Arizona Cardinals

NFL Top 10: The Best Offseason Moves Not Made

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0500

We tend to judge coaches by how their actions effect games. We tend to judge front office types by their acquisitions. These are fair game of course, but the best offseason moves are often the ones that weren't made.

In today's NFL Top 10 column, we'll take a look back at all aspects of the offseason, and narrow down just ten player personnel moves that were not made, and how the discussed party is much better off.

10. The Detroit Lions pass on an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft
This is coming from a man who thinks that Jason Smith should have been the pick at No. 1, the prior Lions regime might have decided that after taking Matthew Stafford at No. 1, the No. 20 pick should have been the best lineman available. And even with OT Michael Oher available, the Lions decided that TE Brandon Pettigrew was a more irreplaceable player, and snagged him. In the running game, he's basically another offensive tackle. The Lions decided that even if their pass blocking struggles again this year, they still have plenty of options going forward to address it. The team has extended the contracts of two interior lineman this year, so once you pass on that franchise LT, they were better off going the developmental prospect route, which they did.

9. The 49ers do not go out and sign/draft a quarterback
This would have been a very defensible move if it happened, but they aren't a) one QB away from contending, or b) in a position where they can cast off any of the current crew without risking losing your potential franchise QB. The shine is off of Alex Smith, but we're still not real sure what, if anything, he is. The thing about Shaun Hill is that you can put the ball in his hands for the time being if no one else steps up, and he won't embarrass himself. And the 49ers were one of the few teams who took advantage of a QB class that was far deeper than it was strong, landing Nate Davis in the 5th round. Davis could be a potential franchise player if he can overcome a learning disability that scared away most NFL teams. It makes sense to give Singletary a season to see if he can get his team to the doorstep of the playoffs before you worry about the next QB of the 49ers.

8. Marc Tauscher was not signed in the free agency rush
Tauscher, a right tackle who was coming off his worst season, not to mention a mid year-ending knee injury, was supposed to be one of the first OTs off the market in March this year. Given his health and declining play, a multi year contract would have been disastrous for the team that took the risk. Tauscher is much better served as a player on a one year deal this year. He remains unsigned, so he'll be allowed to rehab at his own pace, maybe even sit out the 2009 season, and get back on the field next year or in the middle of the season and he can hopefully contribute to someone's playoff push.

7. The Philadelphia Eagles do not match Denver's offer to Brian Dawkins
Denver just gave Brian Dawkins a lot of money for his age 36, 37, and 38 seasons. We all know how big a part of the Eagles defensive units he has been, but we also know how quickly these older players can become a weak link on their own units. The aspirations are too high for the Eagles this year to offer Dawkins more than they believe he is worth to them, and then to put his satisfaction before the team. I'm not at all suggesting Dawkins is a selfish player, just that he's human, and he's worth more to Denver right now than he is to the Eagles.

6. Nnamdi Asomugha does not bolt a bad situation in Oakland
The Raiders may be a total laughingstock, but they could have easily let a mismanaged situation turn into the loss of their best player, CB Nnamdi Asomugha. But the Raiders did the right thing, they stuck to their guns, didn't extend their top player for longer than they were comfortable (the deal is three years) and compensated him like the best defensive player in football, which he just might be. These trade offs have bitten the Raiders in the past, but they avoided a Doomsday scenario with some shrewd negotiations.

5. Ray Lewis stays with the Ravens
The Ravens would have been okay letting their leader walk, but considering that they were willing to offer 8 million dollars per year to the pro bowl linebacker, it would have been unfathomable if Ray had spurned them and gone elsewhere. Because of the legend that Lewis roles with, and the fact that the Ravens are on the verge of something special, it would have been just weird had the team played deep into the playoffs to have Ray sitting and watching from his couch.

4. The Ravens don't overpay for Jason Brown
About four days before free agency began, contract negotiations between the Baltimore Ravens and Center Jason Brown stalled, and Brown publicly criticized the team in leaving them. He got the money he was looking for for the Rams, but ultimately Brown loses out. For less money, the team brought in pro bowl C Matt Birk from Minnesota, who was also being lowballed, and used their first round selection to draft an offensive lineman, Ole Miss' Michael Oher. If they had gone over the top for Brown, I'm not sure those moves are possible, and Birk would still be a Viking.

