SB Nation - Chris Vincent

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)

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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.

Arizona Cardinals Training Camp Coverage: Stock Up, Stock Down

Hawkwind — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:47:05 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' LaRod Stephens-Howling, right, eludes Reggie Walker (55) during morning practice. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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The Arizona Cardinals have completed about two thirds of training camp (that's right the final day is August 20th) but the preseason games are just about to begin. The Cardinals preseason opener against the Steelers is two days away and that's where the real evaluation process will begin with the guys who are buried on the depth chart. While it might be easy for some guys to perform during camp, it'll be a whole new test once the lights come on and the opponent isn't a teammate. The following four games can not only decide a players fate in 2009, it might very well make or break their career.

Before the bullets start flying for real, we figured we'd highlight some of the 'bubble' players who have either helped or hurt their stock so far during training camp. As the preseason progresses we'll update this list and use it as a tool when projecting the final 53 man roster.

Stock Up
LaRod Stephens-Howling: One running back who has benefited from the absence of Chris Wells has been LSH. He's drawn some rave reviews for his speed and elusiveness in the open field, but the best reports we've heard have been about his willingness to run between the tackles. For a back of his size (5-7, 180) that will always be a concern but it'll be interesting to see if he can carry his success over to the actual preseason games. His best shot is still as a kick returner and he'll have to stand out in that capacity to make the final 53.

Jerheme Urban: Urban has been almost light's out during camp so far and it seems like almost a foregone conclusion that he'll not only make the roster but he'll also retain his #4 job at wide receiver. His play has not only been remarkably consistent but the chemistry that he and Kurt Warner have cultivated over the past year and a half is evident. Urban is still praised for his versatility on special teams and it seems as if only an injury can knock him out of the fourth receiver spot.

Leonard Pope: Believe it or not Pope has been impressive during camp so far, despite being left for dead by most of us fans. Every practice seems to be highlighted by Pope streaking down the seam and making a nice catch but the best report has been the one that we haven't seen yet. Long criticized for his bone-headed nature and inability to hold his own as a blocker, Pope seems to have improved greatly in both areas and as a result, he's stayed atop the depth chart at tight end. He'll of course be tested once the preseason starts but look for Pope to be the first tight end on the field against the Steelers.

Keilen Dykes: For Dykes this 'stock up' status hasn't been so much about what he's done as opposed to what his competition has done. Most would agree that the final defensive end spot would be a battle between Dykes and Jason Banks but a serious injury and trip to the injured reserve for Banks has all but erased that battle. That's not to say that Dykes, who showed up in great shape, hasn't been impressive during camp, but so far he's won the job by default. His battle now turns to moving up the depth chart and securing more playing time. His willingness and ability to play both nose tackle and end will help but he'll need strong showing in the preseason to leapfrog either Branch or Iwebema in the defensive line rotation.

Chris Vincent: Vincent is a guy that most of thought had no chance at making the roster but so far all he's done is impress everyone during Wells' absence. Vincent is a guy who didn't even have a position in college (mainly special teams) but the Cardinals keep bringing him back to camp as a running back and so far he's having the best camp of his career. He's showing a good burst to the outside and some toughness near the goal line. He's still a very long shot to make the final 53 but if you're watching the preseason and deep into the fourth quarter say, "wow who is #30?" you'd be looking at Chris Vincent.

Stock Down

Anthony Becht: Becht's training camp thus far has consisted mainly of an injured hamstring that's prevented him for seeing the actual playing field very much. Becht, the team's best blocking tight end, has been a favorite of some to win the starting job at tight end but he'll have to prove that his soon to be 33 year old body can take another season of pounding. Despite those concerns Becht has been extremely durable throughout his career and Whiz has been known to take it easy on veterans in the past, but Becht will have to return the field eventually if he wants to make the cut.

Rodney Leisle: Leisle hasn't been terrible at camp by any means but he also hasn't down much to stand out thus far. For a guy not only trying to beat out a former second round pick (albeit an underachieving one) but also desperately trying to get back in the NFL, he'll have to stand out in order to secure a spot on the 53. He's got the size to contribute at both nose tackle and end so it'll be interesting to see if he's moved around the defensive line during the preseason but wherever he lines up he needs to make a difference.

