyways.

TE I think Jones has a big year for us.

WR talent is there, not experienced but we do have guys who can get it done, I think we'll be inconsistent but we at least have some athletes.

OL I'm in the minority, I think when you factor in the "QB can't throw downfield let's play 8 in the box" factor, the OL did quite well the last 2 years. Dominant, no, but it's hard to dominate teams on the ground when teams can play that defense against you, I think Blake will change all that.

Schedule is weak I think 8-8 is a real possibility, but if Blake goes down we're looking at Roy WIlliams or Vince Wilfork next year because I sure don't get the impression McCown is ready to be a fulltime starter.

 

[Wildman©]

"Grasshopper....."



Q: What makes a play a "good/great play"?
A: The success of the play.

Q: What makes a player a "good/great player"?
A: The success of the player.

Q: What makes a "good/great season"?
A: The success of the season.


Statement: Success is a relative term. Levels of expectation are different.

Statement: FOOTBALL is a game governed by skill, determination, emotion,
the injury bug and lady luck. The outcome (play, game or season)
is in doubt the majority of the time.

As a coach I tried to teach my team to: always win the games we were supposed to; never lose the games that we should win; and, try to steal a few we should have lost. But no matter the outcome, always try to improve as a team and as an individual.

My biggest concern is that the internet and sites like this allows us to, almost instantaneously, express our thoughts on "positives" and "negatives" without concern of the potential effects on our team, players, coaches and in some cases, other posters.

Be positive or be negative... but be civil. I enjoy reading opposing views ... even when I know one side doesn't have a clue...

 

[Goldfield]

Originally posted by Walter Mitchell
Great post, Skkorp. I've got to be brief...off to work. My 2 cents:

I am very excited with not only the prospects of this season, but the prospects of seasons to come. This should be a very exciting year. There will be some growing pains, as usual, but the tide is turning in Arizona.

It will be interesting to see whether the Cardinals make a run at Randall Godfrey because that would confirm, IMO, that the Cardinals are secretly enamored with the prospects of throwing versions of the 3-4 at opposing offenses. The Cardinals drafted as if the 3-4 was in their plans. Regardless, I believe Mac loved the way they threw the kitchen sink at the Rams during that late season Sunday night ESPN game. And now that the Cardinals have added the swift centerfielder in Dexter Jackson, they are even better equipped to blitz like madmen this year. It will be pass rush by committee with all kinds of players contributing. The theory is this: The offense could be dynamic enough that if the Cardinal defense can create some havoc and produce two turnovers a game and some timely three and outs, the chances of winning games in the twenties are pretty good.

The offense is a lot better than any of us think right now. We've been so used to mediocre, inconsistent leadership in the offense that this year will be a major surprise as long as Jeff Blake and the offensive line stay healthy. This offense will open things up to snatch the lead and then pound away on defenses...which in Arizona will cause the defenses to wilt in the heat. There will be more home run touchdowns this year than we have seen in the last five. We will be on the edge of our seats and we will no longer cringe when the quarterback drops back to pass. There will be a swagger and a fierce intensity. Best of all, there will be tremendous attention to the game plans and the fundamentals that will allow for the game plans to work.

I, unlike some of you, thought the draft was a bonanza. You can nitpick over the trade...but I think the Cardinals did the right thing and tabbed the right players. In fact, the key to the draft was not only being able to acquire two future starters in Johnson and Pace in the first round, but being able to select two dynamic players in Boldin and Hayes in rounds two and three respectively. The second day additions were excellent as well.

Rose colored glasses? Nah! Cardinal colored glasses, baby! This is going to be a great ride. Trust me!

Glasses or not, I love your posts man!!! You need to post more often PLZ...

If there is one thing that summed up how much better we will be it was this: and we will no longer cringe when the quarterback drops back to pass.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Re: Rooting for your team?

Originally posted by RugbyMuffin
To positive? How can a fan of a team be too positive ?

I root for the Cardinals. Thick and Thin. Untill we lose a game we are going 19-0.

As far as I am concerned the team is almost completely different than last year. New leaders. New players. New look. And we got a new stadium coming soon.

What is not to like here? Are we supposed to think our team will be terrible forever? Is it that impossible that the Cardinals could be a good football team next year?

