Voice of The Cardinals

These are the 2008 NFL Combine results for the Linebackers in the 40 yard dash and bench press. The first number is the time they ran in the 40, and the second number is the amount of bench press reps they did at 225 lbs.

Gary Guyton, 4.47, 15

Wesley Woodyard, 4.51, -

Jerod Mayo, 4.54, -

Quentin Groves, 4.57, 30

Stanford Keglar, 4.58, 29

Jonathan Goff, 4.63, 28

Geno Hayes, 4.64, 22

Tavares Gooden, 4.65, 22

Steve Octavien, 4.67, 26

Bryan Kehl, 4.68, 26

Xavier Adibi, 4.69, -

Jordon Dizon, 4.7, 21

David Vobora, 4.7, 21

Larry Grant, 4.71, 20

Bruce Davis, 4.72, 19

Erin Henderson, 4.73, 24

Phillip Wheeler, 4.73, 24

Curtis Gatewood, 4.74, 22

Durrell Mapp, 4.76, 27

Jameel McClain, 4.76, 27

Curtis Lofton, 4.77, 23

Mike Humpal, 4.8, 20

Alvin Bowen, 4.83, 15

Steve Allen, 4.84, 17

Jo-Lonn Dunbar, 4.85, 19

Nick Watkins, 4.86, 17

Thomas Williams, 4.88, 26

Spencer Larsen, 4.9, 27

Ali Highsmith, 4.96, -

Tyler Schmitt, 4.98, 21

These are the 2008 NFL Combine results for the Defensive Linemen in the 40 yard dash and bench press. The first number is the time they ran in the 40, and the second number is the amount of bench press reps they did at 225 lbs.

Marcus Howard, 4.47, 27

Cliff Avril, 4.51, 17

Shawn Crable, 4.64, 29

Vernon Gholston, 4.67, 37

Curtis Johnson, 4.69, 25

Chris Ellis, 4.71, -

Chris Long, 4.71, -

Bryan Smith, 4.75, 17

Jeremy Thompson, 4.75, 25

Jason Jones, 4.77, 18

Derrick Harvey, 4.8, 31

Lawrence Jackson, 4.81, 31

Kroy Biermann, 4.83, 29

Louis Holmes, 4.86, -

Chase Ortiz, 4.87, 24

Dre Moore, 4.88, 31

Chris Harrington, 4.89, 21

Johnny Dingle, 4.92, 23

Jeremy Geathers, 4.95, 29

Wallace Gilberry, 4.96, 19

Kenny Iwebema, 4.97, 26

Kendall Langford, 4.97, 24

Joseph Bryant, 4.98, 20

Marcus Harrison, 5.02, 26

Dorian Smith, 5.02, 24

Calais Campbell, 5.03, -

Carlton Powell, 5.04, 23

Pat Sims, 5.06, 20

Angelo Craig, 5.07, 21

Bryan Mattison, 5.07, 26

Trevor Laws, 5.08, 35

DeMario Pressley, 5.11, 28

Joe Clermond, 5.12, 20

Ahtyba Rubin, 5.17, 35

Nick Hayden, 5.23, 34

Sedrick Ellis, 5.24, 34

Marcus Dixon, 5.25, -

Kentwan Balmer, 5.28, 33

Letroy Guion, 5.3, 26

Frank Okam, 5.32, 32

Lionel Dotson, 5.36, -

James McClinton, 5.49, 23

Here are the 40 yard dash times for the Wide Receivers of the 2008 NFL Combine.

 

DeSean Jackson, 4.35

Andre Caldwell, 4.37

Will Franklin, 4.37

Dexter Jackson, 4.37

Eddie Royal, 4.39

Donnie Avery, 4.4

Devin Thomas, 4.4

Keenan Burton, 4.43

Arman Shields, 4.44

Ryan Grice-Mullen, 4.46

Paul Hubbard, 4.46

Limas Sweed, 4.46

Brandon Breazell, 4.47

James Hardy, 4.47

Kenneth Moore, 4.47

Darius Reynaud, 4.47

Jerome Simpson, 4.47

Earl Bennett, 4.48

Pierre Garcon, 4.48

Harry Douglas, 4.49

Jaymar Johnson, 4.49

Jordy Nelson, 4.49

Marcus Henry, 4.5

Marcus Smith, 4.5

Joe West, 4.51

Justin Harper, 4.52

Dorien Bryant, 4.53

Maurice Purify, 4.53

D.J. Hall, 4.55

Jason Rivers, 4.55

Taj Smith, 4.55

Lavelle Hawkins, 4.56

Steve Johnson, 4.57

Marcus Monk, 4.57

Mario Urrutia, 4.58

Mario Manningham, 4.59

Todd Blythe, 4.61

Travis Brown, 4.63

De’Cody, Fagg, 4.63

Darnell Jenkins, 4.63

Danny Amendola, 4.64

Shaheer McBride, 4.66

Evan Moore, 4.67

Davone Bess, 4.69

Adarius Bowman, 4.69

Mark Bradford, 4.69

Kevin Robinson, 4.69

Billy Pittman, 4.76

Here are the 40 yard dash times for the running backs of the 2008 NFL Combine.

Chris Johnson, 4.24

Darren McFadden, 4.33

Anthony Alridge, 4.36

Jamaal Charles, 4.38

Chad Simpson, 4.42

Kevin Smith, 4.43

Ray Rice, 4.44

Steve Slaton, 4.44

Rashard Mendenhall, 4.45

Matt Forte, 4.46

Felix Jones, 4.47

Jalen Parmele, 4.47

Jonathan Stewart, 4.48

Dantrell Savage, 4.5

Cory Boyd, 4.51

Tashard Choice, 4.52

Thomas Brown, 4.55

Peyton Hills, 4.58

Xavier Omon, 4.59

Jacob Hester, 4.6

Marcus Thomas, 4.6

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, 4.63

Lex Hilliard, 4.63

Kregg Lumpkin, 4.64

Ryan Torain, 4.64

Kalvin McRae, 4.64

Mike Hart, 4.67

Carl Stewart, 4.69

Jehuu Caulcrick, 4.7

Owen Schmett, 4.7

Jerome Felton, 4.75

Yvenson Bernard, 4.83

Here are the 40 yard dash times for the Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends during the 2008 NFL Combine…

TE-Dustin Keller, 4.53

TE-Jacob Tamme, 4.57

TE-Craig Stevens, 4.62

TE-Gary Barnidge, 4.63

TE-Brad Cottam, 4.68

TE-Martellus Bennett, 4.69

TE-Tom Santi, 4.76

TE-Darrell Strong, 4.79

TE-Derek Fine, 4.84

TE-John Carlson, 4.89

TE-Joey Haynos, 4.9

TE-Adam Bishop, 4.93

OL-Mike Pollak, 4.98

OL-Jeremy Zuttah, 4.99

OL-Donald Thomas, 5.01

OL-Eric Young, 5.03

TE-Kolo Kapanui, 5.04

OL-Chris Williams, 5.07

OL-Heath Benedict, 5.08

OL-Jake Long, 5.17

OL-Carl Nicks, 5.18

OL-Kory Lichtensteiger, 5.19

OL-Drew Radovich, 5.21

OL-Keith Brandon, 5.21

OL-Cherilus Gosder, 5.21

OL-Will Robinson, 5.22

OL-Jamey Richard, 5.22

OL-Steve Justice, 5.22

OL-Brandon Albert, 5.22

OL-Chilo Rachal, 5.23

OL-Mike Gibson, 5.23

OL-David Hale, 5.26

OL-Cody Wallace, 5.27

OL-John Greco, 5.31

OL-Shawn Murphy, 5.32

OL-Tyler Polumbus, 5.33

OL-Geoffrey Schwartz, 5.34

OL-Roy Schuening, 5.34

OL-Mike McGlynn, 5.36

OL-John Sullivan, 5.4

OL-Chad Rinehart, 5.41

OL-Barry Richardson, 5.47

OL-Matt Spanos, 5.5

OL-Pedro Sosa, 5.5

OL-Jeff Otah, 5.56

(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)I’m trying to get the combine results in as they come. For the moment the only event done at the 2008 NFL Combine is the bench press results for the offensive linemen and tight ends.

