SB Nation - Travis Taylor

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 4

Andrew602 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:00:23 -0000

For the last three weeks, we've spent some time breaking down what the Cardinals record may be for the 2009 season. Over the weeks we looked at each game of the Arizona Cardinals schedule, and broke down each team they will play. You can see parts part 1, part 2, and part 3 right here, where you'll see that the Cardinals record at this point is 8-4. In part three, the Cardinals came out 3-1, only losing to the Titans. During this next stretch, they face 2 division opponents, and two others from the NFC North. So to finish our segment before the season begins, here is the final part of the prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record.

Week 14 - At San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, DE Demetric Evans, FB Moran Norris

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

Analysis: After Mike Singletary took over for the 49ers last year, he immediately made a difference, and since then, he's stamped his identity on this team. He's created a tough and smart football team over at 49er camp. Although the 49ers are one of our rivals, you have to respect what Singletary has done for them at this point.

What to watch for: In their first match up, I gave the Cardinals the win at home, as they were opening the season after their Super Bowl run against a division rival on their home field. This time, the Cardinals travel to San Francisco, where the 49ers can play very aggressive against road teams. It's also on the Monday night stage, where both teams have played very cutthroat in the past. Expect a lot of emotions to come out as this has become a great rivalry.

Key Match Up: Chris Wells vs Patrick Willis - This would be a very exciting match up on the national stage, as our bruising rookie running back takes on their Pro Bowl hard hitting linebacker.

Prediction - Loss - Last year the Cardinals barely escaped a win over the 49ers at home. This year I'd expect us to split the series, with each team winning at home.

Week 15 - At Detroit Lions

Key Additions: LB Julian Peterson, QB Matthew Stafford, LB Larry Foote, CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Anthony Henry, DT Grady Jackson, OT Jon Jansen, WR Bryant Johnson, RB Maurice Morris, WR Ronald Curry, CB Eric King

Key Losses: CB Leigh Bodden, DT Shaun Cody, DT Cory Redding, DE Corey Smith, QB Jon Kitna, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Shaun McDonald, FB Moran Norris, G Edwin Mulitalo, S Dwight Smith, WR Travis Taylor

Analysis: There's not much to say after a team goes 0-16 during the regular season. The Lions just plain stunk last year. This year proves to be a different experience for a team that's struggled in recent years. As you can see, they've cleaned house and started fresh. It began in the off season when they hired Titans defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, as their head coach. They also took the next step in rebuilding their team, in drafting a franchise quarterback by the name of Matthew Stafford. The team can only improve from last year and anything more then 4 wins would be a success.

What to watch for: By the time the Cardinals head to Detroit at this point in the season, they will likely be vying for a playoff berth. On the other hand, the Lions may just want to play spoiler. Another thing to watch for is Calvin Johnson. He's already been regarded as one of the best wide recievers in the NFL at this point in his career. Watch to see how DRC handles himself against the tall receiver. If Stafford is in the game at this time, watch for the Cardinals defense to try and rattle the rookie QB.

Key Match Up: Adrian Wilson vs Matthew Stafford - If the rookie is starting at this point in the season, he has a big arm and likes to air it out. Expect Wilson to drop in coverage a few times but also layout Stafford a few times in the backfield.

Prediction: Win - It's simple, the Cardinals will be fighting for a playoff spot at this point in the year and the Lions will not be.

Week 16 - St. Louis Rams

Key Additions: SS James Butler, C Jason Brown, FB Mike Karney, OT Jason Smith

Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, QB Trent Green, S Corey Chavous

Analysis: After dusting off the cob webs and bringing in some youth, the Rams look to another challenge in '09, WIN. The last two years have been struggles for this Rams team that used to be the greatest show on turf. With Spagnola at the helm now, we may actually see a division rival actually become...a division rival.

What to watch for: The Rams come to University of Phoenix Stadium with hopes of knocking off a divisional opponent. Unfortunately, they haven't played that well there in the past, and will likely have some difficulty. The Cardinals will be ready for this game, hoping to catapult themselves into the playoffs with a win.

Key Match Up: Gerald Hayes vs Steven Jackson - Last year Hayes swarmed Jackson when the Rams came to Arizona. Will Jackson have revenge on his mind?

