SB Nation - Pago Togafau

Arizona Cardinals Release TE Byrd, Sign LB Monty Beisel

Andrew602 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:31:29 -0000

One of Beisel's rare appearances as a Chief. Beisel only played in three games and was released. He looks better in Cardinal red anyway.

Browse more photos »

The Arizona Cardinals have released their 4th string tight end Dominique Byrd today, and signed former Cardinal linebacker Monty Beisel.

Searching for depth at linebacker – especially after Gerald Hayes and Chike Okeafor missing games with back problems and having the inexperienced Reggie Walker and Ali Highsmith on the roster – the Cardinals brought back veteran Monty Beisel today. The Cards wanted Beisel when his contract expired after last season , but Beisel instead followed Todd Haley to Kansas City. Then Beisel was cut after just three games and has been searching for a job since. He had been in contact with the Cardinals in an attempt to come back since then.

To make room on the roster, the Cards decided they couldn’t hang on to four tight ends any longer. They released Dominique Byrd, who had yet to appear active in a regular-season game this season. With Anthony Becht and Ben Patrick taking hold of the two tight end spots on game day and Stephen Spach a more accomplished blocker than Byrd, Byrd was the odd man out.

via azcardinals.com(Urban)

Beisel, an ROTB favorite, was a special teams ace last year and should provide veteran depth to a linebacking corps that has been banged up the last few weeks. In the three years he was with Arizona, Beisel appeared in 40 games and registered 78 tackles. The Cardinals signed linebacker Pago Togafau and defensive end Jason Banks to the practice squad, both also being former Cardinals. They released FB Jed Collins and DT Antoine Holmes to make room.

Arizona Cardinal of the Week: Preseason Week 3

Andrew602 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:57:01 -0000

by Ross D. Franklin - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells (26) breaks a tackle against Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins on his way to a touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL preseason game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

View full size photo »

Well the dust has settled, and although I must admit I watched the second half of Friday's game on Saturday, I was surprised the Cardinals almost won the game. And before I move on, I think I saw Jordy Nelson still running through Glendale, with DRC not far behind him. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Anyway, let's congratulate last week's winner of the COTW, LaRod Stephens-Howling for his returns against the Chargers. This week, there almost wouldn't have been a COTW if there wasn't a second half to Friday's game against the Packers. Here's the list of nominees:

Matt Leinart: Queue the Matt Leinart talk because he looked ridiculous on Friday. Leinart was able to come out in the second half last week and absolutely erupt. True the Cardinals hardly ran, and true it was against the Packer back ups, but isn't that what he's supposed to do? 350+ yards and 3 touchdowns in 2 quarters is great to me, considering the fact that he had a 2nd string line protecting him and didn't have Fitz, Q, or Breaston.

Chris Wells: Welcome to the NFL Beanie. Wells showed every Cardinal fan on Friday, why we drafted him in the first round in April. Wells hit the hole hard, and strong. His first run was a bounce to the outside, in which he picked up the first down. As far as his touchdown, I'm still in aw as he ran beautifully to the end zone. If this is a sign of things to come, I think our offense will be just fine, especially with the way Tim Hightower is running.

Early Doucet: Early redeemed himself after dropping a clear touchdown on Friday. He filled in for Q and for a moment, I thought that end around touchdown was Boldin. Although the two point conversion failed, we now learned that Doucet was playing with injured ribs through the second half, which makes his stats even more impressive.

Will Davis: Davis makes the cut because of his play to open up the second half. He showed some promise, and he seemed to play with a fire burning. Cody Brown's injury may have been a wake up call for Davis, and that's good with the release of Pago Togafau yesterday.

That's it for this weeks list, and we can only be lucky that there actually is a list. This week's game comes early on Thursday and you can be sure that next week's nominees will likely be 2nd or 3rd string players. Is there anybody else you think should be added to the list?

Poll

Who is the Cardinal of the Week?

Matt Leinart - 24/38 360 Yards 3 TDs 1 INT

169 votes

Beanie Wells - 7 Carries 46 Yards 6.6 Avg 2 TDs

99 votes

Early Doucet - 5 Catches 93 Yards 1 TD

3 votes

Will Davis - 4 Tackles 1 Sack 1 TFL

3 votes

274 votes | Poll has closed

Arizona Cardinals Trim Roster to 75: Keith Lewis, Michael Ray Garvin and Pago Togafau Gone

Hawkwind — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:35:43 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

San Diego Chargers' Michael Bennett dives for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Pago Togafau tries to make a tackle. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Browse more photos »

The Arizona Cardinals made the necessary moves to reduce their roster to 75 players today by shuffling players all over the place. The only players given their outright release were safety Keith Lewis and offensive tackle Brandon Pearce. Lewis, a former 49er under Bill Davis, was competing at strong safety and figured to be a strong special teams contributor if he made cut. Pearce, an undrafted rookie out of Memphis, was an undersized tackle who specialized in pass blocking.