Here are the results….The number next to the name is the number of reps each player did at 225 lbs…..

 

 

 

OL-Jake Long, 37

OL-Jeremy Zuttah, 35

OL-Kirk Barton, 34

OL-Mike Gibson, 31

OL-Keith Brandon, 31

OL-Carl Nicks, 31

OL-John Greco, 30

OL-Mike McGlynn, 30

OL-Chris McDuffle, 29

OL-Shawn Murphy, 29

OL-Mike Pollak, 29

TE-Craig Stevens, 27

TE-Dustin Keller, 26

OL-Cherilus Gosder, 24

OL-Ryan Clady, 24

TE-Brad Cottam, 24

TE-Fred Davis, 24

TE-Derek Fine, 24

OL-Oniel Cousins, 23

OL-Breno Giacomini, 23

TE-Kolo Kapanui, 23

TE-Gary Barnidge, 22

TE-Kellen Davis, 22

OL-Robert Felton, 22

TE-Adam Bishop, 21

OL-King Dunlap, 21

LB-Tyler Schmitt, 21

OL-Chris Williams, 21

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comIn a very anticipated move, the Arizona Cardinals finally cut starting safety Terrence Holt. The team also released tackle Oliver Ross and defensive linemen Chris Cooper to free up some salary cap room.

As most Cardinal fans know, Terrence Holt just can’t play football. This cut was long awaited. The fact that the guy is in the NFL is somewhat amazing with how bad he was at times. Oliver Ross was a guy I felt could redeem himself with his former Steeler coaches, but an injury that put him out all of last year and a large salary this year is what leads to his departure. Chris Cooper was a guy that could do a solid job filling in for injured players, but was being payed too much for a backup.

Holt was due to receive a $1.5 million roster bonus in early March in addition to the $2 million in salary he was scheduled to receive. Ross was scheduled to receive $2.8 million in salary in 2008; Cooper $900,000. The Cardinals just saved millions of dollars by cutting 3 players that don’t do much if anything for the Cardinals football team. Good job Rod Graves, that was a step in the right direction. Now lets get Larry Fitzgerald a new deal and go get some big time players in free agency.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comIn what qualifies as very good news it was reported today in the East Valley Tribune that Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry is in the process of reworking his deal to a lower number.You can read the article by clicking here.As we have stated here before on the Cardinals page, Berry is a solid guy and provides depth but his cap number of $5 million is just way too big for the Cardinals to handle given the other needs on the team, and that this cap number made Berry a prime candidate for being released in a cap move.Instead, much as Oliver Ross realized last season, there has been a meeting of the minds and it looks like the former Pro-Bowl DE will be with the team for at least another year or two at a lower number. This makes sense for both the player and the team, as Bertrand certainly knows that his open market value isn’t close to $5 million anymore, but for the Cardinals he is a locker room leader, a quality guy and when healthy still a force at DE.I’ve been waiting for some contract reworks to get done so room can be made to sign Calvin Pace before free agency and hopefully this is just the first domino in a series of reworks. The others I’d like to see extended for strategic and cap reasons are Kurt Warner and his $4.5 million cap figure, Chike Okeafor and his $5.5 cap number and Antrel Rolle and his 4.0 million cap number. Each should be retained as key members of the team, but their deals reworked to reflect the economic reality of the team.

This is a post by  Eli on MVN.com

With the NFL Combine just days away, I needed to get out my 2008 pre-combine mock draft. The fun thing about a pre-combine mock draft is it will change so much after just one week of drills. A players draft stock can change as much as 3 rounds based on how much he can bench press. It's pretty stupid, but it's always fun as a fan to watch. As most of you Arizona Cardinal fans already know, the Cards have the 16th pick in the draft. I like many others believe Arizona will be selecting a CB or a RB. If a top ranked corner drops to them, then that will be their pick. If not I think the Cards will select the best RB available, either Jonathan Stewart or Rashard Mendenhall. We'll be able to get a more clear evaluation after the NFL combine. For the moment I have the Cardinals taking Mendenhall. Here's my complete first round mock draft...

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

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

3) Atlanta Falcons-(coin flip) Darren McFadden, RB-Arkansas

4) Oakland Raiders-(coin flip) Glenn Dorsey, DT-LSU

5) Kansas City Chiefs-(coin flip) Jake Long, OT-Michigan

6) New York Jets-Sedrick Ellis, DT-USC

7) New England Patriots- (from 49ers) Michael Jenkins, CB-South Florida

8)Baltimore Ravens- Leodis McKelvin, CB-Troy

9) Cincinnati Bengals-Vernon Gholston, DE-Ohio State

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

11) Buffalo Bills-Malcolm Kelly, WR-Oklahoma

12) Denver Broncos-Ryan Clady, OT-Boise State

13) Carolina Panthers- Derrick Harvey, DE-Florida

14) Chicago Bears-Brian Brohm, QB-Louisville

15) Detroit Lions- Chris Williams, OT-Vanderbilt

16) Arizona Cardinals- Rashard Mendenhall, RB-Illinois

17) Minnesota Vikings-DeSean Jackson, WR-California

18) Houston Texans- Jonathan Stewart, RB-Oregon

19) Philadelphia Eagles-Limas Sweed, WR-Texas

20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Mario Manningham, WR-Michigan

21) Washington Redskins-Calais Campbell, DE-Miami

22) Dallas Cowboys-Sam Baker, T-USC

23) Pittsburgh Steelers-Jeff Otah, T-Pittsburgh

24) Tennessee Titans- Early Doucet, WR-LSU

25) Seattle Seahawks-Felix Jones, RB-Arkansas

26) Jacksonville Jaguars-Phillip Merling, DE-Clemson

27) San Diego Chargers- Kentwan Balmer, DT-North Carolina

28) Dallas Cowboys-Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB-Tenn St.

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

30) Green Bay Packers- Fred Davis, TE-USC

31) New England Patriots-Forfeited

32) New York Giants-Keith Rivers, OLB-USC

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comA post by Mark on MVN.com

In an expected move, the Arizona Cardinals placed the franchise tag on ILB Karlos Dansby on Thursday, thus insuring they could retain his services for 2008 while still having until July 1, 2008 to sign him to a longer term contract. The tag price for one year is just north of $8 million per season, making Dansby a very rich linebacker, but it is almost certain the Cardinals and Dansby will work out a deal prior to training camp to stretch it into a longer contract.

Both sides are waiting to see what the market for linebackers is this year before committing to a deal, so expect this to get done in May or June once the other elements of free agency have been worked out and the draft has taken place. It’s good news he will be a Cardinal and that the team is making a commitment to him, I just hope the price and contract work out to be reasonable, and that Dansby’s injury issues are behind him so that he stays on the field for all 16 games this year. He, along with Adrian Wilson, is one of the key playmakers on that defense, and when he is off the field, the drop off in team defense is huge.