3. The Browns don't sell low on Braylon Edwards
Yes, his year last year was horrific. Which is all the more reason not to go and trade him. The Browns are a team that needs to hoard their talent right now, not deal it. This is especially true since the team decided that Kellen Winslow was too much of a cancer, and sent him to Tampa for a second round pick. Losing Edwards and Winslow in the same offseason might have handicapped the Browns a bit too much, so by choosing to move Winslow, keeping Edwards became the right move, and allows Edwards to re-establish himself in 2009.

2. The Redskins do not replace Jason Campbell
The one move this year that could have easily been an unmitigated disaster was the proposed three team deal between the Bucs, the Redskins, and the Broncos that would have sent Campbell to Tampa for a second round pick in 2010, and Jay Cutler to the Redskins for two firsts. Cutler would have found himself in a Vanderbilt-like offense with only one competent target and a declining defense. Instead, the Redskins invested in a pass rusher and a cornerback in the 2009 draft, and now have young reinforcements to help out an aging starting defense. The offense is better off as well. Cutler and Campbell don't play the same game, and Campbell's the one who may win more games this year going forward.

1. The Cardinals don't lose an integral part of the 2008 NFL runner-up team
Between Bertrand Berry, Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin, Adrian Wilson, and Kurt Warner, and the limited amount of cap space the team had, it's amazing that they've kept all of those parts, have extended Wilson, are close with Dansby, and have made all moves without jeopardizing the team's ability to improve itself elsewhere, via the draft (Beanie Wells) and free agency (Bryant McFadden). It's a remarkable adjustment from the same old Cardinals talk that had flooded airwaves when they let Kurt Warner take a cursory tour of the Niners practice facility. But much more importantly, it gives the current group another go at it, without having to spend a critical season or two replacing the talent lost. This was the very best offseason move not made.

What's up Magglio? Is that even you?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:09:03 +0000

So, it has been a weird stretch for the Tigers...a horrible series against the Pirates where nobody hit and Dontrelle could not throw a strike. It was ugly, but I didn't get to watch it much so no harm no foul.

Next up was the Cardinals. I used to love the Cardinals. They won the first World Series I consciously remember in 1982. I vividly remember the commentators talking about Bob Forsch's tendency to loosen the season of the ball with his finger nails between pitches (something I started doing in fact, shortly thereafter, although with much less success being 7 years old...). Now, however, after 2006, I do not like the Cardinals much. This is what made getting crushed by them in the first two games even more upsetting. Verlander got roughed up, Jackson was not good enough to beat Wellemeyer, and the bats were snoozing, Big time! Thankfully Rick Porcello pitched us out of a 3 game sweep with a solid effort on Thursday, right before North By Northeast music Festival kicked into gear...

Our lead was starting to look a little precarious, until the Brewers came to town, and were promptly swept. I missed most of Friday nights game, but was able to catch Saturday and Sunday's matchups and see Verlander back in form and after a really shakey start Alfred Figero ( I really should have checked his name to make sure lol) held the Brewers in check and picked up a W

Here is what I am thinking as we head to July...

I was listening to Michael Kay's radio show on ESPN 1050 New York and they were discussing how teams in playoff spots right now would fair. at the top of the list were our Tigers because they felt that with Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson at the top of the rotation, no team has a comparable 1-2 punch to that. Beckett and Lester are close, so are Carpenter and Wainwright and now with the Giants sitting in the NL wildcard spot with Lincecum and Cain this is enough to make any true baseball fan salivate!

Now this is me extrapolating his comments....The Dodgers have not been able to find that solid number 2 behind Bilingsley and this could ultimately be a problem for that team come October...the same can be said for the Yankees and Phillies. In the Yankees case, all the YES network announcers felt that CC would not stand a chance against Verlander in a head to head matchup..the exact quote was "Good luck with that one CC". Verlander leads the league in swings and misses which is unbelievable, not too mention gives your infield a bit of a break lol. This could prove to be very effective in the launching pad known as New Yankee Stadium.

In Philadelphia it seems to be war of contrition as both the Mets and Phillies are ravaged by injuries..who knows, maybe my prediction of pain, and then Florida may come true after all? Doubtful, but with these teams so badly decimated that a trade may not even help, anything could happen!

All this being said, I like the Tigers chances. Nobody in their division seems to be able to mount much of a run so lets hope they keep plugging along, all the way to October!!!

