SB Nation - Ali Highsmith

Arizona Cardinals Release TE Byrd, Sign LB Monty Beisel

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

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

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

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

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

via azcardinals.com(Urban)

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

Arizona Cardinals Game Maker: Week 9 Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

CardsFan08 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:16:29 -0000

In week 9 the Arizona Cardinals continued a very impressive road streak by defeating the Chicago Bears 41-21. In the first half of the game we saw one of the best performances from all three units (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) playing consistent and aggressive football.

This weeks game maker is a result of all three units working extremely well. The offense had just delivered it's fourth TD in four series with a strike from QB Kurt Warner to TE Anthony Becht giving Becht his first TD of the season. The defense then stopped an urgent drive by the Bears who were trying to reclaim some momentum just before the half but were stopped in field goal range with less than a minute left in the first half.

Leading to this weeks Game Maker...

Week 9 Game Maker: @ 0:40 2nd Quarter - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (29) field goal block and FS Antrel Rolle's (21) catch and run setting up the offense to move into field goal position and increase the Cardinals lead to 31-7 at the half.

Full break down of the play after the jump!

Image 1 - The line up: A weak side overload with CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) (29) left unblocked with a straight shot to the kicker. CB Bryant McFadden (25) is lined up on the right side. Antrel Rolle is back in the end zone in case the kick is short. Linebackers Ali Highsmith (95) and Bertrand Berry (92) line up in case of the fake.

Image 2 - DRC turns on the speed as Gould comes in for the kick...

Image 3 - DRC leaps just as Gould plants and swings for the kick...

Image 4 - The kick is blocked! You can see the ball bouncing up off of DRC's white glove.

Image 5 - The sound of the ball being deflected is enough for everyone to know that something unexpected happened. Every Cardinal head is watching the ball to see where it is going...

Image 6 - The ball looks like it will travel some distance but fall wide right initialy. DRC lands on his back and looks for the ball...

Image 7 - The Bears lineman are watching the ball sail through the air and both parties stand to watch and see where it's going to go...

Image 8 - Suddenly they realize that it's going to be short and the Cardinals have one more trick up their sleeve. The Bears start rushing for the endzone...

Image 9 - Because they saw Antrel Rolle standing with the ball falling straight to him...

Image 10 - Rolle makes the catch, surveys the field and starts the take the ball out of the endzone...

Image 11 - He starts toward the left side...

Image 12 - But quickly cuts back to the right...

Image 13 - Due to the number of defenders on the left and blockers starting to set up on the right...

Image 14 - Bears LS Manelly (65) is the first down the field closely followed by G Omiyale (68)...

Image 15 - Rolle stops and cuts inside Manelly...

Image 16 - Causing Manelly's momentum to make him miss the tackle...

Image 17 - Ominyale charges Rolle, but Rolle uses a shoulder shake...

Image 18 - It's enough to sell Ominyale to go outside...

Image 19 - So Rolle cuts inside causing Ominyale to miss and then sees the crease created by his blockers up field...

Image 20 - Rolle heads for the crease as a Bear defender sees the gap and tries to beat him to it...

Image 21 - NT Gabe Watson (98) sees Rolle's route and moves forward to make a play saving block...

Image 22 - Rolle continues his fancy footwork and uses his vision and speed to run between two defenders...

Image 23 - Manelly is relentless and continues after Rolle, but Rolle's getting good blocking now and is continuing to make progress up the field...

Image 24 - Rolle turns on the speed...

Image 25 - In the open field and cruising the sideline as the 16 yard line...

Image 26 - DT Idonije (71) tries to force Rolle out of bounds...

Image 27 - But CB McFadden (25) makes the block and Rolle highsteps Idonije's out stretched arms staying inbounds...

Image 28 - TE Desmond Clark takes an angle to push Rolle out...

Image 29 - But Rolle cuts inside where he sees MLB Karlos Dansby (58) ready to lead block. He runs behind Highsmith and Calais Campbell making a great block and continues upfield...

Image 30 - Only the Bears Kicker is left and Rolle has Karlos Dansby and Highsmith for blockers...

