Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. When you look at what Bill Davis did in preparing for the Vikings, what a superb job he did. First of all, to shut down Adrian Peterson as well as his defense did was extraordinary. The flow of the inside three to the ball, versus one of the premier offensive lines in the league, was textbook. Dockett, Robinson, Branch and Campbell (whichever of the three were in the game) kept near perfect spacing as they directed their flow toward the play side. This provided narrow creases that the Cardinals' defenders were able to close when AP made his move.
Then, the coverage schemes were simply astute. That "ameoba" alignment in the middle of the field with the safeties and linebackers was almost like what teams are doing on kickoffs these days in order to confuse the blocking assignments. There is no question that then alignment confused a QB in Favre who would rarely if ever be that confused...or remain that confused for such an extended period of time. How about the play in which Adrian Wilson was lined up on the right edge and on the snap crossed the field to cover the back out of the backfield, which nearly resulted in a pick six for Wilson? How often have you ever seen a scheme like that one?
Whiz knew exactly what he was doing when he promoted Bill Davis. Wow, this guy really brings it. And, what's also great about him is how humble and forthcoming he is...just like Whiz. If you recall, during the previous week in the aftermath of the 99 yard drive in Tennessee, Davis candidly told reporters that he was "haunted" by the drive and that "I could have made some better calls."
How about the way this defense huddles on the sidelines...they have never been more unified. And, if you recall, following the Panthers' game where the defense was humiliated, Davis avowed that following week that he was sure his defense had what it takes to be dominant. Honestly, when I read that I was extremely dubious about the remark...but, this guy really knows how to get his troups to bounce back in a big way, and that's a reflection on superb coaching. Every team is going to make mistakes and some that will cost the team ballgames. But, it's the way in which teams respond to those mistakes that is the measure of the players' true character and the coaches' innate ability to motivate. Davis deserves to be commended for bringing a style and purpose and resiliency to the defense that we haven't seen in ages.
2. There is no way the Cardinals can even think about letting strength and conditioning coach John Lott slip away. In my way of thinking, he and Whiz are the Lennon and McCartney of the Cardinals' band of coaches. Their efforts have worked hand in hand in turning the whole organization around. John Lott is not expendable. Period. Make him the highest paid S&C coach in the league. He is that valuable.
3. It's interesting to take a peek ahead at next year's roster. Here are my early predictions:
QB: While Kurt Warner may ponder his future again on a sunny beach for a week, he will return for the second year of his contract. I believe the Cardinals will draft a QB this year... a player that could well be the QBOF for the Cardinals.
More than likely Matt Leinart stays...but I do think the Cardinals will entertain thoughts of trading him, if, behind the scenes, Whiz is not as high on him being his QBOF. If that is the case, Whiz will re-sign Brian St. Pierre to be the #2, while Whiz grooms his rookie draft pick.
I also strongly believe that there's a decent chance that Warner will play beyond 2010.
RB: The Cardinals are all set there with the quartet of Hightower, Wells, Wright and Stephens-Howling. I think that the team may try to redo Hightower's contract either this year or next. I believe they view him as a core player...and whether he starts or not is irrelevant.
FB: Kreider will likley be re-signed. If not, look for Justin Green to re-emerge.
WR: The big question here is whether the team will re-sign Q, make him play out the final year of his contract, or trade him. Kurt Warner will want Q to stay, there's no question about that and the sentiment will be that they can make another run at the Lombardi. I think it would surprising if the Cardinals re-signed Q. I think they love what they have in the trio of Fitzgerald, Breaston and Doucet, and because of this, if the Cardinals do get a very attractive trade offer for Q, I think this time they will make the deal. But, if the Cardinals don't get what they want, Q stays. While Q may remain disgruntled, he should be highy motivated to play at an elite level in order to hit free agency with a bang in 2011.
TE: I fully expect that Anthony Becht will be re-signed and the trio of Becht, Patrick and Spach will remain intact.
OL: I think the Cardinals will re-sign Jeremy Bridges and will not re-sign Mike Gandy, unless Gandy accepts a Bertrand Berry type deal. The priority will be to re-sign Deuce Lutui and to add a young left tackle in the draft. If the Cardinals are unable to sign Lutui, look for there to be a TC competition at RG between Brandon Keith, Herman Johnson and Trevor Canfield. The one intriguing thought here might be if the coaches really like Herman Johnson at RT, they may be tempted to see what Levi Brown looks like at RG. There's also the possibility that Brown may be switched over to LT as Gandy's replacement, with Johnson or Bridges taking over at RT. Another player I believe the Cardinals will sign to a longer deal this off-season is C Lyle Sendlein who is having a very solid season.
DL: Dockett becomes the new Q...wants the big restructred contract, but isn't going to get it and isn't going anywhere. Hopefully, Dockett will learn from Q's mistakes. I think that Bryan Robinson, who has been solid this year and a good leader, will likely be re-signed, although may not be if the team can agree to terms with UFA NT Gabe Watson. The team is pretty well set with Calais Campbell and rotation players Alan Branch, Keilen Dykes and Jason Banks.