Prediction - Win - The Cardinals may need this win more then the Rams will at this point in the season.

Week 17 - Green Bay Packers

Key Additions: S Anthony Smith, C Duke Preston, DT B.J. Raji

Key Losses: DT Colin Cole

Analysis: The Packers had high hopes last year, after coming off an NFC Championship appearance. Unfortunately, it didn't translate into the 2008 season. While they had a good offense in '08, they suffered injuries that caused them to lack a rushing attack to go with their passing offense. The defense was the obvious weak spot, as they gave up a significant amount of points and were playing catch up most often then not. This year they bring back their explosive offense, and most are healthy. Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing at this point in the preseason, and they outscored their opponents in each game. They brought in Dom Capers and drafted DT B.J. Raji to improve their defense, and it's already showed as they've forced numerous turnovers and have limited their opponents scoring so far.

What to watch for: Watch for the Cardinals to head into this game with revenge on their minds. Even though it was only the preseason, the Packers put a shellacking on the Cardinals first team offense and defense. Expect to see fireworks in this game as the Cardinals defense would like to get after Aaron Rodgers.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Packers Wide Receivers - After getting embarrassed in the preseason, we can only expect DRC to come out with something to prove in this game.

Prediction - Loss -Although the Cardinals will likely play differently this game, the Packers look to be much better in '09 and will be playing aggressively in their last game of the season, as their division will be competitive.

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Arizona Cardinals final projected record - 10-6

So after the final four games, the Cardinals finish their 2009 season at 10-6, which will likely land them with another division title and a playoff berth. Although you could easily mix and match some wins and some losses, 10-6 may still be the record, with 9-7 or 11-5 not that far out of the question. Although I'd like to see them go 16-0, I can live with the projected record if it happens. As far as anything less, the Cardinals would have to have a complete meltdown or a massive amount of injuries. What's your take on a final record of 10-6? Do you think the Cardinals would do better or worse?

Poll

How many wins will the Cardinals have in 2009?

13 or higher - Super Bowl here we come...again.

62 votes

10-12 - What hangover? We're back in the playoffs.

495 votes

7-9 - Another average season in the books

183 votes

6 or less - Same Ole Cardinals?

47 votes

787 votes | Poll has closed

Vikings' Training Camp Battles: Wide Receiver

Gonzo — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:25:59 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

4 months ago: Wide receiver Percy Harvin, a first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings, smiles after arriving for his first workout during NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, in Mankato, Minn., after it was announced he had signed a contract. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Browse more photos »

When it comes to Minnesota Vikings' Training Camp, all eyes are pretty well focused on the battle at the quarterback position, as well they should be. We've done quite a bit of looking at the QB battle ourselves, and will continue to do so as the next couple of weeks go by. However, there are some other interesting depth chart fights taking place out there as well, and after the Summer of That One Guy, we need to take a closer look at a couple of them.

We're going to do that today, starting with the wide receiver position. Even though the Vikings' receivers aren't elite or anything, it's pretty impressive to see how far they've evolved in terms of talent during the Childress era. The receiver corps for Childress' first season in 2006 consisted of

-Troy Williamson
-Marcus Robinson
-Travis Taylor
-Billy McMullen
-Bethel Johnson

Man. . .compared to that group, our current receiver corps looks like Moss, Carter, and Reed, doesn't it?

In the three years Childress has been in Minnesota, he's only kept five receivers on the roster. If that's the case this year, and there hasn't been any indication given to think that it won't be, then it's going to make for some interesting decisions when the final cuts are made. Cutting Aundrae Allison a few days ago may have helped a little bit, but there's still going to be a log jam.

The way I see it, there are three receivers in camp right now that are absolute, 100% locks to be on the roster on 13 September in Cleveland. I don't think anybody questions whether or not Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, or Sidney Rice are going to make the team. Honestly, those will probably be the top 3 guys on the depth chart, provided that Rice can stay healthy for more than five consecutive minutes. The Vikings currently have ten receivers in camp, which means. . .in theory. . .that those remaining seven guys are competing for two roster spots. In reality, however, I think there are only three or four guys that are competing for those spots, while the rest are just camp bodies.

