SB Nation - Antonio Smith

UPDATE: Cincinnati signs Mike Mickens to the team's practice squad

Kirkendall — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:28:57 -0000

4 months ago: Dallas Cowboys' Mike Mickens (33) intercepts a pass in front of receiver Patrick Crayton (84) during the team's NFL football training camp in San Antonio, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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On April 14, 2009, Mike Mickens was one of several local products that worked out for the team planning to enter the NFL draft. Others included Conner Barwin, DeAngelo Smith, Michael Mitchell and Eric Wood. Mickens was arguably the Bearcats' best defensive back, if not best defensive player, during UC's BCS run that landed them in the Orange Bowl. Mickens amassed 14 career interceptions, three for touchdown and 66 tackles his final year with the Bearcats.

Before suffering a season-ending cartilage injury, Mickens was often ranked in the top ten, if not the top five, among the best cornerbacks coming out into the NFL draft. The Dallas Cowboys drafted Mickens in the seventh round along with teammate DeAngelo Smith, who also played good ball as the team's other cornerback. Both UC cornerbacks were cut by the Cowboys on cutdown day. Mickens made the Cowboys practice squad and stayed there until early November, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Mickens to their 53-man roster. Tampa Bay released Mickens last week.

On Monday, Bengals.com reports, that "Mickens was in the Bengals locker room with indications he was on a workout for the practice squad." It remains to be seen if the Bengals are officially working Mickens out, especially with the practice squad already being full. However, they do have two cornerbacks on the squad, Antonio Smith and Rico Murray, that could be released to open a spot. It could be argued that Mickens is in town to join his Bearcats buddies for a massive game against the Panthers in Pittsburgh. But that still wouldn't make sense why he's in the Bengals lockerroom.

And to round out the former UC cornerbacks story of the day, it would only be proper to point out that DeAngelo Smith will be returning to Cincinnati for the first time in his professional career with the Detroit Lions.

UPDATE: Not only is his visit confirmed, but the Bengals signed Mickens to the team's practice squad and released cornerback Antonio Smith to make room.

Arizona Cardinals Win Nail-Biter, Beat Texans 28-21

Andrew602 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:06:18 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

2 months ago: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) celebrates his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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Greetings folks, just go back from the game and I have to say it was full of excitement. After the bye week, it appears the Cardinals worked certain kinks out of their system. After gaining a 21-0 lead into the half, the Cardinals dropped their lead over the next two quarters, only to overcome a goal line stand in the remaining minutes of the game. Let's flash back to November 10, 2008, when the San Francisco 49ers came to Arizona for a Monday night football contest. After driving down to the one yard line, the 49ers attempt to win the game with with little time left on the clock. With no timeouts remaining, the 49ers are forced to hand off the ball to Michael Robinson. He's stopped and the game ends as the Cardinals are victorious. Fast forward to today, when the Texans had four tries, to punch the ball into the end zone to tie the game. After failing to secure both feet in bounds on 3rd and 1, the Texans hand off the ball to Chris Brown, who is stopped on impact. A booth review and a couple Kurt Warner sneaks later, and the game is over.

Disclaimer: I only watched the game in person, which doesn't give you a lot of angles on each play. I also may have missed a few plays or seen who was who.

The Good

The offensive line - The offensive line that we harshly criticized throughout the bye week, seemed to bounce back nicely against a capable Houston pass rush. Featuring Mario Williams and Antonio Smith, the Texans defense only registered one sack. Although there weren't many rushing holes, Kurt Warner was given plenty of time and was able to complete 68.4% of his passes. In the second half, we didn't exactly see the offensive line resort back to their old ways, but may have seen what happens when you can't run the football. The Texans were able to blitz more or drop more defenders in coverage. Let's hope the Cardinals can build off of what they did today.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie -In his "sophomore slump", DRC has seen more passes thrown his way and hasn't been able to adjust. Today, he seemed to finally understand that we need him to play good coverage, rather then make a big play. DRC covered Kevin Walter primarily, holding him to 4 catches for 37 yards. He also came up big in the fourth quarter, essentially sealing the game shut with a pick six.

Play Calling -The play calling looked as it did last year, using a variety of plays and not becoming too complex. The Cardinals mixed in more players on offensive, and also used different techniques to get certian players the ball. They focused on getting Larry Fitzgerald the ball early, eventually leading to two touchdowns. We also didn't see too many alarming plays called, as they never got too fancy(except for that terrible wild cat look). Ken Whisenhunt needs to repeat what he did today, because play calling is highly important to an offense that can't produce any yards on the groun.

Crowd noise -I can tell you first hand that if there was ever a doubt about the support from the crowd, it's gone. The crowd was in this game from the beginning, and never stopped screaming. If my voice is gone from me yelling at the top of my lungs, I can't imagine how some fans can do this every week. The stadium was full, and as pyromnc said, the camera was shaking on that goal line stand. The crowd was key in winning today.