OLB: One of the reasons why the Cardinals elected to let Chris Harrington go to the Jaguars is that they feel they are happy with the trio of Clark Haggans, Will Davis and Cody Brown. I think they fully intend to draft another OLB in the first 4 rounds, one with better pass rushing skills than Harrington. The likelihood of either Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry returning is probably very slim, unless either agrees to a contract a tad over the veteran minimum.
ILB: This is the one big need area, obviously, if Karlos Dansby hits free agency like he said he intends to. There's no way the Cardinals are going to pony up $15M to tender him as the franchise player for a third consecutive year. And the Cardinals have already made Dansby a lucrative offer which he turned down. Thus, the Cardinals are likely going to have to let Dansby walk, and will search high and wide for a free agent or high draft pick to take his place. For insurance, the Cardinals will re-sign Monty Beisel and hope that Ali Highsmith is John Lott's pet student in the off-season.
At SILB, the tandem of Gerald hayes and Reggie Walker looks pretty well set. Walker is a good run stuffer but may lack the range and overall athleticism needed to play on the weak side.
CB: Pretty well set with DRC, BMF, Michael Adams and Greg Toler. Not sure if Ralph Brown will make it this time, as I think the Cardinals will add another veteran or a draft pick.
S: The big news this off-season, IMO, will be the re-signing of FS Antrel Rolle to a long term extension. I think the coaches will make his signing a priority. We might see a player challenge Matt Ware for a roster spot. One of the most improved players next year should be Rashad Johnson.
ST: The team is set with Rackers, Graham and Leach.
My guess:
Signings (in house):
G Deuce Lutui
C Lyle Sendlein*
TE Anthony Becht
TE Stephen Spach
NT Bryan Robinson
NT Gabe Watson
LB Monty Beisel
FS Antrel Rolle*
* Restructured extensions
Trade:
The Cardinals trade WR Anquan Boldin and flip flop 1st round picks to select LB Rolando McClain and add a 4th rounder in the deal.
Draft:
1. Rolando McClain, LB, (6-4, 248, Alabama)
2. Brandon Lang, DE/OLB, (6-4, 250, Troy)
3. Dan LeFevour, QB, (6-3, 228, Central Michigan)
4a. Alonzo Durham, T, (6-4, 290, Nevada)
4b. Brandon Ghee, CB, (6-0, 190, Wake Forest)
5. Terrell Hudgins, WR, (6-3, 234, Elon)
6. Rafael Eubanks, C, (6-3, 292, Iowa)
7. Dominique Harris, S, (6-3, 218, Temple)
Then, the coverage schemes were simply astute. That "ameoba" alignment in the middle of the field with the safeties and linebackers was almost like what teams are doing on kickoffs these days in order to confuse the blocking assignments. There is no question that then alignment confused a QB in Favre who would rarely if ever be that confused...or remain that confused for such an extended period of time. How about the play in which Adrian Wilson was lined up on the right edge and on the snap crossed the field to cover the back out of the backfield, which nearly resulted in a pick six for Wilson? How often have you ever seen a scheme like that one?
Whiz knew exactly what he was doing when he promoted Bill Davis. Wow, this guy really brings it. And, what's also great about him is how humble and forthcoming he is...just like Whiz. If you recall, during the previous week in the aftermath of the 99 yard drive in Tennessee, Davis candidly told reporters that he was "haunted" by the drive and that "I could have made some better calls."
How about the way this defense huddles on the sidelines...they have never been more unified. And, if you recall, following the Panthers' game where the defense was humiliated, Davis avowed that following week that he was sure his defense had what it takes to be dominant. Honestly, when I read that I was extremely dubious about the remark...but, this guy really knows how to get his troups to bounce back in a big way, and that's a reflection on superb coaching. Every team is going to make mistakes and some that will cost the team ballgames. But, it's the way in which teams respond to those mistakes that is the measure of the players' true character and the coaches' innate ability to motivate. Davis deserves to be commended for bringing a style and purpose and resiliency to the defense that we haven't seen in ages.
2. There is no way the Cardinals can even think about letting strength and conditioning coach John Lott slip away. In my way of thinking, he and Whiz are the Lennon and McCartney of the Cardinals' band of coaches. Their efforts have worked hand in hand in turning the whole organization around. John Lott is not expendable. Period. Make him the highest paid S&C coach in the league. He is that valuable.
3. It's interesting to take a peek ahead at next year's roster. Here are my early predictions:
QB: While Kurt Warner may ponder his future again on a sunny beach for a week, he will return for the second year of his contract. I believe the Cardinals will draft a QB this year... a player that could well be the QBOF for the Cardinals.
More than likely Matt Leinart stays...but I do think the Cardinals will entertain thoughts of trading him, if, behind the scenes, Whiz is not as high on him being his QBOF. If that is the case, Whiz will re-sign Brian St. Pierre to be the #2, while Whiz grooms his rookie draft pick.