Image 31 - Dansby sees Gould trying to make the tackle and heads for him to make a block. Rolle is staring him down...

Image 32 - DRC comes from the top and Rolle starts to turn inside while running, rather than just staying outside and running up the sideline...

Image 33 - Gould runs outside, side stepping Dansby's block and he's now one on one with Rolle...

Image 34 - Rolle cuts inside but due to Dansby not blocking Gould, Gould is able to get the shoe string tackle and trip up Rolle...

Image 35 - The Cardinals were one block away from an additional touchdown...

Image 36 - Rolle was brought down at the 49 yard line. The Special Teams unit is psyched for just getting their third blocked FG of the year and returning the ball this far with 22 seconds left on the clock allowing the offense one more shot to put more points on the board in the first half!

Image 37 - Well done Rolle!

Due to the excellent field position Antrel Rolle was able to pick up Kurt Warner was able to lead the Cardinals down to field goal range to tack on three more points before the half.

Was there a different play you picked as the game maker? Ware's INT in the 4th quarter? Warner to Breaston for the fifth TD of the day taking the score to 41-21?

Grading the Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears

Hawkwind — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:00:54 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

about 1 month ago: Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, bottom left, sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. In the background is the Cardinals' Gabe Watson (98). (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Coming off a disappointing loss against the Carolina Panthers, Kurt Warner wasn't the only Arizona Cardinals' player with something to prove this past weekend. The Cardinals' defense, namely the front seven, had some serious questions to answer after allowing the Panthers to run rough shot over them just seven days prior. Standing in their way would be a Chicago Bears team that was undefeated at home and one of the league's more complete running backs in Matt Forte. Needless to say the Cardinals defense had their work cut out for them and here's a breakdown of how they performed.

Overall Defensive Performance: Depending on how you look at it the Cardinals defense was anywhere from very good to very marginal. From the "very good" department, the defense only allowed two drives of 45 yards or longer but the two "very bad" drives were both 90+ yards and resulted in touchdowns. From the "very good" file, with roughly one minute left in the third quarter the defense had allowed just 200 yards on the Bears' first seven drives, 90 of which came on their opening drive, but the Bears also racked up another 180 yards on their final four drives (including a 93 yard TD drive). One thing is pretty clear, the defense either started to fail or relaxed in the fourth quarter resulting in most of their overall numbers looking very average. it is worth mentioning however that portions of the fourth quarter were played with backups like Will Davis and Kenny Iwebema. By the time the game was over the Bears' offense had racked up 417 yards from scrimmage (averaging 6.6 yards per snap) and had scored 21 points.

Rush Defense: It's pretty fair to say that the Bears' abandoned their run game early in the game considering that they played at least 3/4 of the game from a two touchdown deficit. For the game they attempted just 12 rushes, although they did average 5.8 yards per carry. Forte led the way with 33 yards on five carries while (the other) Adrian Peterson and Jay Cutler added another 40 yards on the ground with their five combined carries. Their running game simply never had a chance to get on track and was limited to draw plays out of shotgun for most of the game, a scenerio the Cardinals are quite familar with.

Pass Defense: Normally when a team gets behind early they are forced to air it out for the rest of the game and that was certainly the case for the Bears. Cutler set season highs in completions (29), attempts (47), yards (369) and touchdowns (3) and posted a very respectable 98.6 QB rating. Most of his completions were a result of their short passing game where YAC receivers like Devin Hester and Johny Knox could excel, although two of his most successful deep balls were to tight end Greg Olsen. The Cardinals registered four sacks but more importantly they continously pressured and knocked down Cutler. Pressure from guys like Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Chike Okeafor and Clark Haggans were a big reason why the Bears were limited to short passes for most of the day.

Honor Roll:

Karlos Dansby and Ali Highsmith: Thanks to a back injury that prevented Gerald Hayes from suiting up, Highsmith got his first start as a pro and the defense didn't seem to miss a beat. There were times that he got pushed around but his energy and athleticism also made him an asset once the Bears turned pass-happy. Dansby did what he normally does, leading the team in tackles despite the Bears lack of a running game.

Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell: There may be better 3-4 defensive ends in this league but the way DD and CC are playing right now, I don't know that I'd trade them for any other pair. Dockett was his normal disruptive force and his second sack of the season. Campbell, regardless of what the boxscore says, recorded at least half a sack, if not a full sack (the sack that was awarded to Okeafor). One thing that really stands out about Campbell though is that he never gives up on a play. At least once a game it seems like he'll make a tackle ten yards down field while a back tries to wiggle through the secondary.

Matt Ware: We haven't talked much about Ware this season but if you me, that's a good thing. Ware has stepped into Aaron Francisco's role and has been a moster upgrade. He's not a great cover safety but he does alot of things well and so far the Cardinals are using him in a way that allows him to succeed. He registered his first career pick late in the fourth quarter.

Will Davis: Welcome to the NFL rook! Davis recorded his first career sack and don't look now but he's starting to get a couple of snaps a week with the defensive unit. He's already proving that he has the athletic ability to play in this league and his relentless motor and ability to get off blocks led to his fourth quarter sack on Cutler.

Overall Defensive Grade: C+

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Overall the Cardinals defensive effort can classified as good with plenty of room for improvement. One thing that will stick with me for a while is how dejected Jay Cutler looked after he continually got hit by the Arizona Cardinals. Very rarely do you visibly see a player quit, especially a quarterback, but he was very close on Sunday. As the game wore on he got up slower and slower as the hits kept coming and quaterbacks in the future will recognize that on tape. The Cardinals feel like they're building something special here and there were glimpses of that on Sunday. What's you're grade for the defense?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals defensive effort on Sunday?

A

20 votes

B

119 votes

C

61 votes

D

4 votes

F

2 votes

206 votes | Poll has closed

Week 3: Friday Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:28:38 -0000

Dwight Freeney returned to practice and Clint Session stayed on the practice field for a second day, but Kelvin Hayden and Gary Brackett remained on the sidelines. Joe Addai and Marlin Jackson got days off.

Out: Bob Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez

Questionable (no practice): Gary Brackett, Kelvin Hayden

Questionable (some practice): Clint Session, Dwight Freeney

Colts.com link

Oesher relays Caldwell's comments on the questionable players.

“Gary’s still being worked on constantly,” ... adding that Brackett’s injury could be best described as a strain. “He’s getting better. It’s kind of a day-to-day thing.”

Hayden “is still nursing” his hamstring injury, but added “he’s at a stage right now where he’s better I think than expected.”

Freeney, listed late in the week with a back injury, returned to practice Friday. “He had a little bit of an issue, but he’s fine,

Session has made “some progress.” “He did some limited things (Thursday), so we feel good about that,”

On the Cards side they are quite different of the Colts in how they use the report. While the Colts haven't meet an injury they didn't feel deserved at least questionable. The Cards list players with full participation across the board on their report and are big fans of the probable label.

Out: Kenny Iwebema

Questionable: Matt Ware (limited all week), Ali Highsmith (out Wed/Thurs, limited Fri), Levi Brown (limited all week), Rashad Johnson (new on report, limited Friday. Practice injury?), Steve Breaston (out Wed, limited Thurs/Fri), Chike Okeafor (out Wed, limited Thurs/Fri).

Probable (none missed practice time): Sean Morey, Kurt Warner, Antrel Rolle, Bryant McFadden, Brian St. Pierre, Reggie Wells, Anquan Boldin, Will Davis, Early Doucet

AzCardinals.com link

Five Questions After the Arizona Cardinals Cut the Roster to 53

Hawkwind — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:21:04 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

Jerheme Urban is one of seven wide receivers who made the Arizona Cardinals final 53 man roster. (AP Photo/ Ed Andrieski )

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The Arizona Cardinals trimmed their roster to 53 players over the weekend and while there weren't any big-name players shown the door, there were some surprising moves. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt has left open the possibility that a player or two from other team's cuts could be added but there shouldn't be any wholesale changes or significant players added any time soon. At most we might see a veteran presence brought in to shore up a weakness in depth but for the most part this is the team that will decide whether the 2009 Cardinals live up to their lofty expectations. In looking over the remaining 53 players, a handful of questions come to mind and the answers to these questions might just be the difference between another successful January or some early prep work for the NFL draft.