The Bad

Turnovers in the red zone - We saw this murder the Cardinals momentum against the Colts two weeks ago, and were lucky it didn't have the same effect today. After easily marching up the field in the 1st quarter, Anquan Boldincoughed up the football near the goal line. That fumble clearly could have changed the game, as the Cardinals only needed a touchdown to win, when the Texans tied the game late in the fourth quarter. This is something that has to stop before we face a team that can actually take advantage of turnovers.

Lack of a pass rush - Let's count how many sacks the Cardinals had today - oh yeah, none. After hearing a man yell it in my ear a few rows back the whole game, I started feeling the same way - Get a pass rush on Matt Schaub. He butcherd the defense in the second half, as he was able to complete just about every pass that he threw. This is something that we worried about during the off season, and you have to wonder what happened to the defense that started with 8 sacks through two games. This team needs to develop new ways of pressuring the quarterback, or we'll continue to get beat through the air.

The Ugly

No rushing game - The Cardinals became the worst rushing team in the league again on Sunday. The lack of yards on the ground is becoming more of a concern, because Kurt Warner can't do everything on his own. The Cardinals won't be able to win every week if they keep running the way they did today. Even after securing a 21-0 lead, the Cardinals couldn't rely on the rushing attack, and were forced to throw the ball. This may have been the primary reason they couldn't contain their lead.

Dr. Jekyll/Mr Hyde Defense - In the first half, the Cardinals defense held a high-powered Houston Texans offense to virtually no yards, and zero points. The Texans had a streak of consecutive three and outs, and even had a field goal blocked. The second half defense is the story of this game. Being at the game, it was obvious the Cardinals were focused on stopping the deep pass. They were successful, which is great, but they also forgot to defend the short pass. Steve Slaton and Owen Daniels had a field day receiving in the flats, which can be blamed on the lack of pass rush, but also poor game planning. They had nothing to defend it, and nothing to answer it. Luckily, the defense tightened up in the end zone, where as we all know, they won the game.

Overall I can't say I'm unhappy with a win. It was ugly, but our team was able to come out on top. With a big loss by the 49ers, it helps getting a win today, rather then going 1-3. What are your thoughts on the game?

Arizona Cardinals Stock Up/Stock Down: Bye Week Edition

Hawkwind — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:34:20 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

2 months ago: Arizona Cardinals' Ben Graham (5) and Neil Rackers celebrate Rackers' field goal against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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In continuing with our bye week randomness here's a look at the Arizona Cardinals who have either surprised or disappointed over the first three weeks of the season (in no particular order).

Alan Branch: The former second round pick that most of us left for dead has impacted two games in a row for the first time in his career. While that might not be saying much, this is the same guy that many fans didn't want to see on the roster. A move to defensive end has jump started his young career and a sprained ankle from Kenny Iwebema has led to more playing time for Branch. He'll have to do much more than one tackle and a batted pass to validate his draft status but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Calais Campbell: Antonio Smith who? So much for all of the off season reports that listed Antonio Smith as the biggest loss in the off season. Campbell has notched 11 tackles, half a sack, knocked down two passes and blocked a punt through three games. As a reference point, Smith didn't log his 11th tackle until week six last year, his first sack didn't come until week 11 and he didn't knock down a pass all season long. Needless to say Campbell is making the naysayers look awful foolish so far.

Gerald Hayes: Even though Hayes has led the team in tackles (or at least tied for the lead) in two of the last three seasons so it's not a big surprise that he currently leads the team with 22 tackles but what is surprising is what that projects to over the course of a season. Hayes' previous career high for tackles in a season was 98 (in 2007) but at his current pace he'll end up with over 115 stops. He's also already forced a fumble and if he stays healthy and continues this pace, he'll have a career year.

Ben Graham: It's not secret that I've got a strange affinity for punters but this isn't a pick that's made with any bias. Graham has been a top five punter through three weeks with a punt average over 50 yards (4th in the league) and net average of just over 42 (7th in the league). Both numbers are right about a ten yard improvement over his 2008 stats and even more impressive is that his booming kicks are not hurting the coverage units. Opponents have returned eight punts for 62 yards (7.75 yards per return). For those that don't know those numbers are Pro Bowl caliber as far as punters go.

Steve Breaston: I had to search long and hard to find a offensive player who deserved to be on this list but Breaston is a solid candidate. He missed the first game of the season and hasn't been 100% for any game so far but his 12 catches for 177 yards are nothing to dismiss. If he maintains that pace over the remainder of the season, you're talking about a 15 game season that looks like this: 90 receptions for 1,328 yard. Not bad at all. When you add in the fact that his current yards per catch average (14.8) would set a new career high and most likely rank him among the league leaders in that category. Breaston is undoubtedly benefiting from increased defensive coverage on Larry Fitzgerald but right now he's within four yards of leading the team in receiving yards despite missing one game.