The other moves involved two injured players as both Michael Ray Garvin and Pago Togafau were waived/injured which basically means that they are being released because they're injured. The team can still resign them once they are healthy, assuming that someone else doesn't sign them first. Togafau was having a decent preseason until he broke his foot against the Packers and Garvin is still recovering from knee surgery. The Cardinals also placed Cody Brown on IR.

Arizona Cardinals News: Roster Cuts and Packers Aftermath

Hawkwind — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:37:52 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

3 months ago: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, left, makes a reception over Arizona Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle, right, in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Browse more photos »

The Arizona Cardinals have two major goals over the next two days. The first, cutting the roster down to 75, shouldn't be terribly difficult but the second, determining whether Friday nights game was a sign of things to come or just a hiccup, will prove to be a more tenuous evaluation. First things first though, the Cardinals have to cut four players by tomorrow, assuming that Cody Brown is finally placed on IR. Another factor that will effect the number of players exiting will the be severity of Pago Togafau's injury. According to various reports he broke a bone in his right foot and while no one has mentioned a timetable for his return, there are some reports that he could miss significant time. If he is headed to the injured reserve as well, then the Cardinals would only hand three players their walking papers. Regardless of how many are cut, the news is expected to come down sometime today, if not very soon.

Sadly for the Cardinals though the bigger issue right now is the underwhelming, to say the least, effort that they displayed Friday night against the Packers. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt was "embarrassed" and hoped that this would be a wake up call to his team (sounds eerily familiar to his comments after a 47-7 loss to the Patriots last year). Darnell Dockett questioned whether some of his teammates played "all out," Kurt Warner said that everyone on the team should feel a "sense of urgency" and Karlos Dansby simply said that is was time to go "back to the drawing board," but the time for talking is just about over. The defending NFC Champs will take the field just one more time in the preseason, in three short days, but starters and veterans rarely play much more than a series or two in the preseason finale, so it's very likely that we'll enter the regular season opener with more questions than answers. Among the questions that need to be answered:

Kurt Warner's health/effectiveness: First let's be clear, no one is calling for KW to be benched or put on a short leash but his play through three preseason games has been somewhat alarming. Questions about the health of his surgically repaired hip won't go way, especially when his preseason play so far has consisted of three turnovers, zero touchdowns and a QB rating of 56.8. Would his 38 year old body be better served by resting for a week or are his struggles simply a result of a lack of preseason game planning?

Antrel Rolle second season at safety: It was a generally accepted theory that Rolle would have a breakout type season in 2009 simply because he's fully acclimated to the free safety spot and he could finally rely on his natural playmaking instincts and top flight athleticism rather than trying to learn on the fly. So far though, Rolle still looks raw and he's still struggling with plays getting behind him. Is this the year that Rolle finally puts it all together or will he continue to be a step behind?

Depth at Linebacker: The depth at linebacker wasn't considered a strength of this team heading into camp and so far they've lost their second round draft pick for the season and one of the top backups on the inside now has a broken foot. With the importance placed on solid linebacker play and performance from a 3-4 defense, it will be very important to keep Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Chike Okeafor and Clark Haggans healthy. While a couple of youngsters are showing some promising signs, will the Cardinals be looking for a veteran backup on the waiver wire?

Offensive line continuity: For all the of positive vibes coming out of the offseason and training camp about how the Cardinals line was going to be stronger than ever after having their starting five work together for all 20 games last season, there are quite a few pass rushers getting clean shots on Cardinals quarterbacks this preseason. Too often the opposing defenses are finding ways to bring blitzers free with pressure off the edge or twisting moves of the middle. Can this offensive line keep the quarterback clean long enough for him to find the talented receivers on this team?

Who makes the cut at WR: For the past several months the question has been who makes the squad as the fourth, fifth or even sixth wide receiver this season. With so much talent at the top of the depth chart it's been hard for some younger guys to break through but several guys had a chance on Friday with two of the top four sidelined with injuries. Now that the dust has settled though, I'm not sure that anyone really helped or hurt their case for the final roster. Sean Morey showed that he had some decent hands and could take a hit but we all know that he's a special teams player first and foremost. Early Doucet dropped a couple of balls but also ended up with five catches (18.6 ypc) and a nifty touchdown on a WR screen. Lance Long had the worst game of the guys squarely on the bubble considering that he had just one catch, a dropped pass and fumbled a punt return. It's probably splitting hairs but the race for the final WR spot will probably go down to the wire.