Why Seven Wide Receivers? - Seven wide receivers is a big number and there are two theories as to why they chose to keep that many. The first, and most likely, theory is that the coaching staff looked at their current wide outs and saw Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet all nursing various ailments. While none of the three are considered serious injuries, Boldin and Doucet do have a rather significant history with injuries and it's possible that they see Lance Long as a cheap but promising insurance policy. The fact that he offers something on special teams, most notably as a returner, certainly didn't hurt his case either. The second, and less likely although more juicy, theory revolves around the possibility of a trade. To make things a bit more complicated this theory has two parts with the most likely theory centering around a trade of Long, whom most thought the Chiefs would claim if he was exposed to waivers. Todd Haley is a fan of Long and the possibility of them giving up a sixth or seventh round pick doesn't seem all that far fetched. The second theory in this subset is again far less likely but the continued Boldin trade rumors simply won't die. It seems far to late for the Cardinals to still consider this an option, especially with Boldin's softer stance, but just know that the rumors are still out there. Of course the most likely of all of these scenarios is simply that the Cardinals thought that they were a better team with Lance Long than without.
Is there enough depth at linebacker? - One of the more surprising cuts was the release of Victor Hobson, a veteran capable of lining up at inside and outside linebacker. Of course it was more surprising given the lack of depth at his position as opposed to his performance on the field but his absence leaves the Cardinals with some very inexperienced backups at the linebacker position. It is conceivable that the Red Birds could enter the season with four backups who have never taken a regular season snap in a 3-4 defense. Bertrand Berry is the veteran of the group but he missed all of OTA's so his experience in this defense is limited to training camp and most view him as strictly a situational pass rusher. Ali Highsmith, a second year undrafted player, is undersized but has the most experience of the inside backers. Rookies Will Davis (6th round) and Reggie Walker (undrafted) comprise the rest of the depth but I think it's fair to say that they are not ready to start on Sundays. If a player is added to the roster this week, it will most likely be a veteran linebacker and they'll certainly add at least one more linebacker on the practice squad.

What happens if Adrian Wilson were to get injured? - While almost everyone who has ever donned Cardinals-red was glad to see Aaron Francisco shown the door, his absence does open a hole in the secondary. While we all knew his limitations, Francisco did at least bring a level of experience to the field that the remaining backup safeties can not boast. He had started just nine games over the past three years but with the way that the Cardinals use their safeties, he was on the field quite a bit with the nickel and dime packages. His responsibilities and playing time now fall to, most likely, Matt Ware. Ware has primarily been a special teams player but his best asset has always been his versatility as both a safety and corner. The interesting thing for Ware though will be if he gets exposed with the increase in playing time, the way that Francisco did over the past couple of seasons. Ware's ability to grasp his responsibilities as a safety could go a long way to determining just how successful this secondary is in 2009.
What happens when Ben Patrick returns? - As we all know, Patrick will return to the team after week four and at that point, someone will have to be cut in order to make room on the roster. As you might expect the Cardinals will have plenty of options, such as cutting a tight or carrying four, cutting a wide receiver or even trimming an offensive lineman off of the current group of nine. The most likely scenario would be cutting a tight end which would mean that the trio of Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd are playing for their jobs for the next four weeks.
Where is the depth at left tackle? - While Oliver Ross wasn't a terribly enticing option as Mike Gandy's backup, Ross was the only player on the 80 man roster who had taken snaps at left tackle during the preseason. His name on the cut list means that the Cardinals are left without an experienced backup should Gandy go down and that should send chills up the blindside of Kurt Warner. Coach Whisenhunt has already stated that Levi Brown would flip over to left tackle if something were to happen and either Brandon Keith or Herman Johnson would step in at right tackle. Given Brown's struggles with speed rushers and Keith and/or Johnson's inexperience, the Cardinals would weaken themselves at two positions and likely leave KW as a sitting duck. I'm sure that the Cardinals would love to add a quality backup at left tackle (ala Elliot Vallejo) but left tackles who can hold their own on an NFL field are not unemployed for very long.

