Voice of The Cardinals

The Anquan Boldin drama is starting to heat up once again. A large part of this is thanks to agent Drew Rosenhaus. Drew is shopping Anquan and talking to teams about trades. It's a very common tactic that Drew uses for all his clients. Hopefully it's not as bad as it seems and hopefully the there's a reasonable way to resolve this. But things are starting to get a bit more heated.

Boldin said he believes coach Ken Whisenhunt is getting too involved with the negotiation process.

"At this point we have no relationship, and I don't see that changing," Boldin told NFL Network on Monday. "It's just gotten to a point where I think lines were crossed. If you ask me, coaches should be coaches, management should be management, and I don't think those lines should be crossed. But when you cross those lines, you put yourself in position for things like this to happen."

Profootballtalk.com reported that there was a "full-blown cold war" between the Cardinals and Boldin and that Whisenhunt and Anquan are not speaking. Whisenhunt denied this and said their relationship is fine. 

Apparently the latest offer the Cardinals made to Anquan was half of what Larry Fitzgerald received in his recent contract signing. It's tough for me or any other fan that is outside the negotiation process to sit here and act like we know exactly what's going on. That's why I have trouble giving an opinion on this. It's tough to tell what's a rumor and what's not and who's at fault with a lot of the situation.

Mark saw this whole situation coming months before it ever happened. I know Mark well enough to know he absolutely loves both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. But he loves the Cardinals even more. He had been saying in many post, including this one about how the Cardinals needed to trade Fitzgerald, that the Cardinals can't afford to sign Larry for a huge contract because it will devastate the teams salary cap and cause jealousy in the locker room. Mark before anyone else has said the Cardinals can't sign Fitz because of the jealously it will cause with Boldin and other players in the organization. Well he was right about that, Fitzgerald's contract opened both Anquan's and Drew Rosenhaus's eyes and made them realize they could get so much more. When Mark wrote that the Cardinals needed to trade Larry I was not too happy with him. But I'm starting to see that he might have had a point. 

The thought of Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin not being an Arizona Cardinal sickens me. Literally I will be miserable if they were to ever lose either of those players, obviously it won't be Fitz at this point. What I'm getting at is that I love both these guys, I just don't know if they can afford two of the best receivers in the league. I hope there's a way things can work out but I just don't see it happening at this point. 

I'm sure if the Cardinals wanted they could make Anquan and every Cardinal fan happy by giving him the huge contract. But it would just hurt the rest of the team too much in the years to come especially with salary cap and depth which is something we all complain about. I don't exactly know what the Cardinals should do, but I know one way or another I'm probably going to be upset. 

 Before I quit rambling I have to say this... I in a heterosexual way LOVE Anquan Boldin! NO ONE in the NFL deserves a big contract more than Anquan. He works harder and plays tougher than any football player I've ever seen. I know he isn't exactly eating plumpy'nut in some small shack trying to stay alive because of the lack of money and food he has, but he deserves Fitzgerald type money.

I guess deep down I hope the Cardinals give him a new contract even though it could hurt the team in the long run. I just won't be able to stand seeing Boldin in another teams uniform. Hopefully somehow this whole thing can work out. I've gotta say I'm glad I'm not the one making the decision on this. 

This was written by Eli Wahlstrom on MVN.com

The Arizona Cardinals won their first preseason game under Ken Whisenhunt by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-17. Well lets get right into it…

Kurt Warner got the start and I think he made the most of it. Kurt was 6 of 9 passing for 54 yards while leading the Cards down the field for a touchdown. Warner hasn’t lost anything from his great 2007 season and didn’t do anything to lose his job, so it’s unfortunate that he won’t be the starter. When you look at most quarterbacks that start hitting the wall at an old age they’re guys that lose their athletic ability and lose their arm. Kurt was never a good athlete to begin with so he hasn’t lost much in that area, and his arm looks as strong and as accurate as ever. It’s frustrating to watch a guy that deserves the starting job sit on the bench. Which is what will be happening unless Leinart gets off to a start like he did last season.

Matt Leinart did play well yesterday, well enough to at least keep his starting job. Matt was 7 of 11 for 62 yards with one nice touchdown pass to Steve Breaston. Like I said before, Matt is going to have to lose the starting job, because at this point Kurt can’t do enough to win it. The problem with that is I think Leinart will be just good enough to not lose his job this season, but not do good enough to lead the Cardinals to the playoffs. But hopefully Matt lives up to the hype and potential and can get the job done.

The defense held Kansas City to no touchdowns till the final seconds of the game but they still have lots of room for improvement.  The run defense is just awful and it really reminds me of the Cardinals old. Darnell Dockett didn’t play and Gabe Watson was still out but there is still no excuse for some of the runs Arizona allowed yesterday. It’s starting to become a legit concern, Alan Branch keeps showing flashes but he’s going to need to get it done on every down while Gabe Watson is out. 2nd round pick Calais Campell started at DT yesterday and he did a very nice job. The problem is he’s more of defensive end than a defensive tackle but it was good the Cardinals tried him out in the position. Campell looks like he could make an immediate impact on the team both on defense and special teams. But it still might not solve the problem the Cardinals have with their run defense.

I know this is something on a lot of Cardinals fans mind and I think it’s even more important than we think it is. Neil Rackers kicked a ball out of bounds last night and missed a PAT. This wouldn’t be too concerning had Rackers not single handily cost the Cardinals any chance of making the playoffs last season by missing multiple game winning kicks. I’ve been more patient than anyone when it comes to Neil but at this point it’s just ridiculous. How could the Cardinals not draft or pick up a kick in free agency to at least compete with Neil during training camp? How many times can a guy cost you a game before you cut him? It’s really blowing my mind right now and I pray that Neil can find his 2005 form. If he doesn’t we could be seeing some more heartbreak.

A few players deserve to be talked about…

Tim Hightower is really showing us something. This guy was a AA college football player which means it should take him a long time to get use to the speed of the professional level. But Hightower continues to show great burst of speed good vision. I was somewhat sceptical that he could be the back of the future for the Cardinals but he might be the real deal.

Travis LaBoy had a great game recording 8 tackles and 2 sacks. This is very comforting knowing that we have a back up that can come in and make some plays on defense.

Ali Highsmith had another great game. I’d be very surprised if this undrafted free agent didn’t make the 53 man roster. Speaking of undrafted free agents, last years undrafted free agent center Lyle Sendlein has been doing as good if not better than Al Johnson. Sendlein had to go up against first round pick Glenn Dorsey and the massive Tank Tyler in yesterdays game and he was pushing those guys all over the field. He’s very impressive and I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes the starter eventually.

