Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. It's likely that Warner intended all along to retire after this year. Kudos to all of you who thought this from the get-go. When Warner said last year that he intended to play the two years of his contract, I believed him.
Ideally, Warner would have liked to retire after last year's Super Bowl. Apparently he even mulled retiring after the Boldin hit in NY.
So what happened?
If you recall, after Warner announced after the Super Bowl that he was going to ponder his retirement, within a day or so Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein was telling the media that his client had no intention of retiring and was expecting to sign a new contract. Did any of you find the timing of these announcements rather curious?
What I believed happened is that Bartelstein reminded Warner that he just took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl making a paltry $5M. He also likely reminded Warner that the Cardinals were not interested in engaging in contract talks prior to that season because Matt Leinart was expected to be the starter---even though Warner led the team to a 5-3 record down the stretch scoring what was---for the Cardinals---a whopping 27 points per game.
Bartelstein told Warner that he deserved to be handsomely rewarded for his accomplishments. Ideally that compensation should come from the Cardinals, and that the Cardinals, fresh off an unprecedented Super Bowl berth, should be willing to pony up the big bucks.
When negotiations with the Cardinals were moving slowly, Bartelstein put the hustle on the 49ers and vice versa. Even the media could see through this less than opaque veil...there was no way Warner was a fit in SF and he'd be leaving behind the best trio of WRs in the NFL.
And...if Warner was to sign with the 49ers, he not only would have to move his family, he would have to try to assimilate into a new system throwing to new WRs and---and this is the catch---how could he justify doing all this for one year, especially if the 49ers signed him to a 2-3 year contract.
With the Cardinals Warner could easily retire after one year, as, alas, he is apparently going to do tomorrow.
2. The amazing thing is, and I think Warner even surprised himself a little, his performances this year were often nothing short of spectacular, save ironically two dud performances versus the 49ers and a rough day versus Carolina.
Warner's performance versus Green Bay was, in my opinion, the best game he ever played. He was so brilliant in that game---in a game where he and everyone else knew he virtually had to find a way to score a TD on every possible possesssion. And he dang near did. 5 TDs throws and 4 incompletions? Unreal. Stratospheric.
3. The irony is that Warner's last playoff game was strangely similar to his very first...both were played at the Super Dome versus the Saints and both were lopsided affairs that had mostly to do with Warner's defense getting manhandled..
Another small irony is that next year would have been Warner's 13th in the NFL...his number. Could the stars have been aligned for a magical ride into the sunset following his 13th year? Now it appears no one will ever know. But, the way Warner was playing this year, his magic is alive and well. Curious that he said that "a player doesn't want to leave too soon." Well, there was no real dropoff in Warner's play this season. In fact, one could argue that his game is still evolving, as this year he was far more decisive than ever before.
4. Could Warner get antsy and pull a Brett Favre and show up two weeks into training camp? For one more ride, I think the Cardinals should even suggest it. Warner knows the system so well, give him three weeks to get his timing and have him come in fresh. Why not? Sure, I know, that doesn't seem like something Warner would do...for he's 100% committed or nothing at all. But, hey, for one last chance at a ring?
5. The problem for the Cardinals and Ken Whisenhunt now is how they are going to battle the perceptions---for right or for wrong---that Warner was the driving force behind the team's success. Heck, already the pundits are hailing the 49ers as the new favorite in the NFC West.
Whiz is a master at this type of motivation...but, the reality is he and the team cannot have a significant dropoff at QB if they are going to three-peat. If there is a dropoff in the team's performance, the perceptions will linger.
6. I was thinking the other day, had the Bidwills not saddled Whiz with Clancy Pendergast, and Whiz was able to take a Dick LeBeau disciple with him to Arizona to be the DC, would the Cardinals have won the Super Bowl?
7. What the Cardinals need on defense is a breath of fresh air. It's not that Bill Davis didn't make some progress. He did---although one could also argue that the Cardinals' schedule was a little easier this year. But, to think that the Cardinals played such atrocious pass defense with 3 Pro Bowlers in their secondary for two straight games, really makes you question not only Davis, but the whole system in general.
Good defense is not just about the system it's about honing the right mentality. Look at how imposing the Jets were on defense this year---they were nowhere near as imposing last year. But, Rex Ryan gave those players attitude and put the fun back in the game for them.