Tight Ends Race: As with the wide receivers, we've been talking about the tight end spot and all of it's possibilities since the 2009 season ended. So far through a month of training camp and three preseason games the only thing that we know for sure is that we don't really know. Ben Patrick, despite a four game suspension looming, has been the starter each game and looks like he might be the most complete player. Stephen Spach, who had a rough game dropping passes, jumping offsides and collecting a holding penalty just to top off the night, is running with the first team but he still hasn't picked up a single reception this season. Leonard Pope leads all tight ends in receptions and yards but he still hasn't done much to distinguish himself from the pack. Anthony Becht is proving to be as advertised, a third offensive tackle when he's on the field. He's not a threat in the passing game but can seal the edge in the running game. Dominique Byrd, the most intriguing of the bunch, had his best night hauling in a pass and flashing some run after the catch skills as he turned a medium range pass into a 45 yard completion. His blocking skills have been better than advertised but he still seems to be at the bottom of the totem pole. The question remains, how many will they keep and who will it be?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts about who gets cut and what other questions need to be answered?

Poll

What is your level of concern with Kurt Warner's lackluster preseason?

0 - It's preseason right? When the games count, I'll let you know.

76 votes

1 - Eh, it's on my radar but come on it's preseason

138 votes

2 - I just hope these butterflies in my stomach are from some bad Mexican food.

59 votes

3 - I'm starting to sweat and thinking a week of relaxation therapy would help him.

48 votes

4 - Finger waiting on the panic button and eyes darting back and forth

28 votes

5 - I'm on the freakin' ledge and wondering why everyone else is so calm!?!?

22 votes

371 votes | Poll has closed

Arizona Cardinals: Jeckyl and Hyde in 44-37 loss to Green Bay

Hawkwind — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:41:15 -0000

More photos » by Jason Babyak - AP

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner looks to throw as Green Bay Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga, left, rushes during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009. The Packers forced Warner into numerous mistakes and induced a shower of old-folks' walkers (aka boos) to be thrown onto the Cardinals' sideline by frustrated fans. (AP Photo/Jason Babyak)

Browse more photos »

What a game, albeit a preseason game.

First off, I had to wait on the re-air on NFL Network and then I had to wait for the wife to get bored with the Patriots' recording on TiVo before I could watch the Cardinals game. Something in my mind told me I wouldn't be missing much. I was right and wrong.

First Half — Hyde Please

Whether the Cardinals looked as bad as they did, especially on defense, or the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers are that good will have to wait for the regular season to prove (Week 17 to be exact). Kurt Warner was repeatedly harried by the Packers' swarming defense and never was quite in sync with the offense (10 of 16 for 139 yards, one interception and a couple of fumbles). For the first time in a couple of years I was wishing the Cards would just run the ball as Tim Hightower (six carries for 38 yards with a stellar long of 23 yards) and Chris "Beanie" Wells (seven carries for 46 yards with an "oh-face" touchdown run of 20-yards and another for two yards) were the only highlights of the first half. The Cardinals' defense was active but Aaron Rodgers was victimizing the secondary repeatedly. It didn't help that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was looking like a rookie again getting burned for a couple of touchdowns.

By the time the first half had ended it was 38-10 and I was in such a foul mood I turned off the game and slept on the couch. ::grumble, grumble:: Perhaps I was having a "hard hat" moment and had no faith in Matt Leinart but my "lack of faith" was reduced upon my continued viewing of the game this morning.

Second Half — Is There a Doctor (Jeckyl) in the House?

With a 38-10 score I was expecting some boring garbage time playing and was watching only to see how the "bubble" players were doing, especially on the defensive side of the ball (Hawkwind <3 Reggie Walker). Matt Leinart came out with effectively the first team offense and showed some flashes of what most Cardinals fan hope he will be (kinda like that Rodgers guy on the other team). His throws had zip on them and were quite catchable (alas, not frequently enough *cough*Doucet*cough*). With the Cardinals' defense holding the Brian Brohm-led Packers in check, Leinart (24 of 38 for 360 yards, three touchdowns and an interception) was able to lead the Cardinals to within a touchdown when Neil Rackers' self-possessed on-side kick gave the Cardinals an opportunity to win the game. Jason Wright showed some ability to navigate on two interior receptions, the second for a touchdown, making a case for the Cardinals to keep four running backs on the 53-man roster (pending LaRod Stephens-Howling's recovering from getting his bell rung). With the Cardinals going for the victory, Leinart tossed a perfect floater to Early Doucet who got two hands on the ball but couldn't secure the catch and the two-point conversion. Former Amsterdam Admiral Ruvell Martin recovers the following on-side kick easily and scores uncontested to effectively squelch any further "WTF" Cardinals come-back magic.