Will Davis: It's not really fair to grade Davis so early into his rookie season given the tall task of moving from defensive tackle to outside linebacker but that's the nature of the NFL. Any thought that this would be an easy transition for the former wide receiver has been erased and it's pretty clear that he's more raw talent than anything at this point. He has shown on occasion that he can beat offensive tackles off the ball with his speed but he lacks any other pass rush moves at this point and his biggest problem is in coverage, where he's completely lost at this point. He, of course, still has time and no one should have expected a quick learning curve but I'm sure if the cut down day was today, he'd be on the practice squad.

Early Doucet: Doucet status as a 'stock down' player is two fold. First he's obviously been injured and will miss the first preseason game but even more importantly has been the impressive showing by his competition, Jerheme Urban. Doucet hasn't been disappointing in practice by any means, in fact he made a couple leaping catches that we impressive but on a comparative basis, Urban has been much better. Many expected Doucet to have a breakout season in 2009, but to this point it's looking like another season in which he'll only see the field when some one else is injured.

Michael Ray Garvin: Despite putting on a serious gun show every time he rolls his sleeves up, Garvin has had a rough camp in his transition to wide receiver (corner back at FSU). While no one expected the transition to be easy, he's struggled with consistency catching the ball and his route running is very raw. He's clearly not going to make this roster as a receiver meaning that he'll have to impress as a kick returner in the preseason.

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Who else has impressed or disappointed you so far during camp? Who has the best chance of redeeming themselves over the next couple of weeks?

Arizona Cardinals Pre-Training Camp Roster Projections: Running Back

Hawkwind — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:11:38 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Tyler Palko, right, hands the ball off to Jason Wright during practice at the team's minicamp practice. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Our pre-training camp roster projections are winding down and we're down to the men that line up in the Arizona Cardinals backfield. First we'll take a look at the running backs, a group that will hopefully develop into a potent two headed monster, but in a worst case scenario should be comparable to last year's group. One aspect that is unique at the running back position when compared to any other unit on this roster is that it experienced quite a bit of turnover in the past twelve months. The Cardinals cut thier leading rusher and watched the third leading rusher limp into free agency with a bum knee. In response they added a free agent young running back with some upside and used their first round selection to grab another back, but who will make the final 53?

Locks

Chris "Beanie" Wells, Tim Hightower, Jason Wright

On the Bubble

LaRod Stephens-Howling

No Chance

Chris Vincent

There are no real surprises here simply because the top three on the depth chart are pretty well locked in, although the order of the top two can be debated. If LaRod Stephens-Howling does make the final roster, it'll most likely be as a kick returner. As far as I know Chris Vincent is still eligible for the practice squad because I don't think he's ever really stuck on the squad, and of course LSH is eligible. It's also worth mentioning that the roster on NFL.com lists Justin Green as a running back but he's really a fullback so we'll cover him in the next episode.

LaRod Stephens-Howling: As we said above, barring some kind of injury to one of the top three back during camp LSH's best chance of making the roster will be as a special teamer, primarily as a kick returner. He has some potential to develop into a third down back who can create some noise out of the backfield but he's not ready to assume that role quite yet. The most important part of that third down role is knowing and understanding pass proection and he won't be able to digest all of that as a rookie. If he doesn't win the returner sport, the Cardinals shouldn't have any problem stashing him on the practice squad for a season.

Chris Vincent: Vincent has some appeal to this coaching staff that most of us don't understand. He's a good sized back with decent athleticism but he was basically just a special teams player in college and has never shown enough to even stick on a practice squad. The Cardinals cut him twice during camp last and his 43 rushing yards in a preseason game against the Raiders was more yards than he had his entire senior season at Oregon. It would take an amazing camp/preseason for Vincent to stick on the practice squad considering he'll turn 28 before the season starts but you've got to wonder why the staff keeps bringing him back.