Antrel Rolle: I went back and forth on this one so I'm expecting some criticism but Rolle's peripheral stats won me over. First, going into the season he'd never recorded a single sack in his four year career but so far he's notched a sack and a half in three games. He also forced a fumble in one of those sacks (just the third FF of his career) and of course he's scored another defensive touchdown (5th defensive TD of his career). Granted Rolle has muffed a few punt returns and he hasn't been exactly stellar in his role as free safety, but I starting to wonder if Rolle is just the kind of guy who will make some spectacular plays while also giving up some back breakers.

Well you might has noticed that the "Stock Up" section didn't include many offensive players and that's for good reason. Compared to last year the offense has been putting up 30 fewer yards per game and scoring one less TD per game. As you might expect there will be quite a few more fellas from the offensive side of ball on this list.

Kurt Warner: While I don't think Warner has been the biggest disappointment on the team thus far, we all know that the QB gets more credit during the good times and more blame during the bad times. His completion percentage and yards per attempt are almost identical to his career averages so the idea that he's completely lost is ludicrous but the biggest difference between this year and 2008 have been turnovers and sacks (which consequently tend to go hand-in-hand). He's already thrown four picks and been sacked seven times and if you break it down even further, all of those mistakes came in the losses to the 49ers and Colts.

Entire Offensive Line: No two players on the Cardinals roster deserve more tongue lashings than Mike Gandy and Levi Brown but in sake of fairness, the offensive line as a whole has been wholly disappointing. The Cardinals pass protection schemes can baffle us fans at times but the fact remains that at this current pace Warner will be sacked a whopping 37 times this season (eleven more times than last year). To make matters worse, they've also accomplished something that most of thought was impossible: the running game is statistically worse that last year. They're yards per carry and yards per game are both lower than the league worst numbers that they posted in 2008. Whiz has shown quite a bit of patience with this starting five but if something doesn't change soon, you've got to expect that some sort of change is coming.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: Wow, weren't we all talking about this guy having a Pro Bowl season and establishing himself as a premier corner in this league? I'm guessing if you haven't tapped the brakes on that talk you've probably missed the past three games. I honestly don't remember DRC looking this bad early in his rookie season. He's getting beat deep, he's getting beat on double moves and his tackling seems to actually have gotten worse. I'm not sure if it's a sophomore slump or if he just had a bad couple of weeks but much of the "improved secondary" talk over the off season was based around DRC becoming a star player. He's still got plenty of time to turn it around but at this point I cringe every time I see a QB throw the ball in his direction.

Bertrand Berry: It feels weird to chastise the team leader in sacks but Berry's two sacks are trumped by a bigger number (or smaller depending on how you look at it), three tackles in three games, two of which were starts. To put this in the simplest way that I can, Neil Rackers and LaRod Stephens-Howlings each have more tackles than Berry (not combined but individually they both have more tackles). Berry is still a force coming around the corner but he's no where near starting material. Whether he simply doesn't care about playing against the run or whether he's just too old to play a full game anymore, we'll probably never know but for now this team needs Chike Okeafor to get healthy.

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Who has been the most surprising and most disappointing? Who did we leave off the list?

The Value of the Bye Week

Andrew602 — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:43 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

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As we let go of the disastrous loss to the Colts on Sunday, we move on to week 4 of the NFL schedule, which has the Cardinalsluckily scheduled with a bye. The bye week comes no sooner as the Cardinals have mightily struggled through three games. They have yet to win a home game, and the offense has looked more out of sync then ever before. The offensive line is in flux, and the play calling has had a few head scratchers, to say the least. Something needs to change in order for the Cardinals to take back the NFC West, and although the rest of the West lost games last week, this division is clearly more competitive then last year. The 49ers are obviously the real deal, while the Seahawks have produced solid play despite an ample amount of injuries. As the bye week comes and goes, much of us will wonder how much of an affect the extra week off has on the team. Let's take a look at the last two years of teams coming off their bye weeks:

Teams coming off their bye week are 37-26-1 with a 57% win percentage.
Teams that made the playoffs the last two years are 19-5 coming off their bye weeks.
Teams who played at home after a bye week were 21-10-1.
Teams who played on the road after their bye week were 15-17.

For the last 7 seasons, the Cardinals have been 4-3 after their bye week. All four wins have been at home, while they lost two on the road. In their wins, they won by an average of 4.8 points. In their two losses, they lost by an average of 14 points. It's pretty obvious that the Cardinals are much better when coming off a bye week at home. That brings us to the next point - how can the bye improve the Cardinals season? As most of us have figured out, the Cardinals will take advantage of the early bye, by recovering from injuries. Last week 16 Cardinals appeared on the injury report, with 6 of them being questionable. The added week of rest should clear a good amount of players from the injury report.