Upon Reflection

Matt Leinart: Seeing that Brian St. Pierre wasn't even dressed, Matt Leinart's job as the Cardinals' back-up QB is secure (was it really ever in doubt? Really? Really!). Granted, Leinart wasn't going against the Packers' first-team defense but Dom Capers wasn't playing a vanilla defense either. Matt and the second-team offense did well and in the back of my mind I am hearing a voice saying "start Leinart against Denver next week".

First-team Secondary: Is there a need to be worried still? Like most, I've figured the Cardinals' secondary was no longer a weak link but after yesterday's game I'm biting my lip and doubting them. Certainly the front seven could have helped by getting some better pressure but DRC looked, well, like crap. If it weren't for his long neck, his facial expressions were reminding me of David Macklin after getting beaten repeatedly. ::cringe:: He should have had an interception on the first Packers' drive but then he shouldn't be letting receivers past him for uncontested receptions either. At this point I have to write this off as preseason football and assume that with some game planning the secondary and overall defense will play much better against the 49ers in a couple of weeks.

Reggie Walker: Okay, I'm going to admit to being a total homer on this but damn, he looked good. He's been catching my eye since the Steelers' game and I'm breathing a sigh of relief knowing that he's on the roster. Who the back-up for Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby has been a nagging question (Pago? Ali?) and this UFA Rookie out of Kansas State is making a serious case to be that back-up.

Will Davis (?!): With Cody Brown likely out for the season after dislocating his wrist, Davis saw a lot of playing time and looked good, even great at times (sweet sack!). Davis was a shoo-in for the practice squad in most RotBer's minds but with the depth at outside linebacker looking weak, Davis' play is encouraging (#59 was doing well on kick-off coverages too).

Doucet vs. Morey vs. Long vs. Jones: Who is playing in Kansas City in Week One? Morey is too much of a beast on special teams and Long's fumbled punt return didn't help his case for replacing Sean. Onrea Jones has looked good but is just another big target on a team full of big targets. Early Doucet has the third round draft pick albatross around his neck which may explain his dropped balls. With Jerhame Urban solidifying his #4 WR spot, who deserves that #5? Is #6 still Morey's? Will Long or Jones clear waivers if that's their fate?

For the third preseason game, the first half results are discouraging and fill me with thoughts of "same ol' Cardinals" once more. Yet the depth of talent on this roster brushes those thoughts away with positive thoughts of "Defending NFC Champions". What are your thoughts, the RotB Faithful, and who do you think solidified their roster spot(s) on the Cardinals?

Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburgh Steelers: Examining the Initial Depth Chart

Hawkwind — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:41:06 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Bill Davis, left, talks with Darnell Dockett during morning practice at Cardinals training camp Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Browse more photos »

The first preseason game of the year doesn't mean very much to the football world outside of a select few of crazed fans who have been salivating over the thought of real football for going on six months. One of the things that the first preseason game of the year does provide though is the first look at an 'official' depth chart and the Arizona Cardinals put out their first chart yesterday. Now word to the wise, Whisenhunt doesn't like to tweak the chart prior to the first game so he basically inserts each rookie's name at the bottom and leaves most of the rest unchanged. Thanks to a change in defensive philosophy though (or at least a continued shift towards a 3-4), there are some changes on the defensive side of the ball. With a quick look at how this current roster plays out on paper, here's a quick analysis of the depth chart.

Offense

QB -- Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre, Tyler Palko

RB -- Tim Hightower, Chris Wells, Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling, Chris Vincent

FB -- Dan Kreider, Tim Castille, Reagan Maui'a

WR -- Larry Fitzgerald, Jerheme Urban, Sean Morey, Onrea Jones, Ed Gant

WR -- Anquan Boldin. Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Lance Long, Michael Ray Garvin

TE -- Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick, Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht, Dominique Byrd

LT -- Mike Gandy, Elliot Vallejo, Brandon Pearce

LG -- Reggie Wells, Elton Brown, Carlton Medder

C -- Lyle Sendlein, Ben Claxton, Melvin Fowler

RG -- Deuce Lutui, Brandon Keith, Trevor Canfield

RT -- Levi Brown, Oliver Ross, Herman Johnson

Overall there aren't really any surprises on the offensive side of the ball, unless you didn't think Pope would be listed atop the tight end spot. There has been some shake-up on the offensive line with the injury to Vallejo though with Oliver Ross swinging over to left tackle and Brandon Keith taking snaps at right tackle.