Fullback Tim Castille had a breakout game. Well as much of a breakout game you can have while playing FB. Castille caught 4 balls for 45 yards including a touchdown from Briand St.Pierre. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cardinals cut Terrelle Smith and made Castille the starter. Tim has looked great in training camp and now during the preseason games. Cutting Smith would save some money that could go towards an Anquan Boldin contract.

J.J. Arrington had the best game he’s had in a while. Maybe Arrington is starting to realize his career was in jeopardy and decided to make some plays. Who knows maybe J.J. will actually make the team and be the 3rd running back behind Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. If you would have asked me a couple months ago if Arrington was going to be a Cardinal this season I would have definitely said no.

Alright, another solid game but much to improve on. Next week the Cardinals get the Raiders in Oakland. It should be another thrilling preseason game!

Ken Whisenhunt announced that the Arizona Cardinals will start Kurt Warner at quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. I don’t think this is a huge surprise being that Kurt didn’t get a chance to play in the first game and I think Whisenhunt wants to let Warner get a chance with some of the starters.

That being said, I think Kurt is going to seize the opportunity and show everyone that this shouldn’t even be a competition. I’m sure Warner wants to make this decision as difficult as he can on Whisenhunt and I expect him to do that by playing very well on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see how Matt Leinart handles all of this. Matt probably feels fairly confident that his job is safe since coach Whisenhunt already announced him the starter. But if Leinart starts getting shaky and Kurt is on his game, it will be interesting to see  how everyone reacts.

We should be able to see a little bit more of how the competition is going to shape out for the 3rd wide receiver spot after the Chiefs game. Early Doucet will get a chance to show what hes got and I think hes GOTS a lot (excuse my English). Early has looked very good at camp up in Flagstaff and I’d say him and Steve Breaston are neck and neck for the job right now. So lets continue to watch that battle.

Alan Branch needs to be watched because he could and should be the starting DT while Gabe Watson is out. The Cardinals are desperate for a whole plugger with Gabe out and Branch needs to be the guy to do it. Since we’re talking about last years second round pick I’ll bring up our 2007 first round pick Levi Brown. Levi is still young but man he needs to step up and be the first round pick that everyone was hoping he could be. Last season was a learning process but now it’s time for him to show everyone that he’s the real deal. So lets continue to watch last years draft picks, they could be a very big key to the Cardinals season.

Of course I think we’ll all have our eyes on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. I’m hoping Kansas City will throw at him a few times so we can see what we got. But maybe that’s a good thing if the Chiefs aren’t throwing at him? Either way I’d like to see him get involved.

Lets see if penalties and the starting defense improves this game. I think a lot of us Cardinal fans had deja vu after week one against the Saints.

Like always it should be a fun and interesting game. I’ll be getting back to you soon.

This was a post by Mark on MVN.com

It's tough to tell off two weeks of camp and one pre-season game but a few things are starting to come into focus for the Cardinals and their chances to break a 10 year play off drought. A few thoughts and observations as they enter the third week of camp:

1.  Anquan Boldin is not going to sell out his body in camp for this team until he gets a new contract. Lets face it guys, no one loves this guy more then I do. Q is my favorite Cardinal and the very first guy I would pick if I was starting a team from scratch, that's how much I love his toughness, competitiveness and leadership. However, I don't have blinders on and I've been around long enough to know when a guy is pulling back on the throttle and sending this management a message, " Ok, you don't want to pay me what I'm worth, then I'm only going to give 100% when I feel like 100%. " This guys been a warrior his entire career and we are now treated to a media cone of silence on his hamstring injury, almost two weeks off from hard drills, and everyone tip toeing around pretending every thing is ok. Well it's not and unless the Cardinals use some of the cap money from cutting Shipp and a few other high cap, low production guys ( J.J. Arrington ) or extending Warner in order to make cap room to sign Q, this is going to be an ugly season of " I'm not playing if I'm not 100%" from this former leader. The Cardinals absolutely need to get this done because as good as Steve Breaston and Early Doucet look, they aren't close to Boldin in quality or production. Everyone needs to stop pretending this isn't a huge issue just because the local media is afraid to report it as such for fear of losing access to the locker room or their sources.

2. Gabe Watson better get back on the field and be ready to play by the regular season because Branch and Robinson didn't look good at NT. One of the reasons the Saints starting offense and second string got such production was the inability of the nose tackles to get any penetration or pressure in the back field or to blow up running plays. Robinson is a tough veteran and great depth, but he's not a starting NFL nose tackle, and Alan Branch continued his one play off, one play on style of production that gets you beat in the NFL. Watson is a load and plays the nose exceptionally well, freeing up Dockett and Smith and the OLB's to get after the other teams quarterback. Hurry up and get well Gabe, the team definitely needs you and so does Dockett if he wants that upgraded contract and Pro-Bowl year.

3. DRC is going to become a legend in the next year or two.  Dick "Night Train" Lane, Larry Wilson, Rodger Wehrli, Aeneas Williams and now Dominique Rodgers Cromartie. This guy can absolutely fly, he closes on the ball like a young Lem Barney and as a certain New Orleans Saint tight end can testify this guy isn't afraid to put a guy to sleep when he comes into his zone. He's raw, just learning the basics, but what he has you can't teach. Buy your DRC jerseys early people, he's going to be incredible.

4. Tim Hightower is going to be a good second back but he's not ready for prime time just yet. He's coming out of a smaller college and program, but he looked good in Flagstaff when I saw him and pretty good against the Saints last week. He's a big step up from J.J. and Marcel, so as I said before, look for J.J. Arrington to get a few more games to try and demonstrate he has finally figured out the NFL game, but if he hasn't, expect him to hit the waiver wires and the Cardinals to go shopping for an end of camp replacement. Hightower finally gives them a legitimate second option to Edge which has been badly needed the last two years.

5. Levi Brown is no Tony Ugoh. Look, I'm never going to get over last years draft and the fact this team easily could have had Adrian Peterson and Tony Ugoh and instead now has Levi Brown and Alan Branch instead. ( Fortunately this years draft class looks like it's a winner ) Once again, I wish the local media would get the knee pads off and stop tip toeing around the fact that Levi Brown in both training camp and the Saints game looks at best pretty average. If he was a late first round pick or early second I'd say he's about what we expected. However, this guy has shown no ability to be dominant or All Pro which is what you are looking for when you draft top 5 position in the first round. His massive contract is going to choke this team for several years unless he seriously upgrades his play and turns into the monster he should be. Being decent and not a total bust isn't good enough when your one of the top 5 paid offensive linemen in the NFL.  The right side of the Cardinals line needs to pick it up, and that includes Deuce, because you have a first and second round pick on that side of the ball and they are being badly outplayed by a free agent center from Texas, a sixth round pick in Wells and a journey man LT in Gandy. Look for the Cardinals to make a major effort to draft more OL this next year because the depth and competition currently isn't adequate to get these two up to the level they need to be.

