Voice of The Cardinals

photo courtesy of azcardinals.com

So here is my final mock draft. Even though it’s just too hard to tell whats going to happen, I should still do much better than Mark. I’ve said for months that I think the Cardinals will take Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie but I’m starting to think it actually could be Jonathan Stewart. So now I’m all screwed up, but since I’ve guessed DRC for months, I might as well stick with him. But Arizona taking Stewart would not surprise me. I’ll have all my answers in less than 24 hours so I’m not going to stress too much on this. But I take pride in being very accurate with my mock drafts every year. So will see how close I get.

1) Miami Dolphins- Jake Long, OT-Michigan

2) St. Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE-Virginia

3) Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan, QB-Boston College

4) Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB-Arkansas

5) Kansas City Chiefs- Glenn Dorsey, DT-LSU

6) New York Jets- Vernon Gholston, DE-Ohio State

7) New England Patriots- Keith Rivers, LB- USC (Look for trade with Saints to get Ellis)

8. Baltimore Ravens- Ryan Clady, OT-Boise State

9) Cincinnati Bengals- Sedrick Ellis, DT-USC

10) New Orleans Saints-Leodis McKelvin, CB-Troy

11) Buffalo Bills-Devin Thomas, WR- Michigan State

12) Denver Broncos- Chris Williams, OT-Vanderbilt

13) Carolina Panthers- Derrick Harvey, DE-Florida

14) Chicago Bears- Branden Albert, G-Virginia

15) Detroit Lions- Rashard Mendenhall, RB-Illinois

16) Arizona Cardinals- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB-Tenn St.

17) Kansas City Chiefs–Jeff Otah, T-Pittsburgh

18) Houston Texans- Jonathan Stewart, RB-Oregon

19) Philadelphia Eagles- Mike Jenkins, CB-South- Florida

20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Aqib Talib, CB-Kansas

21) Washington Redskins-Limas Sweed, WR-Texas

22) Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones, RB-Arkansas

23) Pittsburgh Steelers- Phillip Merling, DE-Clemson

24) Tennessee Titans- Kentwan Balmer, DT-North Carolina

25) Seattle Seahawks- Dustin Keller, TE- Purdue

26) Jacksonville Jaguars- Calais Campbell, DE-Miami

27) San Diego Chargers- Gosder Cherilus, OT- Boston College

28) Dallas Cowboys- Malcolm Kelly, WR- Oklahoma

29) San Francisco 49ers (from Indy)- James Hardy, WR- Indiana

30) Green Bay Packers- Brandon Flowers, CB- Virginia Tech

31) New England Patriots-Forfeited

32) New York Giants- Kenny Phillips, S- Miami.

Arizona’s second round I’m going to guess Jamaal Charles from Texas.

Third Round I’m hoping Mark’s second round pick actually slips to the third and they take Cliff Avril, DE from Purdue.

Fourth Round I’ll have them taking Tony Hills, OT from Texas.

Fifth Round- Lavelle Hawkins, WR from University of California

Sixth Round- Joe Jon Finley, TE, Oklahoma

Seventh Round- Tommy Blake- DE, TCU

Alright, those are my picks and all the speculation is gone. I’ll give some of my insight tomorrow after day one of the draft.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThis is a post by Eli on MVN.com  

By now most of you have heard that the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles have offered trades to the Cardinals for Anquan Boldin. GM Rod Graves said, “We’re not interested in trading Anquan.” GM’s don’t always tell the truth, but I believe Rod when he says the Cardinals are not trading Boldin.

Anquan’s infamous agent Drew Rosenhaus met with Rod Graves and Ken Whisenhunt in December over Boldin’s contract. According to Graves, the Cardinals offered Anquan a contract that would put him among the five highest-paid receivers within three years. Rosenhaus rejected that offer and said he was going to wait until Larry Fitzgerald’s contract was done. I think this is good news because both teams are talking and interested in getting a deal done. Rosenhaus and many other agents always play the game and say that their player would welcome a trade. That’s nothing more than a bluff and no Cardinal fan should worry about it. The thing that does cause a little concern is all of Drew’s clients hold out for big money. There’s a chance Anquan may hold out until he gets offered a contract worth more than Fitzgerald’s. So that could cause some concern but I feel confident that a deal will be done and Anquan will be a Cardinal for the next few years.

The Cardinals know better than anyone how valuable Boldin is to this team. He’s one of the top players at any position and you can’t find a replacement for him. I’m guessing the Cardinals are smart enough to keep together the best receiving duo in the league. There will be no trade for Anquan Boldin, so don’t panic Cardinal fans.

 

 

 

 

 

This was a post by Mark On MVN.com  

In what will be my final complete mock draft now that we are one week away from the actual 2008 NFL draft I will look at all 32 first round picks and then take rounds 2-7 to look at what I think, or hope, the Cardinals might do in those selections.One of the first things to point out is that this mock will attempt to slot players to team on a prediction basis and not on a “what I think is best for each team” basis that is so common in most mock drafts. I might not agree it’s the best choice but I want to take a run at who I think will actually end up with which team so that I can better predict the Cardinals options. The problem is there is so much bluffing and calculated leaks of information the week ahead of the draft it makes figuring out a teams intentions pretty tough.

Miami- A lot has happened and is happening on this top pick, with the buzz as of today being that Vernon Gholston might be the guy the Dolphin’s have their eyes on. This after the Jake Long story was circulated and publications before that had Chris Long. I think the decision comes down to Parcells being able to sign one or the other but I think the recent Gholston talk is being used to generate pressure on Jake Long to take a below market contract. At the end of the day this pick is too important to screw up over money and I still think the Dolphin’s take the sure thing in Jake Long here.

St. Louis-The Ram’s would love to see Jake Long fall to them here and if he does he goes to the Rams. However, if gone I see them making a choice between Chris Long, Vernon Gholston and Glenn Dorsey to bolster their defensive line. I think Dorsey is the best defensive lineman in the draft by far but St. Louis is looking edge pass rushing talent. At the end of the day you don’t pass on a beast like Dorsey and I think Glenn Dorsey goes to St. Louis.

Atlanta- The Falcon’s want Glenn Dorsey badly and now that he’s gone the question is do they stock up the line or go for the QB? The tendency is to think that they go for line help but if you go best value at the most important position in the game you have to look at Matt Ryan in this slot. The Falcon’s can’t afford to get too cute and think a franchise QB will be there at the bottom of the round or in the second round so if Dorsey is gone I see them going with Matt Ryan here.

Oakland- I think Al Davis badly wants Vernon Gholston to drop and if he is here you might see the Raiders grab him. However, in this slot the choice is between McFadden, Long and Gholston, with the choice being McFadden as Al Davis knows rookie running backs can make immediate improvements in a team. I think the Raiders phones ring here for teams that want Gholston, Ellis or McFadden so a lot could happen with this pick, but if not traded this is McFadden’s slot.

Kansas City- The Chiefs want OL help and the big buzz is they have their eye on Brandon Albert, the OG from Virginia that has flown up the draft boards in the last weeks. I absolutely think this is a reach to take Albert here if you want him to play LT, a position he has only played for two games and if it were my call i’d want him mid round to be an all pro OG. However, the word is the Chiefs really like him, they need OL help badly and his versatility and athletic ability is intriguing, so much like Levi Brown last year, this slot gets filled by a bit of a reach at number 5 by Brandon Albert.

N.Y. Jets- The Jets have got to be pretty happy to see both Vernon Gholston and Chris Long here as one of their big areas of need is pass rush. The word has been that the Jets want Gholston badly, so badly the Dolphins are tossing his name in the conversation to possibly generate a trade with the Jets, so to find him in this slot makes for a very happy Jet’s war room. Vernon Gholston goes to the NY Jets.

