What They're Saying About the Cardinals Draft
Draft Winners and Losers
By Don Banks
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/don_banks/04/24/banks.winners.losers.day2/index.html
Winners:
1. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals did nothing to stifle the buzz that they're a team on the rise in 2005. True, they didn't get lucky and have one of the top three running backs fall to them at No. 8. But they didn't panic. They took the cornerback they had rated No. 1 on their board in Miami's Antrel Rolle, and then picked up a runner in the second round -- Cal's J.J. Arrington -- who many had ranked as the draft's fourth-best rusher.
Arizona got itself even more help in the secondary with Virginia Tech cornerback Eric Green in the third round, and then added another play-making presence to its already young and athletic defense in third-round linebacker Darryl Blackstock of Virginia. The Cardinals stayed with the Virginia theme in the fourth round, picking up an outstanding value in Cavaliers guard Elton Brown. Many had Brown rated as the draft's best guard prospect.
Our take: Draft day's best values, biggest reaches
By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2005draft/2005-04-24-report-card_x.htm
Touchdown - One of the draft's big winners.
Arizona: Another solid effort by Dennis Green & Co., who filled major needs with physical CB Antrell Rolle and 2,000-yard rusher J.J. Arrington. The mid-rounders from Virginia (LB Darryl Blackstock and G Elton Brown) are exceptional value picks.
Note: Only three touchdowns were graded in the 2005 Draft, Arizona, Philadelphia and Dallas.
Dallas, Philly, Baltimore earn top draft grades
By Mel Kiper
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft05/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=2045144
After two days and 255 NFL draft picks, now's the time to evaluate what each team accomplished in New York.
The group of clear winners includes last year's NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.
Arizona Cardinals: A
The Cardinals had to have a corner and a running back in this draft and they got both in the first two rounds. Antrel Rolle was maybe the best defensive player on the board and J.J. Arrington is a productive back who was a good value in the second round. Eric Green adds depth at corner; linebacker Darryl Blackstock and guard Elton Brown were also nice values; and if linebacker Lance Mitchell reverts to his pre-injury form, he could become a decent player.
Kiper on ESPN’s SportsCenter: ESPN's Mel Kiper selected the Cardinals and Eagles as his two NFL winners of the 2005 NFL Draft: "I pick Philadelphia and Arizona - two coaches who really understand the process, Denny Green and Andy Reid….Arizona needed cornerback help and needed a running back. They got Antrel Rolle and Eric Green (at coernerback) and a running back in J.J. Arrington."
Solid drafts move Cardinals, Vikings forward
By Len Pasquarelli
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft05/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2044642
But, in our humble opinion, the Vikings and Cardinals, the franchise that Dennis Green once coached and the outfit by which he is now employed, were certainly among the weekend's biggest winners. And given the limp divisions in which each competes, the impressive draft bounties that the two teams amassed could be enough to further close the already narrow talent gap between themselves and the defending division champions.
Green went into the draft wanting to get quicker, and he accomplished that with most of his early choices, in particular cornerback Antrel Rolle. The Cardinals are not shy about throwing rookies into the fray -- four of their seven draft picks from a year ago started as rookies -- and Rolle has already been penciled into the lineup. Second-round tailback J.J. Arrington, a player the sometimes transparent Green has been touting since the combine workouts, could start as well. Linebacker Darryl Blackstock and guard Elton Brown were flat-out steals, respectively, in the third and fourth rounds. Even down to the final pick, Indiana (Pa.) wide receiver LeRon McCoy, the Cardinals were going for playmakers.
Other very strong draft classes included those at Dallas, San Diego and Atlanta. Bill Parcells probably moved his Cowboys, a team being fashioned defensively into a 3-4 unit, much closer to respectability but not yet within shouting distance of the powerful Philadelphia Eagles. The Cardinals, though, could be within striking range, legitimately, of a division crown.
"We've got this franchise going in the right direction," Green acknowledged, "and this [draft] moves us closer to being where we need to get. We're close to winning time."