We will see.

i thought the 19-0-ers were gonna be eliminated from this thread. where is the analysis? rugby, no personal offense, but offer up some reasons to support your insanity please.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Originally posted by conraddobler

The team flat out tanked last year but before injuries it was pretty good.

i think you need to go back and take a look at that early season run. we weren't as good as we thought. yeah, the record was pretty, but the individual games weren't. we were winning, against bad teams, ugly. that's more realistic.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Originally posted by Ouchie-Z-Clown
i think you need to go back and take a look at that early season run. we weren't as good as we thought. yeah, the record was pretty, but the individual games weren't. we were winning, against bad teams, ugly. that's more realistic.

I thought the darksiders were gonna be eliminated from this thread. where is the analysis? Screech, no personal offense, but offer up some reasons to support your insanity please.

 

[Russ Smith]

Originally posted by Cardinals.Ken
I thought the darksiders were gonna be eliminated from this thread. where is the analysis? Screech, no personal offense, but offer up some reasons to support your insanity please.

I agree with Ouchie(love the Avatar I have the movie classic cult movie). A lot of us were here last year at 4-2 openly saying the team isn't playing that well, should be 5-1 or 6-0, and we better get the offense going because the defense is NOT going to play this well against the teams coming up on our schedule.

Unfortunately the wheels fell of the next week in San Francisco, injuries hit, and we collapsed far worse than even I expected.

I say 8-8 this year, upper end is 10-6 if everything goes right for us. Lower could be 4-12 or worse if Blake gets hurt. It's too hard when you can't even be sure who the key WR's will be and what our offense is. I'm excited about all of the new guys but gettin them to gel won't be easy.

 

[AZCB34]

Originally posted by Russ Smith
I agree with Ouchie(love the Avatar I have the movie classic cult movie). A lot of us were here last year at 4-2 openly saying the team isn't playing that well, should be 5-1 or 6-0, and we better get the offense going because the defense is NOT going to play this well against the teams coming up on our schedule.

Unfortunately the wheels fell of the next week in San Francisco, injuries hit, and we collapsed far worse than even I expected.

I say 8-8 this year, upper end is 10-6 if everything goes right for us. Lower could be 4-12 or worse if Blake gets hurt. It's too hard when you can't even be sure who the key WR's will be and what our offense is. I'm excited about all of the new guys but gettin them to gel won't be easy.

I would also add that even before the season started, the reality was this defense was bad and that the offense would have to really play well and control the clock or the Cards were in trouble. This was known before the very first game. The defense played over their heads...against poor competition...and gave the fans too much optimism. Once the schedule truned tougher, the defense was dead meat and the offense was hit with all the injuries and never played anywhere close to where they needed to play.

I thought 7-9 last year and I think the same again this year (earlier in this thread I said 7-8 wins). 10-6? ALOT has to go right for that...maybe more than the Cards are capable of but you never know.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

and awaaaaaaaaaay weeeee go . . .

the ugly:

the o-line's injuries. i agree with everything everyone said about the o-line, both good and bad. when healthy the talent is undeniable. however they seemed to underachieve regularly. however that may be as a result of the jake-induced stacking of the box. if the o-line doesn't get/stay healthy we're in big trouble.

the wr's inexperience. it seems that we have talent here. i'd like to think we have talent. god i hope we have talent. unfortunately, that talent is just too young and inexperienced to make a difference this year. rookie wrs rarely make a splash, jerry sullivan or no. this is, in all likelihood, gonna result in more stacking of the box.

emmitt smith is our starter. i know, i know, he's gonna put fannies in the seats. and yeah, he's probably still got some juice left in his tank. but what i see is the cards taking one of their better potential assets (and i say potential b/c shipp really hasn't proven himself over an entire season yet) and plunking him on the bench behind a less explosive chesspiece. if the box is stacked emmitt won't find room to run.

inconsistent roster to philosophy. i think the coaching may take a beating this season. mac is an infectious rah-rah type guy. but he has yet to prove himself as any sort of tactician. either offensivly or defensively. i don't recall seeing many plays during his tenure where i sat up and took note of the play calling in a positive manner. moreover, it seems that our squad is built for smashmouth football. huge investments in the oline and rbs. but sully wants to institute a chuck and duck offense. doesn't this inconsistency concern anyone else? we may be a little schizo on offense.