6. Matt Leinart wasn't horrible. As much as I'm hard on Levi Brown, Antrel Rolle and our string of second round busts, I have to be just as hard on Matt. You have to wonder just how low our expectations are when we are happy with the guy simply for staying in the pocket and making some easy check down throws or simple crossing pattern catch and runs to wide open receivers? His one impressive play came when he stepped up to his right under some pressure and threaded a ball into a receiver in between coverage, but the rest of the night was what we should expect from just about any NFL quarterback. Again, it's better then him having a miserable night, because this season pretty much rides on Matt's ability to earn this job and play well, but just making some simple throws and not screwing up isn't why he was a top ten pick. You can find a quarterback to "manage the game" ( also known as not screwing up ) in just about every round of the draft. By contrast, you pick a guy in the top ten so he can WIN you football games. The jury is still out and probably will be until the real bullets start flying in week one.

Ok, more to follow later this week, including a review of the potential 53 man roster. A lot of it will, as usual, depend on who gets injured and who doesn't, but so far so good as there are very few major injuries to the core group so knock on wood. One last thought to Cardinals management before I go though:

Sign Anquan Boldin to an extension now or risk a moderate shut down by the heart and soul of your team as he protects his body to prolong his career. GET IT DONE.

Well the first preseason game has finally happened and it was a 24-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Most of you already know that the preseason score doesn’t matter much so I don’t think that’s something I concern myself with. I’d rather break down the good and the bad of the game.

Lets switch things up and talk about the bad first…

The opening series of the game was not good at all. I know it was the first defensive series of the preseason but it still put a bad taste in my mouth. I felt like I was watching the Cardinals. By that I mean I felt like I was watching the same old Cardinals that get stupid penalties and allow big play after big play. Arizona is always among the league leaders in penalties and that was something Ken Whisenhunt said this team would work on a lot in the off season. Well they obviously haven’t perfected penalties yet. The starting defense itself was not that great, too many runs up the middle were allowed. It showed how important it is to have a hole plugger like Gabe Watson healthy.

Leonard Pope started where he left off from last season allowing a sack and getting a false start penalty. Hopefully Ben Patrick who had a nice catch can take his starting spot.

Special Teams wasn’t so special against the Saints. Terrible blocking and a couple big returns were allowed. That’s something the Cardinals have to improve on if they’re going to make the playoffs this season.

Now to my positives of the game…

Matt Leinart played very well completing 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards. I think the game plan for Matt was to build his confidence and get him comfortable after a 10 month layoff. Leinart managed the game nicely and completed his short passes and that was nice to see. We didn’t get any Kurt Warner which was too bad but hopefully we’ll get to see what Kurt has next week against Kansas City. Kurt made some interesting comments during the game to sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya pretty much saying he would welcome a trade as long as he would become the starting quarterback of that team. But for the time being I think Kurt loves Arizona and wants to be a Cardinal and will continue to work to become the starting quarterback here. It would be a mistake to trade Kurt in my opinion and I don’t think that will be happening. So lets not worry about that.

On the subject of quarterback, 3rd stringer Brian St.Pierre looked very nice as the emergency quarterback in case Leinart and Warner get injured. So that was pretty comforting for myself and I’m sure other Cardinal fans.

Another positive was rookie running back Tim Hightower. Hightower ran for 23 yards on 5 carries including a touchdown along with 2 catches for 11 yards.  It looks like Tim will be running away with the running back competition (I’m suppose to say pardon the pun but I hate saying that). Hightower looks like an exciting player and I can’t wait to see him next week.

Kenny Iwebema recorded a nice sack and Calais Campell looked pretty good in their first preseason game. Quietly the defensive player of the game for the Cardinals was undrafted rookie out of LSU Ali Highsmith. He lead the Cardinals in tackles with 6 and seemed to be all over the field including a big stop on 4th and goal. Highsmith seems like he has a real chance at making this team.

I should probably mention the wide receivers since that seems to be the most competitive competition. Early Doucet who looks to be one of the front runners for the number 3 receiver spot did not play so we couldn’t get a great read on things. But Steve Breaston looked real good and I’d say he might be in the lead after one game to get the spot behind Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

One more note… Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had two tackles including one big hit knocking a Saints tight end out of the game. DRC did allow one catch but that was really it.

Overall nice first game, lots of things could and should improve over the next couple weeks. Nothing to panic about. Mark and I will be trying to get out a podcast on tonights game for you. So keep your eyes out for that.

Well, last week I made my annual journey up to Flagstaff to check out this years edition of the Cardinals and get out of the scalding hot valley for a few days. The weather was hot for Flagstaff, low 90’s and the team in each of the sessions I went to were in shoulder pads and shorts so there was almost zero hitting over three days. Clearly, the days of twice a day sessions in pads with hitting are long gone as coaches deal with smaller roster limits, high priced talent that can’t afford to get injured and general conservatism about not burning their players out. Still, there was plenty of room to watch drills, players up close and see who is standing out and getting reps.

1. The defensive line is going to be much deeper and really effective. The starting rotations look to be Antonio Smith, Bryan Robinson and Darnell Dockett with Okeafor and LaBoy as the OLB’s. Backing them up are Clark Haggans, who is a beast, Bert Berry and then Alan Branch, Iwebema and Calais Campbell. Of course the depth at the nose changes the day Gabe Watson is healthy and as I mentioned before Alan Branch is going to have his hands full to get reps ahead of Robinson. You can’t tell until the games start but the additions of LaBoy, Haggans, Campbell, Robinson and Iwebema is going to make this a really solid group that can stuff the run and get after the QB. Campbell is a freak when you see him up close, he is so tall and so fast they had him working on kick coverage two slots in from the gunner position! I’m feeling real good about the front five in this offense.

2. The linebackers look solid with Hayes and Dansby as starters but i’m curious as to whether Ali Highsmith and some of the other guys will step in as quality back ups. Right now it still looks thin in the depth department but Hayes and Dansby up close and in drills show why they are starting, they are that much better then the guys behind them.

3.  Antrel Rolle looks like he is going to be ok at free safety. What I really liked is when they went into their dime package, they moved Antrel in to cover the slot guy, Adrian Wilson moved into a linebacker slot and Francisco come on to take over at deep safety cover. Coupled with the rush package on the D-Line this is a very solid unit.