As for Calvin Pace I grow increasingly nervous and certain that they are going to let him hit free agency, which I believe is a huge mistake on the part of the Cardinals front office. As I stated in my prior post, the Larry Fitzgerald negotiations are clearly becoming a huge obstacle to doing other contracts and roster moves, and the front office is using them as an excuse to not get other deals done. Lets face it, they tagged Dansby to simply buy more time to work on the Fitzgerald deal, Rob Graves said as much on the radio earlier this week. However, the upshot is that Pace, who finally found a position and a coaching staff that fit his skill set this season, is going to be allowed to hit the market in a couple of weeks, and that is almost certainly going to result in his signing elsewhere.

I’ve seen this happen again and again with this franchise over the years and it’s incredibly frustrating. Pace and Okefor could give them a tandem at OBL/DE that is fast, big and talented, but because of the other contract hang up’s, they will try to wait and see who offers for Pace and gamble they can match. In case the front office hasn’t noticed, big, fast, talented young OLB’s get paid a premium, and I expect some team to open up the wallet for Pace, with the result being the Cardinals will have missed their chance to match. Hopefully i’m wrong but if this is yet another replay of letting a talented player walk due to cap and contract mis-management i’m not going to be shocked.

This team can’t afford to lose Pace at this point in the process and I hope they don’t use the Fitzgerald salary cap fiasco as an excuse to let him leave. Thats a huge step backward.

 

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

I’ve had a week or two of the sickening in house PR from local Arizona Cardinals beat writers and the team web site about all the difficulty in managing the cap, how Larry Fitzgerald’s salary is the teams priority in the off season and how they are not going to be major players in free agency this year. What no one wants to discuss, or just isn’t aware of is how the Cardinals decades of inept management and poor performance has caused them to over pay for free agents, draft high price picks and generally perpetuate a business model that creates annual “cap crisis” and prevents the team from taking the next step to being a consistent play off contender. Lets look at a few disturbing facts before we get to the off season issues:

1. The Cardinals consistently over pay free agents at a premium to get them to come to the media and marketing graveyard known as Arizona. Since the Cardinals moved to the Valley of the Sun they have consistently had to over pay players to get them to come here, as players knew coming in that the team usually wasn’t going to be very good ( no play off money or bonus potential ), the team is never on national TV so players don’t get picked for Pro-Bowl honors, ( another huge loss of bonus or contract incentive money ) and that they would probably be cut in three seasons or less by the next coach in to rebuilding so they would heavily front load contracts. The net effect of this is we have players like Chike Okefor and Bert Berry on the books for about $5.5 million a year each, Edgerrin James on for $6.75 million, Al Johnson on for last year at $7 million or Terrance Holt at $4.5 million. Thats almost $30 million of cap space for decent vets, but not a Pro-Bowl among them unless you go back 4 seasons to Bert Berry’s one big year. Players aren’t stupid and they hold up the Cardinals for BIG money to come here, creating BIG cap hits that prevent going out and getting quality players in the mid range to build roster depth.

2. The Cardinals, due to their poor record, consistently draft in the top ten slots each year, creating huge down stream salary hits. It’s never the first year that kills the team, other then the Bidwill’s having to write a big bonus check which I’m sure stings them personally. No, it’s the third through six years of contracts where heavily back loaded incentives and bonus escalators just murder the cap. Exhibit A is Larry Fitzgerald, who after four seasons and two Pro-Bowls, has emerged as a top receiver, but due to the contract he got is looking at earning $16 million in 2008 and over $17.5 million in 2009! I can assure you that Levi Brown’s contract is similarly back loaded, as is Matt Leinart’s and Antrel Rolle’s. I am a huge Fitzgerald fan, but the price of having to make a top three selection is going to prevent this team from making necessary moves in free agency to strengthen the roster and make a push to the play offs. The four players mentioned, all key pieces of the puzzle, will account for for over $35 million of cap space next season unless Larry Fitzgerald is extended. Couple that with the list above and you have over $65 million of cap space tied up in under 10 players! No wonder the Cardinals are in a mess despite being $30 million under the cap heading into the off season. They only have about 30 players under contract and that cap space is going to evaporate on just a few players.

3. As a result of the above scenario, of over paid free agents and high draft picks, the Cardinals continuously have to release or not resign quality players who they can’t afford to extend. Going all the way back to Garrison Hearst being cut in training camp in order to sign number three draft pick Simeon Rice, this franchise has mis-managed their cap. The worst example was when younger brother Bill Bidwill Jr. asserted himself and signed Jake Plummer to an insane contract that resulted in the team needing to not resign Larry Centers, Lomas Brown and Jamir Miller after the 1998 play off season, setting the franchise back 6 years in the process. Now once again we are faced with the ” we just want to sign our guys” stories while it’s obvious that Calvin Pace is probably going to be allowed to hit the market instead of being retained and turned into a top quality outside LB by this new coaching staff.

4. Don’t over estimate the talent or value of your own players and sign them for prices they aren’t worth. Does anyone remember the big Raynoch Thompson extension a few years back, and he was out of the league a year later? I’ve already pointed out the Jake Plummer contract. Fortunately Rod Graves has done a much better job the last three years in this area so it’s not as pronounced as in the past, but while I certainly want Karlos Dansby resigned, his inability to stay healthy really makes you wonder about the value of giving him $8 million per year like he wants. He’s a potential Pro-Bowl guy but the fact is he is always injured to some degree and I’m not at all convinced that you make a big financial commitment to him as much as you want to keep a player like Karlos. Make him a very fair offer but don’t get stupid about what you pay the guy. If he moves on take that money and go after a proven guy like Suggs instead.The net effect is a vicious cycle where in there is never quite enough money to keep key players such as Leonard Davis as a RG or Calvin Pace as an OLB, or talk of releasing Edgerrin James when the team doesn’t have anything remotely resembling a decent running back to take his place. So what are the Cardinals to do this off season in order to break out of this cycle and finally put a winner on the field?A few suggestions:

1. Understand that no team ever got better getting rid of good players based on salary issues. Talent matters in the NFL, particularly veteran talent at key positions, and talk of releasing Edgerrin James or Kurt Warner to save cap money is absurd, just as the “trade Larry Fitzgerald” rumors are the workings of idiotic minds. Just because they have big cap numbers doesn’t mean you get better as a team by trading or releasing super stars. The way to manage this cap issue is to extend key players who deserve it or rework or release over paid players who aren’t worth what they are getting. However, stop this moronic conversation about trading The Predator or releasing Edge just to sign some mediocre free agents or retain average talent like Bryant Johnson at wide receiver when you don’t have another NFL quality running back on the roster and your receiver is one of the top 3 in the game.

2. Take a hard look at positions where you have depth and make your salary cap cuts there. Look, I like Al Johnson and think he’s a good NFL center, but if you want to make an immediate $4 million salary savings release him and put Lyle Sendlein in as your starter next year. The rookie free agent from Texas was a big surprise, held up extremely well when he was force to play early in the year and in my opinion was a far superior run blocker compared to Johnson. If you have equal talent and can save $4 million, go with Lyle and put that money into Calvin Pace instead of letting him hit the free agent market. That seems like a no brainer to me. Another obvious, but painful cut is to let Bertrand Berry go and save his $5 million cap hit. While still productive Berry has dropped off dramatically and just can’t stay healthy and his money could be used to retain a player like Dansby long term. The salary cap casualties if I were GM of the Cardinals would be Bert Berry, Al Johnson, Terrance Holt, Marcel Shipp and Neil Rackers. The collective savings off the 2008 cap would be approximately $14 to $15 million and could be used to lock up Calvin Pace and Karlos Dansby to long term deals with out a serious impact on the over all play of the team heading into 2008.