we still have no passrush. our "improvement" has to be a result of three things: pace, development from within, and changing our scheme. so we're counting on an unproven rookie, players that haven't produced in the past, and the promise of a change in the scheme that we've been promised before, but haven't seen put forth on the field. i think the passrush will be grasping at straws instead of quarterbacks.

the good (yes, i see some):

our db's have talent. now this is a mixed bag o' nuts. i think individually they each have enough talent to start on a lot of nfl teams. that said, none of them would be "the man" in other defensive backfields. if wilson's head catches up to his physical attributes he will be the best safety in the game. jackson's addition just leads me to beleive that maybe his influence will help in that endeavor. i think starks and barrett can combine to be awfully good. but, this "plus" can all become negated quite quickly if our hopes, dreams, and prayers for a passrush don't come true.

oline is talented and deep. yes, i know i mentioned it in the uglies. but this group has to gel eventually, right? please? the new depth should make an occasional injury easier to bear (the late pickups of fina and roundtree proved how much depth helps last year), and the starters, if relatively healthy, should open roads for emmitt and shipp and provide blake time to find receivers (if they're running precise routes) downfield.

the linebackers are solid. not great, but solid. if one of 'em surprises they could actually be very good. i am also happy that we now have depth behind mckinnon. i could see him breaking down this year and having darling/hayes makes this less devastating.

the wrs should be fun to watch develop. yeah, i know i said they were part of the uglies also. and they will be. but it should be exciting watching them to see which develops into which role.

our role-players should be pretty good. though i think we need a better nickle corner, i think our depth at db may be surprising. our te position, even beyond freddie, should be solid. the acquisition of hodgins will prove noteworthy, and hopefully, with less injuries, our special teams should no longer be taking the short bus to the stadium.

finally, and most importantly, NO JAKE. no behind the back passes, no throwin' the out for an INT-TD, no more passes one-hopping off the carpet, no more wrs doing jumpingjacks in the endzone 'cuz jake can't find 'em. no more HUGE deficits for jake to climb out of. i love the acquisition of jeff blake. if our wrs click even a little blake can make the bomb a new weapon in our arsenal. though i'm wary of his somewhat supbar year last season, i think he's got enough in the tank to allow us to heap praise on him by season's end. please don't get injured though, 'cuz otherwise we ain't winning another game.

so there are a lot of negatives and a few positives. always seems that way. i think it'll end with us in an entertaining, yet fruitless season. i think we'll win 5 and lose 11. upside is 7-9, downside is 3-13.

 

[Russ Smith]

Originally posted by AZCB34

I thought 7-9 last year and I think the same again this year (earlier in this thread I said 7-8 wins). 10-6? ALOT has to go right for that...maybe more than the Cards are capable of but you never know.

I should quantify 10-6. I mean if everything goes right, ie no key injuries to us, and potential issues for OTHER teams go wrong. Like Warner's not healthy, Owens isn't happy and playing well, Seattle doesn't pick up where they left off etc.

In that scenario we could steal 10 wins, otherwise I agree 8 is about the upper end.

 

[conraddobler]

Every year there is a team that comes out of nowhere and does much better than they are supposed to.

They say if a monkey bangs randomly on a typewriter an infinite amount of time there will come sometime that he inadvertently types out War and Peace in it's entirety and with proper punctuation.

Could also explain the NEM phenom.

The point is sometimes stuff just works and you can't empircally prove it. This is one of those times I feel.

Biggest reason why:

One the coaching staff reports to Rod Graves now, be he a genius or just competent it still instills some fear for their jobs and is a good thing.

I believe Bidwill would hang on to Mac longer than Graves will all things being equal and I think Mac knows that thus he will coach with more urgency than usual and probably be more aggressive than he would otherwise.

Notice the change to a 1 gap that probably comes from saying if I am going down I am going down fighting not just from if I present a respecable team with the proper attitude I will be retained by an owner that likes me while I await building a monster machine through x more drafts.

I think things in this league turn hugely from one season to another and yes we are always too optimistic however that was then and now we have a GM that actually runs things. I have pleaeded for this for years so in that sense it should turn out to be the single most important thing this organization may have ever done.

