What I Would Do

[Stronso]

Mitch - your hunch is based upon a gut feeling and assumptions on your part or reading between the lines of something Kolb said?

 

[kerouac9]

Are the coaches as high on D.J. Young as they were on Brandon Keith? Because that totally worked out.

 

[joeshmo]

IMO Rhodes played pretty good when he came back from injury. He played pretty aggressive as well. Horton will have no problem putting him in the starting line-up.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Explanations/Clarifications:

1. Kevin Kolb: For right or for wrong, it would not surprise me at all if he is having serious thoughts about whether he should risk another concussion and the long-term debilitating effects that could ensue. The two hints of this as far as I can perceive are (1) that he was in communication with the Cardinals' doctors about the lingering symptoms he suffered for another 3-4 after the season---which on the one hand seems proper, but on the other hand, especially with all the speculation about the Cardinals' interest in Peyton Manning, Kolb was making his situation regarding the decision of whether to pay him the $7M roster bonus all the more questionable in light of his medical issues; (2) it makes almost no sense that after receiving the $7M---which is practically as much as the entire coaching staff will make this year---that he would publicly air his frustration with Ken Whisenhunt. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. One would think Kolb would be relieved and grateful to have the Cardinals maintain their investment in him.

Plus, it was the manner in which Kolb talked about the Whisenhunt situation---his tone was kind of like a "I set him straight" type tone. Whisenhunt abhors the airing of dirty laundry---so this HAS to pique him a great deal, especially from a player whom the organization had blind faith in and gave so much to, all for very very little in return thus far.

The excuse made for Kolb is that he didn't have an entire off-season---but hey, a handful of rookie QBs played better than Kolb did---a few even taking their teams to the playoffs---and they were in their first training camps ever.

Maybe I am wrong, but my hunch is that Kolb doesn't really want to play and that if he does he will be all the more skittish---therefore, my thought was to offer him an injury settlement to see if the team could at least reduce or eliminate the $6M future cap hits---

What we don't know for sure is whether Kolb received his guaranteed $10M in full last year---we do know that for cap purposes it was scheduled to be pro-rated over the course of the five years at $2M per. What I wonder is---if Kolb and his agent would be willing to accept the recent $7M as the remainder of the original signing bonus---

Regardless, please hear me correctly on this---if I am wrong and Kolb really wants to play and feels he can stand strong in the pocket and deliver what the offense needs him to do, then at this point it would be ridiculous to cut him. So I was not suggesting that.

2. Trading the safeties and Beanie Wells---all three are not good fits for the system. I am not saying they are bad players---in fact, all three are good enough that they still have trade value.

I have explained previously what Ray Horton wants and needs from his safeties. Neither Wilson nor Rhodes would start for Dick LeBeau because neither is versatile or disciplined enough to perform the roles. If LeBeau had Wilson and Rhodes to work with, he would use Wilson as a situational box blitzer or underneath cover man. Rhodes would be a backside nickel safety at best.

For the money they are making---if they are not the right fit and you could draft a player in Mark Barron who could be your version of Troy Polamalu---you then wouldn't want to embarrass Wilson by starting a rookie in front of him.

The defense played much better last season when Porter and Rhodes went out---a coincidence?

As for Beanie Wells, he has been up and down as a runner due to injuries and fumbles...but he struggles as a blocker and a receiver. A trio of Ryan Williams, Doug Martin and Hyphen would fit the system in that all three of them are swift, quick runners who can catch the ball.

In Cincinnati, Wells would be a good fit for their system (a more traditional running attack and scheme) as a first and second down back.

3. I think Dennis Dixon can fit the system and offer some good mobility in the process. But signing him is for insurance anyway, because the young QB I drafted, Kellen Moore, to me is a great fit in the system because of his uncanny accuracy in the short and intermediate zones...and his penchant for throwing timed routes.

4. How is signing RT Kareem McKenzie "rolling the dice on practice squad tackles"?

I said the Cardinals could groom Batiste or D.J. Young (whom the coaches are very high on---and is one of the reasons why they may not draft a tackle in the middle rounds because they will feel that Young is better anyway) as possible future starters...but the starters would be Brown, Colledge, Sendlein, Snyder and McKenzie---all of whom, save Snyder, have Super Bowl experience---and Snyder is fresh off an NFC Championship experience.