Defense

DE -- Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema, Alex Field

NT -- Bryan Robinson, Gabe Watson, Alan Branch

DT -- Darnell Dockett, Keilen Dykes, Rodney Leisle

ROLB -- Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry, Will Davis

ILB -- Karlos Dansby, Victor Hobson, Pago Togafau

ILB -- Gerald Hayes, Ali Highsmith, Reggie Walker

LOLB -- Clark Haggans, Cody Brown, Chase Bullock

RCB -- Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, Wilrey Fontenot, Jameel Dowling

LCB -- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Michael Adams, Greg Toler

SS -- Adrian Wilson, Aaron Francisco, Keith Lewis

FS -- Antrel Rolle, Matt Ware, Dennis Keyes, Rashad Johnson

The interesting thing about the defensive chart is how they chose to describe their defensive line (yes that's not a typo). They've chosen to list only one defensive end, a nose tackle and a defensive tackle for some unknown reason. This is nothing more than a conspiracy theory on my part but if the organization cares at all about "NINE-O" (Dockett) making the Pro Bowl, it would make sense to list him as a tackle instead of an end. There aren't any major surprises at linebacker but it's interesting to see that Hobson is listed on the inside and Bullock is listed on the outside (after he worked primarily on the inside during OTA's). In the secondary, I wouldn't get worried about Toler and Rashad Johnson being listed at the bottom of the depth chart. As we said above, this is the "Whiz way" of handling rookies and we'll see how the chart get's tweaked as the preseason plays out.

Specialists

KR -- Steve Breaston, Michael Ray Garvin, LaRod Stephens-Howling

PR -- Steve Breaston, Antrel Rolle, Michael Ray Garvin

K -- Neil Rackers

P -- Ben Graham

LS -- Mike Leach

H -- Ben Graham, Sean Morey

There aren't really any suprises in the specialist department either. Garvin is clearly a return specialist and if he ends up on the final squad it'll be because he won the kick and/or punt return job.

3-4 vs. 4-3: How Will It Effect the Arizona Cardinals Line Backers

Hawkwind — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:21:35 -0000

A while back we took a look at what it meant to be a defensive lineman in a 3-4 defense and how the Arizona Cardinals personnel fit into that scheme. Today though we'll shift our focus to the line backing corps to not only see where how our roster fits the system, but also what should be expected from each position. For most of the comparisons and expectations we'll look at nine other teams that run the 3-4 defense (Steelers, Chargers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Browns, Jets, Patriots, Ravens and 49ers). Here's the same disclaimer that we used in our look at the defensive line:

I'll be the first to tell you I'm no football expert or former defensive coordinator at any level, but I've done some nerd-like research (after all that's what the interenet is for right?) into the 3-4 since Ken Whisenhunt brought the scheme to the desert. It's not only a completely different defensive scheme with different responsibilities but it's also takes a different mindset for players, as well as a different kind of player. For the sake of simplicity in this article, we'll assume that there won't be much of a change for the secondary. The only tangible difference I could find was that they'll probably run more man-to-man coverage, but the Cardinals were never a big 'zone coverage' team to begin with. That allows us to focus on the front seven and more specifically, what the changes will be for the defensive line and linebackers as a whole and individually.

Outside Linebackers: Of the nine teams that we're using as our 3-4 models, the average size of the OLB spot is 6'3, 261.5 pounds with the smallest being Manny Lawson (6'5, 240) and Matt Roth of the Dolphins (6'4 275) comes in as the biggest. The average production from these 18 starters in 2008 was 62.8 tackles and 8.3 sacks, although we did use Shawne Merriman's stats from 2007. Out of our nine models, six of the teams had a OLB lead their team in sacks. Of the remaining three teams (Jets, Patriots and Browns), two were led by defensive ends (Jets and Patriots with eight sacks) and the Browns were actually led by their nose tackle, Shaun Rogers, who logged 4.5 sacks.

The job of an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense is very similar to a defensive end in a 4-3, with one major exception. Although they do share the same responsibilities as a run defender and primary pass rusher, they also have the added responsibility of dropping into coverage on occasion. It's also important that the OLB is strong enough set the corner of the defense and funnel running plays back towards the middle of the field and flowing interior linebackers, but no job is more important that their ability to rush the passer. The six teams that had an OLB lead their team in sacks had an average defensive ranking of 10.6 (in terms of yards per game in 2008) while the other three teams had an average ranking of 17.3.

Cardinals current personnel: There are a handful of guys who will see time and fit the 'mold' of a 3-4 OLB. Guys like Chike Okeafor (6'5 247), Clark Haggans (6'4, 243) and Cody Brown (6'2, 244) figure to be the three guys who see the most time at OLB this season and all possess the pass rush skills to fill the position but as you can see, they're all of the small end of the OLB spectrum. Bertrand Berry (6'3, 260), Will Davis (6'2, 262) and Victor Hobson (6'0, 252) will be fighting for roster spots and playing time behind the 'big three' and could provide some bulk when they're in the game. Of this group, Okeafor and Berry are proven pass rushers from the defensive end position those skills should translate to the OLB position. Haggans has the track record of a complete OLB capable of holding his own in the running game and performing well in coverage but he's never been a major force in the pass rush department. Brown and Davis both possess the ability to rush the passer and it'll be interesting to see how quickly they are thrown into the mix. Hobson is a wild-card who has experience in the position and could be a decent fill-in starter.