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Despite the turnover this is a pretty easy position to sort out and LSH is the only wild card, but as we said his roster spot shouldn't really count against the backs. So where do you see LSH ending up this season and will there be any other surprises?

Are the Arizona Cardinals Finished with Free Agency?

Hawkwind — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:47:38 -0000

The free agent crop is thinning and the Arizona Cardinals took their one big bite when they signed Bryant McFadden and one small nibble by signing Jason Wright. The ranks thin each day as more guys are signed, but for a team with as many needs as the Cardinals there are still some usable pieces out there. The franchise has plenty of money under the cap (they could open up even more cap space by extending Karlos Dansby or Adrian Wilson!) but will there be room on the roster? Darren Urban had a breakdown of the roster a week ago with the idea that roster spots could already be at a premium. With the signing of Clark Haggans today, the Cardinals have 61 players under contract. Urban remains pretty sure that Bertrand Berry will be re-signed and that Edge will be released so that shouldn't affect the number of players on the roster. When you add in the eight draft picks and ten or twelve undrafted free agents, the number nears the maximum of 80 (this is the time of year that the NFL Europa roster exemptions are missed most).

The Cardinals do have some guys who could easily be released if a coveted free agent is signed including traditional "practice bodies" running back Chris Vincent, wide receiver Ornea Jones, tight end Alex Shor or punter Waylon Prather. So what free agents out there should or could interest the Cardinals at this point in free agency? Here's some guys that I'm still interested in:

Quinn Sypniewski (TE): The soon to be 27 year old tight end is an above average blocker, as his size (6'6 270) would suggest. He also caught 34 passes in 2007 (his second season in the league) before tearing his ACL in mini-camps last July. He missed all of the 2008 season and the catch with him is that he's a restricted free agent. The Ravens would have the right to match any offer and it would cost the Cardinals a fifth round pick to sign him, but for those hoping that use a mid to late round pick on tight end, he might be a better option.

Marvel Smith (OT) and Kendall Simmons (OG): I'm not sure either of these guys would be instant starters or even upgrades on the offensive line, but I still can't help but think that Whisenhunt and Grimm are interested. Smith and Simmons were both starters on the Steelers' 2005 Super Bowl team and would certainly add tons of depth and competition to the team. Smith's last two seasons have been cut short by a gimping back and Simmons tore an Achilles last year so both are significant injury risks, but a short one year "prove your healthy" contract wouldn't be all that surprising to me. The longer these two go unsigned the further they're price will drop and the more likely that Whiz makes a call.

Marques Harris (OLB): Harris has been buried under some superb linebackers in San Diego but he didn't excel as a starter last year and he's a bit undersized (6'1 231). Still though he's experienced in a 3-4, young (27 years old) and should be relatively cheap.

Pat Thomas (ILB): Thomas isn't starting material but he could fill the same role as Monty Beisel and he's quite a bit younger (26 years old). Thomas started nine games last season for the Chiefs but after missing four games to injury he didn't get his starting job back. The Chiefs haven't shown any interest in bringing him back but he might be a better fit as an ILB in a 3-4.

Matt Giordano (S): The 26 year old has started a handful of games during his four seasons in Indy, playing both free and strong safety, and he's a solid special teams player. He's got outstanding speed for a safety (sub 4.5) and might be a decent center fielder.

As you can see the free agent pickings are pretty slim. At this point any team still fishing in the free agent waters isn't looking for starters, but instead a decent role player who fits a pressing need (think Bryan Robinson from last off season). The Cardinals still have their own free agents to consider as well:

Bertrand Berry: Everything points to Berry returning to the Cardinals at this point. His age and skill set leaves him best suited as a situational pass rusher at this point in his career but in that role he could still be the teams best rusher.

Ralph Brown: The veteran corner revived his career once he leap-frogged Eric Green and got regular playing time. His size (5'10 185) and age (30) are working against him but he's still probably the best option as the Cardinals fourth corner. I wouldn't be terribly upset to hear if he was re-signed with the thought of trying him out at safety.