They will also use the extra time to fix the mistakes that have hurt the Cardinals at this point in the season. Ken Whisenhunt was able to dampen the penalty bug from week one, so we should see some other fine tweaks to the team. The offensive line will need to be improved, especially with the likes of Mario Williams and Antonio Smith coming to town. Finally, they need to rid themselves of their turnover-prone ways. They are currently -2 in the giveaway/takeaway margin, something that can't continue for the remainder of the season. Although it's not a turnover, the Cardinals have been horrid on converting 3rd downs this year, which feels just as bad. They are currently ranked 29th with a whopping 27% conversion rate, something the Cardinals weren't used to last year.

The last and most important factor in the bye week is game planning. The extra time gives the Cardinals a chance to not only watch the Texans play on Sunday, but watch the added game footage from this season as well. They are able to prepare extensively, an advantage the Texans won't have. Slipping to 1-3 has a 5-11 season written all over it. One thing's for sure - this next game is a must-win for the Cardinals.

NFC West Breakdown: Arizona Cardinals

Pyromnc — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:00:17 -0000

More photos » 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)

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Key Additions: TE Dominique Byrd (Rams), LB Reggie Walker (Undrafted FA), TE Anthony Becht (Rams), RB Jason Wright (Browns), DB Bryant McFadden (Steelers).

Key Losses: RB Edgerrin James (Seahawks), DE Antonio Smith (Texans), RB J.J. Arrington (Broncos, now FA), FB Terrelle Smith (Lions), LB Monty Beisel (Chiefs), TE Leonard Pope (Cut), S Aaron Francisco (Cut), LB Victor Hobson (Cut), FB Tim Castille (Cut).

Draft: RB Chris Wells (1st), DE/LB Cody Brown (2nd), S Rashad Johnson (3rd), CB Greg Toler (4th), OT Herman Johnson (5th), DE/LB Will Davis (6th), RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (7th), OG Trevor Canfield (7th).

In 2008 the Arizona Cardinals shocked the world by winning their division, dominating in the playoffs, and coming within 2 minutes of winning the Super Bowl. Despite doubters who thought that the Cardinals were not a legitimate playoff team, the Red Birds put together three playoff victories and were within two minutes of winning Super Bowl 43. The same doubters are now describing last season, and especially last January, as a "fluke" or claiming that the Cardinals will be another team to fall victim to the dreaded "Super Bowl curse." These are the type of comments that the team thrived on in the playoffs and they hope they can use it to their advantage this season.

After the Super Bowl loss there were some key areas that the Cards hoped to address this off season that plagued them throughout the year last year. Anquan Boldin, Darnell Dockett (or Nine-0), Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson, and Kurt Warner all wanted or needed new contracts. They took care of three of those five mentioned, Warner got a two year deal, Dansby was franchised, and Wilson got a five year deal. Q and Nine-0 were told they won't talk contract until they are in the final year of their deals. Other areas of need were upgrading were the rushing attack, the secondary, and special teams. They added to each group by drafting RB Beanie Wells, signing Jason Wright (a beast on special teams), and signing DB Bryant McFadden. They hope that these new additions will upgrade their respective units.

The 2008 offense that dominated so much returns with just a few changes this season and more experience. The team lost their most productive RB in a long time by cutting Edge and replacing him with Wells. Wells was a monster tail back for Ohio State and he hopes to have the same success in the NFL. So far though he has been injured but from the two games he has played in he has shown enough that Cardinals fans are already asking for him to start the opener against the Niners. That starting job will go to Tim Hightower who has lost body fat and put on more muscle to prove that he can be a reliable back in this league. This unit also replaced RB J.J. Arrington, our 3rd down back and kick returner, with Hyphen (Howling) whom they hope can be just as elusive and fast as JJ was on kick returns.

The rest of the offense is virtually the same with the exception of Anthony Becht, who was added to the tight ends mix, and receiver Lance Long. The starting 5 on the OL return and should be better having another year under Russ Grimm and backups like Brandon Keith and Elton Brown. Keith looking especially promising and could be a future starter. All in all this offense still has all the potential to look just as good as last year and if they all stay healthy they should be among the best again.

The defensive unit is loaded with talent, just like the offense, but their problem is actually doing their job every week on a consistent basis. One week the can get constant pressure on a QB, no matter how good the OL is, and they win the turnover battle. The next week they won't do either of those and allow several touchdowns. The problem is that they are already showing these problems again in preseason play, playing very well in the first two games and than doing the opposite in the last two. There is no doubt that if this team wants to continue the success they had last year the defense will have to perform as they did in January. They can't make stupid mistakes and they need to play hard every down, which some players have a hard time doing unless on a national stage game that puts them in the spotlight (Darnell Dockett).

