Who's In and Bubble Battles

[RugbyMuffin]

Bubble Battles:

QB (1): St. Pierre vs. Palko.
- BSP. Cause Palko should make it to the practice squad.



FB (?): Castille vs. Maiu'a.
- Niether. Castille is making a case for himself, but I believe the Cardinals will go with one fullback.


WR (?): Long vs. Jones.
- Long will be waived and picked up by KC. Onrea Jones, hopefully, will make it on our practice squad.


TE (2?): Spach vs. Pope vs. Byrd.
-I think all three will stay on the roster for now, and Pope will be released when Patrick comes back in four weeks. I doubt we could get anything in a trade for Pope.


OL (2?):
- Elton Brown and Melvin Fowler. Fowler has beaten out Claxton (who I agree played well this offseason), and Elton Brown can play tackle, guard AND special teams. Where as Ross just sucks, IMHO.


NT/DE (1): Watson vs. Leisle vs. Dykes.
-Watson is definately in. No doubt in my mind. I, like a lot of people, am having a hard time watching him struggle, but we need the depth and if he gets healthy he can be effective. We better hope and pray Dykes makes it to our practice squad because even though Dykes can do more, Branch will be taking his spot on the roster.


ILB (2): Highsmith vs. Walker
- Highsmith came back to practice this week Link. He will be on the roster since he is a special teams force and has a year under his belt at ILB. I would be surprised to see Highsmith cut. I hope Reggie Walker makes the practice squad, looks like a player. Yet, I agree the waiver wire plays into this postion


OLB (1): Berry vs. Holloway
-Berry will get a roster spot, and Holloway will battle the waiver wire for a practice squad spot. Berry is better than anything on the waiver wire, and better than Holloway. It is unfortunate that Berry took the offseason off.


CB (1): R. Brown
-Brown stays. Brown has some skill when playing in the middle of the field at a nickel or dime position. If Brown is on the edge then we are in trouble. Brown will stay, and Adams will play on the outside in a pinch. Not to mention Toler is being groomed to be the first guy off the bench if the #1 or #2 CB goes down. Doesn't hurt that he is the player rep for the team as well.


S (1?): Matt Ware
- If I were running the show, Ware is in. He has played well all offseason, IMO. But if something better comes down the waiver wire then so be it.

A trade might be a little to hard to pull off at this moment in the season.

As much as I like Bush out of Green Bay the Packers are not going to let him leave town.

 

[cgolden]

Wouldn't Highsmith have to accept a trip to IR? If he's not really injured and it's more of just a rehab thing, I don't know why he'd be willing to sit out the entire year.

 

[Evil Ash]

I didn't know Mitch came back... Welcome back.

I'd like to see Palko as our 3rd QB. He is an athlete that would be interesting in a wildcat formation and some trickery. He offers us the mobility that neither Matt nor Kurt can offer.

That trickery would be only available in the 4th qtr if both Warner and Leinart are healthy. NFL rules say that emergency QBs can only play in the 4th qtr or if both Qbs are injured.

 

[Cards Czar]

If you are looking for a very good Blocking TE try Ben Hartstock who was let go by ATL.

 

[JeffGollin]

Unlike most years, instead of ranking our players from 1 to 75 and then keeping the top 53, I think there's enough overall talent on this Cardinal team for the coaches to look for a broader mix of different types of players in order to expand our arsenal of weapons to provide answers to what various teams will throw at us in varying situations.

This may mean keeping an extra player at one position and going a bit thin at another. It might, therefore, might also involve an offensive lineman (H Johnson?) battling a defensive lineman (Dykes?) for a remaining roster spot. Or, similarly Byrd (as an H-Back) battling Castille. It most likely means keeping LSH as a 4th RB because of what he brings to our return game.

Some of the battles may pit "experience and expertise" against "athleticism and potential" (i.e. Do we keep Ralph Brown or Michael Adams? Do we keep Ollie Ross or do we keep Herman Johnson? Are we willing to risk losing guys like H Johnson, R Johnson, Toler or even Canfield by hoping to slip them thru waivers to sneak them on the PS)?

Tricky times.

 

[CardLogic]

Do we keep Ollie Ross or do we keep Herman Johnson? Are we willing to risk losing guys like H Johnson, R Johnson, Toler or even Canfield by hoping to slip them thru waivers to sneak them on the PS)?

Johnson, Johnson & Toler: none of them would make it through waivers to the PS. All three will very, very, likely be among the 53.

 

[Goober Man]

I see no way we cut Watson when we're thin at NT...Do you really want to go into the season with Branch and Robinson as your only NTs?

 

[Duckjake]

I see no way we cut Watson when we're thin at NT...Do you really want to go into the season with Branch and Robinson as your only NTs?

I don't see anyway the cut Watson and keep Branch. Unless there is a physical problem with Watson, ala Kenny King, Branch is the one imo who is at risk not Gabe.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

TE : Becht, Spach, Pope, Byrd.

Which of the four, if released would have a job within 48 hours?

A: Pope (IMO)

That is why I'd keep him, and believe he will be kept by the Cards.