Elton Brown: If the Cardinals are looking for a versatile lineman who could be decent spot starter, they probably should look at their very own Elton Brown. The fact that he's still on the market is a sign that no one was willing to throw starting money at him. Many think he's a better or at least very comparible player to Duece Lutui.

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The Cardinals roster is filing up fast and the remaining additions may be strictly draft related, but they still have some flexibility if they get the free agent itch. Are any of these free agents worth taking a shot at though? Of the remaining three Cardinals free agents, which would you sign?

Arizona Cardinals Shut Out the Oakland Raiders 24-0

cgolden — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:18:59 -0000

It's hard to imagine that the Cardinals shut out an opponent for just the second time since 1992 (one regular season, one preseason) and the defensive performance wasn't the story of the game. The defense held the Raiders' quarterbacks to less than 50% completion percentage and allowed just 2.9 yards per rush but this game will be remembered for what Matt Leinart couldn't do instead of what the defense did. Here's a quick recap of the highs and lows of the Cardinals' second preseason win:

Defensive Dominance: Those two words aren't normally thrown around in Arizona but that's exactly what the defense did on Saturday. The Raiders had several opportunities to put points on the board but two failed fourth down conversions and a missed field goal preserved the 'goose-egg.' The defense was equally dominant against the run and pass and forced the Raiders offense to six 'three and out' series. They held the Raider passing offense to just 3.0 yards per passing play and pressured the quarterbacks all night finishing with four sacks. Equally dominant was the rushing defense, who allowed just 2.9 yards per rush and not a single run over eight yards. In total they allowed just 165 yards to the Raiders and showed why they expect to be a much better defense in 2008.

Running Game Gaining Ground: The Cardinals finished with over 200 yards on the ground (215 to be exact) and that's quite an accomplishment for a team that finished the 2007 season as one of the worst running teams in the league. They got solid contributions from top to bottom and finished with a 5.5 yards per carry average. They scored two touchdowns on the ground (they only scored 9 in all of 2007) and ripped off several long gains. The longest run of the night was a 67 yarder by J.J. Arrington and Hightower and Chris Vincent each chipped in with a carry over 20 yards. The strong running game also allowed the Cardinals to dominate the time of possession (34:25 to 25:35) for the first time this preseason and it was never more evident than on their first drive of the fourth quarter when they used up over nine minutes of the fifteen minute quarter. It's too early to say that the running game is fixed but it's pretty clear that they should be much improved from last season.

Penalties Just Won't Go Away: After a one game absence the penatly problem re-emerged and it's obvious that Coach Whisenhunt is growing tired of the bone-head penalties. They finished with nine penalties for 65 yards and included everything from encroachment/offsides (4 times), holding (twice), delay of game (twice) and an unnecessary roughness. They also had another penalty that was declined. The tipping point for Whiz came early in the game when Darnell Dockett picked up an unnecessary roughness during the return of Karlos Dansby's interception. Whiz immediately pulled Dockett aside and he watched from the sidelines for the next two defensive series. Sitting guys down on the bench might be the only way to get through to these guys that stupid, selfish penalties will not be tolerated.

Special Teams Still Not Special: Other than Neil Rackers having a good game (one field goal and three extra points) the special teams struggled again this week. Dirk Johnson couldn't duplicate his performance last week (47.7 avg, 41.3 net avg) and his three punts only averaged just 43 yards and ended up with a 37 net yard average. An even bigger problem at the moment seems to be the kickoff coverage which allowed 110 yards on just four returns (27.5 yard avg). Through the first three games of the preseason the coverage units have allowed a 27.7 yard average on kickoff returns and at that rate they'll have to depend on Rackers booting every kickoff into the endzone.

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Matt's performance or lack thereof (four completions, three interceptions) will be the storyline of the game but the Cardinals did some things that are very encouraging. If the Cardinals defense and running game perform like this during the regular season (and no I'm not saying that the defense will or can pitch 16 shutouts) this team will be successful regardless of who is lined up under center. So what did you think? Encouraged or is the QB cloud to big to think about anything else?