4. Cromartie is a freak. This guy is tall and skinny but he can flat out run and he closes on the ball like lightening. He didn’t make any picks while I was watching but he had a lot of tips and break up’s just due to his ability to close on the ball and change direction. Once he gets his technique down this guy is going to be really good in coverage. It’s early but he might be a rare solid pick by the Card’s in the first round.

5. Early Doucet and Lance Long are absolutely the number 4 and 5 receivers in my opinion. Doucet runs and cuts, and even physically resembles Boldin and he looks like he is going to be an NFL quality receiver. The surprise of the camp is Long who doesn’t ever drop a pass, makes really quick cuts and reminds me a Wes Welker type. He’s a long shot due to a lack of college production but so far he looks dramatically better then Rector and Urban. Steve Breaston has made huge strides and looks like he is going to be the number 3 guy this year. He made some great catches and has real speed so it’s good to see him move into that role.

6. Tim Hightower is putting J.J. Arrington’s job in jeopardy. I’m not surprised that Marcel Shipp got cut as he is a very expensive cap cost for not a lot of production. He’s a great guy by every account and will probably latch on with some quality team like New England that will value his all around game, but get him at veteran minimum salary.  If I were Arrington I wouldn’t buy any real estate in Phoenix as Hightower is getting a lot of carries and I still get the vibe that the Cardinals will do a deal with Boldin soon and using the cap money of Shipp and Arrington makes the most sense. Edge looks fast and solid, Hightower looks like an NFL back and I think the Cards will shop the waiver and cuts soon to get their third guy behind them. I believe there is a guy named Shaun Alexander sitting at home looking for a place to play.

7. Ben Patrick and Leonard Pope are starting to get it. Patrick is making some outstanding catches and runs his routes really well and Pope is looking very confident as well. I think the tight end position is in good hands for the next few years the way it is shaping up.

8. Ok, controversy time. Listen people, I know it’s drills and pre-season but just as an observer there is no question in my mind that Warner is the better quarterback right now for this team. He is confident, makes every throw and has a clear command of the offense and personnel around him. He works with the first team a lot of the time and I wouldn’t be shocked if Matt falters in pre-season to see Warner get the call early. Lienart looks ok, but a guy drafted where he was drafted entering his third NFL season shouldn’t just look ok.

9. The offensive line looks good, but you can’t tell until the games. I like Lyle Sendlein more then I like Al Johnson anyways, so while its a shame he’s injured I think they will do just fine with Lyle at center. The issue is this team has very little depth on the offensive line past the starters. Expect them to grab some guys off the waiver on last cuts if a quality tackle or guard becomes available. I like the size and speed of the second tier guys but they are clearly young and raw and not ready for the big time.

Summary: This is the most talented group I have ever seen the Cardinals come to camp with top to bottom.  There are going to be some very tough cuts to be made and thats a good thing for a change. Bottom line, this teams success rests almost totally on whether or not Matt Leinart gets the job done at QB. He is still the big question mark and as he goes, so go the Cardinals. They have all the weapons, the defense is substantially upgraded and the O-Line is solid. The question will be can Matt run the show or do the coaches have to go to the clearly superior vet to get this team from “rebuilding” to ” play off contender” status.

The Arizona Cardinals are less than a week away from their first preseason game so things are starting to get exciting. The first official depth chart was just released, there weren't any huge surprises but some things that should be noted.

Alan Branch, as Mark told us in his last post is behind Bryan Robinson on the depth chart. That's obviously a little disappointing with Gabe Watson being out and the fact that Arizona traded a 4th round pick to grab him with their second round pick in the 2007 draft. Hopefully Branch gets things together and starts playing like the player he was touted to be. 

Right now the depth chart for running backs in order reads Edgerrin James, Marcel Shipp, J.J. Arrington, Steve Baylark, and Tim Hightower. No one should read into this too much when they see this, J.J. Arrington has a very good chance of being cut and this years 5th round draft pick Tim Hightower will likely be the third RB by the time the season starts. Eventually Hightower should take over the back up roll but he'll have to prove himself before that happens. 

Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban are listed as the back up wide receivers behind Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. I expect rookie Early Doucet to be more in the conversation for the number 3 WR spot as the preseason goes on. 

The offensive line is looking very thin as usual. The Cardinals did make a nice pick up getting OT Kelly Butler  to add some depth but Arizona is still lacking in the area. If either Mike Gandy or Levi Brown go down with injury you have two unproven players in Elliot Vallejo and Pete Clifford to back them up.

It looks like center Al Johnson will be out for all of preseason and maybe some of the regular season due to knee surgery. 3rd string center Scott Peters also injured his knee and doesn't look like he'll be coming back. This leaves back up center Lyle Sendlein to carry the load for at the very least the preseason. Lyle did a great job in his rookie season last year replacing Johnson for a few games. I don't feel there's a drop off in talent between Johnson and Sendlein but the depth at the position scares you a little. Lyle is tough and durable so I don't think there is much concern during the season at the center position especially once Johnson comes back.

Right now things are going pretty well. No huge injuries and lots of good play from what I've seen and heard. Mark will be coming back Sunday from Cardinals training camp and he'll be giving his input on what he saw up in Flagstaff.

This and other post can also be seen on MVN.com

This was a post by Mark on MVN.com

It’s time for me to head up the hill to Flagstaff this week for my annual visit to Cardinal’s training camp. Just like the players i’ve been in off season mode but now that the pads are on and the camp battles are starting i’ll be blogging on a regular basis again.

Some of the things i’ll be watching this week when I go to Flagstaff are as follows:

1. Apparently Alan Branch, despite Gabe Watson sitting out due to his rehab for a fractured knee cap, still can’t crack the starting line up. Instead, free agent pick up Bryan Robinson is running with the starters in front of last years second round pick out of Michigan. As any of our long time readers know, I hated the move to get Branch last year, a decision that cost the team a 4th rounder on top of the second round pick to actually select this guy. That draft will forever be etched in my brain as the Adrian Peterson/Tony Ugoh draft, as those are the two guys I had targeted and that the team could have picked instead of Levi Brown and the soon to be bust Alan Branch. I will be watching him closely this week and hopefully someone can light a fire under this incredibly talented guy and get him to perform. If you remember, the reason he slid to the second round was due to the fact that he was rumored to be lazy and didnt work to his potential. I guess those reports were dead on and it’s now up to Mr. Branch to turn it around before he hits the waiver wire.

2. Speaking of second round busts, it has also been reported by the local media that is already up in Flagstaff that J.J. Arrington is now forth on the depth chart at running back behind Edge, Marcel Shipp and rookie Tim Hightower. Arrington has been a huge disappointment ever since he got laid out by Roy Williams on a “welcome to the NFL type hit” early in his rookie season. The guy has amazing talent and you don’t put up 2000 yards in college by accident but for what ever reason he just hasn’t found his confidence. He could be a late in camp casualty depending on how Tim Hightower looks.

