Whis tells Bick and MJ Cards are talking to Faneca

[Duckjake]

Okay, but allow me to make a few points.

1-No one is saying we need to run like the Jets from last season; that's too overbalanced in emphasizing the run.

2-We don't have the QB to run the same 4-wide throw like crazy offense as before.

3-We need to be confident enough that, on a 3rd or 4th and 1, we can actually run the ball and pick it up. Wells next to Sendlein in no way inspires that for me. Having Faneca or even the mauler Hadnot next to Sendlein makes me feel a little better.

I agree. But you said you wanted a grind it out rushing attack. That won't work in the NFL.

What you posted above will.

 

[Duckjake]

Could it possibly be as simple as this?

If you are a 49ers', Seahawks' or Rams' DT, who would you rather line up against as you prepare to play the Cardinals, Alan Faneca or Reggie Wells?

How's that for a rhetorical question?

Wells does nothing to strike fear in a DT's heart.

Faneca does and always will.

If you don't believe me, go ask Doug who was an NFL tackle. Ask him who he would rather line up next to, Faneca or Wells?

In addtion, if you think running the ball is going to be easier this year, you are grossly mistaken.

Last year, the #1 threat...fear factor, if you will, was Warner exploting the defense.

That factor is gone.

What teams will do now, now that Warner is gone is blitz like maniacs...for one it is going to make it harder to run...and for two, if the Cardinals pass, the defense will hope to get in Leinart's face to force quick, errant throws.

Alan Fancea takes the romance out of the blitz. He will knock you on your arse. And what's left is a gaping hole to run through or an added two seconds to find the hot receiver.

What this means as well is, having a bona fide running attack with good run blockers, will mean the defense will be forced at time to bring a safety into the box and this is when the Cardinals can exploit the defense with the passing game.

To run the ball often and effectively in the NFL you HAVE to have the horses up front. Alan Faneca is a stallion...has been to date, and will always be.

I watched him every play in AFC Championship game versus that quick swarming Colts' defense...and he was knocking the snot out of guys left and right. The Jets don't want to pay him because he signed a lucrative contract with bells and whistles before Big Rex was hired.

The Jets will miss Faneca, I guarantee you. The fear factor in playing them won't be nearly as profound.

I will say this: if the Cardinals sign Faneca, they will have added two of the Jets' 5 most dynamic and talented players.

Mitch if that's true why couldn't the Cards run the ball the second half of the 2007 season or for most of the 2008 season? Or the first 7 games of 2009? I remember that puzzled a lot of us here at ASFN.

It wasn't until Beanie Wells got up to NFL speed that the run game took off for Arizona. They rushed for over 100 yards 8 times in their last 11 games including postseason last year after going over 100 once the first 7.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Do your own homework, Jeff.
Cards 2009 blocking stats.
Jets 2009 blocking stats.

Faneca gave up 6 sacks in 525 dropbacks. That's 1 sack every 87.5 dropbacks. He allowed 16 QB pressures, which is a pressure every 32.81 dropbacks.

Wells and Lutui saw 731 and 730 dropbacks last season. Wells gave up 3 sacks and 22 QB pressures (Warner held the ball forever--that's why he takes so many hits). That's a sack every 243 dropbacks, and a pressure every 33.22 dropbacks. Lutui gave up 2 sacks and 26 pressures. That's a sack every 365 drops, and a pressure every 28 dropbacks.

Essentially, everyone's allowing pressure on the QB, but Faneca is much more likely to get your QB put on his back than the guys we have.

Just in case you think I'm cherry-picking data, here are the stats from when he was working with Grimm in Pittsbugh.

310 pass blocks, 4 sacks, 7 QB pressures. That's a sack every 77.5 dropbacks, and a pressure every 44.28 dropbacks. Three years ago when the Steelers were doing everything they could to protect Roethlisberger.

Stats don't always tell the whole story. Did you see the Jets run the ball in the postseason? D'brickeshaw Ferguson was displeased when the Jets released Faneca; That tells me more than the stats.

 

[BigRedRage]

well, hes ours now.

 

[Cardiac]

Does Kurt really hold the ball that long? I seem to recall his biggest positive was his ability to get rid of the ball quickley.

I responded before I saw K9 already covered this.

 

[desertfitter]

Feneca

Feneca signed by Cards-2.5 mil.