SB Nation User Blog: Hawkwind

Caption this Pic: Arizona Cardinals Style

Hawkwind — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:23:28 -0000

We could stand here all day Kurt, Dock and Q aint coming. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner Update: For the second consecutive week, Irishcardinal wins our "Caption this" contest and this week it's a complete blowout with his caption receiving nine recommends/votes. The turnout was much better this week so look for our contests to become a weekly event and hopefully someone can knock Mr. Irish off his pedestal.

ROTB's second official "caption this" contest kicks off today with a picture of Arizona Cardinals greats, Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. Last week our picture contest was won by IrishCardinal who's winning caption generated four votes and finishing a close second was badmatty who's caption garnered three votes. We'll name the winner sometime tomorrow afternoon so think fast and get your caption and votes in quickly. The winner will receive bragging rights about all things Cardinals until the next 'caption this pic' contest. Instructions for recommending are after the jump. Enjoy.

To recommend a comment, all you have to do is click on the link that says "actions" under a comment and then "recommend." Got it?

Arizona Cardinals Weekly Flock: Everybody Loves Rankings Right Edition

Hawkwind — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:21:04 -0000

Positional QB Rankings - Essentially, the Cards are 1½ players deep at QB, led of course by the veteran Warner — coming off leading the Cards to their first Super Bowl appearance. Hall of Fame or not, even in his late 30s he delivers huge passing numbers (4,583 yards, 30 TDs in 2008). The big question: If Kurt got hurt last year, could Matt Leinart have led 'Zona to the Super Bowl? Likely not, though at least Leinart's working hard this offseason.
Defensive tackle rankings - Darnell Dockett analysis: He is quick and relentless and was a big reason whey the Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl. His contract issue is clouding things heading into this season.
Top 50 Players - One name on this year's list is sure to ignite the you-know-what storm. It's Andre Johnson, the Houston Texans receiver, who is fourth on my list. Some might say he's not even the best receiver in the league -- with Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald getting the nod -- but I beg to differ.
Dockett wants top-5 money - No real surprise here but via Twitter: "I want to thank Rod Woodson and @jamiedukes. For picking me in the NFL TOP 5 D-tackels "I wish I can get paid like the top 5"
NFL's top defensive tackles - Though he fails to play to his potential consistently, few defensive tackles are capable of taking over a game like Dockett, which makes his inclusion on this list mandatory.
Keyshawn Johnson on Anquan Boldin - "I keep seeing where Anquan Boldin wants to be traded from Arizona, or he wants to be paid like Larry Fitzgerald,'' Johnson said. "Anquan, you're a glorified T.J. Houshmandzadeh, so cut it out. They're the same player. You want $11 million? Why don't you take the $8 million they're offering and be happy? You're not Larry Fitzgerald.''
Rashad Johnson's Impact - The last two times the Cardinals have drafted a safety -- Antrel Rolle doesn’t count -- it came in the third round. Adrian Wilson turned out to be a pretty good pick. Rashad Johnson hopes people will one day say the same about him.
The fastest Card - Who ya got? Breaston or DRC? Oh wait, should Garvin be in the race as well?

Where did all the MLB's go? - Most impact NFL middle-linebackers today are either relics, such as Zach Thomas and Tedy Bruschi, or hybrids playing the inside-linebacker spot in the ever-popular 3-4 defense, like Karlos Dansby and Bart Scott.
Rookie revelations before training camp - The front runners for NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year are Arizona running back Chris Wells and Miami corner back Vontae Davis. Just an early guess on my part, but both players have the opportunity to shine early. The bruising Wells is the front runner to replace departed starting running back Edgerrin James in one of the NFL's most explosive offenses. Wells missed most of Arizona's off season program because of a league rule prohibiting participation from non-graduates if their college is in session, but the Ohio State product shouldn't have a problem catching up.
SI.com - The Fortunate 50 - #45 Antonio Smith - The former Cardinal was lured away from the defending NFC champs with a five-year deal that pays $15.5 million up front. That up front money means that only 44 other American athletes earned more money than the Strongest Right Arm in the NFL.
NFL overtime silent auction system? - No one seems to be satisfied with the NFL’s current “Win the coin toss, get the football” overtime system. I’ve been against changing it, though, mainly because I haven’t heard any ideas that I’ve liked better. Until today, anyway.

Arizona Cardinals Pre-Training Camp Roster Projections: Defensive Ends

Hawkwind — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:23:49 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

24 days ago: Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt watches his defense run drills during the NFL football team's minicamp Wednesday, June 10, 2009, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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We've looked at the Arizona Cardinals safeties, corner backs, inside linebackers and outside linebackers but today we move to the trenches and take a look at the defensive ends. The Redbirds biggest loss this off season Antonio Smith who flew the coup for the Houston Texans and $35 million over the course of five years. Other than Smith, the rest of the depth chart returns intact and the open spot looks like it will be filled by an internal candidate. Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are the projected starters and Dockett will be a key to the success of the defensive line. There are a couple of guys who are capable of playing both defensive end and tackle but we'll do our best to lay out all the possibilities.