3. The one area after the draft that I was nervous about was offensive tackle and it’s pretty clear that if Levi Brown or Mike Gandy go down this team is in trouble. Backing up Gandy at left tackle is Peter Clifford, an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State and backing up Levi Brown at right tackle is last years free agent project, Elliot Vallejo. Apparently the Cardinals like the potential of both of these guys, and I love when a team develops free agents line men in premium positions like LT and RT, but it’s going to be scary if either Gandy or Brown get nicked up this year and these guys have to play any meaningful minutes. It’s probably the most shallow spot on the entire roster so i’ll see how the two free agent’s are holding up against the big guys.

4. I’ll be watching to see if my favorite Cardinal, Anquan Boldin, is sulking or giving it less then he usually does. There are a lot of guys on the Cardinals I like and respect but no one comes close to Boldin in my eyes as to what a football player should be. I know he said he is done negotiating but I have a feeling that before the regular season starts he will have his new contract. I think the team has to sit on some cash and see if they get out of training camp healthy and with cap space available, as opposed to it being chewed up signing some veteran’s to come in and fill a hole due to an injury. I can’t imagine this franchise trading or not signing this guy, but we will have a little drama until it gets done.

Last note of the day is that I want to give a real pat on the back to the guys at the Cardinals ticket sales and season tickets office, in particular Steve Carlson. Eli and I renewed and improved our seats this year, moving down a bit but sitting right on the 50 yard line behind the Cardinals bench. However a friend of mine also wanted to buy seats with us and the Steve Carlson went out of his way to make that happen. To make sure they were what we wanted he had Eli go out to the stadium, gave him a tour, walked him to a variety of seat options and pretty much rolled out the red carpet. I hope the Bidwill family appreciates how hard those guys in ticket sales work and the great way they treat their season ticket holders. Definately a first class experience.

Ok, i’ll be reporting from Flagstaff later this week and i’ll have the camera with me. Check back then for some inside news.

 The Arizona Cardinals are making an effort to keep/gain a home field advantage. The means of doing this are a bit unusual. As we all know when the Dallas Cowboys come to town it’s pretty much a home game for them. So the Cardinals are requiring fans who want to buy the Cowboys game on October 12th to also buy the August 7th preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints.

This rule was supposedly created so there wasn’t more Cowboy fans than Cardinal fans during the October 12th meeting.  But I think we’d all have to be very naive to think this wasn’t about money and selling more tickets to an exhibition game that not many people want to see. Looking at it from the perspective of the Cardinals ownership it makes sense because they get more money and they keep a couple extra Cowboy fans out of University Of Phoenix Stadium.

I’m no expert on the study of Cowboy fans and ticket sales but I’d have to think they’re going to buy tickets somehow someway. If they have to buy the extra ticket and throw it away they’ll do it, if they have to go to Stubhub and buy a ticket from a Cardinals fan they’ll do it. When the Cowboys are in town their fans will show up to the game and there’s no stopping them. In fact, this new rule will probably add more Cowboy fans to the seats than Cardinal fans. Think of it this way… Cardinal fans can go to a game anytime during the season without buying the extra preseason ticket, so they’ll just say “forget about it, we’ll go to the next game.” Cowboy fans that live in Arizona will only have one chance to see the Cowboys play, so they’re going to buy the ticket no matter what it cost. They won’t care about the preseason ticket, Cowboy fans will probably just give it to a friend or throw it away.

Ultimately, this idea won’t do anything as far as gaining a home field advantage for the Cowboys game. But I do think there will still be plenty of Cardinals fans at the game making a lot noise and causing plenty of problems for the Dallas Cowboys. An example of this would be the Pittsburgh Steelers game last year when there was half a stadium of gold and black, but in the end it was the Cardinals fans that were tearing down the building with their noise. If things are going well for Arizona by week 6, the Cardinal fans could own that game just like they did the Steelers game.

On the subject of the stadium and the tickets, I recently visited University of Phoenix Stadium to look into upgrading my season tickets for this up and coming season. Account Executive of ticket sales Steve Carlson was very helpful and very kind to show me around the stadium. For the first time I was able to sit in different seats and observe different views. I have to say there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. It’s a great place to watch a game and us Cardinal fans are lucky to have a stadium like it.

Some people are criticizing the Cardinals for not selling out the season tickets, But I think it’s still a nice accomplishment that they’re only a couple thousand away.  Steve Carlson was telling me in the old days in Sun Devil stadium they’d try and sell season tickets at the gate before the first game. I’d say things have come a long way for an organization that was only filling a forth of the stadium just a few seasons ago.

Lets be real, if the Cardinals win a few games in a row or have one nice season everyone will jump on the bandwagon and get season tickets again regardless of how the economy is doing. The Cardinals built the stadium, and the people are going to continue to come.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comYesterday we got some good news and some not so good news. The good news would be the Arizona Cardinals signed 3rd round pick Early Doucet. The bad news is the deadline for a Karlos Dansby extension came to a close.

Lets focus more on the good news for a moment. Obviously there’s never a lot of 3rd round picks holding out so it was expected that WR Early Doucet would sign. But it’s always nice to see the negotiation process go smoothly. Hopefully this deal will work out a little better than last years deal with Buster Davis who I may remind you was cut by the Cardinals and refused to play for the practice squad. Davis is now trying to make the Detroit Lion football team.

Things will go a lot better with Doucet than they did with Davis. Yes, I know that’s not one of the more risky predictions I’ve ever made. How about if I guarantee that Early Doucet makes the Cardinals football team this year? I mean what are the chances of back to back years where a 3rd round pick doesn’t make the team? It couldn’t happen, could it?

I know some people may disagree, but I think Doucet is going to be an upgrade from Bryant Johnson. Early seems to actually have some hands which Johnson didn’t have, and more importantly Doucet is a football player first and an athlete second. B.J was a great athlete but lacked the football IQ to match his athleticism. Johnson was selected in the first round because scouts saw his size and speed and figured they could turn him into a real stud. But just because you have the physical tools doesn’t mean you have the mental aspect of the game. Anquan Boldin was smaller, slower, and selected after Johnson but Anquan understood football, so that’s part of the reason why he turned out to be the better player.

As for Karlos Dansby the deal just couldn’t be done. I understand where both sides are coming from on this one. The Cardinals would be crazy to pay around $9 million dollars a year for a guy who has never been healthy for a full season and has never made the Pro Bowl. At the same time Karlos is definetly a Pro Bowl talent and deserves a lot of money for a player of his caliber. But for now I think both sides will be ok with a one year $8.065 million tender.