Kolb understands the interest in Manning, but this doesn't preclude being a bit pissed and feeling that there should have been better communication. He simply answered a reporter's question as honestly as he could without ruffling too many feathers. If he had been in full approval of the move, there would be those to say, he doesn't really care about being a starter for the Cards, etc., etc. and should retire forthwith.

If I flirt and my lady catches me, I won't get away by saying, "but, sweetheart - she's the prettiest girl in town!" She'll have a few things to say. Kolb said a few things about the flirtation... no big deal.

 

[Duckjake]

Are the coaches as high on D.J. Young as they were on Brandon Keith? Because that totally worked out.

Hey, they can't be wrong every time. Or can they? Hadnot,Big Baby,Levi Brown, Brandon Keith, Trevor Canfield.....

Well they did get Sendlein right so there's that.

 

[WildBB]

Explanations/Clarifications:

1. Kevin Kolb: For right or for wrong, it would not surprise me at all if he is having serious thoughts about whether he should risk another concussion and the long-term debilitating effects that could ensue. The two hints of this as far as I can perceive are (1) that he was in communication with the Cardinals' doctors about the lingering symptoms he suffered for another 3-4 after the season---which on the one hand seems proper, but on the other hand, especially with all the speculation about the Cardinals' interest in Peyton Manning, Kolb was making his situation regarding the decision of whether to pay him the $7M roster bonus all the more questionable in light of his medical issues; (2) it makes almost no sense that after receiving the $7M---which is practically as much as the entire coaching staff will make this year---that he would publicly air his frustration with Ken Whisenhunt. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. One would think Kolb would be relieved and grateful to have the Cardinals maintain their investment in him.

Plus, it was the manner in which Kolb talked about the Whisenhunt situation---his tone was kind of like a "I set him straight" type tone. Whisenhunt abhors the airing of dirty laundry---so this HAS to pique him a great deal, especially from a player whom the organization had blind faith in and gave so much to, all for very very little in return thus far.

The excuse made for Kolb is that he didn't have an entire off-season---but hey, a handful of rookie QBs played better than Kolb did---a few even taking their teams to the playoffs---and they were in their first training camps ever.

Maybe I am wrong, but my hunch is that Kolb doesn't really want to play and that if he does he will be all the more skittish---therefore, my thought was to offer him an injury settlement to see if the team could at least reduce or eliminate the $6M future cap hits---

What we don't know for sure is whether Kolb received his guaranteed $10M in full last year---we do know that for cap purposes it was scheduled to be pro-rated over the course of the five years at $2M per. What I wonder is---if Kolb and his agent would be willing to accept the recent $7M as the remainder of the original signing bonus---

Regardless, please hear me correctly on this---if I am wrong and Kolb really wants to play and feels he can stand strong in the pocket and deliver what the offense needs him to do, then at this point it would be ridiculous to cut him. So I was not suggesting that.

2. Trading the safeties and Beanie Wells---all three are not good fits for the system. I am not saying they are bad players---in fact, all three are good enough that they still have trade value.

I have explained previously what Ray Horton wants and needs from his safeties. Neither Wilson nor Rhodes would start for Dick LeBeau because neither is versatile or disciplined enough to perform the roles. If LeBeau had Wilson and Rhodes to work with, he would use Wilson as a situational box blitzer or underneath cover man. Rhodes would be a backside nickel safety at best.

For the money they are making---if they are not the right fit and you could draft a player in Mark Barron who could be your version of Troy Polamalu---you then wouldn't want to embarrass Wilson by starting a rookie in front of him.

The defense played much better last season when Porter and Rhodes went out---a coincidence?

As for Beanie Wells, he has been up and down as a runner due to injuries and fumbles...but he struggles as a blocker and a receiver. A trio of Ryan Williams, Doug Martin and Hyphen would fit the system in that all three of them are swift, quick runners who can catch the ball.

In Cincinnati, Wells would be a good fit for their system (a more traditional running attack and scheme) as a first and second down back.

3. I think Dennis Dixon can fit the system and offer some good mobility in the process. But signing him is for insurance anyway, because the young QB I drafted, Kellen Moore, to me is a great fit in the system because of his uncanny accuracy in the short and intermediate zones...and his penchant for throwing timed routes.