New Orleans (Trade)- I think the Patriots trade out and like I said in my mock draft they have ammunition at this point to get it done. Chris Long and Cedrick Ellis sitting here is a gift and the Patriots can’t lose with either. DL help is a premium position and the Saints, Bengals and Bronco’s all badly want Ellis on their DL next year. This pick will be traded under this scenario, most likely to New Orleans, with Ellis being the pick in the 7th slot regardless of which team gets him.

Baltimore- The Raven’s will be looking hard at O-Line help but having Chris Long drop to the 8th slot, which quite frankly is about where I would think he is properly valued, is a good solid choice for Baltimore. They might be tempted to grab one of the corners or an LT but Chris Long is too good at this point to drop any further.

Cincinnati- The Bengals gamble and lose with both defensive linemen they badly want gone at this point due to trades made ahead of them. The next best value at this point are the OT’s and Ryan Clady is a top prospect. I think the Bengals will try to trade out of this slot if Ellis is gone, but failing that they take the best LT in the draft in Ryan Clady.

New England (Trade)- This will be a Patriots pick if the trade up takes place in my senario. The Saints badly want Ellis and only needed to move 3 slots to get him. The player I think the Patriots want all along is Keith Rivers the LB from USC. The Pats are thin at LB and Rivers is a prototypical Patriot who could man the position for the next decade.

Buffalo- I always have a tough time predicting Buffalo’s picks. They have a big need at WR and they have a big need at CB. The best value and biggest impact guy here would be Leodis McKelvin who is a top quality CB as well as a punt and kick return guy. I just don’t see Buffalo reaching for a WR despite everyone else’s mock draft and instead I see them taking the most pro ready CB of the group in McKelvin.

Denver- The Bronco’s need OL and DL help and three intriguing players are here. Derrick Harvey, Jeff Otah and Chris Williams. At the end of the day I think Shannahan opts to protect his young QB and selects Chris Williams, the smooth moving LT from Vanderbilt.

Carolina- The Panthers look hard at Mendenhall, Harvey and Otah here but at the end of the day the pass rushing stud from Florida fits the bill for the Panthers. I predict Derrick Harvey going in this slot to Carolina.

Chicago- The Bears are being talked up to be going offensive line and thats always a possibility but I think they really know they have a dog on their hands in Benson and won’t want to trust their backfield to him. Rashard Mendenhall is a fantastic talent and the Bears absolutely need to restock their skill positions this draft. I think all the OL stuff is a smoke screen to get teams ahead of them to take OL and let Mendenhall to drop.

Detroit- The Lions badly want Mendenhall and if he’s not there I think you could actually see Jonathan Stewart go at this pick. The Lions need a feature back but with Jeff Otah here and Harvey and Mendenhall gone it’s a question of whether they go CB or OL. Millen is incredibly unpredictable but I think they want one of the featured RB’s and they take a shot at Jonathan Stewart, particularly after hearing the Cardinals had him in for a visit this week.

Arizona- The Cardinals are a classic draft for need team, which is why they so often reach for players in the first round that flame out. Fortunately for them is under this mock draft scenario they have a choice of Mike Jenkins, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, Aqib Talib, Phillip Merling and Jeff Otah to choose from. This is what we call a “can’t miss” senario people. If it were up to me, I’m taking Phillip Merling to keep building the defensive line and pass rush, never mind the sports hernia injury that he had surgery on. Next I go with Jeff Otah the mammoth OT and build the offensive line depth as the Cardinals have virtually no one at back up OT at the moment. However, I believe the Cardinals take one of the CB’s, with Cromartie or Talib topping their list. I think at the end of the day they go for the potential of DRC.

Minnesota- I see the Vikins looking at Phillip Merling as a potential steal at this point in the draft but Jeff Otah being on the board intrigues them. Merling is a sleeper at this point and a very solid pick for the Vikings at this stage in the draft.

Houston- If by some fluke Otah drops this far, and there are many reason’s why he might not, I don’t see the Texan’s letting him get past them. Jeff Otah to the Texans.

Philadelphia-Not believing their luck, and with no top quality OL or DL here, the Eagles go get a top quality WR in Devin Thomas here.

Tampa Bay-Gruden knows a top quality cover two guy and nickle back when he see’s one. Mike Jenkins from South Florida goes to the Buc’s.

Washington- With Merling gone to the Vikings the Redskins look at a bit of a reach but physically impressive Calais Campbell the DE from Miami.

Dallas-Jerry Jones gets his Arkansas running back in Felix Jones.

Pittsburgh-Build the lines is the motto and an intriguing Steeler type is sitting here. Kentwan Balmer the DT from NC State.

Tennessee- Do you think this is the year the Titan’s get some recievers for their QB? I do too. Desean Jackson is explosive and fills the gap in special teams left by them getting rid of Pac Man Jones.

Seattle-This team needs a tight end and Dustin Keller from Purdue has totally caught their eye. Another prospect that might intrigue them is Gosder Cherlius but at the end of the day the play making ability of Keller and their gap at TE fits this need.

Jacksonville- I think the Jag’s might trade out of this slot if there isn’t a DL prospect that interests them here. If they stay I think they look at Gosder Cherlius at RT.

San Diego- Best player available for the stocked and loaded Chargers. They won’t be scared off by Malcom Kelly’s pro day or attitude.

Dallas-I see Aqib Talib finding a home here. Maybe Nate Newton can hook him up.

San Francisco- The 49′ers want LB’s and Jerrad Mayo is a fantastic looking prospect out of Tennessee.

Green Bay- They could be looking at Kenny Phillips here but I think they take the fast rising Tyrell Johnson at this slot instead.

N.Y. Giants- The Giants still need corners and Brandon Flowers is a very solid selection for the Giants in this pick.Ok, lets get back to the Cardinals.Again, remember this is who I think they WILL pick, not who I think they should pick.

Second round: Chris Johnson the speed back out of Eastern Carolina. I’m not sure he will still be here when they select, but if he is I think the desire for a home run threat so they can get rid of JJ Arrington makes this a no brainer. It wouldn’t be my choice but I think they want a pure speed guy and Johnson is a fantastic change of pace and third round back prospect.

Third round: They got a CB, a RB and now it has to be pass rushing DE/OLB prospects. The question is who drops to the middle of the third round that is a potential impact guy? Usually players with character risks, injury issues, tweeners or small school sleepers. I like Bruce Davis of UCLA in this slot. A bit of a tweener, but highly productive in college with a great work ethic. You could do a lot worse getting Davis here and building depth at the outside of the front seven where this team remains incredibly thin. Davis can get after the quarterback and as a weakside linebacker could make an immediate impact.

Forth round: Time to go OL. The three guys I think could be here are Kirk Barton, Ohio State, Tony Hills from Texas and John Greco from Toledo. I think Greco could be a great pick if he lasts this long. Two year captain, never missed a game, great character and the body to get bigger and stronger.

Fifth round: I’ll stay on the Chris Harrington band wagon, the DE out of Texas A&M. Just a highly productive, tough, solid DE with great college numbers and who stayed on the field. He could be a very solid back up and depth guy for a lot of years in the right system.

Sixth round: The Cardinals take a gamble on Jack Ikeqwuonu the CB out of Wisconsin. Before he got injured his was projecting as a second round type CB and if he makes it back from injury he could be a steal in this slot. I like looking at guys like this in this slot.