What I fortunately and unfortunately think is going to happen is Karlos will have a great year and make the Pro Bowl, but his stock will rise so much that the Cardinals can’t afford to keep him around. I like Karlos and I hope Arizona can find a way to sign him next season but I just don’t see him playing past 2008 with the Cardinals. But we will see won’t we.

This and many other post can also be read on MVN.com

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comSo I was reading ESPN Insider today and noticed that Scouts Inc. writer Keith Kidd ranked the Arizona Cardinals wide receivers 2nd in the NFL(Click for link). To a lot of intelligent football fans this ranking might be common sense, but the theme with most writers has always been to underrate the Cardinals receivers. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen rankings where the WR’s for Arizona are outside the top 5, or articles just not giving Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald the credit they deserve. An Example of that would be the recent article written on cbssportsline.com rating the top 50 players in the NFL. Now I know every teams fans are going to complain about a player or two left off the list, but to leave Anquan Boldin off the top 50 list is just amazing to me. At least Fitzgerald was on there being ranked 31st, but to leave Anquan off and put 9 receivers ahead of him blows my mind.

I’m starting to realize a lot of these list where players are ranked have to do with money. Maybe I was just being naive before thinking that money didn’t matter when ranking a players skills, but look at it this way… Fitzgerald, like Boldin has been very underrated due to the fact that he plays for the Arizona Cardinals. But as soon as Fitz got his $10 million a year contract he started being talked about as a top 5 wide receiver. I think Larry would still be very underrated had he not signed a big deal in this off season.  Maybe Anquan just needs his money so he can be considered a top 5 WR. If that’s the case then that’s too bad, because money or no money Boldin is a top 5 receiver for sure.

Both Fitz and Boldin have proved over and over again why they are the best receiving duo in the league. Maybe this will be the year the Cardinals make the playoffs and the two receivers get the credit they deserve.

This post can be viewed on MVN.com

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comWell NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus has struck again. Yes, the same Drew Rosenhaus that's had Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Javon Walker, Lance Briggs, and others hold out of training camp, looks to be advising Arizona Cardinal wide receiver Anquan Boldin to hold out as well.

As fans we can't completely understand the importance of training camp. We know and have seen enough to figure out that it's not a good thing for a player to miss the offseason work outs. But the degree it actually matters is something I don't think we can comprehend. The players that do hold out usually come back slow and sluggish and sometimes never fully recover. When rookies hold out it can sometimes be so detrimental that they never recover. Luckily Anquan Boldin is no rookie but he is the leader of the Cardinals football team. Having one of your captains missing for the summer can be a bad start to a season. For whatever reason chemistry sometimes gets messed up and it causes this trickle down affect to the other players on the team. The Cardinals drafted a cornerback in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first round and another wide receiver in Early Doucet in the third round. Both of these young players need to practice and be around Anquan as much as possible so they can learn and compete with a Pro Bowl caliber player. Yes, they have Larry Fitzgerald but they'll need the competition and leadership of Boldin there also.

It seems like every player Drew Rosenhaus comes in contact with holds out for money. I don't think this is a coincidence. Not all of these players are demanding more money from their teams, it's mostly Rosenhaus manipulating these players into thinking they should get that extra money. If anyone deserves a little extra money it's Anquan Boldin. But it still bothers me that some guy is out there controlling Boldin's career and affecting his play on the field with off the field issues. Agents ruin players more than they help them, I just hope this issue gets resolved before things get too serious. Boldin will eventually get the huge pay day that Larry Fitzgerald got but at what expense to the Cardinals and himself?

Like I said before, the trade rumors that linger around are nothing more than rumors. They were created by Rosenhaus so Anquan's value would increase. So everyone should just ignore those and stop asking questions about them. Boldin will be a Cardinal this season but when he'll show up is the question? Don't expect this Rosenhaus issue to go away soon, he's also the agent of DT Darnell Dockett who is also looking for more money. You got to admit that Drew Rosenhaus is a great agent, he always gets his players money. But to us football fans he really is the Antichrist.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThe Arizona Cardinals have come to terms with 5th round pick, RB Tim Hightower. Hightower’s 3 year deal is the first contract signed by any of the Cardinals 2008 draft picks. As the offseason begins to progress I expect the Cardinals to knock down a few more contracts from the 2008 draft class.

Signing players early is never a bad sign. When was the last time you heard someone say, “to bad that guy signed his contract so early, it really ruined his year.” It just doesn’t seem to happen that way. So hopefully we’ll start seeing more young guys sign early on like Hightower so they don’t have to make up the learning curve. It’s obviously very important to show up as early and often to offseason training when you’ve never played professional football before.

I don’t know how good Tim Hightower is going to be. At first I thought he might make a very minor impact for the Cardinals. But the more I see Tim play the more I think he could really contribute. Hightower’s powerful short burst and excellent hands could make him a very nice third down back this next season. On top of all that, Tim has showed that he could be a very effective special teams guy, and anyone that knows the Cardinals realizes the importance of having solid special teams players.

I don’t think Hightower will make an immediate impact in the first few games of the season, but as time goes on and he grows I think he could become a very important piece to the Cardinals puzzle.

SI's Peter KingThis was a post by Eli on MVN.com

Before I get into my post, I should tell you all that I'm a little frustrated right now because I'm watching a replay of the Chicago Bears vs Arizona Cardinals MNF game. Nothing has changed obviously, the Cardinals are still about to lose, Urlacher hasn't been blocked, Devin Hester still took it to the house, and yes, Neil did just pull the field goal wide left again. Bad idea on my part to write a post while watching this game. Lesson learned, I won't do that again.

Alright, that Bears loss was a thing of the past and the future is bright. But apparently Sports Illustrated's Peter King doesn't think so.  Peter just came out with his NFL power rankings for 2008(click here for link). King ranked the Arizona Cardinals 21st out of the 32 teams in the NFL. I don't know if I should be delighted or upset about this. 21st doesn't sound that great, but when you compare it to Mel Kipers prediction that Arizona will be the worst team in the NFL, and to the 30th ranking King gave the Cardinals last year, It's not that bad. When I saw King rank the Cardinals 30th last year I was livid. But I calmed down and remembered he doesn't decide who wins the games. The Cards were able to finish 16th and prove Peter wrong. I believe they'll do the same thing this season. Here's King explaining why he doesn't have Arizona ranked higher...

