Thinking Cardinals 8/16/11

[Mitch]

More Bang for the Bick

Did you happen to see Dan Bickley's recent podcast?

Bickley's three main points:

1. The Cardinals wasted a great opportunity to add a speed WR in Lee Evans.

2. Beanie Wells doesn't seem to "have it."

3. The bucks stopped for the Cardinals' FO before they signed TE Todd Heap---and that Heap's signing was Whiz's "one mulligan" that he earned last year when the FO refused to sign Marc Bulger, despite Whiz and the coaches' pleas.

Boy oh boy---did the bucks ever stop after the Heap signing. And that's where the Cardinals' own mantra of "All-In" is a crock of dung.

Imagine this:

The Cardinals could have added:

WR Lee Evans
OLB Matt Roth
T Jared Gaither

And still be $5M under the cap. Money they could use on adding a SS and a backup NT.

Defense Envy

Watching MNF last night---I found myself, as I usually do when I watch good defenses---feeling throughly envious of the Jets' and Texans' defenses---they way they are put together and the way they are coached.

The intensity and toughness---that is so glaringly absent from the Cardinals' defenses.

Heck---in one quarter, I saw more pressure on the QB in five snaps watching UCFA Bryan Braman than I did in the entire game tape I watched that morning of the Cardinals. Braman had 5 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, 6 tackles and a host of other pressures.

Braman is an interesting story---he was a Lone Star Conference All-Star DE last year until he got busted for manufacturing the hallucinogen in mushrooms. Braman pleaded guilty, paid his fine and focused on getting his life back in order. The Texans reached out to him and signed him---and by the looks of it, they found a UCFA gem.

Anyone see DE J.J. Watt? Unreal. What a player. All I can say is: wow!

Defense Envy....

Fitz of Anxiety

Even though it's old news---to see Adam Schefter broadcast Fitz' contract clauses all over the MNF telecast---it was really an advertisement.

That, combined with watching two teams that most players would drool to play for---made for some very anxious thoughts.

Why is Fitz's new contract taking so long?

The Cardinals' FO has been saying for months now that re-signing Fitz and making him the highest paid WR in the NFL is their top priority.

What happens if a deal isn't signed in short order?

First of all, this is going to be a real distraction for the entire organization.

Secondly, if Fitz doesn't re-sign heading into the season---it is going to make it all the more imperative for the Cardinals to try to work out a trade for him---

But---Fitz has a restrictive no-trade clause as well---and---at the trading deadline the big contenders won't have the cap room to accommodate Fitz's salary---which means any team that trades for him would have to work a new cap friendly deal with Fitz---that is if Fitz agrees to the trade.

The Cardinals need to be very pro-active. They need to present Fitz with their best offer and give him a few days to decide. If Fitz does not accept the deal, the Cardinals cannot run the risk of hoping he will eventually agree to the terms.

Let's face it---if Fitz goes into a stall mode---and if he is still not re-signed by the trade deadline---and then he decides to enter free agency---if he bolts---and the cardinals once again receive no compensation (see Dansby and Rolle)---not only will this set the franchise back talent-wise---the PR damage this would further cause would be astronomically deleterious.

Sure---Fitz has said all the right things---but---let's be real. Can he really believe the Cardinals will give him the best chance of winning a ring?

If YOU were desperate to win a ring---and you had your pick of any team---would YOU pick the Cardinals?

Fitz has painted himself into a corner on this one. He helped to orchestrate the Kolb deal---and he has said he wants to be a Cardinal for life---and that he loves the Bidwills and Whiz.

But he has also said that money is not the issue---he wants a ring.

Even Kevin Kolb has said, "We are a young team and we can grow together."

This is a young team---and on paper---it's not a playoff caliber team. There are too many holes---too many question marks.

Many of you are confident Fitz will re-sign...and I hope you are right.

What I Would Do

1. I would present Fitz with the highest paying contract for a WR---as the FO has said they would do---and I would give him three days to decide. I would tell him point blank that because he has all the leverage, we cannot take the risk of losing him without any compensation in return.

If Fitz signs---great. We move forward and start to make good use of the remaining cap space...because we need to add 3-4 more players to this roster.

If Fitz declines---here's the trade I would try to make:

WR Larry Fitzgerald and CB Greg Toler to the Philadelphia Eagles for WR DeSean Jackson, CB Asante Samuel and DE Darryl Tapp.

DeSean Jackson wants the big contract. He won't command Fitz money---probably $8-9M a year will do it. He and Kevin Kolb are very familiar with each other---and Jackson brings the speed element at WR the Cardinals have lacked. Samuel is suddenly available and is still a top 5 CB. A veteran leader at CB would be made to order for the Cardinals at this point. Darryl Tapp is the kind of edge rusher who will force the QB to step up into the pocket---and in our case, funnel the QB into Dockett and Campbell.