Seventh round: Special teams and depth at receiver. I dont think he will be here after a blazing fast pro day time but if I can get a player like Ryan Grice-Mullen the WR from Hawaii here I’d grab him. They need a slot receiver or speed guy and Mullen could be both if he drops to this slot.Ok, thats it. I’ll see how it holds up and of course a lot will happen between now and then. Hopefully this is a solid draft for the Cardinals as they can’t afford to have a thin one after last year.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThe complete 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, and it looks pretty good for the Cardinals. The highlights for this season will be a Monday Night Football game on November 10th, at the University of Phoenix Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers. The other national game the Cardinals got was a Thanksgiving day game against the Philadelphia Eagles. This game will be played on the NFL Network which doesn’t really bother me because I have the NFL network. But those of you who don’t, have a pretty legitimate reason to be frustrated. I’d invite all of you who can’t watch the game over to my parents house, but I’m embarrassed of my mother and all her dogs. I said to Mark last Thanksgiving,” I wonder if the Cardinals will ever play on Thanksgiving”? Well a year later our hopes and dreams of watching the Cards play while eating some Thanksgiving turkey came true.

2008 schedule for the Arizona Cardinals…

Preseason

New Orleans Saints Aug. 7

at Kansas City Chiefs Aug. 16

at Oakland Raiders Aug. 23

Denver Broncos Aug. 29

Regular Season

at San Francisco 49ers Sep. 7

Miami Dolphins Sep. 14

at Washington Redskins Sep. 21

at N.Y. Jets Sep. 28

Buffalo Bills Oct. 5

Dallas Cowboys Oct. 12

Bye Oct. 19

at Carolina Panters Oct. 26

at St. Louis Rams Nov. 2

San Francisco 49ers Nov. 10 MNF

at Seattle Seahawks Nov. 16

New York Giants Nov. 23

Philadelphia Eagles Nov. 27 Thanksgiving

St. Louis Rams Dec. 7

Minnesota Vikings Dec. 14

at New England Patriots Dec. 21

Seattle Seahawks Dec. 28

This is a post by Eli on MVN.com 

We are just under 2 weeks away now from the 2008 NFL draft. Around this time every year, Cardinal fans are able to narrow it down to about 2 or 3 players the Cardinals are likely going to draft. The fun part this year is we really don’t know where Arizona is going with this pick. So let’s try and narrow this down…

Possible positions the Cardinals could go with their first pick: RB, CB, OT, OG, DE, OLB. I could throw in WR but they have enough issues paying their WR’s so they won’t be drafting one here. I’d say TE but I don’t see the Cards taking Dustin Keller that early in the first round. Here’s the list of possible players that the Cardinals could draft at #16 that play the six positions of need for the Cardinals.

1. Leodis McKelvin, CB

2. Keith Rivers, OLB

3. Ryan Clady, OT

4. Jeff Otah, OT

5. Derrick Harvey, DE

6. Chris Williams, OT

7. Rashard Mendenhall

8. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB

9. Mike Jenkins, CB

10. Aqib Talib, CB

11. Branden Albert, G

12. Phillip Merling, DE

13. Jonathan Stewart, RB

14. Felix Jones, RB

15. Brandon Flowers, CB

16. Calais Campbell, DE

So 16 guys with possibilities of being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. Let’s narrow it down some more. McKelvin will be taken before the Cardinals pick, so he’s out. There is no real chance that Clady drops to number 16. I think the same goes for Rashard Mendenhall who will be taken by the Bears or Lions. Brandon Flowers I like but he might not even make it in the first round. Jonathan Stewart’s stock is dropping since his injury and Felix Jones would be a reach at the Cardinals spot in the first round, so both of them are off the list. I think the Saints or Broncos would take Rivers before the Cardinals pick so lets cross him off. I also think Derrick Harvey is taken somewhere between 11-13. Braden Albert is starting to shoot up draft boards and looks like he’ll go before the Cardinals also, so lets get rid of him. That leaves us with 7 players that could possibly be there for the Cardinals at 16.

1. Leodis McKelvin, CB

2. Keith Rivers, OLB

3. Ryan Clady, OT

4. Jeff Otah, OT

5. Derrick Harvey, DE

6. Chris Williams, OT

7. Rashard Mendenhall

8. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB

9. Mike Jenkins, CB

10. Aqib Talib, CB

11. Branden Albert, G

12. Phillip Merling, DE

13. Jonathan Stewart, RB

14. Felix Jones, RB

15. Brandon Flowers, CB

16. Calais Campbell, DE

This is where it gets tough. Anything could happen at this point. But I’m going to use last years draft to help me out. Ken Whisenhunt is apparently a guy that drafts for need and not the best player available. Example of that would be passing on Adrian Peterson and taking the need with OT Levi Brown. I think that might take Phillip Merling and Campbell out. I think Ken sees bigger needs than the DE/OLB spot. That leaves us with 3 CB’s and 2 OT’s. The Cardinals are very thin at both OT and CB, so taking a player that plays one of these positions would make sense. Now it’s like were starting to throw darts. It all will depend on who picks who in front of the Cardinals, and who Rod Graves and Ken Whisenhunt like best. My guess is they pass on drafting an OT in the first round for the second straight year, and draft for their biggest need which is CB. That leaves Talib, Cromartie, and Jenkins. At this point who can tell which player the Cardinals like the best of the 3, and which would fall to 16. But my final guess and player I like the most is……

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

I would be very happy if DRC fell to Arizona and the Cardinals took him. I think many fans would be happy with this pick also. It’s too hard to tell if this scenario will really happen, but I think it will at least be close. We do know we can definitely narrow it down to a few select players now. Time will tell which player that will exactly be.

I’ve laid it out for you, and what I think will happen. I’d like to hear what some of you readers think will happen. A lot of you have great insight and make good points. Tell me where you think the Cardinals are going with the 16th pick?

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThis is a post by Mark on MVN.com 

A great deal of what the Cardinals might end up doing on draft day will be based on the decisions of teams ahead of them. The Cardinals rarely move up, with last years move to go get Alan Branch in the second round being the first move up I can remember in over a decade. Assuming they stand pat, which I believe they should unless they really have their eye on one of the left tackles that might drop to the 13th to 15th slot, we need to really take a good look at the team needs ahead of them and try to calculate who might be there for the Cardinals.

Of further consideration in this process is the fact that free agency is still moving along and the Cardinals are still shopping for linebackers and corner backs in the bargain bin, making it unlikely they will reach for need in those slots unless someone exceptional drops to them. That said lets do the 16 team mock in front of the Cardinals and then later this week take a fresh look at the Cardinals draft now that we know they have seven selection, instead of the hoped for eight.

1. Miami Dolphins: I think the Chris Long infatuation is a smoke screen. Nice player but not worthy of the number one pick. The safe pick here is the stud left tackle Jake Long of Michigan. The least amount of bust potential and possibly a future All Pro. I think the decision is Dorsey or Jake Long with the left tackle being the selection.
2. St. Louis Rams: The question is Glen Dorsey or Chris Long. To my mind, you can’t go wrong with either but if it were me, i’d grab Dorsey who a very rare player. If the Ram’s put Dorsey and Carriker at the tackles they would be exceptionally solid up the middle, but I could also see them taking a shot at Chris Long. I think the concerns about Dorsey’s legs are being circulated by teams praying he drops. The Rams take a franchise DT and grab Glen Dorsey here.

3. Atlanta Falcons: This team has a lot of needs but I don’t think they are sold on Ryan at QB. Their new GM is a Patriots system guy and I expect he has his board set and doesn’t care about pre-draft hype but has zeroed in on his type of player. I see Atlanta really wanting Dorsey but if the Ram’s take him they need to decide if they want Ryan or Long, or do they look to move down? In the end the hole at QB is too big to ignore and I see Ryan going in this slot if Dorsey is gone.

4. Oakland Raiders: Talk about a wild card. The Raiders spent their free agency money on the offensive side of the ball and we all know how Al Davis loves speed. I absolutely figure this to be the slot where someone trades up to get McFadden. The logical partner is Dallas, but I don’t see anyone bidding to come get McFadden and why would Jerry Jones bid against himself here? Regardless, i’ve changed my opinion on how high McFadden goes after his pro day and image rehab, so McFadden goes here to Oakland or Dallas.