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How do you see these questions playing out and what questions would you ask when looking at the final roster?

Arizona Cardinals Top Ten Irreplaceable Players

Hawkwind — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:03:04 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Kurt Warner and Tim Hightower are both among the top ten irreplaceable Arizona Cardinals but who else makes the cut? (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski )

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The Arizona Cardinals are on the door step of the most important season in franchise history. Just nine months removed from the their first ever Super Bowl berth the team must deal with unprecedented pressure from expectations and the pressure that comes with playing as the hunted instead of the hunter. The Cardinals will no longer fly under the radar or be an overlooked opponent. Every week the opposing team will know that the reigning NFC Champion will be on the opposite sideline and every week that opponent will bring their 'A' game because of that fact. Another major challenge for the Cardinals will be staying healthy. The Red Birds were one of the healthier teams in the league in 2008 and the "law of averages" will tell you that they'll have a hard time repeating that for a second consecutive season. With all of that in mind, we'll take a look at the most irreplaceable players on the Arizona Cardinals roster. Factoring in depth and the dropoff in performance from starter to backup will help us put them in order from ten to one.

#10 - Lyle Sendlein: Sendlein struggled mightily at times during his first year as a starter but the third year player has looked quite impressive during the preseason despite facing three dominating nose tackles in Casey Hampton, Jamal Williams and B.J. Raji. Sendlein's value not only lies in his improved play but also in the value of the depth at center. Ben Claxton is expected to be his backup but Claxton is a 29 year old player with a grand total of two games worth of experience.

#9 -Tim Hightower or Chris Wells: Hightower and Wells are 'one in the same' for this exercise because losing either one for a significant period of time would put too much pressure on the other to shoulder the load by himself. The Cardinals want to run the ball more this year and they'll need both backs healthy and productive in order for them to accomplish their goal. Jason Wright and LaRod Stephens-Howling may find their way onto the field in third down situations but either one of them getting a significant number of carries will not a be a good sign.

#8 -Gerald Hayes - Hayes doesn't get the attention or praise that he should but when he's on the field all he does it make play after play. He won't lead Sportcenter's Top 10 on Sunday nights or earn a trip to the Pro Bowl but he's one of the quiet, dedicated, reliable 'worker ants' that every winning team needs. Over the past three seasons he hasn't missed a game and has averaged 93 tackles per year. His veteran leadership combined with the fact that the Cardinals have very little depth at inside linebacker make his presence irreplaceable.

#7 -Steve Breaston - You might be wondering why a third wide receiver is irreplaceable but it's Breaston's total package that the Cards would miss. First, Breaston the only receiver who can simply run by a corner on any given play and beat a defense with the deep ball. Second and more importantly is Breaston's role on special teams. As the primary punt returner and most likely the primary kick returner, his value to the team can not be measured. If he were to go down you'd have to bump up Jerheme Urban, who's a talented receiver but not near the threat that Breaston is, to the slot receiver and you'd probably see Antrel Rolle get the first crack at punt returner.

#6 -Kurt Warner - It goes without saying that Warner is vitally important to what the Cardinals do offensively and they simply wouldn't be the same team if he were to go down. He'd be higher on this list though if Matt Leinart hadn't have had such an impressive preseason. Still though Leinart is a different type of quarterback and the offense would have to become more ground-oriented if he was the starting quarterback. Simply put, the way this team is currently constructed Kurt Warner is the guy that we need under center.

#5 -Darnell Dockett - Nine-0, as he prefers to be called now, is not only the team's best defensive lineman but he's the only one capable of shooting through the offensive line and wreaking havoc in an opponents backfield on any given play. If he were to go down, Kenny Iwebema would have to step in and they are completely different types of players. Dockett is essential to what the Cardinals hope to accomplish up front and the Cardinals need him to not only pressure the quarterback and penetrate the line of scrimmage but also to stay healthy.