Monday Morning Quarterback
Peter King
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/peter_king/04/25/mmqb.draft/5.html
5. I think you won't see me join the instant-grade brigade, because it's difficult to judge teams' drafts after 24 hours. You can't really judge them after 24 months, so how can you do it instantaneously? But I'll tell you a few things I saw that I liked:
a. Arizona's pick of J.J. Arrington 44th overall. That guy has a better current upside than Travis Henry, and he should win the starting job this year.
Draft grades for every NFL team
By Dan Pompei
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3566742
Arizona Cardinals: A+
Antrel Rolle might play in more Pro Bowls than anyone in this draft. Each one of their selections was a good value pick, especially guard Elton Brown in the fourth.
Drafts by Cowboys, Vikings could make Eagles feel heat
League analysis: Along with Cardinals, Dallas and Minnesota are NFC's big winners.
By Ken Murray
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...y?coll=bal-sports-football&ctrack=1&cset=true
It's not hard to imagine Arizona overtaking the Seattle Seahawks or St. Louis Rams in the division after Green's weekend performance in the war room. The San Francisco 49ers are still in the early stages of restoration under former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.
Green filled holes left and right in the draft. After trading former Raven Duane Starks in the offseason, he got a starting left cornerback in Antrel Rolle of Miami in the first round. He got another athletic corner, Eric Green of Virginia Tech, in the third. He got a big-play outside linebacker, Virginia's Darryl Blackstock, in the third, and a falling inside linebacker, Oklahoma's Lance Mitchell, with an injury history, in the fifth.
On offense, Green reached somewhat to take 5-8 running back J.J. Arrington of California in the second round. But Green believes Arrington can run for 1,200 yards in the NFL.
In the fourth, he got a bargain when he took another plummeting player, Virginia guard Elton Brown. They go with a new quarterback, Kurt Warner, and a new tackle, Oliver Ross, on offense to give Arizona new hope.
The Cardinals shouldn't be able to challenge the Eagles this season, but it may not take long before they do.
Gosselin: Cowboys earn an 'A'
By RICK GOSSELIN
http://www.cowboysplus.com/topstorync/stories/042505cpdraftgrades.448de44e.html
A - Arizona: Antrel Rolle and Eric Green give the Cardinals a couple of big, physical corners. J.J. Arrington could be a steal in the second round, coming off a 2,000-yard rushing season at Cal. Dennis Green has always done well with speed backs.
Chicago Trib (Pierson): The need to fill needs (2005 draft analysis)
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/football/cs-0504250142apr25,1,4958875.story
Analysis: Rolle and Arrington will start right away and Green will have a chance, as will Blackstock and Brown. Bad teams usually have good drafts because they need starters. Coach Denny Green had four draft choices start last season and is never afraid to give untested young players a chance. The productive 5-9 Arrington was first RB selected after the Big Three.
Grade: A
Several Teams Are Up to Speed on Filling Major Needs
By CLIFTON BROWN
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/25/sports/football/25draft.html?oref=login&pagewanted=print&position=
Some N.F.L. teams that have been active in the off-season continued to make intriguing moves during the draft.
Take the Arizona Cardinals, who had an excellent draft on paper over the weekend, selecting a top-rated cornerback (Antrel Rolle) in the first round and an explosive running back (J. J. Arrington) in the second.
After a 6-10 season, Coach Dennis Green hopes to change the atmosphere of a franchise that has endured six consecutive losing seasons.
"We're making some major changes this winter, and I mean, who's surprised by that?" Green said last month. "You think I could stand another year like last year? There's just no way."
The Cardinals might have gotten a steal in the draft on Saturday with Arrington, who was the country's only 2,000-yard rusher last season (2,056 at California). Pro scouts were at every Cal game last season, analyzing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who dropped to No. 24 in the draft, where he was taken by Green Bay. Some scouts expect Arrington to be a better professional player than Rodgers, and Arrington will have an immediate chance to start, now that Emmitt Smith has retired.