"Paul Zimmerman wanted me to put the Cards higher. But I don't know who's playing quarterback, nor how good that quarterback will be. I don't know how much Edgerrin James has left coming off a 3.8-yards-per-carry season. I do know a defense that allowed a gaudy 399 points will be a little better because of the arrival of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at corner. But every year for the past three or four, some wise man in the media (I think it was me two years ago) says, "This is Arizona's year.'' And in the last four of those Arizona years, the Cards have gone 6-10, 5-11, 5-11 and 8-8."

I think King makes a legit argument, who knows how well Matt Leinart will play. He could live up to the hype and take the Cards to the playoffs, or he could completely bomb and be replaced by Kurt Warner mid way through the season. Matt's really going to be the wild card this year. I know there's going to be other question marks on the team, but it's really going to come down to him. I personally see the Cardinals in the top 15 even with the instability at quarterback.  Arizona has their core players coming back from last season, plus a few additions to add some depth where they didn't have it last year. I'm not so much worried about Edgerrin James as I am with the offensive line. I love what Russ Grimm did last year but they're still not incredibly strong and deep across the line. Hopefully another year together will prove to be valuable.

I can see where Peter King is coming from and I think he was a little more fair with his prediction this season. But I'd have to disagree with old Pete and show my bias by putting Arizona in the top half of the league for the 2008 season. But what does it matter what him and I think, we're not the ones that get to decide the outcome. Even though I'm usually right and he's usually wrong. It's true!

Mel Kiper jr. rubbed Cardinal fans the wrong wayThis was a post by Mark on MVN.com

As I sat there watching TV last night I was reviewing on of the NFL Live wrap up’s that included Todd McShay, Mel Kiper jr. and a couple of other talking heads. As the show was coming to a conclusion they asked the panel one by one who they felt would have the number one pick in 2009, or in other words, which team was destined to have the worst season in the NFL.

Mel Kiper, and I still can’t believe he is serious, PICKED THE CARDINALS!

Mel, sorry big guy, you're a moron.

His comment was followed up by some nonsense about how “The Cardinals hadn’t taken care of the Matt Leinart situation” and failed to address the replacement of Edgerrin James. I almost had to check my clock to make sure I wasn’t dreaming because the panel just stared at him slack jawed and let him push this garbage out of his mouth. The implication was what? That they should have drafted a QB? Or taken Mendenhall when they desperately needed a CB?

Mel, I have no idea what you are talking about, neither does anyone who even remotely follows this team. This team is deep at QB, has a solid coaching staff, a rebuilt offensive and defensive line, three quality receivers and a very good secondary. What in the world would possess you to think that the Cardinals would end up with the WORST record in the NFL?

Someone please bottle and save this idiotic prediction so we can toss it back to Mel when the Cardinals finish 2009 above 500 and fighting for a playoff spot. I’m glad he makes a living doing what he does, because he obviously has no idea what is even remotely going on with the Cardinals and it was just an easy slam at an organization that probably doesn’t give him the inside scoop he needs to feed his draft publication.

What a dope.

LB Ali HighsmithThe NFL draft is over, but the Arizona Cardinals keep making calls to pick up the left overs. I shouldn’t call some of these guys left overs because a few of them are pretty good. I don’t think these players will be the only undrafted rookie free agents picked up by Arizona, but for the time being here’s the list.

Keilen Dykes is a DT from West Virginia University. Dykes was first team all Big-Easy in 2006 and in 2007. His production went down a little bit in 2007 but that’s because he was being double teamed. I’m surprised he wasn’t picked up by someone. This could be a nice back up especially since Gabe Watson is out with an injury. At his Pro Day, Dykes ran a 5.08 40 and did 33 bench reps. Keilen is 6′5″ 300 lbs. Nice pick up.

Bryan Robinson from Division III Wesley College was another pick up. Robinson is a Division III all American Defensive Tackle. Bryan is the Atlantic Central Football Conference’s all-time leader with 47 sacks and 92.5 tackles for loss. It looks like he could be another solid depth guy.

Offensive guard out of the University of Hawaii, Hercules Satele, who bench pressed 225 pounds 40 times at last month’s Pro Day, has also reached a deal with the Arizona Cardinals. This guys a monster, I’m excited to see what Russ Grimm can make out of him.

It looks like LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith was picked up by Arizona today. Highsmith was early on considered a first day draft pick. But after a slow 40 time at the combine, Ali’s draft stock dramatically dropped. I’m still very surprised Highsmith didn’t get drafted. I thought he’d go in the mid rounds especially after he redeemed himself by running a 4.7 at his Pro Day. Ali is a little small for an NFL linebacker (6-0, 230) so that didn’t help but he still was a First-Team All-American! He was a stud in college and produced in big games so you know he can play football. This could be a real steal to get him undrafted.

Penn State QB Anthony Morelli was another pick up by the Cardinals. I guess all I can say about this pick up is sure, why not? You never know who could be the next Kurt Warner right? Maybe they saw some encouraging things and maybe this could be a new back up.

I really like this pick up. Arizona signed massive 6-8 305 lbs OT, Thaddeus Colemen from Mississippi Valley State. Here’s a video of Colemen. Thaddeus is very raw having no position coach in college. Russ Grimm is probably salivating over this guy. With a little practice we could see Colemen be a starting OT.

Some other signing I just received word about are

OG Carlton Medder, Florida

FB Dionte Johnson, Ohio State

S Dennis Keyes, UCLA

CB Marcus Brown, VMI

All of these guys have great potential. Three of them are guys from big schools that have produced in their careers. Marcus Brown from what I hear had I great career at VMI. These all seem like very solid pick ups.  If I hear of anyone else, I’ll add them to the list.

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comAlright, after all the mock drafts and all the speculation, the 2008 NFL Draft is finally over. Now it’s time to analyze what the Cardinals did…

Arizona Cardinal Draft Grade: B+

Let me explain why I give the Cardinals this grade. Arizona needed to fill needs at cornerback, defensive end, offensive line, running back, and wide receiver. They filled all those needs during the two days of the draft, so that’s one plus right there. But not only did Arizona fill their needs, they did it while taking the best player on the board with each pick. I’m a guy who loves when teams take the best player available, so that made me excited to see them not drafting just for need. I know some of you including myself may wonder a little bit about some of the decisions made, but I actually trust the Cardinals with most of these picks.

It was a very tough decision when it came down to Rashard Mendenhall and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first round. I felt it was a can’t lose situation and was glad I wasn’t the guy making the pick. I think Mendenhall is going to be a great player, but I’ve been on the Cromartie bandwagon for a while now and I’ve felt he would be the best player for the Cardinals. So while some of you are wishing we had Mendenhall, I think you should look at the great upside and talent DRC adds to the Cardinals defense.