#4 - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Bryant McFadden - The combo of DRC and McFadden are essential not so much because of their talents, although neither of them is too shabby, but instead because of the lack of quality depth behind them. If either of the Cards starting corners were to go down they'd be forced to push Ralph Brown into the starting lineup and talented but extremely raw rookie Greg Toler into the nickel slot. Brown has plenty of veteran savvy that's allowed him to survive in the NFL for nine seasons but he's not starting material at this point and Toler has proven that he's not ready for significant snaps yet either.

#3 - Mike Gandy - By now you've probably looked down this list and you're wondering (or maybe screaming) how Gandy can make the list but Larry Fitzgerald's name is no where to be found. Gandy's status as an irreplaceable player has more to do with the lack of depth behind him than the actual quality of his play. His primary backup, Elliot Vallejo, has already be injured and subsequently cut. As a result the Cards are left with shuffling their offensive line completely if Gandy goes down. Coach Whiz has said that Levi Brown would move to left tackle and either Brandon Keith or Herman Johnson would step in at RT. Either way that plays out you'd have one player taking his first ever NFL snap at LT and one guy taking his first ever starting NFL snap. Any way that you slice it, the loss of Gandy would constitute a significant drop (at two positions) off from an already not spectacular quality of play.

#2 -Adrian Wilson - This one is pretty self explanatory, no one on this roster can do what Adrian Wilson does when he's on the football field. Against the pass he's capable of covering tight ends, backs and most receivers and also know for making game changing picks. Against the run he's basically another linebacker and his speed and instincts allow him to diagnose plays in a instant. Oh and he's quite possibly the most devastating blitzer on the team as well. If A-dub went down there would be some scrambling to fill his shoes and there are several possibilities. The Cards could move Matt Ware into the starting lineup or they could move Antrel Rolle over to strong safety and insert rookie Rashad Johnson in at free safety. Neither of those scenarios is particularly favorable.

#1 - Karlos Dansby - With the lack of depth at linebacker, Dansby had to headline this list. He's the leading tackler, the defensive signal caller and he's capable of punishing an offense in every way imaginable. He's strong enough to stuff a run up the middle, quick enough to shut down an outside sweep, fluid enough to drop into coverage and explosive enough to blow by opposing offensive lineman and pressure the quarterback. If Dansby were to go down the Cards would probably move Hayes into his spot and try to fill Hayes' spot with either Ali Highsmith or undrafted rookie Reggie Walker. Needless to say the Red Birds need Dansby to be healthy and productive in 2009.

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Ok, now it's your turn. Am I crazy for not listing Fitz or Anquan Boldin? Who else did I leave off?

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

Arizona Cardinals Make Cuts; Release Pope, Francisco, and Hobson

Andrew602 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:39:10 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Arizona Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco (47)

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After one of the more lackluster performances of the preseason, the Cardinals have made their final cuts of the off season before the home opener against the 49ers. Within the last 24 hours, the Cardinals were able to make their decisions and release the remaining 20 players on the bubble. Among them were some notables, including Aaron Francisco, Leonard Pope, and Victor Hobson. Aside from the cuts, those that were left untouched were undrafted rookie linebacker Reggie Walker and second year linebacker Ali Highsmith.

The cuts also show just how much trust the coaches have in the young players on defense. Now backing up Wilson and Rolle will be Matt Ware and Rashad Johnson. Highsmith, Walker and Will Davis will also fill in behind the starters at linebacker. On offense, the Cardinals cut quarterback Tyler Palko, along with fullback Tim Castille. Aside from Pope, the offense remains virtually the same.