Locks

Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema

On the Bubble

Keilen Dykes, Jason Banks

At best either Dykes or Banks will make the roster but it certainly won't be both, unless one of the top three is injured during camp. A couple of defensive line 'tweeners' like Bryan Robinson and Rodney Leslie could also see some time end and it's possible that one of them could end up being the fourth DE on the roster. I also wouldn't completely dimiss the idea of Alan Branch seeing some time at end during training camp. He's failed miserably at tackle so far but with his size he could be a decent option at end in non-passing situations and he's practiced at the position in the past. Just for the record, Dykes and Banks are both still eligible for the practice squad.

Keilen Dykes: It's no secret that ROTB has been one of Dykes biggest supporters since he was signed as a undrafted free agent last year. A quad injury limited him early in training camp last year and he was never quite able to get back up to speed. At West Virginia Dykes was a four year starter, team captain and first team All-Big East and he carries the reputation as a hard worker and a solid locker room presence. Most of Dykes experience has been at tackle but his size (6'3 294) is better suited at end in a 3-4. Dykes' best case scenerio for this season would be to earn a role in the defensive line rotation and give Dockett and/or Campbell a breather in non-passing situations.

Jason Banks: Banks is essentially in the exact same boat as Dykes considering that he's also an undrafted free agent from one year ago. Banks does have a slight size advantage over Dykes (6'5 300) and he's a better overall athlete but he's very raw. Coming out of Grambling State the book on Banks was that he'd been through four defensive line coaches in as many years so his technique was undeveloped. Banks spent last year on and off the Cardinals practice squad but he's got the physical tools to be an NFL player. It's just a matter of when or if his technique catches up to his physical talents. His best scenerio is the same at Dykes.

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If you don't think that Robinson or Leslie will figure into the mix at defensive end than the battle is simply Dykes versus Banks. If Robinson, Leslie or even Branch see extended time at end then Dykes and Banks could be fighting for nothing more than a spot on this year's practice squad. It's also worth mentioning that Iwebema's health will be something to watch in training camp. I know his operation went well and he's expected to make a full recovery but an operation on the chest area is still something that could linger. So who makes the cut and who gets their "walking papers?" Are you comfortable with the depth at end?

Informal: '09 NFC West Division Predictions

Hawkwind — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:38:23 -0000

It's the end of June and there's a number of factors still yet to be revealed about the rest of the competition this season, but what's your "gut" prediction for the final standings in the NFC West for 2009? List season record and divisional record and you can give an explanation or not — we'll re-examine these early predictions just before the season and give everyone an opportunity to explain any adjustments to their prediction at that time.

Arizona               10-6     4-2

San Francisco    9-7     4-2

Seattle                  8-8     3-3

St. Louis             5-11    1-5

Cards lose on the road to SF and Seattle; Niners lose to Cards and 'Hawks on road; Seattle loses to everyone on the road; Rams sneak one out against the 'Hawks at home. More importantly I have the Cards going 6-4 against the rest of the schedule which is a three-game improvement over last year and the kind of "progress" I expect to see out of this year's squad. As long as the Cards have one home playoff game I like their chances of making another long playoff run.

::pours the Maker's Mark in the Kool-aid:: Who's drinking?

Gregory Toler and his Future with the Arizona Cardinals

Hawkwind — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:20:47 -0000

We said it about a million times this off season but the Arizona Cardinals struggled to stop the opposition's passing game throughout the 2008 season and they've spent most of the off season trying to shore up and rebuild the secondary. Since that fateful game on the first day of February, the Cards have signed a big name free agent corner back (Bryant McFadden), released or didn't re-sign both of their opening day starters from one year ago (Rod Hood and Eric Green) and used two of their first four picks in April's draft on youngsters to add depth. The first of these two picks, Rashad Johnson, is an ball hawking safety from one of the biggest NFL football factories in the NCAA, but the Redbirds next selection was a player of a much lower profile.

Gregory Toler, a tall lanky corner back, is the first player to ever be drafted out of Saint Paul's College, a tiny D-II school tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southern Virginia. After poor grades in high school prevented him from a being recruited by any major colleges, Toler chose the Kurt Warner path the NFL, stocking shelves and sweeping the aisles at a local JC Penney. Toler eventually got back into the game via a small semi-pro league and caught the eye of St. Paul's defensive coordinator, Kevin Grisby. Grisby became a father figure to Toler, helping him with his grades as well as football, and Toler quickly became a stand out player. He'd go on to start 40 games at St. Paul's and set school records with 14 interceptions, 36 pass breakups and 50 passes defended. He'd receive All-CIAA first team honors twice and received All-American honors following his senior season. Despite a banner collegiate career, Toler wasn't invited to the combine and didn't generate a ton of interest leading up to the draft. That didn't stop the Cardinals from calling his name in the fourth round though with the 131st overall selection. Almost immediately after the Cardinals called Toler's name the comparisons to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie started. The physical similarities seems valid considering that both have good size and outstanding athleticism. Toler's listed as 5'11, 191 (vs. 6'2, 182 for DRC) and he reportedly ran his forty in the high 4.3's (vs. 4.3 for DRC), but what can we expect from Toler this season and in the future?