Imagine what happens if Magglo starts hitting??? Peopl have made a big deal out of Big Papi's struggles, with hardly a whimper about Magglio, his 2 home runs, about 20 RBIs and the most anemic swing this side of John MacDonald. Now his agent, the asshole Scott Boras is claiming that Leyland is benching him on purpose to save incentive clause money??? YOu know what Scott, I heard you talking to Michael Kay a few weeks ago and you made my skin crawl with your pompous arrogance..you are like that scummy union boss who ignores the recession and demands more or his often unskilled, uneducated brethren. You decide to simply ignore reality and extract as much from anyone you can, wether it is warranted or not. Now do not get me wrong, I love Magglio, but when his agent starts spouting off like some imbecile, my only response is, that perhaps if Magglio hit, he would not be on the bench...you hit, you play, you don't you sit. It all seems relatively simple doesn't it. Better yet Scott, who would sit so Magglio can play? Does Magglio want to play or does he want to win because he is holding back the rest of the team with his terrible play as of late.

I would suggest to Magglio that he let his bat do the talking instead of some greased up wind bag who even A-Rod had the brains to ditch

Will 9 wins be enough to win NFC West?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:47:18 -0800

Over the past three seasons, the division winners of the NFC West have had mediocre records entering the playoffs. In 2006, the Seahawks entered the playoffs with a 9-7 record. The following year, the Seahawks made it back with a 10-6 record. Last year, the Cardinals made it with a 9-7 record.

Obviously, it looks like that the division is really winnable. Unlike divisions like the NFC East, a 9-7 record could win the division.

However, even though the last three years have been filled with mediocre division winners, could the competition be a little tougher this season?

The Cardinals will definitely be a challenge. After almost winning Super Bowl XLIII, the Cardinals look like they haven't missed a step this off-season. They retained Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald looks to be a bigger beast than ever before. The team still might not be with Anquan Boldin, but their running game has gotten stronger.

The Cardinals have gone through some coaching changes, but overall, they are the team to beat. Can the Cardinals produce another 9-win season?

The other team that I feel the 49ers have to watch out for are the Seahawks. A healthy Matt Hasselbeck, running game and defense could make it tougher for the 49ers.

Remember that Hasselbeck didn't play for a good portion of last season. With Jim Mora, Jr. now as the head coach, the Hawks will definitely preach defense. Rookie LB Aaron Curry would be a beast if all the hype around him meets up top the expectations.

The Hawks also signed free agent stud TJ Houshmandzadeh. The 49ers will have their hands full trying to cover him.

I don't know if the Seahawks can finish 9-7, but they are no pushover team. They can definitely decide the fate of the 49ers' quest to win the division.

The 49ers might need 10 wins to take the division crown. And 10 wins is a minimum. Last year, the Cardinals showed their resilience and managed through the playoffs despite falling into the playoffs. For the 49ers, they can't afford anything like that. I know that Mike Singletary won't allow them to slack off.

But in this division where it more than likely will be between the Cardinals and 49ers, they might end up having to win games outside of the division to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. They might end up splitting a lot of in-division games.

Nine wins might not be enough. It has in the past, but the division has gotten a little tougher. Ten wins might be enough, but let's hope that the 49ers just keep winning.

NFL Crystal Ball: The 2009 Arizona Cardinals will be even better

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:50:00 -0500

Even dating back to the Denny Green, "who we thought they were" Cards teams, it was clear to the viewers that the Cardinals weren't the same old inept team that had typified that organization for the last half century. But the day they brought in Ken Whisenhunt from the Steelers to be their head coach, it seemed like it was only a matter of time until the Cardinals became a great team.

Still, any impartial observer could see that while Whisenhunt had the tools to get a team to the top, he had a long way to go to get there. The 2006 Cardinals did not even feature an average unit, despite promising young talent on both the offense and defense. That's why Green was fired. Green had benched Kurt Warner for rookie top-ten draft pick Matt Leinart. Leinart, had a good rookie season by pretty much any measure. In all expectations, the book was closed on Kurt Warner as an NFL QB.

But Ken Whisenhunt decided, that if there was one area of the football team he could get results from in 2007, it was the offense. And to do that, he utilized both the skill sets of Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart at Quarterback, was unafraid to take carries away from Edgerrin James, and did not rely on the offense that Denny Green had built to win. He simply took the puzzle pieces, and used them better than Green did. With Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, a passing game should be in the top ten of the NFL, Whisenhunt thought. He got it there in his first season. But after an injury to Matt Leinart, it was Warner who brought the franchise it's first 8-win season since 1998.

Offensive continuity helped the Cardinals reach new heights in 2008, as they ran to their first winning season/playoff berth since 1998. They entered as the team everyone thought would be one and done, but for the first time all year, their defense and special teams made a significant contribution in January. Larry Fitzgerald played four out-of-mind games, as the Cardinals very nearly won the super bowl: had the game been exactly three minutes shorter or longer, there's little doubt they had the Steelers number.