Andy Reid has been coveting Larry Fitzgerald for a long time---and this would be yet another huge splash in his attempt to build his dream team.

The reason why CB Asante Samuel needs to be added to this deal is the Eagles will need to create cap space for Fitz.

The Eagles have DE depth behind starters Trent Cole and Justin Babin---in Juqua Parker, Philip Hunt and Daniel Te 'o-Nesheim---and they have been worried about having to let go of Hunt---which allows them to part with Darryl Tapp.

The Eagles without Samuel would need a 3rd CB and would be very happy with Toler.

Not sure how easily the Eagles would want to part with DeSean Jackson---but the one player that could change all of that is Fitz...especially after the monster playoff performances Fitz has already turned in.

If you are not happy with this trade scenario---and you had to trade Fitz or get nothing in return---what would you do?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Envious of Houston's defense? Really?

Weren't you happy with the free agent moves just a week ago?

 

[desertdawg]

I aint freaking out about Fitz just because the world just found about his contract via hype-chef.

Cards did everything they could to show Fitz they meant business, I won't go into detail. All they can do now is offer him that big cheddar.

As far as me thinking the Cards might win a ring, yeah I do. That's the only way you can win one. The lockout will end, we will get Kolb, and we will re-sign Fitz.

 

[DemsMyBoys]

Miiiiiiiiiitch!

Holy worry-wart Batman. I bet you fret about the sun coming up in the East every morning.

Contracts take time, Mitch.

So how you going to feel when they not only sign him for the BIG bucks but to a contract that will keep him on the team until he's got grey in his dreads?

(My latest prediction. If that happens you may address me as Madam Cleo.)

 

[40yearfan]

Mitch, gotta disagree with you. We can't spend every last penny we have and hope to make it through the season injury free. We also need to have some cash to throw at Fitz and not back load every penny into future years. No need to play the "CAP HELL" game unless you are sure what you are doing will put you directly into the SB. We have a young team and the team management is planning for the future.

Have patience grasshopper. We have a plan.

 

[Mulli]

Mitch, gotta disagree with you. We can't spend every last penny we have and hope to make it through the season injury free. We also need to have some cash to throw at Fitz and not back load every penny into future years. No need to play the "CAP HELL" game unless you are sure what you are doing will put you directly into the SB. We have a young team and the team management is planning for the future.

Have patience grasshopper. We have a plan.

Careful, someone will claim this is a personal attack.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I honestly believe we have a lot of good young talent at WR and we just need to let them play and see what happens.

 

[Indiana Hoosier]

Mitch, starting to wonder about your "WISDOM", why so negative lately?
I really think they have done a great job with signings and roster changes!

 

[blindseyed]

Careful, someone will claim this is a personal attack.

I think "grasshopper" is considered offensive now....

 

[Mulli]

I honestly believe we have a lot of good young talent at WR and we just need to let them play and see what happens.

I think Fitz has said the same thing. He was glowing with praise of A Roberts.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I also don't trade the face of the franchise 3 weeks away from the start of the season.

 

[Gee!]

I also don't trade the face of the franchise 3 weeks away from the start of the season.

One thing Ive learned over the years from Mitchs writings/ramblings is if he had it his way every great/good player on this team would be traded and we'd be left with the likes of BSP's and Lance Long's..

 

[blindseyed]

I also don't trade the face of the franchise 3 weeks away from the start of the season.

No kidding, you want a PR nightmare, there ya go!

 

[Early]

Great read Mitch!

I also saw the game yesterday, there was so much more intensity from both teams than what we have seen from the Raiders and Cardinals. At times, it was like a regular season game in terms of the intensity and how players (and coaches) reacted.

I was happy to see McElroy play so well. I know that both you and I liked the kid in the draft. Not perfect, but he showed some stuff out there, that not even Sanchez can do. He is very smart and very impressive in going through progressions, in this part of the game he seems better than Sanchez. He could be more accurate and throw better, but he definitely knows where to throw it and when, which can be even more important. It's crazy that he understands the offense that much after one very short offseason. It was also easy to see the Jets coaches being very surprised by that and he got into rhythm the more he played. As Gruden pointed out, he loves players with mental toughness, he forgot the slow start and kept playing. Very stupid play in end of the game, but he is going to be a very good backup QB. If he had a very accurate arm and could make accurate throws all over the field, he is a potential franchise QB. And maybe he can end up being a very solid starting QB one day.