This is what the Cardinals need...someone who can get the players to play attack defense and play with attitude.
The soft defense we saw in the playoffs was embarrasing.
After the Jets beat the Chargers, Rex Ryan was apologizing to the Jets' fans for his defense getting "soft" on the Chargers' last late TD. Now, that's the kind of attitude the coach and his players need.
8. The Cardinal will have tens of millions of dollars in which to bolster their roster, which certainly makes things interesting.
Look at these figures from last year's cap that won't be on this year's:
Warner ($11.5M)
Dansby ($9.7M)
Gandy ($5.8M)
Okeafor ($5.4M)
McFadden ($5.0M)*
Berry ($1.3M)
Robinson ($1.1M)
That's a total of $40M.
Now, Joe makes a good point about other players' bonusues cutting into this number...but this year that dent shouldn't be too much at all.
*There's no way the Cardinals are going to retain BMF. His $5M salary for this year---none of it is guaranteed---the Cardinals paid him his $5M guaranteed last year as his first year salary.
The regrettable thing is, McFadden was paid more than Darnell Dockett this past year.
Dockett's case for a new contract is legit. The Cardinals in this situation, need to act.
9. As for the defense, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals make a run at NTs Casey Hampton or Vince Woolfork. Both might be franchise-tagged, but it's possible neither of them will.
I was also wondering what kind of a package the Cardinals could offer the Broncos for OLB Elvis Dumervil. It may take Boldin and a draft pick...but, hey, Dumervil would be instant energy for this defense.
Two veterans the Cardinals might want to consider, both of whom should be very affordable are LB Larry Foote and CB Ken Lucas. Foote registered 99 tackles with the Lions last year and would be good insurance in case Gerald Hayes' back continues to be an issue. And, Lucas could be a veteran mentor for DRC and Greg Toler, while contributing to the defense at CB and in nickel and dime packages.
10. My favorite Kurt Warner memory...I think it's the pass to Fitz with 2:37 left in the Super Bowl. I don't think I have ever been so happy as a Cardinal fan as I was at that moment.
What is your favorite Warner memory?
Let's ALL say a prayer tonight to ask God to intercept Warner's retirement pass and inspire him to play one more year. One more magical ride #13. You can do it!
Ideally, Warner would have liked to retire after last year's Super Bowl. Apparently he even mulled retiring after the Boldin hit in NY.
So what happened?
If you recall, after Warner announced after the Super Bowl that he was going to ponder his retirement, within a day or so Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein was telling the media that his client had no intention of retiring and was expecting to sign a new contract. Did any of you find the timing of these announcements rather curious?
What I believed happened is that Bartelstein reminded Warner that he just took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl making a paltry $5M. He also likely reminded Warner that the Cardinals were not interested in engaging in contract talks prior to that season because Matt Leinart was expected to be the starter---even though Warner led the team to a 5-3 record down the stretch scoring what was---for the Cardinals---a whopping 27 points per game.
Bartelstein told Warner that he deserved to be handsomely rewarded for his accomplishments. Ideally that compensation should come from the Cardinals, and that the Cardinals, fresh off an unprecedented Super Bowl berth, should be willing to pony up the big bucks.
When negotiations with the Cardinals were moving slowly, Bartelstein put the hustle on the 49ers and vice versa. Even the media could see through this less than opaque veil...there was no way Warner was a fit in SF and he'd be leaving behind the best trio of WRs in the NFL.
And...if Warner was to sign with the 49ers, he not only would have to move his family, he would have to try to assimilate into a new system throwing to new WRs and---and this is the catch---how could he justify doing all this for one year, especially if the 49ers signed him to a 2-3 year contract.
With the Cardinals Warner could easily retire after one year, as, alas, he is apparently going to do tomorrow.
2. The amazing thing is, and I think Warner even surprised himself a little, his performances this year were often nothing short of spectacular, save ironically two dud performances versus the 49ers and a rough day versus Carolina.
Warner's performance versus Green Bay was, in my opinion, the best game he ever played. He was so brilliant in that game---in a game where he and everyone else knew he virtually had to find a way to score a TD on every possible possesssion. And he dang near did. 5 TDs throws and 4 incompletions? Unreal. Stratospheric.