Inside Linebackers: Of the nine teams that we're using as our 3-4 models, the average size of the ILB is 6'1, 244 pounds with the smallest being Stephen Cooper (6'1, 235) while Channing Crowder (6'2, 250) comes in as the biggest. The average production from these 18 starters in 2008 was 101 tackles and a sack and a half. Seven of the nine teams saw one of their inside backers lead the team in tackles and the two top tacklers in the NFL were members of 3-4 defenses (D'Qwell Jackson and Patrick Willis). Eight of the nine teams had at least one of their inside backers record at least 100 tackles and the only team that missed that mark, Chargers, saw their ILB record 98 tackles despite missing the first four games.

For inside linebackers in a 3-4 defense, they have a single responsibility above all others: tackle the guy with the ball. For the most part, the inside backers are protected by their defensive line and they're expected to make tackles from side line to side line. These backers normally aren't a big factor in the pass rush department with only one player, Bradie James, recording more than 3.5 sacks. The primary reason for their lack of sack totals is because they're a significant factor in the passing game. Considering that most OLB's are rushing the quarterback, most of the inside backers are covering backs or tight ends or dropping into short zone coverages.

Cardinals current personnel: Karlos Dansby (6'4, 250) and Gerald Hayes (6'1, 249) are the starters for the Cardinals on the inside and they're both above average in terms of size and Dansby will be the only player in our sample size who is taller than 6'2. The duo of Dansby and Hayes are a great combination and they post stats that are very much in line with the better ILB groups in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Dallas. As for the backups, Victor Hobson (6'0, 252) could see time on the inside although all eyes will likely be on Ali Highsmith. He was undrafted last year because of questions about his lack of size (6'1, 230), but it'll be interested to see how much bulk he adds by this year's training camp. The only other guy vying for a roster spot or playing time is Pago Togafau but his height, or lack thereof (5'10, 240), will always hinder his chances.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall there were a couple of things that jumped out to me while doing this nerdy research. First, this defense can be effective without having a truly premier pass rusher on the outside. The Patriots defense ranked tenth in yards per game and eighth in points per game yet their starting outside linebackers combined for just 10.5 sacks. Second, Karlos Dansby has the potential to be truly special as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. His ability to rush the passer just as well as he can drop into coverage set him apart from the group and if the defensive line in front of him can keep him clean, he could in store for a monster season. And finally, I'll be keeping a close eye on Victor Hobson throughout training camp and the preseason. It's highly unlikely that our starting four linebackers will play all 16 games and Hobson's experience in the 3-4 scheme could make him the next guy in line at all four spots. So did all of that make any sense? What do you think of how our line backers would look? Who is the most crititcal player in this group of guys?

Arizona Cardinals Pre-Training Camp Roster Projections: Outside Linebackers

Hawkwind — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:34:57 -0000

We've looked at the Arizona Cardinals safeties, corner backs and inside linebackers, but today we move to the outside linebackers. There might not be a more important position for a 3-4 defense than the outside linebackers because of their impact on all phases of the defense. Not only are they the primary pass rushers but they're also expected to hold "the edge" in the running game as well as drop back into pass coverage from time to time. The Cardinals are fortunate to have two projected starters who've combined for 82 sacks in their respective careers; the duo of Clark Haggans and Chike Okeafor aren't exactly spring chickens though. Injuries will be a concern for this group considering that Haggans, Okeafor and Berry have each missed significant portions of recent years with season ending injuries. As we mentioned with the inside linebackers, the depth at backer will likely play (or at least know) all four positions but to project the rotation would require we wade through murky waters until preseason.

Locks

Clark Haggans, Chike Okeafor, Cody Brown, Bertrand Berry

On the Bubble

Will Davis

This might be one of the easiest positions on the roster to break down simply because there isn't much depth to dig through. If you consider Berry just a situational pass rusher who will line up with his hand on the ground, Davis might even slip into the lock category unless the trio of Ali Highsmith, Victor Hobson and Pago Togafau prove that they are able to handle the backup duties themselves.