JJ Watt was unreal rushing the passer, he is a beast. He got taken out on many run plays, he is more a one gapper, but seems as a very good one. He reminds me of Dockett. And Wade likes it that way in his 3-4, he doesn't ask them to two gap like in the traditional 3-4, which probably is the reason they loved him in the draft. Looking at his tapes from college I noticed how bad he was two gapping and playing the run, but what a beast he was in putting the pressure. Jets guards and tackles had ton of problems pass blocking him.

I agree that guy Braman was all over the field, never heard of the guy, he has a motor. I get depressed thinking on the players we have on the edges, none of them are capable of rushing the passer. We need to rely on inside penetration of Dockett and CC for all of the pressure this season. And the ones we can manufacture. And just to mention that, Horton was not able to manufacture any in that game, but the Jets and Texans (and also Raiders) did it many times a game, there were often free rushers due to great design of the plays.

Horton needs to get creative. Because he has no talent on the edges for man to man mismatches. There wasn't a single pressure on the edges from the OLB's during the Raiders game. It was really bad.

 

[Catfish]

Envious of Houston's defense? Really?

Weren't you happy with the free agent moves just a week ago?

He only stated that he saw one player do more in 5 plays than we did for an entire game.

Yes-----he was happy with what we did in free agency the first 4 days. So am I. In fact I was nearly delirious, (until they flat out stopped trying to fill holes, and became content to merely sit on the cash), in hopes of maybe getting somebody's cheap rejects after the cuts were made.

We have ALL watched the FO pass on trying to secure REAL TALENT, that was available in areas where we have extreme need, and most of it was signed for money that we had an abundance of. This trait, (finding a way to go on the cheap), is the very TRADEMARK of this organization, and has been for years. Even last year, they hoarded away 40 million in cash. That is PRECISELY why the more progressive, (and successful), owners made the salary cap floor rule in the new CBA. The have become extremely tired of having to fork over revenue that they have earned, in order to share with teams who are less effective monetarily.

They must be appalled that their efforts to drag the Cardinals into the 21st Century, only succeeded in dragging them out of the 19th into the 20th. The Cardinals still refuse to pony up like the successful franchises do.
I know that Mr. Bidwill had to wait 20 years before he got the new stadium that he was promised by Carl Eller when tje Cards agreed to leave St. Louis for the Valley. But the fans came through when big business in the Valley would not. He HAS his new stadium, and it is among the best in the NFL. You don't see anyone suing the Bidwills because they could not sit in their paid for seats at the U of P. Additionally, the fans have filled the seats for every game played there. Revenue streams are beginning to match some of the HAVES in the league. This is no time for the Bidwills to retreat back into their cave to count the family fortune again. It is time for them to join the REAL NFL. The owners and players worked out a remarkable CBA which will certainly take them forward for 10, (possibly even the next 20) years. The Bidwills need to take an active part in this journey with the rest of the league.

The trade idea that Mitch presented has some real merit. It also as some flaws. While it does a magnificent job of shoring up our defense, it leaves us woefully short on offense, because we still will not only be missing the true (and proven) #2 receiver that we just passed on, but we will have traded away our only #1 also. I just don't see that shoring up our weak 'D', at the expense of having no viable 'O' makes us any better than we are right now. Yes, it results in us getting genuine value for Fitzgerald, as opposed to allowing him to walk, but we will all have to wait at least another year to fix the offense to where we are competitive again. The sad part is, the Cardinals had the money to fix almost ALL of the defensive needs this year, while strengthening our offense tremendously. We chose only to fix the offense and part of the defense, and then went back into our cave to count our remaining money instead of capping off what should have been a wonderful opportunity to fix both areas. That, (to me) is sad commentary indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mitch]

Great read Mitch!

I also saw the game yesterday, there was so much more intensity from both teams than what we have seen from the Raiders and Cardinals. At times, it was like a regular season game in terms of the intensity and how players (and coaches) reacted.

I was happy to see McElroy play so well. I know that both you and I liked the kid in the draft. Not perfect, but he showed some stuff out there, that not even Sanchez can do. He is very smart and very impressive in going through progressions, in this part of the game he seems better than Sanchez. He could be more accurate and throw better, but he definitely knows where to throw it and when, which can be even more important. It's crazy that he understands the offense that much after one very short offseason. It was also easy to see the Jets coaches being very surprised by that and he got into rhythm the more he played. As Gruden pointed out, he loves players with mental toughness, he forgot the slow start and kept playing. Very stupid play in end of the game, but he is going to be a very good backup QB. If he had a very accurate arm and could make accurate throws all over the field, he is a potential franchise QB. And maybe he can end up being a very solid starting QB one day.