The Kid With All the Buzz

Since the off-season workouts began, the raves have come from all corners about second-year man Jaymar Johnson. Former Viking great Cris Carter worked out with Johnson (among others) at his receiving camp, and had nothing but good things to say about the 6', 185-pound speedster from Jackson State.

"You could tell that he went to a school that didn't have a sophisticated passing attack," Carter said of Johnson, a sixth-round draft pick out of Jackson (Miss.) State last year. "But he has phenomenal quickness and speed. Phenomenal. And his hands are better than you would think, from a guy that fast."
"He could start for the Vikings," said Carter, now an ESPN analyst.

Coach Childress also said that Johnson might be the hardest working guy on the team, based on the progress he's made since being the Vikings' sixth-round selection in 2008 and spending the year on the practice squad.

The scouting report on Johnson tells us that he's got outstanding speed and quickness, as Carter noted, has pretty decent hands, and runs pretty good routes. The big knock on him was his size, but he's added almost 20 pounds since last season, so it doesn't appear that's going to be an issue any more. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings use him in 2008, because I have a feeling we're going to be hearing his name a lot.

The Guy Whose Job Might Not Be As Secure As I Originally Thought

I'll be honest with you. . .I think that a lot of fans have given Bobby Wade a raw deal since the Vikings signed him as a free agent before the 2007 season. The guy has led the team in receptions both years he's been a Viking, and while he's not super spectacular or anything, the guy has been a fairly steady, level-headed presence for this Vikings team. Should Bobby Wade be a starting wide receiver in the National Football League? No, probably not. Is he as bad as a lot of people would have you believe he is? Certainly not.

The problem that Wade is going to run into this season is attempting to figure out where, exactly, he fits into the roster. His ideal spot is as a slot receiver, but Percy Harvin will almost certainly take a big part of that role away, and he has to watch his back for another guy on this list that I'll get to momentarily. He could also possibly fit in as a punt returner, but the Vikings appear to be grooming both Harvin and Jaymar Johnson to take on those responsibilities. He's simply not big enough to line up full-time on the outside, and even if he was, Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice have those spots locked down.

Before the off-season started, I was certain that Wade was going to be a lock to make the team again. Now, with the off-season having gone the way it has. . .I think he's about a 50/50 proposition to be here on Opening Weekend.

The Wild Card

Having come to the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, Darius Reynaud didn't see a whole lot of action in 2008, but showed some promise in the limited playing time he did get. He averaged 25.1 yards on 8 kickoff returns, including a big 49-yarder against the Bears in Week 13. Reynaud has pretty good speed and quickness, and while not being real tall. . .he's listed at 5'9", and that might be a bit generous. . .he's got some pretty good bulk for a guy that height, weighing in at right around 200 pounds.

Word has been coming out of Mankato that Reynaud has been taking some snaps in the ~~Loki~~ Wildcat formation for the Vikings, which adds a little bit to his versatility. He got to the team last year in Week 12, and he appears to be over the injuries that limited him to three appearances in 2008. If he can stay healthy, he's could very easily find himself on the team as a kick return specialist, at the very least.

The "Return Guy"

Glenn Holt joined the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky in 2006 He spent last year returning kickoffs and punts for the Bengals and signed with the Vikings during the off-season. He hasn't shown much as a receiver at the NFL level. . .Holt has just 20 catches in three years, and 16 of those 20 came in 2007. . .but he has shown a little bit of spark on special teams, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 2007. However, since it appears that his place in the NFL is strictly on special teams, I'm not sure if he's going to be able to latch on to the roster, particularly when the Vikings have some younger and more versatile options at their disposal.

(Oh, and I put "return guy" in quotes up there because, quite frankly, I think Glenn Holt has "Maurice Hicks" written all over him. No, that's not a positive.)

The Rest

The other three receivers currently in the Vikings' employ are Vinny Perretta, Bobby Williams, and Nick Moore.

Perretta's claim to fame, at this point, is throwing the TD pass in overtime of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl that set up the "Statue of Liberty" play that current Viking Ian Johnson ran into the end zone for a Boise State victory, allowing Johnson to propose to his cheerleader girlfriend in the end zone after the upset.

(Man, if my old high school English teacher was dead, that sentence would have him spinning in his grave.)