The strength of this team on defense has to be the secondary with Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle manning the safety positions and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and newly acquired Byrant McFadden manning the corners. Although they have struggled in preseason this unit is considered by many to be one of the top secondaries in the league, something they were far from last season.

The weakest part of the defense has to be the front seven (LB and DL). They lack a whole lot of depth at these positions, which we need since Clark Haggans, Bertrand Berry, and Chike Okeafor are all over 30. Calais Campbell is trying to replace Antonio Smith, who was very important to this team in the playoffs. They have Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby at ILB but if one of them goes down we don't have a whole lot behind them to step in with udrafted rookie Reggie Walker and 2nd year player Ali Highsmith. The DT position doesn't have much depth either with Gabe Watson coming off of knee surgery, Bryan Robinson being over 30, and Alan Branch still not doing what the first pick in the 2nd round is supposed to be doing. Definitely tons of questions on the defense but still lots of promise if they can stay healthy and play hard.

This is definitely going to be an interesting year for the Cards coming off a season in which they had so much success. They will have an up hill battle again this season though as everyone thinks they are a one year wonder and will fall back into oblivion again this year. If the Cards want to prove those naysayers wrong they are going to have to be consistent on offense, consistent defense, and stay healthy. It's certainly shaping up to be an interesting year as the Cards look to "Shock the World" again.

Record for 2009: 10-6
Record Vs the NFC West: 5-1

Poll

Who Wins the NFC West this Season?

San Francisco 49ers

21 votes

St. Louis Rams

6 votes

Seattle Seahawks

32 votes

Arizona Cardinals

280 votes

339 votes | Poll has closed

2009 NFL Power Rankings: Pre...Preseason

Andrew602 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald, right, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (29) joke around in a break during morning practice at the Cardinals' training camp Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Before the 2009 season officially starts for the Arizona Cardinals in 2 days, here's a look at some of the power rankings from around the web. You can see ~~where the Cardinals got screwed by ESPN,~~ ESPN's rankings, along with a few other websites. This will also be a weekly segment once the season kicks off, just to see what the critics are saying and where they rank us throughout the year. Here are the Pre Preseason rankings that have been posted so far this off season:

ESPN.com- 12th

The defending NFC champs barely crack the top 12 and that came only with an assist from their generous divisional blogger. No respect. (Sando)

Walterfootball.com- 14th

The Cardinals caught fire and made an incredible run to the Super Bowl. They're returning most of their players, and they just had an incredible draft. The problem is, Super Bowl losers have performed very poorly the following year for whatever reason. There's no reason to believe Arizona won't suffer a similar fate.

SI.com- 12th

Just an unsettling offseason, so far. I love the free-agent signing of Bryant McFadden to pair at corner with Dominique Rogers-Cromartie(does any other corner combination in football contain 13 syllables?), but the Cards are too unsettled right now. Will Boldin or Dockett, or both, shoot their way out of town? Will Beanie Wellsbe a good fit for the two-headed running game, along with Tim Hightower? One thing we do know: Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald will be Brady-Moss-like prolific as long as Warner can stay healthy.

CBSSports - 5th

Fall off after the Super Bowl? Not a chance. The Cardinals are built to win for a while, or as long as Kurt Warner stays on the field.

FoxSports - 5th

The most impressive achievement from last year's Super Bowl run was breaking through on a culture change where many had failed before head coach Ken Whisenhunt and QB Kurt Warner.

NFL.com - 9th

The Cardinals had some key losses in offensive coordinator Todd Haley and defensive end Antonio Smith, but they have playmakers on offense and the addition of Chris "Beanie" Wells should help the running game. This is a fragile situation and it remains to be seen if they can handle the success they had in 2008. There might be too many veterans complaining about new contracts to feel comfortable about the placement of the Cardinals at No. 9 on this list.

Interesting rankings for the Cardinals. Evidently the defending NFC champions can't place better then 5th. Critics will always be there but hopefully once the season starts these rankings will change. Do you agree with where the Cardinals were placed? Where would you place them?

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 1

Andrew602 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:00:17 -0000

With the start of the 2009 preseason only less then a week away, now's a good time to break down the regular season and predict a record for 2009. Last year, many of us figured a realistic record would be 9-7 or 10-6, and their actual record fell along those lines. This year, the schedule becomes more difficult, coaching changes are made, and different personnel and schemes are brought in that can make predicting a valid schedule very frustrating. This season is sure to feature its ups and downs, upsets and surprising, and many more unknown scenarios. Let's break down the schedule and attempt to bolster a reasonable prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record. We'll do 4 weeks at a time until we have the complete 16 game record complete.