3. Extend key players with big cap numbers now to create room for Larry Fitzgerald and avoid making player cuts due to cap issues. The key players who could provide immediate cap relief by extending their deals are Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner, Chike Okefor and Edgerrin James. I would consider each of these players, three of whom signed big free agent deals, crucial components for the next two to three years as key veteran players. Warner is the ultimate insurance policy and mentor for Leinart, Okefor is a prototype OLB/DE in this new system and has never been injured before this season, James is never injured and is a work horse running back who could split time with a top rookie pick up and Fitzgerald is the teams premier young receiver. I did some quick math and by reworking Okefor to a new three year deal and adding a year on Warner and James’s deals, you could potentially free up $6 to $7 million in 2008 salary space. The Larry Fitzgerald rework is going to be fairly problematic as he holds all the cards and the best the team can hope for is a new 7 year deal that moves his cap number down to something closer to $10 million this season. However, and this is the big issue, it would require the Bidwill’s to pony up signing bonus money for Warner, Fitz, Edge and Chike and the historically cheap ownership would be stepping totally out of character to do this. The real test of Michael Bidwills commitment to winning will be how he handles the rework and extending of contracts to keep the core together and not blow up the team at crucial positions like QB, WR, RB and DE, all of which are premium positions in the NFL.

4. Draft wisely and if possible MOVE DOWN and stop paying bonus money and big contracts to marginal first round picks. The money paid to Levi Brown last year was absurd and that contract is going to kill this teams cap for several seasons to come unless Levi becomes a pro bowl perennial OT in the NFL. The same goes for the Antrel Rolle contract and this years move to FS will be a make or break year for the Miami U. graduate. The Cardinals have the 16th pick in this years draft and unless they have a player they love at that slot I’d like to see them move down and stock pile some players at key positions to compensate for last years disastrously thin draft class. I’ll address the teams draft needs in a coming post, but as it stands right now they should be looking for a top flight CB, a DE/OLB suited to take Bert Berry’s slot, depth at DT/DE behind Dockett and Smith, a blocking TE, depth at RB and another OT to build some depth there. They should have 8 draft picks this year with a compensatory pick added for the Leonard Davis loss, and if they are able to trade down out of the first round they might be able to have 9 or 10 picks. For a team that is desperately thin at key positions and weak on special teams they can’t afford another draft where you only add 4 players to your roster like they did in 2007.Well, next week i’ll have our first draft review and mock draft for the Cardinals in all seven rounds so we can start adding some names to the holes that need to be plugged. For now, lets stop letting this front office whine about how tough it is to resign their players and hold them accountable to spend the money they are making with the new stadium. The net worth of the Bidwill family went up by about $400 million over the last three years thanks to the tax payer funded University of Phoenix stadium and if that family sits on their wallets and makes excuses it will be one more example in a decade long tradition of their lack of commitment to winning. They have the money stream, they have the coaching staff and they have the players. Now it’s up to the front off to make sure they get it done and keep building on this years 8-8 record.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comWell it’s finally here, Super Bowl XLII will be under way in just hours. The final night of parties is over and all that matters now is the game. Let me tell you, living here in Scottsdale for the Super Bowl has been lots of fun, but man I can’t wait till all the crowds and traffic go away.

I went to the FBR Open yesterday and it was the all time record for a golf crowd with just about 180,00 people. For the week, the Open is going to set a sports attendance record, says David Feherty of CBS with over 500,000 people showing up to the tournament. There was 38,000 people just around the small and infamous 16th hole at the TPC of Scottsdale. If your confused about what hole the 16th is, it’s the one where Tiger Woods hit that hole in one and the crowd erupted and threw beers onto the course. I was in the front row on the tee box for that shot and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in sports(go to the tape, you can see me I promise). Tiger’s shot alone changed that tournament and that hole. It was always a popular hole, but after the hole in one it became an actual stadium full of drunk people. It’s something everyone needs to come experience sometime.

As for the parties, I’m kind of glad they’re over. I had tons of fun but I’m exhausted. Last night I left a little early, but it didn’t matter because from my home all I could hear was Kid Rock playing live in the background. It was like he was trying to make sure I couldn’t fall asleep. But to be honest I really didn’t mind because how often do you get to experience that. The real problem I’m having is with all the helicopters. For a week straight now, there has been a helicopter hovering over my home. Even as I type this post I can’t think straight because all I hear is a chopper 300 yards above me. I’m losing my mind from it. So forgive me if this post makes no sense, I can’t think straight.

I’ve heard lots of ambulences and fire trucks this week but all together I think everything was pretty safe at the bars and clubs. No serious incidents with players involved and that’s always a good thing. However NFL Networks Adam Schefter reported that in Atlanta, New Orleans Saints DE Charles Grant was in a bar fight in which he was stabbed in the neck with a knife. Grant seems to be alright but unfortunately a pregnant women standing around this fight was shot and killed. That’s all I know about that for now. I’m sure more info will come in later on.

On a lighter note, I’d like to make my prediction for Super Bowl XLII. I know so many of you want to pick the upset so you can look smart if it happens. The only problem with that is it won’t happen. I’m taking the Patriots over the Giants with a score of 102 to -4. Well actually Tom Brady does have a sore foot and Eli Manning has been playing well, so I’ll make my final score Pats 42 Giants 24.

It’s been a great week here in Scottsdale, AZ, I hope you all enjoy the game.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.com A post by Mark on MVN.com  

According to an interview scheduled to air this evening on Dave Burns show on KTAR 620 Sports in Phoenix, AZ. it is confirmed by head coach Ken Whisenhunt that the long awaited move of Antrel Rolle to FS is finally going to become reality.

Thank goodness it’s about time!

As our readers know we have been advocating this move for at least two years now, with this season being further proof that Rolle is never going to be a top level NFL corner, but that he could become an excellent safety. Rolle just never looked comfortable at corner, didn’t have the elite recovery speed or instincts to be a shut down cover guy, but in the games where he played in the slot or as a rover back this year flashed the type of skill that indicated he could be a great free safety. He’s a sure tackler, he’s got the build and has turned into a ball hawk in zone coverage as evidenced by his two break out games where he was named NFL defensive player of the week.

This is further proof that this coaching staff gets it. Instead of stubbornly sticking him where he is struggling, as the Cardinals did with Leonard Davis at left tackle, they move him where he can succeed and elevate his game. This certainly means that Torrance Holt is going to be a roster cut prior to March 1 and that the Cardinals will be shopping for a top level cornerback in either free agency or this years draft.

Great news and i’m sure if you want to hear the interview you can find it on KTAR after this evening.

photo courtesy of gridironfans.com I’m here again in Scottsdale, Arizona at the location of the Super Bowl XLII and game day is getting closer. More stars are showing up and more celebrities are throwing their parties. It’s an atmosphere I’ve never experienced.

On Wednesday, I stopped by one more time at the location of Mike and Mike in the morning (In case you didn’t read my last post the location of the show is just yards from my home). The wind chill was at least 200 degrees below zero, so I decided to drive my car over to the location.