4. How is signing RT Kareem McKenzie "rolling the dice on practice squad tackles"?

I said the Cardinals could groom Batiste or D.J. Young (whom the coaches are very high on---and is one of the reasons why they may not draft a tackle in the middle rounds because they will feel that Young is better anyway) as possible future starters...but the starters would be Brown, Colledge, Sendlein, Snyder and McKenzie---all of whom, save Snyder, have Super Bowl experience---and Snyder is fresh off an NFC Championship experience.

Good explanations.....but you are on both sides of your Kolb controversy a little bit with your disclaimer.

That's just it, we won't know how skittish he'll be again. Somewhat, because that's how he is, he doesn't stand tough in the pocket and if the Cards expect that at this point they're probably grasping for what he can't give.

I'd trade him to the Browns for a shot at Kirk Cousins if he's on board where they pick in the 2-3rd. But that's a big if on their part. Heck I'd even take Osweiler over Kolb right now.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Thanks for the read Mitch.

With that said....... I hate all but 2 sentences of the entire thing.

Indeed.

 

[kerouac9]

I get souring on Kolb, but I don't get why you'd want to dismantle the heart of the defense that went 7-2 down the stretch last year. I don't think this team is going to win 12 games next year, but if Mitch was GM, he'd trade away every veteran on the team every offseason in exchange for the magic beans of the draft.

 

[overseascardfan]

Sign:

OT Max Starks - Better than any RT prospect on our roster.

WR Roy Williams - Best FA WR available. Nice complement to Fitz.


Draft:

Round 1 - OLB Melvin Ingram

Round 3 - S George Iloka

Round 4 - OT Nate Potter

Round 5 - OT Levi Adcock

Round 6 - ILB Emmanuel Acho

Round 6 - CB Cliff Harris

Round 7 - OLB Ryan Davis

 

[JeffGollin]

A Cautionary Word About 7 Round Mocks

In the Cardinals' case, 7 round mocks are close to useless.

Reason - the team's drafting philosophy of getting better value round by round by drafting higher-rated players still on their board who happen to fall thru the cracks.

Our boards (& their board) cannot often predict who those players will be until it's time to pick. Therefore, it's close to impossible to lay out in advance, an accurate 7-round team mock.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

In the Cardinals' case, 7 round mocks are close to useless.

Reason - the team's drafting philosophy of getting better value round by round by drafting higher-rated players still on their board who happen to fall thru the cracks.

Our boards (& their board) cannot often predict who those players will be until it's time to pick. Therefore, it's close to impossible to lay out in advance, an accurate 7-round team mock.

+1

 

[overseascardfan]

In the Cardinals' case, 7 round mocks are close to useless.

Reason - the team's drafting philosophy of getting better value round by round by drafting higher-rated players still on their board who happen to fall thru the cracks.

Our boards (& their board) cannot often predict who those players will be until it's time to pick. Therefore, it's close to impossible to lay out in advance, an accurate 7-round team mock.

I think the premise of this thread is to determine what people on this board would do, not so much the Cardinal management because I know realistically there will be some WTF picks they make on draft day....it happens.

 

[WildBB]

In the Cardinals' case, 7 round mocks are close to useless.

Reason - the team's drafting philosophy of getting better value round by round by drafting higher-rated players still on their board who happen to fall thru the cracks.

Our boards (& their board) cannot often predict who those players will be until it's time to pick. Therefore, it's close to impossible to lay out in advance, an accurate 7-round team mock.

But we like to speculate how it could go. Then if one of our picks is right we'll yell I HAD THAT PICK! I CALLED IT! Despite all Odds -

 

[JeffGollin]

One way to manouver around the surprise "fell to us" picks is to adjust your Board in "real time" after every Cardinal pick and create "mini-boards."

For example, after #13, reset your board to list 67 BPA's from #14 to #80. If we drafted a WR at #13, you might want to downgrade the position on your new board.

Do the same thing after our next pick, ranking the 32 remaining BPA's adjusted the reflect the positions taken on your first two picks. That will get you to #112.

And so on.

Sometimes a guy at the top of my board won't be taken for 2 or 3 rounds, & remain at the top of my board unti he's finally picked (Once or twice during the past 8 - 10 years, the Cards actually finally drafted the dude).