Perretta's father, Ralph, was an NFL lineman for six years with the San Diego Chargers. Unfortunately for Perretta, I have a feeling that that's all the closer he's going to get to being in the NFL this year. He might be worth a practice squad flier, but I just don't see him being able to make the climb onto the big club, barring something strange happening.

Nick Moore, out of Toledo, is the younger brother of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore. Like Perretta, I just think there are too many obstacles in his way to making the squad this year.

Bobby Williams is a 6'3", 195-pound receiver out of North Alabama. And, with that, you now know every bit as much about Bobby Williams as I do. He doesn't even have a picture on the Vikings' official website. Something tells me that they won't have to do a lot of looking around for one.

Gonzo's Projection

As I've already stated, Berrian, Rice, and Harvin are in. I think that Jaymar Johnson makes the squad as well. . .after all, if Cris Carter tells you that the kid can play, the kid can play.

The fifth (and possibly final) spot? Man. . .I don't know. At this point, I think you'd almost have to flip a coin between Wade and Reynaud. Or maybe Childress will be compelled to keep six wide receivers this year, although I'm not sure which position he'd sacrifice at in order to make that happen. In any case, the battle for those last two receiver spots should be a very interesting one, and definitely something non-QB related to talk about through the course of camp.

Baltimore Ravens - Greatest Rookie Seasons

Bruce Raffel — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:55:57 -0000

Going into the Baltimore Ravens' 14th season, I did some research on the best rookie seasons since their inception in the 1996 season. For statistical purposes, I based the definition of the rookie season on the first year in the NFL for the player. Obviously, there have been many players whose first year with the Ravens was not their first year in the league, so those players are not part of my statistical profile. I looked at passing, rushing, receiving, sacks, interceptions and punting. I also looked at placekicking, but since the only full time placekicker on the Ravens' roster since their inception was Matt Stover, it wouldn't fit into my story, as Stover;'s rookie season was 1991 when he was a Cleveland Brown, and that takes him and the category out of the equation (FYI - In Stover's rookie season in Cleveland, he was 16-22 in FG attempts with two kicks over 50 yards for a total of 81 points. His first season as a Raven was 1996 and he hit on 19-25 with one over 50 yards for 91 points).

Click to the "Jump" for the rest of the Baltimore Ravens best rookie seasons.

Passing: Joe Flacco (2008) 257-428, 2971 yards, 14-TD/12-INT

NOTE: Kyle Boller's rookie season (2003) looked like this: 116-224, 1260 yards, 7-TD/9-INT. For comparison purposes, Vinny Testeverde's initial Baltimore season was 325-549, 4177 yards, 33-TD/19-INT!

Rushing: Jamal Lewis (2000) 309 attempts for 1364 yards & 6 TD's (no one else was anywhere close to Lewis).

Receiving: Mark Clayton (2005) 44 receptions, 471 yards, 2-TD

NOTE: Travis Taylor (2000) came in second with 28/276/3 and Todd Heap (2001) just behind him with 16/206/1.

Sacks: Terrell Suggs (2003) 12.0

NOTE: Suggs just barely beat out Peter Boulware (1997), who finished with 11.5 sacks.

Interceptions: Thre was a four-way tie for this category, so here are the guys listed in order of return yardage:

Ed Reed (2002) 5 for 167 yards, 0-TD

Dawan Landry (2006) 5 for 101 yards, 1-TD

Chris McAlister (1999) 5 for 28 yards, 0-TD

Duane Starks (1998) 5 for 3 yards, 0-TD

Punting: Sam Koch (2006) 86 punts for a 43.0 average, including 30 inside opponent's 20 yard line.

NOTE: Dave Zastudil (2002) came in a close second with 81 punts for a 41.6 average and 31 inside opponent's 20.

Surprised? What categories would you have thought would have had different leaders?

Steelers Release Foote; Lions Release Three, Sign One

Sean Yuille — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:01:53 -0000

The Steelers released middle linebacker Larry Foote today, ending speculation over what would happen with his career in Pittsburgh. News broke last week that he had been released, but we quickly found out that that was a bit premature. The news became that Foote was going to be released if the Steelers couldn't find a trading partner, and that obviously never happened since Foote is now a free agent. Whether or not the Lions sign him is left to be seen, but I see no reason for them not to. Right now the middle linebacker situation is less than ideal, and it's rare that free agents from Super Bowl teams want to play for the Lions. It would be very disappointing if Foote didn't become a Lion.