Will Davis: Davis, this year's sixth round pick, is an promising defender with above average athleticism but the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker isn't an easy task. He'll have to re-familiarize himself with playing in space after spending his senior season at defensive tackle but most feel that with time he'll be able to play the position. The depth ahead of him is his biggest obstacle but the health of 30-somethings, Okeafor, Haggans and Berry (all of whom have ended seasons on the Injured Reserve in the past two years) could force him into playing time sooner than most expect.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The only real question seems to be would you risk cutting Davis and putting him on the practice squad? Most would consider that a relatively safe gamble considering his draft pick status but we'll have to see if he turns any heads in the preseason. Would you hold onto Davis or do you feel safe with him on the practice squad? Are you comfortable with the depth at OLB?

Arizona Cardinals Pre-Training Camp Roster Projections: Inside Linebackers

Hawkwind — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:10:56 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby (58) participates in drills during minicamp. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Browse more photos »

We've looked at the Arizona Cardinals safeties and corner backs, but today we take a look at the inside linebackers. The good news with the inside linebacker group is that the starting duo of Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes are not only set in stone, they're dependable (60 starts combined in the past two seasons) and have the potential to be very good. The bad news is that there is very little experienced depth behind either starter. Some of the backup linebackers will likely provide depth on the inside and outside but the club should carry at least four middle backers and could carry an additional one if needed (they carried four last year).

Locks

Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes

On the Bubble

Ali Highsmith, Victor Hobson, Pago Togafau

No Chance

Reggie Walker, Chase Bullock

Obviously at least two of the three bubble guys will make the roster, if another player isn't brought in to compete, and it's not out of the question for all three to make the final 53. The status of those three will very likely come down to two factors: (1) ability to star on special teams and (2) the ability to play both inside and outside.

Ali Highsmith: Highsmith was last year's most popular undrafted free agent and he was having a good year on special teams before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. Highsmith's health, or lack thereof, is probably the only reason that he wouldn't make the roster coming out of camp but with ACL injuries you'd think that nine months is enough time to be very close to 100%. The worst case scenerio for Highsmith would be for him to start the season on the PUP list but I doubt the team would take the risk of stashing him on the practice squad if he's not fully healthy by the end of camp.

Victor Hobson: In a three year span from 2005 to 2007 Hobson started 46 games and totalled 242 tackles, nine sacks and an interception so it sounds weird to talk about him as a 'bubble' player for the Cardinals, but that's the reality. Hobson was signed the week of the regular finale and projects as possibly the top backup at nearly every linebacker position. He's got experience on the outside and most recently has played on the inside but he'll have to prove that he can handle multiple assignments, as well as play special teams in order to beat out Highsmith and Togafau.

Pago Togafau: Togafau was signed last year after Highsmith went down and he produced immediate results with 12 tackles in six games while playing mostly special teams. He was an undrafted free agent in 2007 and spent last year's training camp with the Cardinals. His lack of size (5'10 240) will always work against him and he's probably restricted to playing inside but if he's able to have a very good camp he might unseat Hobson.

Reggie Walker: Walker was a three year starter at Kansas State, although he did lose his job at one point in 2007, but he never really distinguished himself as a play maker. He averaged 49 tackles, four for loss and just under two sacks per season as starter. He's got decent but not great size (6'0, 246) and he's not the best athlete, but he's tough and physical. Walker is most likely fighting for a job on the practice squad with Chase Bullock and it would be interesting to see what he can do in year after spending some time in John Lott's program.

Chase Bullock: Bullock's a complete unknown because he didn't have much of a college career thanks to injuries. He only played in 28 games at Maryland, totalling just 58 tackles, and most of those games he wasn't even a starter. He's got decent size (6'2 240), but we'll have to see what kind of player he is during camp. I would imagine a key to his success would be to stay healthy but I can't imagine him challenging for a roster spot.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I tend to think the top four is pretty much locked in with Dansby, Hayes, Highsmith and Hobson but the health of Highsmith could be a major tipping point. If his knee is still tender midway through camp, will the Cardinals be forced to carry five or maybe put him on the PUP list and keep Togafau? Will Hobson play more on the outside, with Highsmith and Togafau on the inside? Will either of the undrafted rookies, Walker and Bullock, make waves during camp?

Arizona Cardinals--Monitoring Team Needs--Free Agency to the 2009 Draft

Jeremy Bolander — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:00:10 -0000

Keeping track of a team's dynamic roster gain/loss throughout the offseason is one of the keys to understanding their draft day moves and choices. Enter Monitoring Team Needs, an at-a-glance way of checking up on your team's latest roster flux, as we count down through Free Agency, and into the days before the 2009 Draft.

Below is a table that breaks down this roster flux, showing who has come and gone, as well as updating the neediest areas of the team and some of the top names that have a good chance of being available when they pick in the Draft. Draft prospects are linked to their Mocking the Draft Profiles and any names or positions highlighted in bold should be considered either to be positions of particular need and emphasis, or players of particular relevance and interest to the team's situation. Below the chart we will discuss some of the names and situations described, and as always, you can join in on the discussion in the comments.