5. KC Chiefs: It’s either going to be Chris Long or Ryan Clady here. I still think the Chiefs do as the Cardinals did last year and go get the guy they really want to be their future franchise LT and take Ryan Clady in this spot.

6. N.Y. Jets: This is a no lose deal for the Jets. Either Chris Long or Vernon Gholston is available at a position of need. I don’t think the Jets are sold on Gholston so Chris Long is the selection for the Jets.

7. N.E. Patriots: The Pats want to trade out, as always, and they have bait here with Cromartie, Gholston and Ellis on the board. I don’t see anyone eager to move up to this slot however so look for a Patriots type of guy here and watch them do what they always do and keep building their lines. Mostly likely Gholston in this slot.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Two premier corner backs on the board and I think Ozzie Newsome goes with the explosive threat of Leodis McKelven over the intriguing potential of Cromartie. Either way one of them probably goes off the board here, most likely Mckelven.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Pinch your self guys, the NT you covet is here. Sedrick Ellis goes to the Bengals.

10. N.O. Saints: Back to reality last year as the defense got exposed. Look for either Keith Rivers, Phillip Merling or Dominque Rodgers Cromartie here. Rivers is the safe pick but Cromartie has super star potential and the Saints are known to grab for potential over college production. I think Cromartie is the pick.

11. Buffalo Bills: Ah, my old home town Bills, always a surprise on draft day. Known to reach for players they want you never really know with them and the conventional wisdom has them going wide receiver here. However, none of them look to be top 15 talents and all have holes in their games. As badly as they need a receiver the value here isn’t at that position. This is where it gets tricky for Cardinals fans. I see a logical spot for some team to trade up to get OT Chris Williams ahead of Denver, and Buffalo to trade down and still get their WR at a lower price. Either way I see Chris Williams as the value here.

12. Denver Broncos: Tough call here as the Imperial Leader just got his GM fired and will be calling the shots on draft day. He needs an OT but the best value here is Phillip Merling the DE from Clemson. An immediate boost to a Bronco’s defense that couldn’t stop anyone last year.

13. Carolina: Another tough read on a coach who needs to rebound from a really bad season. They need a wide out opposite Steven Smith and they need linebackers. I think you could see either Mayo from UT here or Rivers from USC. Rivers is the safer pick and seem’s like a John Fox kind of guy. Rivers goes here.

14. Chicago: Conventional wisdom has them picking Rashard Mendenhall here. It makes the most sense and he’s the best value so lets not buck conventional wisdom now.

15. Detroit Lions: Why does it always seem the Lions draft right in front of the Cardinals and always make some totally unexpected move that messes with their draft board. In the case of Matt Leinart, that was a good thing. The Cardinals and Lion’s have similar needs, CB, RB, OT, DE so who ever the Lion’s take will have a big impact on the Card’s options. I’ve heard they are intrigued with Talib, Otah, Jenkins and Harvey depending on what publication you read. No one knows what Matt Millen might do but I suspect he wants a corner badly as the Lion’s secondary is a disaster. It’s either Talib or Jenkins here with my guess being it’s Talib.

What does that leave the Cardinals on the board here? Mike Jenkins the CB from South Florida, Jeff Otah the huge OT from Pitt, Derrick Harvey who is a prototype OLB/DE combo and Mayo the fast rising OLB from Tennessee. I think it will be either Harvey or Otah if this scenario unfolds, with either being a very solid option. You’d have one really BIG set of bookends at OT but I think Harvey is the guy who is getting a lot of buzz pre-draft. Tune in for the next mock draft and i’ll lay out the seven picks.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

On this weeks Voice of the Cardinals podcast, Eli and Mark talk about the NFL Draft and the potential draft picks that will be available for the Arizona Cardinals with the 16th pick. You will also here their opinions on the recent signings and other Arizona Cardinal news.

If you have any comments or questions for Eli and Mark, email them at voiceofthecardinals@gmail.com

 
To listen to the show click here

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comHey everyone, Eli here. Mark and I are going to be doing an off season podcast on Friday. Kind of a pre draft podcast to discuss possibilities for the Cardinals draft and where they're likely to go with the 16th overall pick. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to submit them and will do our best to answer those questions on the show.

It looks like we may be getting some more Arizona Cardinals players and coaches to come on the show soon. So pay attention for those updates as they come in. If you have any suggestions for the show, don't be affraid to yell at us. Thanks Everyone!

 

This was written by Mark on MVN.com 

If there is one thing you can count on with the Arizona Cardinals each year is that they will almost always draft for need on most of their picks and not go with the best player available in the early rounds. They tend to reverse trends in the later rounds and start picking based on best player or scout recommendations, which is why you often see them strike out on their high picks but have some very good mid round talent that ends up playing. If only they would hold to the best player approach for all seven rounds!

Anyways, leading up to the draft now that the Larry Fitzgerald contract is resolved and free agency shopping has pretty much come and gone, it’s time to look at the holes in the roster and use those as clues as to where the team might be headed in the bargain shopping phase of free agency and then in the draft.

1. Corner back and secondary. The club has made clear through several interviews and media outlets locally that they intend to resign Matt Ware and Oliver Celestin once the Fitzgerald contract is approved by the league office and they have the cap room. Both are key special teams players and as last season showed they can step in and provide depth at safety, even though the drop off is pretty steep from the starters. The move of Antrel Rolle to free safety and the return of Aaron Francisco and Adrian Wilson now creates what could potentially become one of the strongest groups of safeties in the NFL. If only the situation at corner back was so rosy! With Eric Green returning from injury and a solid 07, coupled with Rod Hood’s productive year the Cardinals have decent starting cornerbacks. No all pro’s for sure but neither did the NY Giants. The issue is there is zero depth, particularly with Rolle moving to FS. This team absolutely must draft at least two CB prospects in my opinion and look to make a bargain acquisition in the late stages of free agency to find someone to challenge Ralph Brown for the nickel or dime CB position. Look for the Cardinals to use at least two picks this year on CB prospects in what is shaping up as a deep, but not superior, crop of draftable corners.

2. Defensive line. The team continues to build depth in it’s front seven but as the NY Giants showed this year, you can’t have enough premier D linemen to stuff the run and pressure quarterbacks. A great DL makes average corner backs look pretty good. The Cardinals are set at Nose tackle with Gabe Watson and Alan Branch manning the position. I’m hoping Branch makes the same kind of strides that Watson did in year two and that they can form a dynamic and tireless push up the middle of the line. At the under tackle you have Pro-Bowl Darnell Dockett hitting his prime and the surprisingly solid Rodney Bailey backing him up, creating another solid tandem but if Dockett goes down there is going to be a big drop off here. At the LDE position the team gave a tender offer to the Antonio Smith and at the RDE slot they reworked Bert Berry’s contract and signed Travis LaBoy to most likely start in front of Berry. However, the depth is exceptionally thin at DE with only Joe Tafoya, a solid journeyman type, to be possibly resigned so I would look for the team to jump all over Phillip Merling or Derrick Harvey if they some how drop to the 16th slot in the first round. As last season showed this team is exceptionally thin and just above average at DE and they need a substantial upgrade in talent and speed.