Anyways, It was early morning and dark out so my vision was not at its clearest. As I drove across Scottsdale road and onto Stetson drive, a man jumped out in front of my car. It being dark out and me not paying attention I hit the breaks a little late. The man with incredible athleticism stopped on a dime, avoided the car, and kept walking. I then turned right and parked the car and looked at the guy as he walked away and I realized that man was non other than Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. At first I thought wow, I almost just killed my favorite childhood player. Then I realized who other than Barry Sanders could avoid getting hit by a car in pure darkness. The man is retired and old and I was in an automobile and I still couldn’t hit the guy. I can’t imagine what it must have been like trying to tackle him. I felt that story needed to be told because it’s not everyday you almost hit Barry Sanders with your car.

Another guy I saw in my short time at Mike and Mike in the morning was Arizona Cardinal quarterback Kurt Warner.  My time was short not because I had to get somewhere, it was because it was so embarrassing being around a bunch of middle aged men trying to get autographs from professional athletes. Most athletes would sign an autograph or two then walk to their cars. But in typical Kurt Warner fashion, he signed for every single person. I know I’m biased towards the guy, but he’s nice beyond words. Most guys don’t have the patiences to sign for 50 year old men at 6 in the morning, but of course Kurt did. I sat back an observed instead of rushing into the crowd of people. Mostly because I didn’t want to lump myself in with this sad group. I also didn’t feel like taking advantage of a guys niceness. Warner has his priorities in order and believes helping people and making them happy is more important than football. That’s why the name of his charitable foundation is First things First (click here for link to Kurt’s foundation website, and to see how you can help).

Its been another interesting couple of days, I’ll be heading out to the FBR Open today and this weekend. I’ll put another post up before the end of the week.

Eli Wahlstrom and Mike Greenberg So in case you haven’t heard, the Super Bowl is here. Lucky for me it’s all happening right outside my bedroom window. ESPN has set up the shows Mike and Mike in the morning, First Take, and PTI all about a 5 iron away from my place. So of course me being a sports fan I had to go check it out. Ya, that’s right, I was one of those guys waving at the camera in the background so I could be on TV. I wasn’t too obnoxious, I only did it once so my Mom could see me. Now Mom thinks I work for Mike and Ike in the morning. No, that’s not a misprint, Mom thinks the show is called Mike and Ike, like the candy. I don’t feel like correcting her, it’s not worth my time.

It’s been very interesting to see a behind the scenes look at how these shows are produced and what the guys are really like. I’ve gotten to meet people like Mike Golic, Mike Greenberg, Anthony Munoz, Mark Schlereth, Frank Caliendo, Larry Fitzgerald, Skip Bayless, and many others. So far all of those guys have been real nice and willing to take pictures with me. I think I’m a breath of fresh air compared to the 45 year old men screaming like school girls to get their autographs.

Being here in Scottsdale is absolutely nuts. I can’t walk outside to my car without seeing a celebrity or an athlete. It seems like every celebrity has their own party that cost a few grand to get into. Unfortunately, I do not have the funds or the status to be part of those events. For the moment I’ll have to accept looking from my window dreaming of what it would be like to be part of Paris Hilton’s rich and attractive person party, or whatever the name of it is.

Anyways, I’ll be giving more updates on the Super Bowl from Scottsdale throughout the week.

Rumor has it former Arizona Cardinal head coach Dennis Green might be the next Oakland Raider head coach. ESPN reported that owner Al Davis no longer wants Lane Kiffin as the coach and is considering Denny Green.

Davis has drafted up a letter of resignation for Kiffin to sign. Kiffin has refused to sign the letter and dares Davis to fire him. So as you can see chances are Lane is gone.

The bigger issue for Raider fans is the potential hiring of Denny Green. As a Cardinal fan I was in favor of Green coming to Arizona originally. But when I heard that Green didn’t have the passion for coaching that he once had, and wasn’t a coach that communicated well with players, I wanted him gone. Once Denny left the Cardinals, players really started to come out and express their true feelings about the coach. None of it was particularly positive. I personally never expected Green’s name to be brought up in head coaching conversations after his poor performance in Arizona.

Maybe Al Davis is just really losing it. First, he hires a coach that looks like he just got out of diapers, now he’s interested in a guy that’s over the hill and lacks passion for the job. Until Davis gives up the team, or steps aside I don’t see anything good coming to the Raiders organization. If Oakland does end up with Denny as their coach, it will set back any growth this team could’ve made for another five years.

Congratulations to Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett for being added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Dockett will be replacing injured Chicago Bears tackle Tommie Harris.

This will be Darnell’s first trip to Hawaii and he will be joining Larry Fitzgerald as the only other Cardinal to do so on February 10th.

Dockett was originally snubbed from the Pro Bowl despite leading all NFL defensive tackles with 9 sacks. As most of you Cardinal fans already know, Darnell is a fan favorite because of his unmatched passion and model work ethic. There isn’t a player more deserving of a trip to the Pro Bowl. Good Job Darnell!

photo courtesy of azcardinals.com

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

In the start of the off season rumor mill it has been reported in at least one media outlet here in Phoenix that the first off season casualty for the Cardinals this year will be Free Safety Terrence Holt. Holt just finished the first year of a scheduled five year contract after playing his first four seasons with the Detroit Lions.

The report, which was part of the 910 am morning segment with Cardinals Insider Mike Jurecki, mentioned that prior to the March 1, 2008 deadline Holt will likely get his walking papers, freeing up about $3.5 million of cap space for 2008 and making the drafting of either a top corner or FS in the up coming draft almost a certainty.

For what ever reason Holt just never got into sync this year and stood out like a sore thumb on some big plays that gave up either touch downs or huge yardage. He can’t say he wasn’t given a clean shot at the job as he started most of the season, but with Aaron Francisco and potentially Antrel Rolle available to take his spot this looks like an easy call for the coaching staff. I’m anxious to see Rolle moved to free safety as he could be a star at that position and the Cardinals could then concentrate on drafting a couple of first day cornerbacks to load up their depth in the secondary

Look for at least one more big name to be released on the defensive side of the ball as well with both Bert Berry and Chike Okeafor possible salary cap cuts. I think the team would like to keep both of them as they are model teammates and can still bring a lot to the table, but their salary numbers and age make them both vulnerable. I’m hoping they rework both their deals and keep them at a more manageable number and use the savings to go after a Terrell Suggs or to retain Calvin Pace.

Speaking of Calvin Pace it is rumored that he just fired his agent and will be working through Drew Rosenhaus, thus making it almost a certainty that he might hit the open market to drive up his value. I’m sure we will hear more after the Senior Bowl evaluation and leading up to the March 1, 2008 deadline.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThis post can also been seen on MVN.com

2008 should be an interesting off-season for the Arizona Cardinals ( They made substantial progress this year, but there remain some big holes in key areas and their depth is not at a level that allows them contend for a championship, which should be the ultimate goal here, not just being average.) So lets go over some of their needs.

 
Quarterbacks- No need here for the moment. ( They have what should be their franchise QB of the future in Matt Leinart, the best second QB in the NFL in Kurt Warner, and if they resign him a top quality third QB in Tim Rattay.