Week 1 - San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, WR Michael Crabtree

Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Bryant Johnson, CB Donald Strickland, QB J.T. O'Sullivan

Analysis: When Mike Singletary took over the 49ers last year, it took a couple of games, but Singletary was able to spark a fire under the 49ers and make them one of the most competitive teams towards the end of last year. That fire is sure to continue on this season, and should create a great season opener as the Cardinals and 49ers have opened the season together the last 3 years together.

What to watch for: The most obvious things to watch for would be how Beanie Wells handles his first regular season game, as he should get a good amount of carries against a physical defense in the 49ers. We should also watch out to see if Larry Fitzgerald's momentum from the playoffs continues into this season.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs. Michael Crabtree

Prediction: Win - Cardinals coming off a Super Bowl run, at home, should be too much for the 49ers.

Week 2 - At Jacksonville Jaguars

Key Additions: WR Torry Holt, S Marlon McCree, OT Tra Thomas, OT Eugene Monroe

Key Losses: LB Mike Peterson, RB Fred Taylor, DE Paul Spicer, CB Drayton Florence, WR Matt Jones, WR Jerry Porter

Analysis: The Jaguars had high hopes last year after coming very close to the Super Bowl in 2007. They were also one of the very dominant rushing teams that year. Things changed last year when injury, and inconsistency at the quarterback position hit them. They lost Fred Taylor but Maurice Jones-Drew looks to lead the team in the running game. The Jaguars are still a very dangerous team and have the right tools to make week 2 a very competitive one for the Cardinals.

What to watch for: This will be the first game on the road in 2009 and as we all know, the Cardinals have never played well on the road in the past. Although they surprised us against Carolina in the playoffs, winning on the road week 2 should be a challenge. If they can overcome the road games early, it should be a good sign for the 2009 season.

Key match up: Maurice Jones-Drew vs Karlos Dansby

Prediction: Win - Too many holes on the Jaguars and virtually no chemistry will give the Cardinals the edge.

Week 3 - Indianapolis Colts

Key Additions: DT Ed Johnson, RB Donald Brown

Key Losses: WR Marvin Harrison, RB Dominic Rhodes, Tony Dungy

Analysis: The Colts took 5 games last year to get back to playoff football. Things won't be the same this year as Peyton Manning is healthy heading into the season. The loss of Harrison shouldn't have too much of an effect on the offense as the Colts have virtually been without him the last couple years. The main factor that could give the Colts problems is the loss of long time head coach, Tony Dungy. There will be an adjustment but expect their top offense and quick defense to show up when they come to University of Phoenix Stadium.

What to watch for: Peyton Manning. The entire Cardinals defense will need to be watching Manning if they have a chance at winning the game. Manning can pick any defense apart with his superb quarterback skills. If the Cardinals can stay focused and not commit any mistakes, look for the upset.

Key match up: Dwight Freeney vs Mike Gandy

Prediction: Loss - Unfortunately, banking on not committing mistakes is not smart, and the fantastic offense of the Colts will be too much for the Cardinals.

Week 5 - Houston Texans

Key Additions: DE Antonio Smith, DT Shaun Cody, LB Cato June, LB Brian Cushing

Key Losses: QB Sage Rosenfels, S Will Demps, CB DeMarcus Faggins, RB Ahman Green

Analysis: After another average season, the Texans hopes are high heading into 2009. They have continued to fit the right pieces into place for the last few years, and seem to finally have most of the puzzle complete. They've built a solid line and built everything around it. They found a steal in last years draft in Slaton, have one of the best wide receivers in the game in Andre Johnson, and if Shaub is consistent, they're offense is set. If they're defense can adapt and improve off of last year, this team will be a contender.

What to watch for: This is surely going to be a hyped match up as the top two wide receivers in the NFL meet up. Expect many breakdowns and predictions for who will have a better performance, along with who the best receiver is during the post game news.

Key match up: No brainer...Larry Fitzgerald vs Andre Johnson

Prediction: Win - The Texans are still too inexperienced and will have trouble facing the Cardinals on their home field.

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Cardinals record through Week 5 - 3-1

It's not a bad start to the season and if the Cardinals are able to pull it off, this should surely jump start them to a lead in the NFC West. The only problem with that is keeping their number one spot as the other three teams will be gunning for them. We'll break down weeks 6-9 next week but what would you think of their record so far? Could you see it going any other way?