3. Linebacker. While the team locked up Gerald Hayes last year and put the franchise tag on Karlos Dansby, this is another area that is solid at the starting position’s but has a huge drop off in talent once the starters are out. The SLB will be manned by Chike Okefor who was poised for a huge season under the new defensive scheme, but who lost the entire season due to injury. His injury opened the door for Calvin Pace to show his stuff, but I really think that in this scheme that Chike is going to be a monster. MLB is held down by Hayes and the WLB is going to be the home for potential pro-bowler Karlos Dansby. The problem becomes there is almost zero depth and talent behind these three and the team lost out on the services of Brandon Chillar due to the Fitzgerald contract so they are now going to be looking for a versatile LB in the draft as well as another vet to provide some depth and experience. Watch for a top five rounds pick at the linebacker position as well as one more signing as this team is exceptionally vulnerable if any of the three starters goes down to injury.

4. Offensive tackle. The addition of Levi Brown and the solid play of Mike Gandy gives the Cardinals a decent tandem. Elton Brown demonstrated that both he and Reggie Wells can move to tackle in a pinch, but I don’t think anyone wants to see either of them as our starters at tackle for any length of time. The Cardinals desperately need another young stud tackle to develop, particularly with Oliver Ross being cut and few if any prospects at the position on the roster. If a potential franchise LT slips to the 16th slot, such as Chris Williams of Vanderbilt I think the Cardinals would be crazy to pass on him. They are a torn ACL from total chaos at the tackle spot and even if they don’t get a guy like Williams at 16 you can count on them grabbing a prospect in rounds 3 through 6 on draft day.

5. Running back. I personally don’t think it’s a huge area of need as Edgerrin James is one of the most durable and reliable running backs in the NFL. Sure they would like to add a break away change of pace back, but thats a result of J.J. Arrington never panning out as a second round pick because he should be filling that role but he just has never gotten it done. I see the RB spot as one where you look for a mid to late round steal to put in the mix so you can release Arrington or Shipp and put some fresh legs in there to back up edge. I definitely don’t see the team taking a high pick at RB but in the late third to sixth round I would expect them to take advantage of an incredibly deep group of running backs to find a prospect here. As mentioned before I think Ryan Torrain is going to be the steal of the mid round and I’m hoping the Cardinals grab him.

6. Wide receiver. While set at the starting slot I listened to a radio interview with OC Todd Haley two days ago when he talked about who the guys are that could fill the third and fourth receiver slots for this team now that Bryant Johnson has left via free agency. I get the impression this staff really likes the potential of Jereme Urban and that Steve Breaston has made real strides in his rookie year. However, I will be shocked if the Cardinals don’t make a mid to late round pick at WR to add a slot receiver or some real speed to the mix. The big risk of having so much money tied up in Fitz and Boldin is if they go down to injury you don’t have much money to spend on depth to back them up, so you better find some cheap free agents or rookies to fill that void. Watch for at least one pick to be used at WR.

Well, that pretty much sum’s up the team needs. They are getting very strong up the middle on both sides of the line, at MBL and safety and have the key skill players at QB, WR and RB to compete. This is going to be a draft that builds depth, upgrades the defensive line, CB and pass rush and hopes to find a solid RB. Who those players will be and where they take them is always the intrigue.

Once again i’ll make my prediction that this staff will want to build the lines first so you can look for Chris Williams the OT from Vandy, Phillip Merling the DE from Clemson or Derrick Harvey the DE from Florida to be the picks for the Cardinals depending on who is there when they get to the 16th slot.

 As we finish up the combine, pro days and are well into free agency the draft board is starting to firm up and team needs are becoming a lot more clear. In this third edition of the mock draft i’ll change things up a bit and put my entire round one up to the Cardinals pick on the board, and then do a 7 round Cardinals only selections from that point on.

ASU Pro Day (photo azcardinals.com)

First 16 picks of the 2008 NFL Draft.

1. Miami- No one in this draft is a sure fire number one, which barring a trade means Parcell’s follows the George Young planet philosophy and takes Jake Long in this slot.

2. St. Louis- The Ram’s desperately need OL and DL help. If Jake Long is gone expect to see Chris Long go here.

3. Atlanta- He’s not my idea of a franchise QB but Atlanta has to take BC guy, Matt Ryan here and start rebuilding the offense, post Vick.

4. Oakland- No brainer, you would think, to take either Dorsey or Ellis here, but Al Davis is still calling the shots and he likes speed. Expect this pick to be traded for a team that wants McFadden ahead of the Jets, but if not, I think Glenn Dorsey is the pick.

5. Kansas City- KC needs OL and much as the Cardinals did last year, they pass on other elite talent and they reach a bit to get the guy they want and need here. Ryan Clady the OT goes to KC.

6. N.Y. Jets- The Jet’s have to decide between McFadden, Gholston and Ellis here, all of whom could be solid picks. I think the fear that NE picks Gholston trumps the value of Ellis in the middle and McFadden juicing that offense. The Jets take Vernon Gholston.

7. N.E. Patriots- I don’t there there is any way NE doesn’t find a way to trade out of this slot and the fact that Ellis and McFadden are on the board gives them great leverage. Here is where I think Dallas moves up, but if NE stays at 7 I think they keep building the line and take the versatile Phillip Merling here.
8. Baltimore-This is a pretty easy call. If Leodis McKelvin is still on the board I think the Raven’s take him in a heart beat. Their corners are getting a bit long in the tooth and Ozzie Newsome likes explosive secondary players.

9. Cincinnati-Not believing their luck Cincinnati grabs Sedrick Ellis to beef up the DL that looked like a sieve last year.

10. New Orleans-Darren McFadden is this year’s “dropper” and he doesn’t stop dropping in NO. The Saints need secondary help and they go get the intriguing Dominique Rodger-Cromartie in the 10 slot.

11. Buffalo- The Bills must get a big down field receiver and to my mind Limas Sweed of Texas will be their pick. Great work ethic, better then expected speed and he is a big body they can put opposite Lee Evans.

12. Denver- The Bronco’s need more help then their fan’s realize on both lines, but having McFadden sitting here is similar to when Leinart dropped to the Cardinals. The perfect back for Shannahan’s system goes to the Bronco’s as the OT they wanted in Clady is off the board.

13. Carolina- The Panthers are trying to rebuild the defense and a guy that makes sense for them is Keith Rivers the LB from USC. Dan Morgan is gone and they need a playmaker who is steady and versatile and thats Rivers.

14. Chicago- Cedric Benson joins a long list of high draft choice RB’s who don’t make the grade. The Bears find another running back to hide their glaring QB deficiency and take Rashard Mendenhall here.

15. Detroit- The Lions desperately need a corner back and they take the playmaker from Kansas, Aqib Talib in the spot right in front of AZ.

16. Arizona- The Cardinals should go defense here, but the guys they want, Merling, Cromartie and Rivers are all gone. The four highest ranked guys on the board are Jeff Otah, the OT, Chris Williams, OT, Mike Jenkins, CB and Derrick Harvey, DE. Other then McKelvin and Cromartie none of the CB’s look to be top 20 talents, but Otah and Williams are legit OT prospects and Harvey is a top quality DE talent. I say stockpile OT’s and keep building your OL and take your future LT in Chris Williams, and go get your RB, CB and DE in the next three picks. Never pick for need in the first round!!! I think having book end OT’s in Levi Brown and Chris Williams looks like the quality move here. The Cardinals take Chris Williams.

Ok, lets go with the balance of the draft for the Cardinals now.

Second Round pick, the Cardinals will have a selection of the second tier cornerbacks, among them Charles Godfrey, Brandon Flowers, Justin King and Antoine Cason. They will also be looking at some intriguing DE/OLB combo’s such as Cliff Avaril and Jason Jones. My desire for the Cardinals to select Avaril knows no limits so I’ll lobby for him here. He is the immediate replacement for Calvin Pace and brings top quality situational pass rushing potential. Go get Avaril with the second pick instead of a CB with gaps in their games. Take proven production over need here.