Draft Winners and Losers
By Don Banks
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/don_banks/04/24/banks.winners.losers.day2/index.html
Winners:
1. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals did nothing to stifle the buzz that they're a team on the rise in 2005. True, they didn't get lucky and have one of the top three running backs fall to them at No. 8. But they didn't panic. They took the cornerback they had rated No. 1 on their board in Miami's Antrel Rolle, and then picked up a runner in the second round -- Cal's J.J. Arrington -- who many had ranked as the draft's fourth-best rusher.
Arizona got itself even more help in the secondary with Virginia Tech cornerback Eric Green in the third round, and then added another play-making presence to its already young and athletic defense in third-round linebacker Darryl Blackstock of Virginia. The Cardinals stayed with the Virginia theme in the fourth round, picking up an outstanding value in Cavaliers guard Elton Brown. Many had Brown rated as the draft's best guard prospect.
Our take: Draft day's best values, biggest reaches
By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2005draft/2005-04-24-report-card_x.htm
Touchdown - One of the draft's big winners.
Arizona: Another solid effort by Dennis Green & Co., who filled major needs with physical CB Antrell Rolle and 2,000-yard rusher J.J. Arrington. The mid-rounders from Virginia (LB Darryl Blackstock and G Elton Brown) are exceptional value picks.
Note: Only three touchdowns were graded in the 2005 Draft, Arizona, Philadelphia and Dallas.
Dallas, Philly, Baltimore earn top draft grades
By Mel Kiper
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft05/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=2045144
After two days and 255 NFL draft picks, now's the time to evaluate what each team accomplished in New York.
The group of clear winners includes last year's NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.
Arizona Cardinals: A
The Cardinals had to have a corner and a running back in this draft and they got both in the first two rounds. Antrel Rolle was maybe the best defensive player on the board and J.J. Arrington is a productive back who was a good value in the second round. Eric Green adds depth at corner; linebacker Darryl Blackstock and guard Elton Brown were also nice values; and if linebacker Lance Mitchell reverts to his pre-injury form, he could become a decent player.
Kiper on ESPN’s SportsCenter: ESPN's Mel Kiper selected the Cardinals and Eagles as his two NFL winners of the 2005 NFL Draft: "I pick Philadelphia and Arizona - two coaches who really understand the process, Denny Green and Andy Reid….Arizona needed cornerback help and needed a running back. They got Antrel Rolle and Eric Green (at coernerback) and a running back in J.J. Arrington."
Solid drafts move Cardinals, Vikings forward
By Len Pasquarelli
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft05/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2044642
But, in our humble opinion, the Vikings and Cardinals, the franchise that Dennis Green once coached and the outfit by which he is now employed, were certainly among the weekend's biggest winners. And given the limp divisions in which each competes, the impressive draft bounties that the two teams amassed could be enough to further close the already narrow talent gap between themselves and the defending division champions.
Green went into the draft wanting to get quicker, and he accomplished that with most of his early choices, in particular cornerback Antrel Rolle. The Cardinals are not shy about throwing rookies into the fray -- four of their seven draft picks from a year ago started as rookies -- and Rolle has already been penciled into the lineup. Second-round tailback J.J. Arrington, a player the sometimes transparent Green has been touting since the combine workouts, could start as well. Linebacker Darryl Blackstock and guard Elton Brown were flat-out steals, respectively, in the third and fourth rounds. Even down to the final pick, Indiana (Pa.) wide receiver LeRon McCoy, the Cardinals were going for playmakers.
Other very strong draft classes included those at Dallas, San Diego and Atlanta. Bill Parcells probably moved his Cowboys, a team being fashioned defensively into a 3-4 unit, much closer to respectability but not yet within shouting distance of the powerful Philadelphia Eagles. The Cardinals, though, could be within striking range, legitimately, of a division crown.
"We've got this franchise going in the right direction," Green acknowledged, "and this [draft] moves us closer to being where we need to get. We're close to winning time."