Arizona Cardinals Training Camp Coverage: Boldin Saga Continues and Fullbacks Audition

Hawkwind — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:11:52 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Mike Gandy yells for teammates who were playing hard during a blocking drill during afternoon practice at training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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After making three roster moves the Arizona Cardinals spent part of yesterday's down time working out two fullbacks in hopes of filling the team's open roster spot. Neither player was recognizable but I'm sure we'll hear of a signing by weeks end, if one of them impressed the staff. Ken Whisehunt did say that he expects a fullback to fill the vacant role. As far as reports from yesterday's practice, here are the highlights:

LaRod Stephens-Howling is starting to turn some heads with his all around play. He's elusive in the open field and very hard to locate in a crowd.
Bertrand Berry has been impressive in one on one drills and he's shown at times why most consider him to be the team's best pass rusher.
Stephen Spach participated in the 11-on-11 drills yesterday but spent other parts of practice rehabbing his injured knee. He might be ahead of schedule but it's still premature to say that he's game ready or close to 100%.
As far as the injury report from yesterday, Beanie Wells (ankle), Dan Kreider (hamstring), Chike Okeafor (back), Anthony Becht (hamstring), and Bryant McFadden (ankle) all missed the entire practice. Becht was the only late addition to this list but his gimpy hamstring isn't expected to be anything serious. McFadden sprained his ankle on a spectacular pass breakup turned interception against Fitz but his ankle is considered less serious than Wells.

Boldin opens up about tradewinds - Anquan Boldin opens up about the trade opportunties that the Cardinals turned down or didn't act on, at least in his opinion.

Honestly, I know of 15 teams. This is a league where everyone communicates. So you have players everywhere -- guys that I work out with in Florida, guys that I'm friends with -- and they talk to their GMs, and they relay messages back and forth. So, I know of 15 teams that were willing to do exactly what it took to get me and make a trade happen. But the Cardinals were never specific about what they wanted. They only said if the right deal came along. But what is the right deal if you've never said it? But I never thought once that I'd be traded and I wasn't disappointed that it didn't happen.

Cardinals upgrade depth on offensive line - Sando has some great info on the newest Cardinal, Dexter Fowler, including a scouting report from Scouts Inc. Fowler is six-year veteran who has been a very steady performer in the middle of the Bills' offensive line. He has above-average size and strength, but wins with quickness, technique, intelligence and toughness. Fowler does a great job to snap and step quickly while taking proper angles to gain leverage. He has good hand use and foot agility to stay connected. He can slam and chip well to the second level or scoop offset-defenders with great quickness and technique. He doesn't have great power to get movement on the larger defensive tackles in the league and can be walked back some when one-on-one verse bull rushers.

Five with J-5: Tim Hightower - Check out this interview with Tim Hightower.....as taste you ask....

JV - Edgerrin James helped you with the process last year, now you have a rookie in Beanie Wells coming in. I know you have just one year under your belt, but how much of a mentor can you be for him?

TH - Whatever it takes, whatever it takes for us to get back where we need to be, that's what I'm going to do. Edge did a great job, he could have kept to himself last year and been all about himself but he didn't; he took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew and I'm eternally grateful for that. I'm going to do the same thing and hopefully I can help him as much as I can, bring him along, and make his transition a lot easier and when it's time for someone to come up to him, he'll do the same thing.

Five with J-5: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - An interview with ROTB favorite DRC.....another taste???....

JV - What started to click for you during the season that you were able to end it on such a high note and make a solid contribution to the teams run?

DRC- I think it was the time and preparation that I put into everything, coming in I really wasn't big on film and learning, you know I was just solely relying on my athletic ability. I saw early on it wasn't just about athletic ability you got to have a mental game to go along with it if you want to be good or great, so I started to understand that and get that and that's what I really wanted to do.

Patrick thankful team stands by him - Ben Patrick hoped to spend training camp and the preseason building upon an impressive performance late last season, which included scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Instead, it was announced in June that Patrick would be suspended the first four games of the season for taking a substance banned under the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. "I've never been in trouble in my life, ever," Patrick said. "To make an honest mistake, which I take full responsibility for, to be punished so harshly was tough. But rules are rules."

Cards' Campbell up to challenge - At 6-feet-8 inches, filling a big pair of shoes has never been a problem for defensive end Calais Campbell, at least in a literal sense. Yet, ask many Cardinals coaches and players about Campbell's potential starting role this season, and the metaphor pops up consistently. "He's got some big shoes to fill," defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "He's going to have to fill some big shoes right now," inside linebacker Karlos Dansby said. The Cardinals didn't make many personnel changes on defense in the off-season but they did allow starting right end Antonio Smith to leave for Houston via free agency. The Cardinals planned for the departure a year earlier, drafting Campbell in the second round out of Miami and Kenny Iwebema in the fourth out of Iowa.