 

[RonF]

I'm concerned with the health of our O-Line, the ability by Starks to cover a large receiver, and the unknown at QB. Team chemistry is so important. Did we get rid of the malcontents and quitters? I sure hope so.

I believe we have strengthened our special teams, receiving and line-backing corp. I also believe our defensive line was bolstered but it may not show much until later in the season.

Overall, I believe we are a better team than last year because of the draft, free agency and getting rid of some players who had become more of a liability than an asset. We should win two or three more games than last year but as some have said before me, we have too many unknowns to go out there and dominate on offense or defense. If our offensive line doesn't get healthy real quick then you can kiss this season goddby before it starts. Everything, starts with them.

 

[SECTION 11]

I was going to take the time to do this properly, but instead I'll just offer this...


The Bad:

Wendell Bryant. When I see Bryant, whether it's on or off the field, I get the impression that he treats the NFL like a country club. As I said earlier, he had exactly three more solo tackles than Leonard Davis did in 2002. That's bad offense and bad play from the #12 pick, all wrapped up into one big ball of "I sure am having fun." Meanwhile, Jeremy Shockey comes into the league, dukes it out with Brandon Short in training camp, then proceeds to terrorize the league (including Brian Dawkins) at his position.
The Point? The Giants got a football player, and we got a rich comedian. He is a complete wuss in my eyes until he shows otherwise. Looking for the next Cardinal First Round Horrible Pick (CFRHP, for short)? Look no further.

Bill Grammatica. I don't know how many times he single handedly put the other team on the forty, but I know it was more than zero.

Larry Marmie and Joe Greene. Larry's got a big hill to climb to erase the memory of a 300 yard game and 4 TD's from an immobile quarterback who's greatest strength is his running ability.
Darwin Walker couldn't get "interested" in football playing under our hall of fame coach, but somehow Tommy Brasher lit a fire under his ass? Please. He's not Mean Joe Greene any more. He's just Joe Greene it appears.

Turnover. New GM, OC, DT coach, WR coach, DB coach, QB, RB, FB, C, WR's 1-3, FS, OLB, RDE, LDE and somehow, what appears to be the Ghost of Cardinals Past, George Boone, is back as national scout supervisor.

Levar Fisher. I'm a little tired of pimping players nobody else has ever heard of because they've only seen the field in seven out of their first 32 games. I like Levar, I really do. But if I have to mention my next point, I have to mention Mr. Fisher.

Injuries. I don't know who's responsible, I don't care who's responsible. Hopefully Ryan Capretta is the Steve Kiem of conditioning.

Fan Support. Over all, it's simply terrible. How important is home field advantage? I think it's worth three points for every team except the Cardinals.


The Good:

The Chip. You know, the one on the ol’ shoulder. KVB, Dexter Jackson, Emmitt, Blake, Fisher, (hopefully) Bryant, Pace, Starks. If anything, this team better be pissed off, with something to prove. There's only going to be 1,696 NFL players this coming season. We'll have 53 of them, just like everyone else.

Perception. Slowly but surely, it’s changing. Given free agency, this is absolutely essential. Being a Husker native, I’ve seen what a group of slow, fat white kids that grew up playing eight man football both ways can do to teams full of future NFL’ers. All because they believe in what they’re doing, are committed to doing it, and under no circumstances would damage the team’s perception by giving anything less than 100%. Graves to his credit has purged this team of most of the Me First types and it will pay off.

Upgrades. I’m not going to reset the upgrades at QB, RB, FB, DE, FS, LB, WR (yep, that’s right) and OC. Instead of going into detail again, I’ll just say that they exist.

The NFC West. It’s weak. It’s ripe for the taking. The Niner’s won it last season at 9-7. The first team to win eight games is going to win this division. Look at the schedules, that team is right here.

The Schedule. It worked for us in 1998, it’s about to again.
I think they go 6-2 at home, and 4-4 on the road. Losses at the Rams, Steelers, Niners and Seattle. Losses at home against the Packers and one of our NFC West foes.


Saturday, January 3rd I’ll be sitting in SECTION 11, working on my buzz, watching a respectable team battle the Giants for an opportunity to get to the Divisional playoffs, and pimping Kellen Winslow Jr for the 2004 draft, whether we win or lose.