See you below the fold!


ARIZONA CARDINALS 2008 Record and Rank: 9-7 1st place	Team Needs	Likely Draft Targets (rd)
	RB, DE, OLB, OG, TE, P, CB	OLB Clint Sintim, Virginia (1st) RB Chris Wells, Ohio State (1st)
Free Agents Acquired	Current Free Agents	Free Agents/Players Lost
DT Keilen Dykes (Res/Fut) CB Wilrey Fontenot (Res/Fut) WR Onrea Jones (Res/Fut) SS Dennis Keyes (Res/Fut) WR Lance Long (Res/Fut) C Ben Claxton (Res/Fut) FB Justin Green (Res/Fut) QB Tyler Palko(Res/Fut) P Waylon Prather (Res/Fut) DE Jason Banks (unknown) TE Alex Shor (unknown) RB Chris Vincent (unknown)	QB Brian St. Pierre UFA QB Kurt Warner UFA RB J.J. Arrington UFA FB Tim Castille ERFA* FB Terrelle Smith UFA TE Ben Patrick ERFA* TE Leonard Pope RFA(tendered) TE Jerame Tumane UFA TE Stephen Spach ERFA C Lyle Sendlein ERFA* C Pat Ross ERFA DL Bertrand Berry UFA *DL Gabe Watson RFA(tendered)** LB Monty Beisel UFA LB Pago Togafu ERFA* OG Elton Brown UFA G/C Scott Peters UFA T Elliot Valejo ERFA* DL Antonio Smith UFA *LB Karlos Dansby UFA(Franchised)** LB Clark Haggans UFA CB Ralph Brown UFA CB Michael Adams ERFA* CB Eric Green UFA P Ben Graham UFA	LS Nathan Hodel (cut)

The Cards have a number of higher priority signings, but none may have the urgency getting QB Kurt Warner back into the fold. Reports right now are that he has an offer around $10-12 million per year, but he seems to be waiting to see what other moves the team makes. He has made ti clear he doesn't want to start over for another team, so if he doesn't sign with the Cards, he will most likely retire. Other reports have his agent pressuring the Cardinals for Top-5 QB money, something in the neighborhood of $12-14million. The thing about Kurt, is that the Cardinals would like to get his deal out of the way first: retaining him could be a key component for resigning many of their free agents to reasonable deals, and no one can doubt the production that Warner put up in 2008.
One of the things likely holding up Warner's decision, is waiting to see how the Cards handle WR Anquan Boldin's demands to sign a lucrative contract or be traded. The WR depth is there for the Cardinals, so they don't want to be bullied, but at the same time, they put themselves into this position, so backing out now looks bad from an organizational standpoint. There really isn't a great win-win situation here, but doing what they have to to keep Boldin should be the first step towards soothing ruffled feathers on both sides.
Arizona could take a serious look at pretty much any top RB they want in this draft. Since the values of top picks Knowshon Moreno, Georgia,and Chris Wells, Ohio State, are expected to fall due to the needs of teams at the top of the draft, those two, or any of a slew of other talented backs will be available at #31. LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh and Shonn Greene, Iowa, are both excellent backs who could fit what Arizona is looking for, namely the replacement of RB Edgerrin James who has practically all but left at this point, and to complement RB Tim Hightower, who shows flashes, but not the consistency to be relied on going forward as an every down back.
UFA Breakdown: Some are keepers, some come with price limits, and some should be left alone to do what they want. Among the Keepers, DE Antonio Smith is worth every penny, but with Calais Campbell waiting in the wings, the Cards shouldn't keep him. The biggest keeper is of course Warner. In the "Price is Right" category, RB JJ Arrington, LB Monty Beisel, DE Bertrand Berry, CB Ralph Brown, P Ben Graham, OLB Clark Haggans, and FB Terrelle Smith should all be $1million dollar a year players, or less. All would be valuable to retain, but are replaceable, especially Terrelle Smith, since Tim Castille is already there. The rest of the UFAs either can or should walk.
ERFA and RFA Breakdown: DT Gabe Watson should get some interest on the open market, but the Cards have tried to secure him with a 2nd round pick tender. TE Leonard Pope was tagged with an "equal to-
tender, in this case a 3rd round pick. The EFRAs tend to be solid special teamers, though the team's future at TE is also tied up here. In general the Cards will likely make an effort to keep all or most of the ERFAs. [As of the 26th the following ERFAs were given offer sheets by the club: CB Michael Adams, FB Tim Castille, TE Ben Patrick, TE Stephen Spach, LB Pago Togafau, C Lyle Sendlein and OT Elliot Vallejo.