Saturday Notes: Culpepper Looks Good in First Practice

Sean Yuille — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 09:04:23 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

7 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper throws during practice drills during an NFL football mini-camp at the team's training facility in Allen Park, Mich., Friday, April 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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By all accounts, Daunte Culpepper looked impressive during the Lions' first practice under Jim Schwartz on Friday. He weighs less than he did as a rookie and his passes were described as having zip on them. Of course, there is only so much you can tell from a minicamp, but it is good to hear that Culpepper looked good. Even if the Lions pick a QB in next weekend's draft, Culpepper will still likely be the starter heading into the 2009 season. For that reason alone, I'm glad to hear he is not only in shape but also looking good throwing the ball.
While there was much praise for Culpepper, the same can't be said for Drew Stanton and Drew Henson. Neither looked all that good, and Stanton especially struggled. If a QB is drafted, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if both Stanton and Henson were off the roster by the time training camp begins. The Lions probably are going to figure out that some of the free agent QBs out there are much better than Stanton and Henson will ever be, making it pointless to not sign a veteran. Culpepper is the only one guaranteed to stick around. Beyond that, the other QBs' roster spots are definitely up in the air.
Grady Jackson, Daniel Bullocks, and Stephen Peterman didn't practice due to injuries, and Kevin Smith was "somewhat limited."
On a positive note, safety Gerald Alexander practiced for the first time since fracturing a vertebra last October.
The Lions signed cornerback Antonio Smith on Friday.
Why does Paris Lenon still have a locker?
Dave Birkett compiled a list of the draft prospects that visited the Lions.
Photos from the first day of the Lions' minicamp.
Western Michigan cornerback E.J. Biggers visited the Lions.
The Jason Peters trade is official. The Eagles gave up a first- and fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a sixth-rounder in 2010. Peters was signed to a four-year, $53 million extension, meaning he will make $60 in the next six years.
If you haven't seen the video of Matthew Stafford throwing footballs at plates on Jimmy Fallon's show, then click here.
Ty from The Lions in Winter wrote a heart-felt letter to Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand. It's definitely worth a read.

2009 NFL Free Agency: A quick tour of the NFC West

Fooch — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:00:10 -0000

Over the past three days we've obviously been quite engrossed with the 49ers free agent dealings. Throw in the rumors around guys like Kurt Warner and now Jay Cutler and it's easy to get distracted from the rest of the league, minus the big names like Haynesworth, Cassel and Dawkins, among others.

However, given the sometimes wide open nature of the NFC West, it seems particularly relevant to take a quick look around the division after the first weekend of free agency. Every team has important holes to fill and several moves have gone down to date. Of the four teams, the 49ers have been the most active.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams big move so far is signing center Jason Brown, a formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Given the truly awful nature of their offensive line last year, this seems like a good move to start rebuilding their offensive line. Virtually every mock draft I've seen has them taking an offensive tackle with the 2nd overall pick. They've got a lot of holes to fill, so they might as well do as much as they can for that offensive line.

Giants strong safety James Butler visited St. Louis but has left without a contract and is next meeting with the Browns. Corey Chavous is certainly not getting any younger, so adding a youngster like Butler would most definitely help that secondary. The folks at Turf Show Times seem to think the Rams are focusing on re-signing CB Ron Bartell and adding Butler, before moving on to smaller names. And of course, Rams fans continue to wait for them to potentially release Orlando Pace and Torry Holt.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks 2008 season was an absolute disaster in large part due to injuries. However, they also have a host of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. They weren't exactly helped by the departures of free agents DT Rocky Bernard and RB Maurice Morris. Morris isn't a stud running back, but he was a solid complement to Julius Jones, who is not known as a workhorse. There aren't many options in free agency, but maybe Cal favorite Justin Forsett will get a crack at some reps.

The one Seahawk addition is DT Colin Cole, a guy that Seahawks fans are not too excited about. He was a backup in Green Bay and at 29 isn't getting any younger. Throw in the loss of Rocky Bernard and the Seahawks still have some holes on that d-line. Beyond that, they've been a part of the TJ Houshmandzadeh traveling road show. However, it now appears to be down to Minnesota and Cincinnati for the services of Housh.

Arizona Cardinals: The biggest story in Arizona, obviously, is the Kurt Warner saga. He's scheduled to visit San Francisco today, but I think most people view it as an attempt by Warner and his agent to gain leverage with Arizona. With Warner back the Cardinals would still be very dangerous heading into 2009. If they lose Warner, whether it be to the 49ers, some other team or retirement, they become quite the wildcard. Matt Leinart could step up for them, but who knows. We've got plenty of time to figure that one out.

Other than Warner, the Cardinals re-signed 3rd string QB Brian St. Pierre. So far they've lost 3rd string RB JJ Arrington to Denver and starting defensive end Antonio Smith to Houston. In an interesting bit of news, they've brought Steelers CB Bryant McFadden in for a visit. Signing McFadden would inject some serious depth into their secondary. Let's root for somebody else to come up with a better offer for McFadden.

All in all it's been a pretty quiet free agency period for the NFC West. I'd say the 49ers and Rams have done the best job so far. But, of course, it's still early and there is still plenty of talent out there. Unless things are really quiet this week, I'll plan on having another update of NFC West signings next Monday.