 

[RLakin]

The off-season truth

Pros:

Jeff Blake- Jeff Blake was the best available option at quarterback for the Cards. He's a quarterback who doesn't make too many mistakes (see Plummer), and is a good bridge to the future. What the future (at QB) is, I’m not really sure.

James Hodgins- very underrated signing. I’m not sure if they will use him much in the offense, but he is a step up from the previous starter.

Dexter Jackson- He may be a better fit than Lassiter, and the pairing w/ Wilson could turn out very well.

Depth at OL, DE, WR, RB, LB- In the past the Cards seemed content w/ adding a couple big name free-agents to bigger contracts than they were worth. After that, the team made little effort to add quality depth in a sport where this is imperative. Moreover, I saw someone put "health" down as main factor for 2003. Of course, nobody has a chance at winning if they incur as many injuries as Chicago last season, but, nevertheless injuries and "bad health" are inevitable. That's why you need depth, especially on the lines. In the past, the Cards refused to spend semi-significant money on backups that were not going to see semi-significant time. This year it seems to have slightly changed.

Cons:

Boston situation- I've read Skkorpian's take about Graves' private reasoning for botching the Boston deal. With all due respect, it's absurd. Whatever Graves knew was irrelevant given that no suspension was handed down and that the San Diego Chargers made a big money offer. Even if the Cards were truly concerned about Boston's work ethic and/or off-field activities they should have franchised him. You could have removed the tag if something came up (off the field), and it would have allotted you the needed protection for the #1 wide receiver on the market. That's the way NFL teams do business. Ask the Green Bay Packers, who transitioned, and later re-signed a 2-time substance abuse violator this very off-season. Gamble: yes. But most teams will take that gamble on a year by year basis in a sport that many prefer to (and can) win sooner rather than later.

Draft- I've been reading the posts about Suggs lately, and they're pretty good. Stuff like "Suggs is struggling, so maybe Graves knew what he was doing." Yeah, but I venture to guess that many of you aren't Eagles fans, and therefore, probably shouldn't be too happy. Graves and co., if you remember, wanted a DE not named Calvin Pace w/ their 17th or 18th pick. They wanted Jerome McDougle. By that logic, it would have been a great move on Graves' part had the Cards passed on Suggs and taken their #1 DE, McDougle. Instead, they got #4 on their board and, I guess I'm supposed to view this as a victory because the #2 guy is struggling at OLB in minicamp. I will say that Pace seems like a real nice kid, and I wish him well. The trade that brought him here, though, was nothing short of outlandish. In all my years of covering the draft, this was the first time where the trade aggressor was the team with the better pick. I think I summed it best in my "Hopeless Cards" article. .."Arizona talked the Saints into letting them out of taking #1 pass rusher Suggs, and then gave New Orleans 17 spots in the 2nd round and a 4th round pick for the right of not doing so." And while some like to defend this deal under the axiom of "everything in the draft is a crapshoot," you have to understand that "busts" come into being because a combination of things including system, injuries, and not just misevaluation. Furthermore how is Pace not a "reach," and Hayes and/or Gilbert are "steals." Can’t have it both ways.

Salary Cap- After signing the rookies the Cards will have around $12 mill available to spend on……. themselves. I'm all for re-signing guys who deserve to be re-signed (Davis, possibly Shelton), but it seems to me that Cards are seeking to add payroll just for the sake of adding payroll or, more aptly, saving face w/ those who view this organization as cheap. I think it is a cheap PR ploy to spend $12 million on a 7-9 football roster (at best) just because you couldn't spend it on anything else. Once again this is the converse end of NFL reasoning, because teams often re-sign players for the purposes of clearing salary cap room. Brad Johnson just completed such a deal w/ Tampa, I believe. Someone on this thread suggested they leave $4-5 mill open for emergency purposes. It should, at most, be about half that sum.

As you can see by the word dispersal, I am not very impressed by the Cards off-season. To me this team ranks among the bottom in the league, and I would surprised if they got more than 5 wins this year. Of course, "that's why they play the games" and for the sake of those on this board whose loyalty to the local football team is nothing short of commendable, I hope I am wrong.