And here's the scary part of it all: the roster still has plenty of upside.

Ken Whisenhunt knows the value of special teams and field position as a determining factor in ball games, but for three straight years, the Cards have produced lackluster special teams units. With Whisenhunt's attention to detail and the teams' ability to use the late rounds of a draft to rebuild it's special teams, this is just one area that the 2009 team should be markedly better in.

But the big one was this: prior to the offensive explosion in 2008, it seemed like the unit that was going to take the Cards to the next level was the defense. The defensive line is loaded with names like Dockett, Branch, Watson, Campbell, Berry, and Iwebema. That's the strength of the team, but the LBs are strong as well, behind franchise player Karlos Dansby. Bryant McFadden and Dominique Rogers Cromartie are an excellent CB duo with all-world strong safety Adrian Wilson behind them. In 2009, the defense will go as far as the young, talented defensive line will take it.

The Cardinals will have to overcome significant turnover in the coaching staff, with OC Todd Haley leaving to take the Kansas City HC job, and DC Clancy Pendergast being let go. But here's why that doesn't scare me: the Cardinals overachieved their regular season performance in the playoffs. If the Cardinals want to get to 11 wins and a SB victory this year, the offensive and defensive philosophies used in the regular season last year may not have been a good fit for their personnel. It's players who are going to get you to the next level, not the coaches. Whisenhunt needs to find the right balance in the coaching staff. Resting on laurels from a 9-7 season and a surprise playoff run is precisely the wrong message to send.

The right balance is going to be critical. If the coaching changes give us insight into Whisenhunt's mentality, it's that he realizes that the balance that has worked in the past might not be the best in the future. It's this fundamental principle that caused him to shift his workload back to Edgerrin James in the playoffs, despite James' desires to be released. It's that principle that caused the primary tight end in the playoffs to be Eagles castoff Stephen Spach.

It's a given that at some point, Matt Leinart will be a better football player than Kurt Warner. Warner will be under contract until he is 40. Leinart turned 26 a month ago. Warner will enter the season as the teams starter, but Whisenhunt's shining achievement as a head coach will certainly be his management of his QB situation. He went away from Leinart to Warner when it made sense. There will also come a time when it will make sense to go back to Leinart. If history has taught us anything, it's that Whisenhunt is likely 2-3 steps ahead of everyone in this case.

It's for all the reasons above that I'm confident that the Cardinals will be a better team in 2009 than in 2008. 2009 was supposed to be the year they arrived. It's only because of the NFL playoff structure that they were given enough games to arrive before. And now that they're here, you can expect the Cardinals--the Arizona Cardinals--to be among the league's powerhouses in the next five seasons.

Cardinals' Dockett against pro-49ers predictions

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:04:09 -0800

Mike Sando of ESPN pointed this out and I think since Twitter is the new popular thing, I should let you guys in on it.

Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett has a Twitter and this was one of hist latest entries:

I just watch these people pick the 49ERS to win the west, like what in. the he'll isn't it to early for this.

Aside from his inability to produce a coherent sentence, the point does get across that the 49ers are being predicted to win the West and the defending champions are left behind. These predictions, many of them I assume, stem from Mike Singletary's final run last year. The Cardinals had a pretty good run themselves so I won't count them out.

When Dockett found out about ESPN's note on this, he replied to it:

I def agree but were a much better team , I hope every one is happy, and healthy, but mc fadden will def help the D

Well, whatever the case may be, I expect both the 49ers and Cardinals to make it tough down the stretch.

EDIT: 10:24AM
Maybe I will try this Twitter thing out for 49ers updates. Come find me here http://twitter.com/SLam49ers

Sometimes being busy takes you away from the ones you love...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:57:34 +0000

Without having to state the obvious (missing my wife and daughter), this last week was the busiest I have been in ages! Sadly, the most neglected party were my Tigers. I tried my best to follow them, but found that I was living like it was 1987...waiting for the score to be posted and constantly checking the standings. Calculating how far they are behind other teams in other divisions, ranking them by comparing winning percentages...really archaeic stuff!

Anyways, it was a see saw week for the Tigers...Swept by the Sox, taking 3 of 5 from the terrible White Sox...did you catch Ozzie's rant? Then dropping 2 of 3 to PIttsburgh...meanwhile the Twins and Sox both had successful interleague match ups so entering Sunday we were only 3 up. I like how things are looking, with two exceptions...Jeremy Bonderman and Dontrelle Willis....