The Lions also made some moves today, one of which was releasing running back Brian Calhoun. This move is not surprising at all. Calhoun was a third-round pick back in 2006 and had a very disappointing career in Detroit. He was never healthy and didn't have a chance to show anything because of that. Now that the Lions have Kevin Smith, Maurice Morris, and draft pick Aaron Brown, this move was bound to happen eventually. Factor in Aveion Cason, who can returns kicks and play running back, and it is even less surprising. There is simply no room at RB for someone that can't stay healthy and has shown the team no reason to keep him around.

On top of releasing Calhoun, the Lions also got rid of wide receivers Travis Taylor and Steve Sanders. Defensive end Eric Hicks, who played under Gunther Cunningham in Kansas City, was signed by the Lions.

Shaun McDonald, Keith and Dwight Smith Placed on IR

Sean Yuille — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:44:59 -0000

The Lions placed wide receiver Shaun McDonald, cornerback Keith Smith, and safety Dwight Smith on the injured reserve today. The move ends all three of their seasons with only two weeks left.

McDonald was suffering from a lingering ankle injury, and Dwight Smith actually fractured his left ankle against the Colts. Keith Smith had a groin injury and couldn't stay healthy lately.

The move opened up three spots on the roster. They were filled by safety LaMarcus Hicks, who has been on and off the active roster quite a few times this season, cornerback Chris Roberson (he was on the practice squad), and wide receiver Travis Taylor, who was released by the Panthers at the end of August.

WR cuts around the league - Any potential 49ers?

Fooch — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:55:57 -0000

In yesterday's 49ers cuts post, sam23 made a good suggestion of coming up with players released around the league. Mike Nolan has indicated the 49ers might sign a 6th receiver off waivers if the right guy came along. I would prefer giving Dominique Zeigler a shot, but again, no vote for me.

I'm going through the various cuts to see what I can find but I'm sure I'll overlook some guys. Feel free to include anybody I miss. I'm not looking at other positions as I don't see the 49ers really loading up at any other position off waivers. For once, the team is well settled at most positions in terms of depth.

Roydell Williams - The former Titan finished with career highs of 55 receptions, 719 yards and 4 touchdowns in his third year in the league. Unfortunately a nagging ankle injury kept him out of most of the preseason. According to his scouting report, "He has just adequate deep speed, but is good on the underneath routes where he can use his quickness, agility and body control. He is a good route runner and does a good job of setting up defenders with little head and shoulder fakes." It might be a bit of a reach, but the report sounds a little like that of this guy or this guy.

Samie Parker - "Parker has legitimate downfield speed and is a threat with the ball is in his hands. But in five years as a pro, he never has learned the subtleties of route running." Does that scouting report sound a little like Ashley Lelie? Parker has been more of a return guy but I wonder if a detail-oriented guy like Martz could improve his route running abilities? Parker is only entering his fifth season in the league so there is certainly still time.

Travis Taylor - Taylor was once a first round pick of the Baltimore Ravens. His best season came in 2002 with 61 receptions, 869 yards and 6 TDs. After a decent 2006 with 57 receptions, Taylor was released by the Vikings, and then signed and released by the Raiders and Rams. Rotoworld suggest maybe he should call it a career at 30. I don't know if he'd see enough action but is he worth a look?

Chad Jackson - Jackson appears to be joining the long list of WR busts to come out of the University of Florida. They all seem so talented and yet they never work out (see Taylor Jacobs, Jabar Gaffney, Travis Taylor, etc...). I definitely don't see Jackson ending up with the 49ers as they'd be better of going with Zeigler or Colvin (at least as far as I'm concerned).

My source for cuts was over at the ESPN blogosphere thing (or whatever they're calling it). They had a tag for roster cuts which included cuts and analysis of each team's cuts. From my initial scan there really weren't a lot of wide receivers released that would fit the 49ers. While there were some interesting first or second year receivers released, I would fully expect Dominique Zeigler (assuming he clears waivers) to be given a shot before any of them.

If you come across anybody that interests you on the waiver wire, definitely post it in the comments. I'll update this with anybody else I come across.