JJ Watt was unreal rushing the passer, he is a beast. He got taken out on many run plays, he is more a one gapper, but seems as a very good one. He reminds me of Dockett. And Wade likes it that way in his 3-4, he doesn't ask them to two gap like in the traditional 3-4, which probably is the reason they loved him in the draft. Looking at his tapes from college I noticed how bad he was two gapping and playing the run, but what a beast he was in putting the pressure. Jets guards and tackles had ton of problems pass blocking him.

I agree that guy Braman was all over the field, never heard of the guy, he has a motor. I get depressed thinking on the players we have on the edges, none of them are capable of rushing the passer. We need to rely on inside penetration of Dockett and CC for all of the pressure this season. And the ones we can manufacture. And just to mention that, Horton was not able to manufacture any in that game, but the Jets and Texans (and also Raiders) did it many times a game, there were often free rushers due to great design of the plays.

Horton needs to get creative. Because he has no talent on the edges for man to man mismatches. There wasn't a single pressure on the edges from the OLB's during the Raiders game. It was really bad.

I was very impressed with McElroy, Early. Can't believe that WR dropped the TD pass at the end, or we would be really singing McElroy's praises this morning. You win with smart and efficient in this league and this kid is a winner---in 2-3 years he will be ready to start.

As for the Cardinals---while I like Ray Horton---I think he is going to have to gamble more than usual to find a way to make this defense competitive. And let's face it---he wasn't given a 34 defense chock-full of prototypical 34 players...which will make it all the more challenging for him to get the job done.

When I look at the defenses in the NFC West, I feel as if the Cardinals have by far the weakest, personnel-wise. And---I feel that the Cardinals have the least sense of how to draft for the system. It's hard to ignore and especially hard to fathom sitting on $13.6M ways to start fixing it and electing to do nothing instead.

And what I can't fathom most of all is after having gotten rooked out of $40M to make last year's team competitive, so many people are OK with the FO sitting on $13.6M---it would be one thing if we actually saw one good edge rusher last Thursday night---or a good #2 option at SS---or a good #2 NT---or a good pass protector at LT---

Even when Adrian Wilson went down---you'd think there would be some sort of move. When the Raiders just lost Hiram Eugene---what did they do? They signed two free agent safeties the next day. Now it appears Atari Bigsby is visiting with the Seahawks. To expect that Wilson could be effective playing with a bicep tear is ludicrous. It's just the way things seem to go around here.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

One thing Ive learned over the years from Mitchs writings/ramblings is if he had it his way every great/good player on this team would be traded and we'd be left with the likes of BSP's and Lance Long's..

I love the up, down and around of Walter's mind.

One is secure in the knowledge that whatever his certainties of the moment, they'll will change without hiccup in a day, a week, a month.

 

[PACardsFan]

Careful, someone will claim this is a personal attack.

Exactly! I was banned last week for being nauseated by the naysayers. That's ok, just went to other Cardinal forum, where my positive outlook towards the Cardinals was appreciated.

 

[desertdawg]

His name is Larry not Lebron. Fitz would never do us like that! We did everything he asked, picked his favorite at QB, face of the franchise and the fans love him, even fans of other teams. It's all good on the Fitz front Mitch, no #11 jerseys will be burned this year, unless they print up a couple of the new Leinarts.

 

[Mulli]

If Fitz leaves. I will get over it.

 

[blindseyed]

Exactly! I was banned last week for being nauseated by the naysayers. That's ok, just went to other Cardinal forum, where my positive outlook towards the Cardinals was appreciated.

 

[joeshmo]

Yes-----he was happy with what we did in free agency the first 4 days. So am I. In fact I was nearly delirious, (until they flat out stopped trying to fill holes, and became content to merely sit on the cash), in hopes of maybe getting somebody's cheap rejects after the cuts were made.

We have ALL watched the FO pass on trying to secure REAL TALENT, that was available in areas where we have extreme need, and most of it was signed for money that we had an abundance of. This trait, (finding a way to go on the cheap), is the very TRADEMARK of this organization, and has been for years. Even last year, they hoarded away 40 million in cash. That is PRECISELY why the more progressive, (and successful), owners made the salary cap floor rule in the new CBA. The have become extremely tired of having to fork over revenue that they have earned, in order to share with teams who are less effective monetarily.

Pretty much everything you just wrote is completely WRONG.

Still amazes me that people still think that cap equals how much a team is spending. Cap is only a funny math system of accounting that has absolutely nothing to do with how much a team is spending. Since Wiz first year in 07/08 season Cards player payroll is ranked 11th in the NFL, yes that does include last years 30 mill not spent(it wasnt 40 mill.). If Cards over the last 4 years is cheap then there are 21 other teams who are cheaper.