3. The irony is that Warner's last playoff game was strangely similar to his very first...both were played at the Super Dome versus the Saints and both were lopsided affairs that had mostly to do with Warner's defense getting manhandled..
Another small irony is that next year would have been Warner's 13th in the NFL...his number. Could the stars have been aligned for a magical ride into the sunset following his 13th year? Now it appears no one will ever know. But, the way Warner was playing this year, his magic is alive and well. Curious that he said that "a player doesn't want to leave too soon." Well, there was no real dropoff in Warner's play this season. In fact, one could argue that his game is still evolving, as this year he was far more decisive than ever before.
4. Could Warner get antsy and pull a Brett Favre and show up two weeks into training camp? For one more ride, I think the Cardinals should even suggest it. Warner knows the system so well, give him three weeks to get his timing and have him come in fresh. Why not? Sure, I know, that doesn't seem like something Warner would do...for he's 100% committed or nothing at all. But, hey, for one last chance at a ring?
5. The problem for the Cardinals and Ken Whisenhunt now is how they are going to battle the perceptions---for right or for wrong---that Warner was the driving force behind the team's success. Heck, already the pundits are hailing the 49ers as the new favorite in the NFC West.
Whiz is a master at this type of motivation...but, the reality is he and the team cannot have a significant dropoff at QB if they are going to three-peat. If there is a dropoff in the team's performance, the perceptions will linger.
6. I was thinking the other day, had the Bidwills not saddled Whiz with Clancy Pendergast, and Whiz was able to take a Dick LeBeau disciple with him to Arizona to be the DC, would the Cardinals have won the Super Bowl?
7. What the Cardinals need on defense is a breath of fresh air. It's not that Bill Davis didn't make some progress. He did---although one could also argue that the Cardinals' schedule was a little easier this year. But, to think that the Cardinals played such atrocious pass defense with 3 Pro Bowlers in their secondary for two straight games, really makes you question not only Davis, but the whole system in general.
Good defense is not just about the system it's about honing the right mentality. Look at how imposing the Jets were on defense this year---they were nowhere near as imposing last year. But, Rex Ryan gave those players attitude and put the fun back in the game for them.
This is what the Cardinals need...someone who can get the players to play attack defense and play with attitude.
The soft defense we saw in the playoffs was embarrasing.
After the Jets beat the Chargers, Rex Ryan was apologizing to the Jets' fans for his defense getting "soft" on the Chargers' last late TD. Now, that's the kind of attitude the coach and his players need.
8. The Cardinal will have tens of millions of dollars in which to bolster their roster, which certainly makes things interesting.
Look at these figures from last year's cap that won't be on this year's:
Warner ($11.5M)
Dansby ($9.7M)
Gandy ($5.8M)
Okeafor ($5.4M)
McFadden ($5.0M)*
Berry ($1.3M)
Robinson ($1.1M)
That's a total of $40M.
Now, Joe makes a good point about other players' bonusues cutting into this number...but this year that dent shouldn't be too much at all.
*There's no way the Cardinals are going to retain BMF. His $5M salary for this year---none of it is guaranteed---the Cardinals paid him his $5M guaranteed last year as his first year salary.
The regrettable thing is, McFadden was paid more than Darnell Dockett this past year.
Dockett's case for a new contract is legit. The Cardinals in this situation, need to act.
9. As for the defense, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals make a run at NTs Casey Hampton or Vince Woolfork. Both might be franchise-tagged, but it's possible neither of them will.
I was also wondering what kind of a package the Cardinals could offer the Broncos for OLB Elvis Dumervil. It may take Boldin and a draft pick...but, hey, Dumervil would be instant energy for this defense.
Two veterans the Cardinals might want to consider, both of whom should be very affordable are LB Larry Foote and CB Ken Lucas. Foote registered 99 tackles with the Lions last year and would be good insurance in case Gerald Hayes' back continues to be an issue. And, Lucas could be a veteran mentor for DRC and Greg Toler, while contributing to the defense at CB and in nickel and dime packages.
10. My favorite Kurt Warner memory...I think it's the pass to Fitz with 2:37 left in the Super Bowl. I don't think I have ever been so happy as a Cardinal fan as I was at that moment.
What is your favorite Warner memory?
Let's ALL say a prayer tonight to ask God to intercept Warner's retirement pass and inspire him to play one more year. One more magical ride #13. You can do it!