It was great to see Bondeman out there, but his fastball left much to be desired topping out at 89. He no longer has a pitch he can throw by hitters and the White Sox hit him hard...just the sound off the bat was enough to make you cringe. The contact was dead solid every single time, as if they were just measuring his pitches. Now, I do not think we should write him off after 1 start, but it is certainly something to keep a close eye on.

Now Dontrelle..he is unhittable, literally. Nobody can hit him because he cannot throw a strike...he left after giving up no hits and about a million walks against the Sox. Looked semi-decent vs. the ChiSox, and again this afternoon...walks, and loads of them. How long can this go on for? It taxes our bullpen and exposes our glaring weaknesses. When you have to rely on Nate Robertson to com ein and save the day, you are asking for trouble. I have nothing against Nate, but he is being asked to do too much. He is a guy who can be god for a couple innings. He is not an effective starter, and it was unfair to expect him to be last season.

Same thing for Bobby Seay and the rest down there...we need to get GOOD starts, which will limit the wear and tear on the bullpen. Perhaps my suggestion of trading for another arm as not so silly after all?

What else? Miguel Cabrera needs to snap out of it. Mags need to find some pop, not just average, and the two big guys have to keep throwing up zeros!

Ill be much better this week as I hope to be able to tune in for at least parts of 5 games! can you imagine that? Not that I don't like playing baseball, or music..I'm just out of shape and need my rest...it happens ya know?

Go Tigers! Im excited about this weeks matchup with St. Louis...Verlander vs Pujols!

Stay tuned for that...

Edin Jackson is being compared to Dwight Gooden (hopefully, Pre-cocaine and excessive drinking)...discuss

How Anquan Boldin will affect 49ers, NFC West

Wed, 27 May 2009 10:05:47 -0800

As some of you have heard, Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin has given agent Drew Rosenhaus the boot. After failing to secure a new contract or a trade from the Conference Champions, Boldin now will try to find a new agent to help him with his desire to get out of Arizona.

This should be interesting seeing that Boldin looks extremely serious about finding a new home as soon as possible. Since the Cardinals haven't budged in giving Boldin a new contract (whereas they've loaded lots of money for teammates Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner), Boldin's desire to be traded could come true soon.

And if Boldin does end up on the go, the NFC West title might just be a little bit easier to attain-- at least that's what it would look like on paper.

The Cardinals rode the success of a great offense last year to make it all the way the Super Bowl. The team featured three 1,000-yard receiving wide outs and the blossoming of Fitzgerald have allowed the Cardinals to become contenders to win the division title again this year. But with Boldin out out the picture, defenses can focus more on Fitzgerald. And I don't think Steve Breaston can match up to what Boldin has been for the Cardinals all his career.

With Boldin's departure more likely to happen, the rest of the division will surely be happy about the impending trade. This move could and should put the Cardinals back to middle of the pack and the division title for them is not a shoe-in as some people have predicted.

The Seahawks and 49ers are clear contenders for the division title as well. The Hawks, if they have a healthy Matt Hasselbeck, could put up a lot of points-- especially with newly acquired TJ Houshmandzadeh. The running game could very well be as effective with Julius Jones' style of running. The defense for the Seahawks has always been solid and I would expect rookie LB Aaron Curry to be a beast.

As the Boldin trade holds on longer and longer, the best the Cardinals might get in return could just be future draft picks. With no immediate impact for the Cardinals, the 49ers should definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

After signing veteran cornerback Dre Bly, I would expect him to win the starting job and play alongside Nate Clements. That isn't a bad secondary. Michael Lewis has always been a solid tackler and free safety Dashon Goldson has looked very good in the OTA sessions.

For the two games the 49ers will have against the Cardinals, the 49ers secondary will have their hands full. Last season, the 49ers held the Cardinals wide receivers in check. The receivers still had solid games, but none of the catches burned the 49ers. ~~The teams split the two games~~. The Cards swept the series. (My mistake, I was thinking 2007 for some reason).

This year, the Cardinals might have to fix up their pass attack with Boldin likely out of the picture. I actually believe that the 49ers secondary could be stronger than last year. The 49ers defense played much better down the stretch last year and I hope that they can continue that going into this season.

If the 49ers can win four or five of their division games, they are giving themselves a great opportunity to take the division crown. And with Boldin playing somewhere else, the road to sweeping the Cardinals might just be a little easier.

At least that what it would look like on paper. The Cardinals can still become a dangerous offense the 49ers still have a lot to do in terms of gelling on offense. But there could be a better chance for the 49ers to take the division title if Boldin does eventually get traded.s