In the second round I think a lot of Cardinal fans were expecting a running back here since Arizona passed on one in the first round. Well Whisenhunt and Graves stuck to their board and took the best player available in 6′8 295lb DE, Calais Campbell. I do believe Campbell was the best player at this spot, many scouts thought he was going in the first round but he slid all the way to the Cardinals in the second and I think it was an easy pick for Arizona to make. The Cards needed a DE and got one in a big way(pun intended). This looks like a real steal in the second round.

By now everyone assumed the pick here in the 3rd round had to be an offensive linemen or running back. Well the Cardinals surprised a lot of people by once again taking the best player available in LSU WR, Early Doucet. Doucet was another guy that many originally had going in the first round, but because of his average 40 time he slipped all the way to the middle of the 3rd. It blows my mind that Early went this late in the draft. He’s a very similar player to Anquan Boldin, and anyone similar to Boldin I want on my team. I know a lot of fans including myself wanted to see DE Cliff Avril drafted here. That would have been nice but I can’t complain with Arizona taking the best player and improving the depth at wide receiver. Doucet really is a stud and I’m happy he’s a Cardinal.

The 4th round pick was a bit of a surprise. The Cardinals took 6′4″, 275lb DE from Iowa, Kenny Iwebema. Kenny was not rated high on most peoples boards but defensive line coach Ron Aiken has worked with Kenny back when he was a coach at Iowa. So hopefully the inside information on this pick pays off. Myself and many others were hoping for an OT or RB with this pick but I think we have to trust the Cardinals and hope they know what they’re doing. With a little work, it seems like Kenny could be a very solid player.

The 5th round pick was not a surprise because the Cardinals finally drafted a running back, but it was a surprise because of who they drafted. Arizona took RB from AA Richmond, Timothy Hightower. At first this pick seemed a little weird because all the talk was that Arizona wanted a speed back and Hightower is more of a bruiser. But after reading up and looking at more film on Tim, I started to like this pick. Hightower has good, in game speed and great hands for a big RB. He should be a very nice special teams guy and a good short down back. He’s not a blazing fast RB like Chris Johnson but I think I might like this guy.

The 6th round pick was surprising to me because the Cardinals selected another DE in 6′5″ 275lb Chris Harrington. Chris was second team All-Big 12 at Texas A&M in 2007 which is always a plus. From what I’ve seen Harrington is a tough dude with a good nose for the ball. I expect the Cardinals to look at Chris as more of a 3-4 OLB. I’d say this was another good pick from what I’ve seen.

In the 7th round the Cardinals realized they needed an offensive linemen and filled that need by picking the very large Brandon Keith. Keith is a 6′5″345lb OT from Northern Iowa. Brandon is of course very strong and very fast for his size, running just over 5 seconds in the 40 during his pro day. His technique needs a little work but that can be fixed by Russ Grimm. Keith will add much needed depth to the Cardinals offensive line. I really like this pick.

I can’t really complain about much, we’ll see over time how these picks turn out, but for the moment I’m feeling pretty good about everything. I think the Cardinals coaches can turn some of these guys into very good football players.

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

Finally one of “my boys” gets selected from my mock draft!

I’ve been on the Chris Harrington bandwagon for well over a month now and even with the prior selections of Calais Campbell and Kenny Iwebema the Cardinals, who clearly are reading my blog at this point, went and got one of my targeted picks in the DE from Texas A&M. His selection completes the transformation of the DE/OLB position on the Cardinals from one of weakness to one of strength and depth.

You can go back and look at my prior posts but Harrington is a 100% effort guy who plays when he’s hurt, is a leader and is perfect as a depth and rotation guy who might eventually turn into a starter in the NFL. What everyone needs to keep in mind is the team is looking at Antonio Smith becoming an unrestricted free agent next year and Dockett is looking for more money on his contract. If you don’t have depth and talent behind them you are held hostage by the player with no room to negotiate.

Harrington, in my read of his talent and the Cardinals hybrid scheme is probably going to be slotted behind Travis LaBoy and Bert Berry. Depending on how injuries and training camp go you could see further cuts given the depth that is being developed through this draft. The other great thing is you can see the team deciding to build the core of the team in the trenches and that is where games are won and lost.

Another solid selection here in round 6.

This was a post by Mark on MVN.com 

In a move that is sure to upset the Cardinals fan’s on the Internet the team selected a Division AA star out of Richmond, Timothy Hightower as their number five selection and as their running back choice in this years draft.

Everyone had been expecting and wanting the home run threat for a change of pace from Edge, but if you go back and look at last year their bigger issue was they really didn’t have a goal line/short yardage guy who could pound between the tackles, catch the ball out of the back field and give coach Whisenhunt the play action threat they needed. The fact is that the speed guys were gone early, the Cardinals had bigger needs on the defensive side of the football and in yet another solid move the team went with a Marcel Shipp replacement with Tim Hightower.

I would have liked to seen them grab an OT with this pick but I can certainly see the logic here. You save almost $1 million in cap space if Shipp is released, you gain a young set of legs on a power back and you still have the on going J.J. Arrington experiment to see if he ever gets over the hesitation and mistakes that keep him from being a true speed back for the team, which was what he was drafted for.

The proof will be in training camp but I again give this pick a solid grade of a B given what else was still on the board and the team’s needs. The staff clearly has decided who needs to be replaced off the current roster and if I were Joe Tafoya, Marcel Shipp, Jamacia Rector, Ahmad Merritt and even Bert Berry i’d not be signing any long term leases at the moment.

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

In a somewhat surprising move the Cardinals selected Kenny Iwebema the DE from Iowa with the forth selection.

However, upon doing some research and digging this is clearly an ” inside the family ” type selection in that Cardinals defensive line coach Ron Aiken’s was formerly the guys position coach at Iowa and obviously holds this player in high regard. He’s a big, 6′ 4″, 275 lbs, quick DE who is very strong against the run and has shown some pass rushing ability early in his career. The more I look into his back ground and check out his history this is a potentially another solid depth pick to the area of greatest concern from last year the DL.

You can now line up Dockett, Watson and Smith in the 3-4 and you have Branch, Campbell and Iwebema as your depth guys. Thats a very solid rotation and good young depth, and with the rebuild of the OLB position through the additions of Hagans and Laboy the front seven is really stocked and highly competitive now. Add in Okefor and Berry to the mix and this might be the kind of front seven that allows them to compete for a play off run this year.

I love what they are doing with this draft in beefing up the defense and taking value.

What i’d like to see in the next three selections is another CB, and offensive Tackle and the running back. I just saw that the Bronco’s took my guy Ryan Torrain in the early stage of the fifth, so he’s off the board. Time to go back and see who is left. By the way he’s going to be a huge addition to the Broncos.