Third round pick, mid round. Ok, go get your corner here. The guy who might be the Anneas Williams pick, also a third round small college steal way back when, is Tyvon Branch the CB from Connecticut. He’s big, strong, blazing fast and could develop into a starter or play nickel. He has boom/bust potential but he is also going to be a solid special teams gunner and this team desperately needs that. Get your CB here and go with Tyvon Branch here.

Third round pick, late round compensation pick. Lets stockpile a few more CB’s here as my other steal of the draft is probably going to drop into the forth round. Lets get another intriguing small DI prospect in the blazing fast Orlando Scandrick from Boise St. He’s got decent size, 4.3 speed and could provide a true nickle or dime corner for the team at some point. Stop whining about the lack of CB’s now everyone and line up two small school studs in the third round to build the secondary.

Forth round selection. I’m going to be on the edge of my seat praying that Ryan Torrain drops here. I am confident he will fly under the radar to the middle rounds but he put a 4.5 forty up on his pro day last week and if you watch his tape, this guy was the heart and soul of the ASU offense. Ask Dennis Erikson what he thinks of him and you’ll realize a player of his talents in the forth round is a steal. Get your RB depth and possibly RB of the future right here and take Ryan Torrain of ASU.

Fifth round selection. I really like Chris Harrington of Texas A&M in this slot. The DE has good size, runs a 4.8 forty but most of all has serious college production and knows how to play the game. Your building depth here and I don’t think Joe Tafoya is the answer for the Cardinals. If Harrington is still here I think he’s a steal to provide hustle, work ethic and production to your defensive line. Chris Harrington of Texas A&M goes here.

Sixth round selection. This years Reggie Wells, we go to my alma mater, Bentley College, to select Mackenzy Bernard, the 6′ 4″ 305 OG/OT combo. According to my friends back east, he’s big, fast, athletic and simply needs coaching and competition at the next level, much as Wells did coming out of tiny Clarion College. With Kendrick Vincent and Oliver Ross gone the building of OL depth is crucial and now with Williams and Bernard you have two athletic prospects who don’t have to start right away, but build the foundation of the OL under Russ Grimm.

Seventh round. I like finding late round WR candidates and this year i’m looking for guys from passing oriented teams with proven production but don’t have the measurables teams crave. The guy I like who is not real big, not real tall, not real fast but who has sick numbers is Ryan Grice-Mullen of Hawaii. The guy is a football player, but he’s never going to be a number one or two receiver, but as a slot guy who caught over 100 balls last season I think he’s well worth a late round pick if he’s here. He runs a 4.5, he’s 190lbs but he doesn’t have that quick burst teams want so and he’s barely 5′ 10″, so he might slide given all the talent ranked above him. You could do worse then taking a guy who in three years caught over 230 balls and found the end zone 36 times. Ryan Grice-Mullen of Hawaii in the last round.

Ok, it’s a lengthy read but this will be my last mock until the week before the draft. I’m locked in on the guys I want but i’ll see how trades and free agency make changes on the board and give my final selections the week prior to draft day. A lot always changes and i’ll try to be on top of it.

The total draft haul would be a franchise LT, a pass rushing OLB/DE, two CB’s with great upside, a potential starting RB, a solid DE prospect, an intriguing OL prospect and potentially a 4th or 5th WR and special teams guy. Not bad if it works out, which it won’t, but we certainly can dream can’t we?

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comAfter a long drawn out negotiation process, the Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald agreed on a 4 year $40 million contract. This new contract will save the Cardinals almost $9 million on the salary cap

According to the story on Fitzgerald’s personal website(click here for story), Larry will earn $33 million in the first three years of the deal, with $30 million guaranteed. That story also says Fitzgerald gets a no-trade clause. Fitzgerald will receive a $15 million signing bonus and a $2 million salary in 2008.

What a huge relief the news of this contract is. I was sick thinking that there was a chance Fitzgerald could be traded to another team. It seemed like if a deal wasn’t able to be done, a trade would almost be better for the Cardinals rather than keep Larry’s huge contract. But how often do you see teams getting better by trading away future HOF’s? This was a very important move for the Cardinals to make.

This contract seems fair for both sides. But one would have to think Anquan Boldin’s agent immediately started to work numbers and make calls when he saw this deal go threw. So expect some contract talks to start between the Cardinals and Boldin in the up and coming months.

This is a good day for Arizona Cardinal fans, we kept our All Pro WR and gained some cap room. Now lets re-sign some guys and get busy in free agency.

Well the NFL combine is complete and free agency has started. So it’s time to give my post-combine, 2008 NFL Mock Draft for March. I do my mock draft for all the teams as you can see but the only team that really matters of course in the Arizona Cardinals. Now much has changed since the NFL Combine. Some players moved up in the draft and others have moved down. The only thing the NFL Combine did for me was solidify my belief that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a stud. Cromartie runs a 4.3 40, has a 38.5 inch vertical and showed off his strength for a thin guy with 17 bench press reps at 225 lbs. So physically Dominique is more than capable of being a great player in the NFL. If you watch some game film on Cromartie you can see he has great ball skills and good technique. The only question people will have about Dominique is he played 1-AA football. Yes, the competition was not as good, but Cromartie proved at the Senior Bowl that he has what it takes by winning the 2008 Senior Bowl Defensive MVP. I really feel like Dominique might be one of those guys like Jerry Rice, Steve McNair, Tony Romo, and a few others to make the jump from 1-AA to the NFL successfully. He might be a risk to draft, but how many guys coming out of college aren’t a risk? Either way this would be a risk I’m willing to take.

1) Miami Dolphins- Matt Ryan, QB-Boston College

2) St. Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE-Virginia

3) Atlanta Falcons- Glenn Dorsey, DT-LSU

4) Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB-Arkansas

5) Kansas City Chiefs- Jake Long, OT-Michigan

6) New York Jets-Vernon Gholston, DE-Ohio State

7) New England Patriots- (from 49ers) Leodis McKelvin, CB-Troy

8. Baltimore Ravens- Ryan Clady, OT-Boise State

9) Cincinnati Bengals- Sedrick Ellis, DT-USC

10) New Orleans Saints-Aqib Talib, CB-Kansas

11) Buffalo Bills-Malcolm Kelly, WR-Oklahoma

12) Denver Broncos- Chris Williams, OT-Vanderbilt

13) Carolina Panthers- Derrick Harvey, DE-Florida

14) Chicago Bears- Jeff Otah, T-Pittsburgh

15) Detroit Lions- Rashard Mendenhall, RB-Illinois

16) Arizona Cardinals- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB-Tenn St.

17) Minnesota Vikings-DeSean Jackson, WR-California

18) Houston Texans- Jonathan Stewart, RB-Oregon

19) Philadelphia Eagles- Phillip Merling, DE-Clemson

20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Limas Sweed, WR-Texas

21) Washington Redskins-Calais Campbell, DE-Miami

22) Dallas Cowboys- Keith Rivers, LB- USC

23) Pittsburgh Steelers- Branden Albert, G-Virginia

24) Tennessee Titans- Devin Thomas, WR- Michigan State

25) Seattle Seahawks- Kentwan Balmer, DT-North Carolina

26) Jacksonville Jaguars- Mario Manningham, WR-Michigan

27) San Diego Chargers- Gosder Cherilus, OT- Boston College

28) Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones, RB-Arkansas

29) San Francisco 49ers (from Indy)- James Hardy, WR- Indiana

30) Green Bay Packers- Michael Jenkins, CB-South- Florida

31) New England Patriots-Forfeited

32) New York Giants- Kenny Phillips, S- Miami

photo courtesy of azcardinals.com

This is a post by Mark on MVN.com 

In a move I have been calling for the Cardinals to consider for weeks now, word is out that the Arizona Cardinals are going to consider extending quarterback Kurt Warner.

You can read the Arizona Republic story by clicking here.