 

[joeshmo]

The Bengals need a TE after putting 2 of their top 3 TE's on IR. Send them Pope and try to get back Chris Harrington who they stole from us last year.

Trade Long to KC who has cut one WR and put another on IR. Tell them they send us a 7th rounder for next year or we just keep him.

Doubtful, I know, but I am bored.

 

[Duckjake]

The Bengals need a TE after putting 2 of their top 3 TE's on IR. Send them Pope and try to get back Chris Harrington who they stole from us last year.

Trade Long to KC who has cut one WR and put another on IR. Tell them they send us a 7th rounder for next year or we just keep him.

Doubtful, I know, but I am bored.

Send all the guys that have been listed on ASFN as coveted by KC, Long, BSP etc... for Derrick Johnson.

Then the Cards can go back to a 4-3 and give up the crazy idea of playing a 3-4 without any real 3-4 outside linebackers.

Dockett, Robinson,Watson,Campbell

Djohnson,Hayes,Dansby

DRC,Rolle,Wilson,McFadden

I like that defense.

Fortunately for the rest of you we have a game tomorrow.

 

[CardLogic]

The Bengals need a TE after putting 2 of their top 3 TE's on IR. Send them Pope and try to get back Chris Harrington who they stole from us last year.

I don't hold much hope for trades, especially this time of the year. But I really like this idea, and it actually could work! Harrington is buried at #3 LDE on the Bengals depth chart.

 

[Duckjake]

I don't hold much hope for trades, especially this time of the year. But I really like this idea, and it actually could work! Harrington is buried at #3 LDE on the Bengals depth chart.

Things like that wouldn't happen to him if he hadn't gone to Texas A&M.

 

[Totally_Red]

The Bengals need a TE after putting 2 of their top 3 TE's on IR. Send them Pope and try to get back Chris Harrington who they stole from us last year.

Trade Long to KC who has cut one WR and put another on IR. Tell them they send us a 7th rounder for next year or we just keep him.

Doubtful, I know, but I am bored.

I actually think Leonard Pope has SOME trade value. Not so with Anthony Becht, Steven Spach, or Dominique Byrd. I hope if Leonard is their choice, they actually call the Bengals or someone else who may lose a TE in this week's games and score a 7th-rounder. Remember when Denny Green traded two sixes for some of Oakland's trash?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Mitch,

To clarify, are you saying that both Watson is gone and Dykes stays?

I know Watson isn't himself, but I would bet a ton of ASFN that he is on this team for the remainder of the year.

 

[Duckjake]

Mitch,

To clarify, are you saying that both Watson is gone and Dykes stays?

I know Watson isn't himself, but I would bet a ton of ASFN that he is on this team for the remainder of the year.

Is everybody getting the numbers correct? Want to make sure that #98 isn't getting blamed for #78's poor play. Its hard to tell the numbers on TV unless they do a replay.

Now Watson didn't play much in the first half vs Green Bay so something may be wrong but overall Watson hasn't looked any different than last year to me.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Is everybody getting the numbers correct? Want to make sure that #98 isn't getting blamed for #78's poor play. Its hard to tell the numbers on TV unless they do a replay.

Now Watson didn't play much in the first half vs Green Bay so something may be wrong but overall Watson hasn't looked any different than last year to me.

The latest thing on the board apparently is saying that Watson is going to get cut. He was playing at a probowl level before the knee injury and Dockett basically gave credit for his success to Watson.

We just gave him an RFA tender, I see no point doing that, and then letting him go, along with Pope.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Pretty good analysis. I agree with pretty much everything. However I think Berry is a lock to make this team.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Pretty good analysis. I agree with pretty much everything. However I think Berry is a lock to make this team.

Agreed.

 

[cardfan]

Bubble Battles:


OL (2?): What's needed are a backup LT and backup C. Odds are that Oliver Ross and the winner of Claxton vs. Fowler get the nod. The wild card here is E. Brown...a versatile player who has played tackle before and held his own...so the other battle really is Ross vs. E. Brown. The odds are in Ross' favor, seeing as he's been playing LT and E. Brown hasn't. As for Claxton vs. Fowler, what's interesting is that Fowler hasn't beaten Claxton out for the #2 center job, at least thus far, although Fowler has played well late in games. Odds would seem to be in Fowler's favor becuae he's been a starter in this league and his blocks to spring Wright on the screens last week were two of the better blocks in the game. But, Claxton has hung in there...so who knows? Russ Grimm may just stick with Claxton, and i think there's a possibilty that the Cardinals cut both Claxton and Fowler with the intention of re-signing Claxton to the Ps and activating him to the roster if Sendlein gets hurt.
I think Fowler will beat out Claxton due to experience and I think Elton Brown grabs the 9th OL position. It will be interesting if Vallejo clears waivers and we can bring him back. He may eventually take Elton's spot.

As far as Vallejo goes, because of the settlement made with the Cards, he won't be eligible to be asked back by the Cards until the 10th game--which makes it early November, even though he'll be ready to go in a month. He can, however, be asked by another team to join their roster before then.