Players that were able to survive the cut may come as the real surprise. Fan favorite Lance Long, just barely made the team. With Pope being the odd man out, that means the Cardinals will carry Dominique Byrd, Anthony Becht, and Stephen Spach. Since Ben Patrick doesn't count against the roster until week four, we can only assume that one of these tight ends will be released at that point. Other notables that survived the cut were Michael Adams, Greg Toler, and more importantly, LaRod Stephens-Howling. The most obvious reason for LSH's spot on the roster has to be return duties, which he should be ready for on September 13th. What's everyone's take on the roster cuts? Would you have handled the cuts any different?

For a complete list of the roster cuts, click here.

53 Man Roster Predictions After the Arizona Cardinals Shutout Loss to the Broncos

Hawkwind — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:49:49 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt will have harder time cutting 22 players today than he did finding an offensive play that would work this preseason. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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Truth be told we won't dwell on another lackluster effort in the preseason. The Arizona Cardinals finished the preseason without a win but that doesn't even begin to tell the story of how ugly the past three and a half weeks have been. To give you a quick taste of how the past four games have gone, the Cardinals have been outscored 71-16 in the first half, Cardinals' quarterbacks have combined to throw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (9 to 4) and the Cardinals' defenders have forced just one turnover. In conclusion this Cardinals team has looked like the one that played in December of 2008 instead of the team that took the field in January of 2009. Just for the record, historically teams that finish the preseason winless, also struggle in the regular season. Going back to 1989, 35 teams have finished the preseason without a win and 31 of those teams failed to make the playoff. To make matters worse, 21 of them finished with a losing record.

But we said we weren't going to dwell so we're moving on to the news that should come down today. Tomorrow is the deadline to cut down the rosters to 53 players, but most expect Ken Whisenhunt to break the news in an afternoon press conference. With that in mind, here's ROTB's last shot at nailing down the 53 man roster.

QB (3): Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre - Tyler Palko played his way out of any shot of making the roster with a poor performance last night. BSP hasn't shown much this preseason but Whiz is familiar enough with his abilities for him to stick.
RB (4): Tim Hightower, Chris Wells, Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling - No one did much to either help or hurt their case for a roster spot last night.
FB (1): Dan Kreider - After the recent discussion about Kreider vs. Tim Castille, I kept a close eye on both players last night. To be honest neither did much to impress me and at this point I think Whiz would chose a veteran that he's familiar with over a younger player.
WR (6): Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, Early Doucet and Sean Morey - I, like most Cardinals fans I suspect, have been pulling for Lance Long but he's played a great deal in the past two preseason games and he hasn't done much with his opportunity (2 catches for 21 yards). I think it's fair to say that he's not ready and I'd be wiling to risk cutting him. The Chiefs may or may not claim him before we can stash him on the practice squad but he can't help this team right now.

TE (3): Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd - Truth to be told, I still don't know what we have at this position but I'm confident that Leonard Pope will be cut. He was the last tight end to take the field last night and that says enough about his future. I went back and forth on Byrd but his versatility in the H-back role won me over. The interesting thing about this spot is who gets released after week four when Ben Patrick comes back.

OL (9): Mike Gandy, Reggie Wells, Lyle Sendlein, Deuce Lutui, Levi Brown, Herman Johnson, Brandon Keith and Elton Brown and Melvin Fowler - It's overkill keeping so many offensive lineman and I went back and forth on Elton Brown but his ability to play LT made the difference. Oliver Ross is a possibility but he just didn't impress me during the preseason. Elton Brown wasn't all that impressive either but at least this coaching staff has seen him step in at LT and play decently.