Running Backs- Edgerrin James is still a tough running back that should be a starter in the NFL.( he showed he still has the all round game to be a top 10 NFL running back when given a decent line and coherent offensive game plan to work in.) The problem the Cardinals have with James is he makes $5 million next season. So if he’s worth keeping at that price is a question yet to be answered by the team and the rumors that the coaching staff wants a different type of back, a more explosive threat continue to circulate. One way or another Arizona absolutely should be drafting a running back to either split carries with James or to become the new starting running back for the Cards. J.J. Arrington just doesn’t cut it as a back up or a starter and should be released this year and Marcel Shipp is at best a third back and special teams guy at this point in his career. Expect a RB to be drafted somewhere on day one, particularly with the number of junior RB’s that declared this year.

Wide Receivers- Whether the Cardinals keep Larry Fitzgerald or decide to trade him, Arizona will need to pick up another WR in the draft or free agency. In my opinion Fitzgerald is untouchable and at age 24 is poised to move ahead of Marvin Harrison, T.O. and Randy Moss as perhaps THE elite WR in the NFL. Bryant Johnson, unless he agrees to take less money, is most likely gone, so a #2 or #3 quality wide out will be needed depending on what the Cards do with Fitz. What looked to be a deep area really isn’t all that deep, look for the Cardinals to go shopping for a third receiver.

Tight Ends- We know Ken Whisenhunt likes to use two tight end sets. So look for the Cards to pick up a tight end that can really block in the off-season. They made a run at a few guys last year but came up short but this offense desperately needs a veteran TE who can block and not make the foolish mistakes that plagued this years group. Leonard Pope and Ben Patrick both stepped up this year in the passing game making big receptions but neither player can block like a true NFL TE yet and it’s killing the offense. A tight end will be added for sure but this draft is more of a pass catching TE group and once again thin on the pounding TE’s this group favors. Watch the combine to see who emerges out of that group.

Offensive line- Some more depth would be nice to have on the offensive line. You could always upgrade at some positions on the line but I don’t see a desperate need. We’ll hear some Alan Faneca talk but I’d be surprised if they went through with it and signed the all pro. He’s going to want big money, he’s on the back side of his career and the Cardinals have two good guards right now. If one of the big tackle prospects slips to the 16th slot such as Sam Baker of USC you might see the Cardinals grab him, otherwise look for a day two prospect at tackle or guard.

Defensive Line/Linebackers- Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor might be getting the axe, mostly because of the salary cap room their contracts are taking up. My guess for the moment is Arizona keeps Okeafor and cuts Berry at this point unless he agrees to a pay cut similar to what Oliver Ross agreed to last year. Either way expect the Cardinals to pick up a defensive end or two, particularly if one of the elite pass rushing prospects such as Calais Campbell, Vernon Gholston or Quentin Groves is there at 16. I’m speculating Arizona will resign Calvin Pace but if they don’t, look for the Cards to pick up one more linebacker/DE type, maybe even Terrell Suggs who has expressed some interest about returning to his home state of AZ. No matter what, the Cardinals are going to need to find either free agents or draft picks to start manning the 3-4 defense they started to convert to this season.

Secondary- Cornerbacks are clearly a point of need for Arizona. The Cardinals have to get a #1 cornerback and I think they’ll do that with the #16 pick in the draft. It’s looking like Antrel Rolle will make the long awaited move from CB to FS and current FS Terrence Holt will probably be handed his walking papers. The Cardinals chances of finding an elite secondary player in the draft were improved by players such as Aqib Talib, Kenny Phillips and Reggie Smith coming out early. Each of them should be first round picks and all could be used to dramatically upgrade the Cardinals depth in the secondary.

Punter/Kicker- Punter Mitch Berger held things together last season after being signed off the street but I don’t think he’ll be back for 2008. So a new punter will be a priority. As we all know, Neil Rackers struggled last season finishing 32nd in the NFL in field goal accuracy, which given his $1 million plus salary is pretty pathetic. You would think there is no way the Cardinals can keep a kicker at that price, with those numbers, so the Cardinals are certainly justified in cutting Neil. However, I just don’t see it happening for several reasons. Too many people in the clubhouse like Neil Rackers, he’s a team captain, he’s a former Pro Bowler with a big time leg and you might not get any better results from who ever your bring in. But you never know in the NFL and if the Cardinals need cap room removing Rackers and finding a lower cost option is certainly possible.

In summery, it’s my opinion that given the few elite secondary prospects in this draft, the Cardinals will most likely take a CB/S with the first round pick. Knowing that with the glut of junior RB’s that a top quality running back is going to be available with the second pick. Another point to keep in mind is that the Cardinals will also be awarded a third round pick for the loss of Leonard Davis in free agency, giving them a shot at picking up a tight end or RB there as well. I think they keep Fitzgerald and don’t resign Bryant Johnson. One or both of Okeafor and Berry will be let go and Calvin Pace is likely to be resigned. Edgerrin James is still one I don’t know about yet, right now I’m leaning towards Arizona keeping him as 2008 should be a year they make a run for the playoffs and you need to have two good RB’s to make that happen in today’s NFL. Then again, I thought they’d pick Adrian Peterson when given the chance so trying to predict what the Cardinals front office has planned can be pretty tough at times.

No matter what they do this team needs to stop thinking about next year and make a push in the off season to plug the holes, spend the money and make a run for the play offs. It is estimated that hosting a play off game in your stadium, as would happen if they won the NFC west, puts close to $6 to $7 million in an owners pockets. Spend the money, build the team, sell out that stadium and make that final step to the playoff level team this city craves and deserves.

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

In a pre-view to an extended podcast that Eli and I will be doing on the Cardinals season and a look toward the off season, we now present our first annual player and coaches report card for the 2007 season. The over all season could be termed an improvement but in no way could it be called a success. 8-8 is a step up from the Denny Green/Dave McGinnis years but the fact is we absolutely should have been in the play offs this year if this team hadn’t let a couple of very winnable games slip away.

I know everyone wants to talk about the injuries, and just today Len Pascarelli over at ESPN had a list of the teams that lost the most starters over the course of the season, and the Cardinals were third on that list. However, every team has injuries and that's why drafting and shrewd free agency decisions are the difference between the average teams and those still playing at the end of the years. You have got to have quality depth in this league or your not going to make it to the end of the season being able to compete.

With all that in mind lets get started:

Front office and ownership: This was an off season where Denny Green was fired, Ken Whisenhunt was hired and Rod Graves was given a raise and a contract extension by the Bidwill family. Clearly, Denny Green had packed it in and was basically stealing money for the last 10 games of 2006 knowing he was going to get the ax so he had to go even if it meant the owners had to eat a big contract. However, the new stadium was sold out, the family is printing money compared to the years at Sun Devil and there is no longer the excuse that they don’t have the financial resources to step up and hire and pay good coaching and administrative talent. Toward that end they made a very solid hire in Ken Whisenhunt who was allowed to assemble and pay a good staff of assistants. The more questionable move in the eyes of some was extending Rod Graves after Denny was fired due to the perception that the successful drafts and personnel moves over the preceding three years were largely the work and influence of Green. However, Rod is well liked by the Bidwills and he was rewarded for, well, I’m not quite sure what as this last draft and free agency had some real head scratchers. The book is still out on his ability to find and draft quality talent and this years draft is a red letter example of how not to do it. The Cardinals whiffed on their third round pick Buster Davis, reached on their 1st and 2nd round picks of Brown and Branch, didn’t have picks in the 4th and 6th round due to questionable trades but rebounded and picked up decent prospects in the 5th and 7th round in Breaston and Patrick. Additionally, some questionable free agent signings such as Holt at FS and the $7 million deal given Al Johnson could hamstring the team next year in their bid to find cap room for other free agents. This isn’t a team that can afford to miss on ANY draft picks given the thin depth or make questionable moves in allocating bonus money to the cap, but hopefully this staff will continue to coach up the players they have, and the Bidwills won’t use the restructuring of Fitzgeralds contract as an excuse to sit out free agency and sit on their wallets. That sold out stadium is a money tree now and they need to shake it. Grade over all: B-