This year once again they are not sitting on any cash. In fact they are in the top 10 teams in total salary paid out so far in 2011. Those cheap bastards.

The only time they sat on cash was last year, thats 1 out of the last 5 years. Of which I was highly pissed off at considering I dealt out cash for season tickets being the first year I could afford it in 5 years.

Finally, the owners didnt want the salary cap floor, it was a player design and the owners agreed to it in order to lower the revenue percentage ofthe overall pie that would get paid in terms of the cap. Players wanted 50% of the pie, guess what they didnt get it, becuase the owners agreed to raise teh salary cap floor. Then to get all of the owners to sign off on that deal the owners had to come up with a new revenue sharing program. Again not sure what your point was with the salary cap floor thing because it was a player design not an owners design.

 

[wa52lz]

He only stated that he saw one player do more in 5 plays than we did for an entire game.

Yes-----he was happy with what we did in free agency the first 4 days. So am I. In fact I was nearly delirious, (until they flat out stopped trying to fill holes, and became content to merely sit on the cash), in hopes of maybe getting somebody's cheap rejects after the cuts were made.

We have ALL watched the FO pass on trying to secure REAL TALENT, that was available in areas where we have extreme need, and most of it was signed for money that we had an abundance of. This trait, (finding a way to go on the cheap), is the very TRADEMARK of this organization, and has been for years. Even last year, they hoarded away 40 million in cash. That is PRECISELY why the more progressive, (and successful), owners made the salary cap floor rule in the new CBA. The have become extremely tired of having to fork over revenue that they have earned, in order to share with teams who are less effective monetarily.

They must be appalled that their efforts to drag the Cardinals into the 21st Century, only succeeded in dragging them out of the 19th into the 20th. The Cardinals still refuse to pony up like the successful franchises do.
I know that Mr. Bidwill had to wait 20 years before he got the new stadium that he was promised by Carl Eller when tje Cards agreed to leave St. Louis for the Valley. But the fans came through when big business in the Valley would not. He HAS his new stadium, and it is among the best in the NFL. You don't see anyone suing the Bidwills because they could not sit in their paid for seats at the U of P. Additionally, the fans have filled the seats for every game played there. Revenue streams are beginning to match some of the HAVES in the league. This is no time for the Bidwills to retreat back into their cave to count the family fortune again. It is time for them to join the REAL NFL. The owners and players worked out a remarkable CBA which will certainly take them forward for 10, (possibly even the next 20) years. The Bidwills need to take an active part in this journey with the rest of the league.

The trade idea that Mitch presented has some real merit. It also as some flaws. While it does a magnificent job of shoring up our defense, it leaves us woefully short on offense, because we still will not only be missing the true (and proven) #2 receiver that we just passed on, but we will have traded away our only #1 also. I just don't see that shoring up our weak 'D', at the expense of having no viable 'O' makes us any better than we are right now. Yes, it results in us getting genuine value for Fitzgerald, as opposed to allowing him to walk, but we will all have to wait at least another year to fix the offense to where we are competitive again. The sad part is, the Cardinals had the money to fix almost ALL of the defensive needs this year, while strengthening our offense tremendously. We chose only to fix the offense and part of the defense, and then went back into our cave to count our remaining money instead of capping off what should have been a wonderful opportunity to fix both areas. That, (to me) is sad commentary indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a sandwich shop down the street from me that has decent sandwiches and is very busy at lunch due to being one of the few lunch options for the local businesses. The place is a not very clean, they serve the food on crappy paper plates, have canned soda instead of a fountain, cheap plastic chairs etc. The owner would rather keep his money then spend on upgrades for the place, but people keep coming. It’s his choice he is the owner. I don’t like it so I don’t go there, that’s my choice as a consumer. I don’t constantly complain about it. I realized even though I like the food, I don’t like the way the restaurant is run and moved on. I wish them well, but the wont get any more money from me, it’s an easy concept.

 

[Catfish]

Exactly! I was banned last week for being nauseated by the naysayers. That's ok, just went to other Cardinal forum, where my positive outlook towards the Cardinals was appreciated.

I doubt that there is any truth to that statement. You were banned for violating some ASFN regulation if you were banned at all. If you are nauseated by naysayers, why not simply scroll past their diatribe?????

 

[joeshmo]

And what I can't fathom most of all is after having gotten rooked out of $40M to make last year's team competitive, so many people are OK with the FO sitting on $13.6M---

WRONG. First it was 30 mill not 40 mill. Next I can add another one to the list of people who still incorrectly consider cap to equal real world money spent.