I also strongly believe that there's a decent chance that Warner will play beyond 2010.
RB: The Cardinals are all set there with the quartet of Hightower, Wells, Wright and Stephens-Howling. I think that the team may try to redo Hightower's contract either this year or next. I believe they view him as a core player...and whether he starts or not is irrelevant.
FB: Kreider will likley be re-signed. If not, look for Justin Green to re-emerge.
WR: The big question here is whether the team will re-sign Q, make him play out the final year of his contract, or trade him. Kurt Warner will want Q to stay, there's no question about that and the sentiment will be that they can make another run at the Lombardi. I think it would surprising if the Cardinals re-signed Q. I think they love what they have in the trio of Fitzgerald, Breaston and Doucet, and because of this, if the Cardinals do get a very attractive trade offer for Q, I think this time they will make the deal. But, if the Cardinals don't get what they want, Q stays. While Q may remain disgruntled, he should be highy motivated to play at an elite level in order to hit free agency with a bang in 2011.
TE: I fully expect that Anthony Becht will be re-signed and the trio of Becht, Patrick and Spach will remain intact.
OL: I think the Cardinals will re-sign Jeremy Bridges and will not re-sign Mike Gandy, unless Gandy accepts a Bertrand Berry type deal. The priority will be to re-sign Deuce Lutui and to add a young left tackle in the draft. If the Cardinals are unable to sign Lutui, look for there to be a TC competition at RG between Brandon Keith, Herman Johnson and Trevor Canfield. The one intriguing thought here might be if the coaches really like Herman Johnson at RT, they may be tempted to see what Levi Brown looks like at RG. There's also the possibility that Brown may be switched over to LT as Gandy's replacement, with Johnson or Bridges taking over at RT. Another player I believe the Cardinals will sign to a longer deal this off-season is C Lyle Sendlein who is having a very solid season.
DL: Dockett becomes the new Q...wants the big restructred contract, but isn't going to get it and isn't going anywhere. Hopefully, Dockett will learn from Q's mistakes. I think that Bryan Robinson, who has been solid this year and a good leader, will likely be re-signed, although may not be if the team can agree to terms with UFA NT Gabe Watson. The team is pretty well set with Calais Campbell and rotation players Alan Branch, Keilen Dykes and Jason Banks.
OLB: One of the reasons why the Cardinals elected to let Chris Harrington go to the Jaguars is that they feel they are happy with the trio of Clark Haggans, Will Davis and Cody Brown. I think they fully intend to draft another OLB in the first 4 rounds, one with better pass rushing skills than Harrington. The likelihood of either Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry returning is probably very slim, unless either agrees to a contract a tad over the veteran minimum.
ILB: This is the one big need area, obviously, if Karlos Dansby hits free agency like he said he intends to. There's no way the Cardinals are going to pony up $15M to tender him as the franchise player for a third consecutive year. And the Cardinals have already made Dansby a lucrative offer which he turned down. Thus, the Cardinals are likely going to have to let Dansby walk, and will search high and wide for a free agent or high draft pick to take his place. For insurance, the Cardinals will re-sign Monty Beisel and hope that Ali Highsmith is John Lott's pet student in the off-season.
At SILB, the tandem of Gerald hayes and Reggie Walker looks pretty well set. Walker is a good run stuffer but may lack the range and overall athleticism needed to play on the weak side.
CB: Pretty well set with DRC, BMF, Michael Adams and Greg Toler. Not sure if Ralph Brown will make it this time, as I think the Cardinals will add another veteran or a draft pick.
S: The big news this off-season, IMO, will be the re-signing of FS Antrel Rolle to a long term extension. I think the coaches will make his signing a priority. We might see a player challenge Matt Ware for a roster spot. One of the most improved players next year should be Rashad Johnson.
ST: The team is set with Rackers, Graham and Leach.
My guess:
Signings (in house):
G Deuce Lutui
C Lyle Sendlein*
TE Anthony Becht
TE Stephen Spach
NT Bryan Robinson
NT Gabe Watson
LB Monty Beisel
FS Antrel Rolle*
* Restructured extensions
Trade:
The Cardinals trade WR Anquan Boldin and flip flop 1st round picks to select LB Rolando McClain and add a 4th rounder in the deal.
Draft:
1. Rolando McClain, LB, (6-4, 248, Alabama)
2. Brandon Lang, DE/OLB, (6-4, 250, Troy)
3. Dan LeFevour, QB, (6-3, 228, Central Michigan)
4a. Alonzo Durham, T, (6-4, 290, Nevada)
4b. Brandon Ghee, CB, (6-0, 190, Wake Forest)
5. Terrell Hudgins, WR, (6-3, 234, Elon)
6. Rafael Eubanks, C, (6-3, 292, Iowa)
7. Dominique Harris, S, (6-3, 218, Temple)