I’ve been saying for about two months now that extending Warner is the biggest no brainer cap relief move they can make, as his cap number for 2008 is $5 million, and a simple three year extension and conversion of that salary into pure bonus with a modest annual salary figure could get them at least $3 million in cap relief. Plus, it gives them the best back up QB in the NFL, a mentor to the still immature Matt Leinart and a community leader for an exceptionally modest investment.

Again, this is a total no brainer, which is exactly why it has taken the Cardinals front office this long to even start the conversation. As I wrote previously, Warner, James and Rolle are core players who are being over paid for their age, position or status but who with some creative management could be extended quite easily and provide close to $10 million in cap space. Then we wouldn’t be hearing all these poor mouth stories about lack of cap space hindering the signing of free agents in 2008.

How Rod Graves keeps his job as general manager is really amazing at this point. Is he a totally incompetent guy? Absolutely not. However, he seems to be slow on decisions and whether that is a function of the Bidwills or his own management, the result is the Cardinals are always playing catch up.

Regardless. Extend Kurt Warner. Extend Edgerrin James. Extend Antrel Rolle to free safety money. Stop talking and get it done.

photo courtesy of azcardianls.comThe Arizona Cardinals signed Tight End Jerame Tuman and Defensive End Travis Laboy on Monday. Tuman was a former Pittsburgh Steelers TE, so Whisenhunt and his staff know what they are getting with this 9 year veteran. The Cardinals were in need of a blocking TE and that’s Tuman’s specialty.

Travis Laboy is a guy people are a little more familiar with. Laboy, according to Adam Schefter of the NFL network signed a 5 year $22 million deal. That’s $20 million less than the Jets signed Calvin Pace for. What that means I don’t know? But will see if Pace is $20 million better than Laboy. Travis had solid numbers for the Tennessee Titans last year recording 6 sacks. But the plan is for the Cardinals to move Travis to the OLB position replacing Darryl Blackstock and Calvin Pace. So will see if Laboy is able to adjust to the new position.

I personally was hoping Arizona would sign Antwan Odom but it appears the Cincinnati Bengals have signed him. I don’t see Laboy being the starter at OLB for the Cardinals so I hope Arizona goes after another OLB/DE in the draft. Travis seems to be a solid pick up to improve depth on defense but I wouldn’t rely on him being the full time starter. I can’t complain to much with this signing, it’s nice to see the Cardinals finally get something done.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comSo it was reported by Sports Illustrated writer Bucky Brooks that Calvin Pace signed with the Dolphins. He was wrong and now I will never go back to him as a source again. This time an actual credible source (Len Pasquarelli), has reported that the New York Jets have signed former Arizona Cardinal Calvin Pace to to a 6 year $42 million deal. The crazy part is the Jets gave Pace a signing bonus of $20 million and $22 million in guaranteed money. Calvin had a nice year for the first time in his career. But I doubt he’s worth the money the Jets threw at him. I know they play slightly different positions but I rather have Jonathan Vilma who the Jets traded for a 4th round pick over Calvin Pace.

Calvin Pace will be a nice player for the Jets, but I don’t think he’ll live up to the money he was given. New York has some issues and I don’t think throwing this much money at a solid OLB will change much. I would have liked for the Cardinals to keep Pace, but again for this much money I don’t think it would be worth it. If the Cardinals would have signed Pace right away after the season they could have got a bargain for him. But, with the issues of the Fitzgerald contract the Cardinals organization couldn’t get that done.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comIt appears that soon to be former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Bryant Johnson, will be signed by the Buffalo Bills. According to channel 4 news in Buffalo, Johnson and the Bills have come to terms. It was expected that Johnson was going to get big money thrown at him in free agency, so it was very unlikely that the Cardinals would resign him as a 3rd wide out. Johnson has the speed, size, and good rout running ability to be a solid number 2 receiver in Buffalo. Unfortunately, B.J. doesn’t have the hands to be a number 1 in the NFL, so I hope the Bills aren’t expecting that from him. Depending on how much Buffalo gave Johnson, I think this is a solid pick up for a team that needed a WR.

Bryant Johnson did some nice things for the Cardinals, But ultimately I’d consider him a disappointment for a first round pick.  Yes, he was competing with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin for catches, but that’s not an excuse for dropping many big passes over the years. B.J. has a lot of potential but has yet to live up to what he’s capable of being. Maybe in Buffalo Johnson will blossom into a great receiver in this league. B.J. always seemed like a good guy and I wish him the best.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comAccording to SI.com the Miami Dolphins have signed now former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Calvin Pace. Bucky Brooks of SI.com says, “The financial terms haven’t been disclosed but is believed to include to include over $20 million in guaranteed money.”

I’ll start by saying Calvin Pace is good but not $20 million dollars in guarantee good. $20 million in guaranteed money is a bit much. The issue I’m having is if Arizona could have worked a deal with Larry Fitzgerald and Karlos Dansby early on, the Cards would have had money to sign Calvin at a cheaper price before he got to free agency. I’m not going to panic yet, Cardinal fans have been in worst situations. Let’s just wait and see how this all works itself out. But yes, for the moment I am disappointed.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comI’m sick to my stomach writing this but I was driving along this afternoon and apparently the rumor is out there that the Dallas Cowboys might just be interested in making a move for Larry Fitzgerald in return for draft picks both this year and next. It was being tossed around by the local sports talk radio and it’s probably got as much validity as any other sports rumor out there, but it got me thinking, and what crossed my mind was this.

WWBD?

What Would Belichick Do?

Never mind the Cardinals front office is generally considered by most national and local media as totally undermanned, dysfunctional and clueless over the years. I’ve resigned myself to the misery of them annually drafting guys who don’t make the grade ( think Wendall Bryant and Buster Davis), signing free agents that wash out in a year or less (think Terrence Holt) or creating salary cap issues that decimate a team that is on the edge of long term success. (Think $7 million to Al Johnson to play center or the Fitzgerald contract).

No, I’ve learned to live with that mess for as long as the Bidwill’s have owned the team, which was before I was born and likely long after i’m dead. What I wanted to think through was what would a smart, forward thinking, proactive organization do when confronted with the reality that one player at the WR position is poised to eat up 1/6th of the teams annual salary cap due to a moronic contract entered into during a prior negotiation where the same agent, Eugene Parker, fleeced them before.

I came to the conclusion, that Robert Kraft, Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick would trade the exceptionally talented receiver to someone who has the money and is close enough to a championship to open the wallet and bring in a Pro-Bowl receiver. They would never, ever blow up their team salary structure for any one player, no matter how good he was, because one pulled hamstring or one blown knee means he’s on the bench and you have virtually no room to build depth.

The conclusion I have come to, is the Cardinals must trade Larry Fitzgerald.

This contract, that was foolishly entered into by the Cardinals 4 seasons ago on the gamble that Larry Fitzgerald wouldn’t develop into a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver this quickly, has now blown up in the Cardinals faces to such a degree that they enter free agency with virtually no room to sign the kind of depth players they need to sustain injuries on the offensive and defensive line, or in their secondary, that crippled them last season and would cripple them again this year. Every season I hear the same refrain from Cardinals fans, ” We’d be great if we just didn’t have the injuries”. Well guess what guys, injuries are a part of life in the NFL and good teams build a balanced unit that is deep enough to sustain itself when the inevitable injuries come.