Coaching staff: In the first year as a staff the Cardinals made some obvious mistakes but also made some huge strides. What people don’t quite grasp is that pulling a staff together and keeping it together is crucial in the NFL so that simple things like playbooks, video clips of plays that are archived, terminology, practice schedules and depth charts are consistent. For a staff to not have the distractions of learning how to work together spills over to the field, with the obvious examples of all the delay of game penalties this year being a by product of a first year staff learning how to handle play calling and communication during the game. While you can argue with a few minor calls here and there this staff looks to be the best assembled in the desert since Vince Tobin’s group and quite possibly could be one of the best since the Don Coryell years. I like how they handled adversity, their flexibility, imagination and instilling toughness. You didn’t see the huge mistakes and break downs that plagued prior years and the team played hard for them all season, even when they were out of the play offs. However the decision to go with a rookie punter probably cost the team at least one game as did the delay of game issues with the SF game as well. Room to improve, but it’s going in the right direction. Its the first year but I’ll give this group a grade of B for 2007 with the offensive group getting a B+, the defensive group getting a B and special teams receiving a C+.

Quarterbacks: Kurt Warner proved this year that he is still an NFL starter and difference maker when he gets protection and is allowed to find his targets. His 27 touchdowns in an abbreviated season were the best of any Cardinal QB in over 20 years and almost set a franchise record. His toughness, maturity and willingness to be prepared to play salvaged a season that could have been a 3 or 4 win fiasco after Matt Leinart went down with his injury. That said he still has ball protection issues in the pocket, at times forces throws when he doesn’t have to, but by the end of the year he was playing at close to a pro-bowl level. I’d like to see the Cardinals extend Warner for at least two more years beyond 2008 as he’s in great shape, is a model teammate and is the best back up QB in the NFL bar none. As for Matt Leinart this season was one to forget on many levels. His off season was rocky on a personal level, he was criticized for not putting in the hours a championship QB does to prepare each week and his on field performance and sulking at times didn’t endear him to fans or the coaching staff. It was clear before his injury that Kurt Warner in 2007 was the best QB on the staff. That said Matt is definitely the future of this franchise, he appears to have a handle on his personal life and the specter of Warner taking his job is causing his competitive nature to kick in. Hopefully. Still it was a bad year on the field and the jury is still very much out on Matt. Tim Rattay proved to be a top quality free agent pick up and hopefully will be in the mix for 2008 and beyond. He’s a young veteran QB, he’s ideal as a second or third string guy and he played well when called upon. QB grades: Warner A-, Leinart C-, Rattay, B. Over all position grade, B+.

Wide Receivers: Once again in 2007 the Cardinals had one of their featured WR make the Pro-Bowl, with this year seeing Larry Fitzgerald picked after an outstanding season that saw him over come some nagging injuries to finish strong and make great strides in his continued development into one of the top two or three receivers in the NFL. His partner Anquan Boldin was having a monster year until he suffered a hip injury in the Baltimore game as he literally ran over the Raven’s safety on the way to a touchdown. That injury cost Boldin four games but even when he came back he lacked some explosion and was clearly not 100% for the balance of the year, but still posted huge numbers on his way to a very good 2007. The rest of the receivers unfortunately didn’t live up to their potential and a position that looked very deep in training camp actually was pretty thin after the big two. Bryant Johnson continued his frustrating practice of dropping catch-able balls, despite mixing in some great catches and solid games during the season. He is a free agent this year and I don’t expect the Cardinals to resign him as a third WR as some team will take a chance on him being their number one or two guy. Steve Breaston had a few catches but ran routes like a rookie so his playing time was limited, Jerehme Urban looked the part but had worse hands then Johnson, and Sean Morey will be forever remembered as the WR that had a 10 yard lead on a linebacker to win the SF game out right, but got caught from behind, setting up the Racker’s missed field goal instead. In short, after the big two there was a big, big drop off and the Cardinals need to find some depth at this position. Grades: Fitzgerald A, Boldin B+, Johnson C+, Urban C-, Morey C-, Breaston Incomplete. Position Grade overall B+.

Tight Ends. This group needs to stay after school for extra work with the teacher i’m afraid. Despite a good year catching the ball by Leonard Pope prior to his season ending injury, this group was by far the weakest area on the entire Cardinals roster. There isn’t a good inline blocker in the bunch, they ran wrong routes or didn’t finish routes when they did get thrown too and had some costly drops at times. If the Cardinals don’t spend a first day pick on a tight end i’m going to be really disappointed as this group is incredibly thin and green. That said, Leonard Pope made real strides in the passing game and is starting to look like a real threat if he can keep his head in the game and know where he is supposed to be. A second year in the system with the same QB’s should help him immensely and he looks to be an NFL quality TE despite his weakness in run blocking. Ben Patrick, the rookie TE out of Delaware fought through a difficult off season of injury, being cut, making the practice squad to ending up as a starter in place of Pope the last few games. He has NFL quality hands and good speed but he definitely is a year away on the blocking and route running. Tim Euhus and Troy Bienneman, in the words of Denny Green, were what we thought they were. Bottom line this group desperately needs at least one veteran and a talented rookie to upgrade it and hopefully we see that as a priority in the off season. Grades, Leonard Pope B-, Ben Patrick C+, Tim Euhus C-, Troy Bienneman C. Overall grade for position, C.

Offensive Line. No area entering this season was under greater pressure to improve then the offensive line and thankfully the rebuild of the unit and addition of Russ Grimm as OL coach saw a big step forward. The QB’s got good to very good protection, the running game was improved and you didn’t see the constant tackles for loss that were the trade mark of the Denny Green era OL’s. The free agent signings of Mike Gandy and Al Johnson were significant upgrades at LT and Center, Deuce Lutiui and Reggie Wells had solid years as RG and LG and Levi Brown held his own as a rookie RT after Oliver Ross went out in pre-season with a season ending injury. The addition of free agent rookie Lyle Sendlein and the reconstruction of Elton Brown brought depth to the unit but more competition is needed at tackle to continue to upgrade. This was the most improved area on the team this year by far. OL Grades. Mike Gandy B+, Levi Brown C+, Reggie Wells A-, Deuce Lutiui B, Al Johnson B, Lyle Sendlein B, Elton Brown B, Keydrick Vincent Incomplete.

Running backs: How people can continue to complain about Edgerrin James is totally beyond me. Sure he doesn’t have break away speed but that's no secret and if the team wanted a home run threat they shouldn’t have passed on Adrian Peterson this year. Now we are hit with rumors that Edge could be a cap cut this year despite the two best years rushing in over 25 years for the Cardinals. If you watch Edge play you see a tough, smart, work horse back who is a complete football player who never complains. With out Edge as a threat in the backfield this team might have been a 4 win team this year as the stacking the box allowed the WR’s to have huge years as a result. The other backs had mediocre seasons and i’m hopeful we won’t have J.J. Arrington to kick around much longer. This guy, for what ever reason, has never translated his college success to the pro game and probably needs a change of scenery at this point. Marcel Shipp did little with the few opportunities he had as a goal line specialist and even had a weak year on special teams compared to prior seasons. Fullback Terrelle Smith was a great pick up and well worth the money paid as a blocker, receiver and special teams guy. I’d suspect we will see some changes at the RB position in the off season but I hope Edge isn’t one of them. Don’t compound the mistake of not taking Peterson by throwing your most productive running back and a quality veteran under the bus! Grades. Edgerrin James A-, Marcel Shipp C+, J.J. Arrington C-, Terrelle Smith, B+. Position grade, B.