Monday Morning Quarterback
Peter King
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/peter_king/04/25/mmqb.draft/5.html
5. I think you won't see me join the instant-grade brigade, because it's difficult to judge teams' drafts after 24 hours. You can't really judge them after 24 months, so how can you do it instantaneously? But I'll tell you a few things I saw that I liked:
a. Arizona's pick of J.J. Arrington 44th overall. That guy has a better current upside than Travis Henry, and he should win the starting job this year.
Draft grades for every NFL team
By Dan Pompei
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3566742
Arizona Cardinals: A+
Antrel Rolle might play in more Pro Bowls than anyone in this draft. Each one of their selections was a good value pick, especially guard Elton Brown in the fourth.
Drafts by Cowboys, Vikings could make Eagles feel heat
League analysis: Along with Cardinals, Dallas and Minnesota are NFC's big winners.
By Ken Murray
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...y?coll=bal-sports-football&ctrack=1&cset=true
It's not hard to imagine Arizona overtaking the Seattle Seahawks or St. Louis Rams in the division after Green's weekend performance in the war room. The San Francisco 49ers are still in the early stages of restoration under former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.
Green filled holes left and right in the draft. After trading former Raven Duane Starks in the offseason, he got a starting left cornerback in Antrel Rolle of Miami in the first round. He got another athletic corner, Eric Green of Virginia Tech, in the third. He got a big-play outside linebacker, Virginia's Darryl Blackstock, in the third, and a falling inside linebacker, Oklahoma's Lance Mitchell, with an injury history, in the fifth.
On offense, Green reached somewhat to take 5-8 running back J.J. Arrington of California in the second round. But Green believes Arrington can run for 1,200 yards in the NFL.
In the fourth, he got a bargain when he took another plummeting player, Virginia guard Elton Brown. They go with a new quarterback, Kurt Warner, and a new tackle, Oliver Ross, on offense to give Arizona new hope.
The Cardinals shouldn't be able to challenge the Eagles this season, but it may not take long before they do.
Gosselin: Cowboys earn an 'A'
By RICK GOSSELIN
http://www.cowboysplus.com/topstorync/stories/042505cpdraftgrades.448de44e.html
A - Arizona: Antrel Rolle and Eric Green give the Cardinals a couple of big, physical corners. J.J. Arrington could be a steal in the second round, coming off a 2,000-yard rushing season at Cal. Dennis Green has always done well with speed backs.
Chicago Trib (Pierson): The need to fill needs (2005 draft analysis)
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/football/cs-0504250142apr25,1,4958875.story
Analysis: Rolle and Arrington will start right away and Green will have a chance, as will Blackstock and Brown. Bad teams usually have good drafts because they need starters. Coach Denny Green had four draft choices start last season and is never afraid to give untested young players a chance. The productive 5-9 Arrington was first RB selected after the Big Three.
Grade: A
Several Teams Are Up to Speed on Filling Major Needs
By CLIFTON BROWN
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/25/sports/football/25draft.html?oref=login&pagewanted=print&position=
Some N.F.L. teams that have been active in the off-season continued to make intriguing moves during the draft.
Take the Arizona Cardinals, who had an excellent draft on paper over the weekend, selecting a top-rated cornerback (Antrel Rolle) in the first round and an explosive running back (J. J. Arrington) in the second.
After a 6-10 season, Coach Dennis Green hopes to change the atmosphere of a franchise that has endured six consecutive losing seasons.
"We're making some major changes this winter, and I mean, who's surprised by that?" Green said last month. "You think I could stand another year like last year? There's just no way."
The Cardinals might have gotten a steal in the draft on Saturday with Arrington, who was the country's only 2,000-yard rusher last season (2,056 at California). Pro scouts were at every Cal game last season, analyzing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who dropped to No. 24 in the draft, where he was taken by Green Bay. Some scouts expect Arrington to be a better professional player than Rodgers, and Arrington will have an immediate chance to start, now that Emmitt Smith has retired.