DL (6): Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Bryan Robinson, Kenny Iwebema, Gabe Watson and Alan Branch - No real surprises here. Branch hasn't done much to warrant a spot but neither has anyone behind him. At least he can line up at DE now as well as DT, although his effectiveness remains about the same. Keilen Dykes doesn't make the cut but hopefully they can keep him on the practice squad thanks to another leg injury that cost him nearly the entire preseason.
LB (8): Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Clark Haggans, Chike Okeafor, Will Davis, Victor Hobson, Reggie Walker and Ali Highsmith - Bertrand Berry is the surprise cut on the roster after pulling a disappearing act during the preseason that would make David Copperfield jealous. Considering that the backups consist of two rookies, one sophomore UDFA and a guy that was signed off the streets before the regular season finale last year, I fully expect the Cardinals to scour the waiver wire for a veteran linebacker (inside or out).
CB (5): Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, Greg Toler and Michael Adams - I don't know what to make of this unit but these are the top five guys. DRC has struggled mightily the past two games, McFadden can't even get on the field and Brown is looking awful old and slow. Toler and Adams are two guys that we should all hope spend much more time on special teams than the regular defense.
S (5): Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rashad Johnson, Aaron Francisco and Matt Ware - Basically this is the same unit as last year, plus a third round pick. Francisco is still Francisco although Ware has caught my eye several times this preseason.
Specialists (3): Neil Rackers, Ben Graham and Mike Leach - No surprises.

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To be honest, when I first wrote all this down I ended up with 54 players and after scouring the two deep I ended up cutting a veteran, Bertrand Berry. I'm not sure why but I keep getting the feeling that some of the veterans who've been around this team throughout all of the bad times cause some apathy in the locker room sometimes that lead to performances like we've seen the past couple of weeks. Berry's absence over the course of OTA's and his indifferent excuse once training camp started is just a microcosm of how this team has played over the course of the preseason. Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction on my part for thinking that someone's head has to roll but so be it. Thoughts? Who makes your 53?

Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos: Who Will Have the Biggest Impact

Hawkwind — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:03:53 -0000

by Paul Connors - AP

Arizona Cardinals runningback Jason Wright, center, lands in the endzone as Green Bay Packers' Jarrett Bush, left, and Brandon Underwood, right, cannot make the stop. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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With the clock ticking down the Arizona Cardinals preseason finale against the Denver Broncos, it's time to look at who might have the biggest impact on tonight's game. Since the Cardinals' starters are not expected to play much more than a couple of series, it's likely that a standout performance will come from alittle further down the depth chart. With that in mind, here's a look at this week's candidates:

Tyler Palko: Palko stole the show the last time that he was on the field (8 for 15, 103 yards and touchdown), in the preseason opener against the Steelers and he's expected to play quite a bit in tonight's contest. He should get every single snap of the second half so he'll certainly have his chance to make a huge impact as well as his case for the 3rd QB on this roster.
Lance Long and Orea Jones: With Anquan Boldin and Early Doucet completely out for tonight's game and Steve Breaston most likely limited, Long and Jones should see quite a bit of action again. Long has shown some flashes over the past year and a half but he failed to come up big last week in extended playing time and this could very well be his last chance to impress the Cardinals coaching staff. Jones is most likely showcasing himself for other teams but so far he's the only wide receiver on the team with multiple touchdowns and he'll look to add to those number tonight.
Jason Wright: With Tim Hightower and Chris Wells not expected to receive a ton of playing time and the concussion situation with LaRod Stephens-Howling, Wright could be in store for a significant work load. It's likely that his carries could climb into the double digits during the second half and he'll look to build on a solid game against the Packers.

Will Davis: Davis is seemingly getting better and better each week and against the Packers he totaled four tackles and a sack. He'll receive the bulk of the snaps again tonight and repeat performance shouldn't be out of the question.
Reggie Walker: Walker is following in Ali Highsmith's foot steps from last season considering that he's an undrafted free agent who is turning heads and making a serious case for a roster spot. With the lack of depth at inside backer look for Walker to receive a ton of snaps as the coaching staff tries to find someone to fill the void.
Rashad Johnson: Call me crazy but I'm coming from the gut on this one. I've just got a feeling that RJ is going to impact this game in some form or fashion. He dropped a sure-pick against the Chargers but I get the feeling that he'll record his first interception tonight.

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Who would you add or subtract from the list? Who's going to make the biggest impact?

Poll

Which Arizona Cardinals' player will have the biggest impact on tonight's game?

Tyler Palko

49 votes

Orea Jones

4 votes

Lance Long

15 votes

Jason Wright

10 votes

Will Davis

17 votes

Reggie Walker

17 votes

Rashad Johnson

12 votes

124 votes | Poll has closed