Defensive Line: This was shaping up as an area of real strength and depth but with the pre-season injury to Chike Okeafor and mid-season injury to Bertrand Berry this group had to rely on some untested players to hold things together over the course of the season. In addition the switch to a hybrid 3-4 unit moved some guys to spots they hadn’t played before so it was a transition year for the players as well as the staff. That said this group played tough in every game, but the losses of Okefor and Berry crippled the pass rush and exposed the secondary in the last 4 games of the season with Hasselback, Redmond and others having career days. I expect the Cardinals to make a first day pick at DE/OLB to find a serious speed rusher along the lines of a Ware or Suggs, or if the front office gets creative to actually make a run at signing Suggs as a free agent. Darnell Dockett had a pro-bowl year and thankfully got the recognition he deserved this year. Gabe Watson came to camp ready to play and completely turned around his career by reshaping his body and attitude to become a legitimate NFL nose tackle. Antonio Smith continued his steady progress to full time, top quality DE status and Calvin Pace finally found his niche taking the spot from Okefor after the injury and earning himself what is sure to be a new contract as an OLB/DE. Alan Branch was a disappointment as a 2nd round pick in that he wasn’t an impact player for any this year, but hopefully he does what Watson did, and really commit in the off season to get ready to play next year. Joe Tafoya was a solid back up but the rest of the unit struggled to hold their own when called upon. DL Grades. Darnell Dockett A, Gabe Watson B+, Antonio Smith B+, Calvin Pace B+, Bert Berry B-, Joe Tafoya C+, Alan Branch C-, Chris Cooper C-, Rodney Bailey C-. Ross Kolodzdiej and Bo Schobel Incomplete.

Linebacker: This unit was also in flux as the switch was made to the 3-4 set up requiring Dansby to move inside and to develop OLB’s that can run, cover and rush the passer. For purposes of this evaluation I moved Calvin Pace and Bert Berry to the DE evaluation, but kept guys like Brandon Johnson and Darryl Blackstock as OLB’s even though they all played elements of both positions. Expect the team to continue to look to upgrade and find true OLB/DE types in the draft and free agency to shore up this area in talent and experience as the move to a true 3-4 continues next year. As for this year the linebackers were solid with Karlos Dansby playing at a pro-bowl level if he hadn’t once again lost a few games to injury. He is the single most destructive playmaker on the defense other then Adrian Wilson and he is a must sign for the years ahead. Gerald Hayes had another solid season and this group had three players with 100+ tackles. However, the lack of depth is a huge issue and I hope the team drafts at least two linebackers this year and hits the free agency market to go get some veteran help. Linebacker grades. Karlos Dansby A-, Gerald Hayes B+, Monty Beisel B-, Darryl Blackstock C, Brandon Johnson C-, David Holloway Incomplete. Linebacker position grade B.

Corner-backs. This is another area that entering 2007 was a big concern and that was a pleasant surprise. Rodd Hood and Eric Green won the starting corner jobs, relegating Antrelle Rolle to nickel corner with Ralph Brown coming on board to be the forth corner and provide depth. Matt Ware was a utility guy shifting between safety and CB in certain formations and rookie free agent Michael Adams saw some duty once Eric Green went down with injury and Rolle was moved into a starting position. If this season proved anything of this unit is that it still needs a true top flight shut down corner prospect so Rod Hood can move to third corner, Rolle can finally move to safety or just to upgrade the depth in the secondary. This unit was trick or treat with Rolle earning defensive player of the week for the NFL TWICE and Hood earning it once with big games and interception returns for TD’s, but also giving up big plays in the passing game due to inability to cover man to man against elite receivers and being taken apart by good quarterbacks in the last half of the year. Still, in all regards it was a big step forward and this unit is probably one or two good corner prospects away from being an elite secondary. Grades for Corner backs. Eric Green B+, Rod Hood B, Antrelle Rolle B-, Ralph Brown C+, Michael Adams and Matt Ware, incomplete. Position Grade, B-.

Safeties. What was hoped to be an area of real strength was instead weakened by lingering injuries to Aaron Francisco and a season ending injury to All Pro Adrian Wilson. The addition of Terrance Holt as FS was supposed to bring a real upgrade but I think it is pretty universally considered that the single biggest free agent bust this last year was probably Holt as far as Cardinals signings go. He just never seemed to make the right play on balls in the air, probably costing the Cardinals the Tampa Bay game, and had just a ton of blown coverages and missed tackles for touchdowns that just killed this team. If a top flight free safety is available in the draft the Cardinals really need to grab him as Holt is clearly not going to be the answer unless he bounces back in a big way. He got paid big time money but his play was more on the par with a second string guy this season. Matt Ware and Oliver Celestin were both signed to primarily play special teams, but with injuries each were called upon in certain games and they stepped up and played hard but certainly didn’t make a case for themselves to be starters. This area should return to strength next season, particularly if the team adds a top flight free safety prospect and replaces Holt. Grades for safeties. Adrian Wilson A-, Aaron Francisco B-, Oliver Celestin C, Matt Ware C, Torrance Holt D+. Over all position grade for safeties, C+.

Special teams. Thankfully this unit made some real strides under special teams guru Kevin Spencer but the lack of quality depth at safety, CB, WR, TE and LB just cripple the coverage teams for the Cardinals. However, you didn’t see the mistakes, lack of effort, mindless blocking errors and cowardly coverage that was a hallmark of special teams for the last 3 to 5 years. It is hoped that with another solid draft and some infusion of talent in those positions that typically play special teams will continue to further upgrade this unit in 2008. The emergence of Steve Breaston as a true punt and kick return threat was crucial and his ball protection and decision making for a rookie were really remarkable. If he had any kind of blocking on kick returns he was a threat to go the distance every time. However, the punting for most of the season, coupled with Neil Rackers second straight mediocre to flat out rotten season, dragged this units grade way down. The miss in the SF game, and also in Washington, were just season killers and you can’t have a “cover your eyes i’m about to kick” kicker on your team if you want to make the play offs. I know he’s a team favorite and i’ll bet he’s a hell of a guy, but I’m hopeful the staff takes a long, long look for some competition for Rackers at the kicking position as he has been a big disappointment for two years now. Mitch Berger probably isn’t the long term answer at punter but he at least got the job done when the staff finally owned up to the disaster of bringing in a rookie punter one week before the season started just because Scott Player ticked off the coaching staff. These units have a long way to go but at least made a real step forward this year from putrid to just mediocre. Grades for special teams. Steve Breaston A-, Mitch Berger B-, Neil Rackers D+. Over all grade for special teams, C.

Well, there you have it. Our report card on the season and it will lead to our next analysis which is what should the Cardinals be considering in free agency and the draft for the year ahead. The over all grade for this years addition of the Arizona Cardinals? I’ll give them a generous grade of B- with a lot of room to improve but much progress over prior editions. Now it is up to the front office and the Bidwells to get smart about their contract signings, spread out the cap hits and put the final players in place that finally move this team into the play offs where they belong.