However the problem is deeper then just the depth of the current team. The problem of that contract is that it is going to have a corrosive effect on the morale and chemistry of the entire squad. Fitzgerald is a good guy, with serious talent and it makes me sick to think of him in another teams uniform, but he would be an idiot to take a penny less then what his current contract guarantees him. The Cardinals would show him zero loyalty if his knee blew out or he had a bad year and he and every other NFL player should get ever single penny they can for the time they are playing. I keep reading quotes from Rod Graves and other “Cardinal insiders” that they expect Fitzgerald to give them a discount once they get to some serious money, ” for the good of the team and to show commitment to the Cardinals.” Are you kidding me here? The same Cardinals organization that has historically been one of the most penny wise and pound foolish football teams in the NFL? Lets remember something here, the CARDINALS and Rod Graves negotiated and signed Fitzgeralds contract and they are now complaining that he is expecting them to honor it or renegotiate it in their favor? Amazing. This contract, even if he stays and plays, is going to be the cause of jealousy, bitterness and will divide the team like nothing since the Jake Plummer contract, and we all know how that turned out don’t we.

So what would the Patriots or Belichick do?

They would find a willing buyer that desperately needs a premier wide out to match with their marquee QB or stud running back, such as Dallas, Minnesota or Green Bay, get at least two first round picks and a couple of mid round selections and then use the salary cap savings to retain players like Calvin Pace, Karlos Dansby and extend Anquan Boldin again to lock up key, core players, while adding an Alan Faneca and other veteran DL help or depth to build the foundation of your team for years to come.

It makes me sick to say it or think it, but who out there actually believes that a smart, well run front office like Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore, Green Bay or San Diego would EVER give a guy at the WR position $35 million of guaranteed money and totally gut your ability to keep your core players intact and happy? You know they wouldn’t do it, not if it meant destroying the cap for years to come and requiring the team to rely on nothing but draft picks or guys signed for the league minimum as your back up players.

Sorry guys. I’m a huge Larry Fitzgerald fan but for the good of the team and franchise they need to suck it up, realize they are about to double down on a seriously flawed contract and ruin their chances to build a solid TEAM due to the short sighted and foolish cap and contract management that has plagued this team for years.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThis is a post by Mark on MVN.com 

The release of Roosevelt Colvin by the NE Patriots likely indicates that the perennial power is going to take a run at a replacement and I think Calvin Pace is squarely on their radar screen. He’s a perfect fit for the Patriots system and mindset and is just entering his prime. I expect to see a big offer for Pace very early and that will spell the end of his days as a Cardinal. What a waste and what a mistake.

The closer we get to free agency, with the bell scheduled to ring in three days, the more obvious it is that the disastrous contract that the Cardinals gave to Larry Fitzgerald is going to be the single biggest management blunder since signing Jake Plummer to a cap busting deal in 1998.

For those of you too young to remember, back in 1998 the Cardinals had a competent no nonsense coach in Vince Tobin, who hired quality coaches and coordinators and who built the foundation of a play off contending team that made the play offs and would have been a contender for years to come. However, all the best laid plans and work of that staff was undermined by the Bidwill family feuds, when then team VP Bill Bidwill Jr., feeling threatened by the emerging leadership of his brother Michael in the organizational power structure decided he needed to assert himself. That power play took the form of the insanely expensive, cap busting deal offered to Jake Plummer who had just brought the team into the playoffs and was a local hero from his years at ASU.

I was a Jake Plummer fan, just as i’m a huge Larry Fitzgerald fan, but that contract at that time created a domino effect that resulted in the gutting of the team through players leaving in free agency. The team simply didn’t have the cap room or revenue streams to sign Pro-Bowl LT Lomas Brown, Pro-Bowl FB and team leading receiver Larry Centers and Pro-Bowl OLB Jamair Miller. Each of those players walked in free agency that year, leaving a void at LT that has never been filled and the heart of the defense gutted by Miller’s departure. Centers got a contract but it was so big relative to his position as a FB that he was released to make cap room. The inevitable happened as the team collapsed leading to the Dave McGinnis era, the Denny Green era and now the Ken Whisenhunt era.

We are witnessing a similar disaster as a result of the insanely written rookie contract that Larry Fitzgerald was given. Let us not forget that Larry got $20 million GUARANTEED money when he signed and now thanks to his superb play and development at such a young age, he is hitting all the bonus and incentive clauses in his deal and the Cardinals are on the hook for $16.5 million this year on the cap and $18 million next year. As I related in my earlier post, the Cardinals management gambled that Larry wouldn’t be as good as he is, and when he actually turned out to be the rare first round pick that actually did well, they are holding the bag for a contract they can’t afford.

Lets make no mistake here. Larry Fitzgerald holds all the cards here. He has a contract, is a model citizen, a superb talent and is still improving. The Cardinals can only hope that he will stretch out the deal, but no way is he leaving $35 million in contract guarantees to cut the Cardinals a break. This team has a history of shafting it’s players over the years and they don’t get the benefit of the doubt from agents. I have a feeling that a long term deal will not be worked out in time to get real work done on keeping their core of players intact, and the impact of this pay day by Fitz is going to have a seriously negative impact on the team chemistry. If you were Boldin and putting up similar numbers but being paid about $10 million a year less then Fitz, do you think you’d be real happy?

The bottom line here is that Calvin Pace, just at the time he is finally rounding into a top OLB/DE thanks to the new coaching staff, is going to hit free agency and the Cardinals can’t hope to retain him. His skill set is at a premium and he’s gone if he isn’t signed before hand. If the Pat’s don’t make a run at him several other teams will.

We can thank the continual financial and managerial confusion of the Cardinals over the last 20 years and that continues to this day. This is a totally family owned, controlled and influenced business and the Bidwill family runs one of the more dysfunctional front offices in the NFL. Are they bad people? No I don’t think they are. Rod Graves is a real gentleman and the family does a lot for the community, but the reality is they are close to billionaires thanks to the tax payer funded stadium they play in. However, until this team goes out and gets a real GM who understands building a team under the cap structure we are going to see the same mistakes made over and over. Every draft, every free agency I feel like we have a team playing checkers when other teams are playing chess.

The Fitzgerald deal is killing this team and it was negotiated by Graves and the Bidwills. They have only themselves to blame for this mess but it will be the fans that take it in the shorts i’m afraid. Just as they are about to get over the hump, it’s another frying pan to the face for Cardinal fans.

These are the Safety and Cornerback, 40 yard dash results for the 2008 NFL Combine.

Tyvon Branch, 4.31

Justin King, 4.31

Orlando Scandrick, 4.32

Dominique Cromartie-Rodgers, 4.33

Josh Barrett, 4.35

Michael M Grant, 4.37

Tracy Porter, 4.37

Terrence Wheatley, 4.37

Zackary Bowman, 4.38

Quintin Demps, 4.38

Mike Jenkins, 4.38

Leodis McKelvin, 4.38

Jonathan Wilhite, 4.38

Patrick Lee, 4.4

Tyrell Johnson, 4.43

Antwaun Molden, 4.44

Charles Godfrey, 4.45

Aquib Talib, 4.47

Thomas DeCoud, 4.48

Antoine Cason, 4.49

Wilrey Fontenot, 4.49

Terrell Thomas, 4.49

Chris Horton, 4.51

David Roach, 4.51

DaJuan Morgan, 4.52

Trae Williams, 4.52

Tom Zbikowski, 4.52

Jonathan Hefney, 4.53

Kenny Phillips, 4.54

DeJuan Tribble, 4.55

Jack Williams, 4.55

Jamar Adams, 4.56

Caleb Campbell, 4.56

Jonathan Zenon, 4.56

Nehemiah Warrick, 4.57

Brandon Flowers, 4.58

Chevis Jackson, 4.58

Dennis Keyes, 4.59

Brian Bonner, 4.62

Dwight Lowery, 4.62

Husain Abdullah, 4.63

D.J. Wolfe, 4.64

Justin McKinney, 4.65

Dorian Parker, 4.66

Dominique Barber, 4.7

Simeon Castille, 4.7

Matterral Richardson, 4.7
Marcus Griffin, 4.76

Jamie Silva, 4.8