What to expect early on: Despite Toler's physical gifts, it's probably a mistake to expect anything more than quality special teams play early in his career. He's extremely raw and much like DRC, he'll have to get bigger and stronger before he's ready to match up against NFL receivers. One of Toler's biggest weaknesses at this point is his ability to diagnose plays, especially when in zone coverage, and that's an ability that will take time to learn. He's also got a habit of staring into the backfield, which at times can lead to interceptions or big plays for an opposing offense. Overall I'm reminded of what we said about DRC last year:

Rodgers-Cromartie most likely won't win any rookie of the year awards or lead the league in interceptions in 2008, but he got the athletic ability and mental make-up to be a top flight corner for years to come. If I had to make a projection right now, I'd guess that he'll have some moments where he looks like he doesn't belong in the league early in the season, but by the end of the year he'll likely pick up a handful of starts and show some significant signs of becoming a top tier cornerback.

The difference with Toler though is that it may take him a full year or even two to develop into an NFL quality cornerback. Toler's ceiling isn't expected to be as high as DRC's but luckily the Cardinals aren't expecting or really needing him to step into the starting line-up or even the nickel corner spot this season. The starting cornerbacks are set and with Antrel Rolle and Ralph Brown, Toler should be able to focus this season on special teams contributions and improving his craft during practice. With Brown on a one year deal, McFadden on a two year deal and Rolle's contract status somewhat up in the air, Toler's development could be the key to the future of the Cardinals secondary. That alone might be enough to keep the staff from rushing him along, but time will tell how his future plays out. For now, he's not intimated about facing the best group of wide receivers in the league during practice:

"It's still football, pigskin ball, played on green grass, same as it's been since I was six," he said. "I'm sure they'll get me a few times, but I'll learn as much as I can from them. Playing against them every day won't do anything but help me on Sunday."

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Toler's future certainly seems bright considering his constant comparisons to DRC and he's already turned some heads during OTA's, including Antrel Rolle's. What do you expect from Toler in 2009 and for the years to come? Is he a future starter or just a great athlete?

Pictures from azcardinals.com

Most Underrated or Overrated Arizona Cardinals of All-Time

Hawkwind — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:05:09 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Arizona Cardinals' safety, Adrian Wilson is the third most underrated player of this decade? (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

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Football Outsiders recently assembled a list of the 25 most overrated and 25 most underrated NFL players of the last decade and while you can't view the entire list unless you're an ESPN Insider, FO was kind enough to list the top ten from both sides. While I was fairly confident that the overrated list wouldn't contain any Arizona Cardinals, I was very interested to see if any of them made the cut on the underrated side. Sure enough, our very own Adrian Wilson was ranked as the third most underrated player of this decade. Others might have rounded out the overall 25, but alas I'm not an Insider so we'll be left to wonder (or at least wait until someone who is an insider has the kindness to post the complete lists).

Looking over the lists you'll find polarizing names like Michael Vick, Reggie Bush and DeAngelo Hall, but this got me thinking about what players would comprise a Cardinals-only Underrated/Overrated list. Feel free to make your list with as many names as you wish, for any time period or using any criteria you can come up with. So who do you think is underrated or overrated?

Arizona Cardinals Weekly Flock: Is it Time for Training Camp Yet Edition

Hawkwind — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:04:47 -0000

Mike Gandy's Future - Cardinals OLT Mike Gandy has a hefty cap figure of $5.8 million entering the final year of his contract, which could be lowered if the team chose to extend his current deal. But our sources in the desert believe the team is leaning toward allowing the ninth-year veteran to test the free-agent market next offseason, with former first-round pick Levi Brown moving from the right side to the left, and promising second-year pro Brandon Keith getting a shot at becoming the starting right tackle.

Moneyball, NFL style - I was able to get a look at some NFL Management Council figures on "committed cash," which is a fancy way of saying how much each team spent in actual dollars (not salary cap funny money) on player costs during a fixed period of time. In this case, we’re looking at the gross totals spent on salaries and bonuses to players for the past five seasons — from 2004-2008. (spoiler alert: The Cardinals can't be called cheap anymore.)

Dolphins among clubs supersizing cornerbacks - No regular starter was taller than 6 foot 2 last year, but the four listed at that height were Nnamdi Asomugha, Antonio Cromartie, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Ike Taylor. So that's the best in the business (Asomugha), the 2007 interception leader (Cromartie), a top rookie last year (Rodgers-Cromartie) and two Super Bowl starters (Rodgers-Cromartie, Taylor).

Redbirds fill out scouting department - The Cardinals filled the vacancies in their scouting staff Monday, officially announcing the hiring of Luke Palko and Chris Culmer. Culmer joins the Cards after spending the last nine seasons with NFC West rival Seattle, including the last five as a pro personnel assistant. Culmer will scout college players in the western region. He received an undergraduate degree in business from Washington State and a Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts. Palko, the younger brother of Cardinals quarterback Tyler Palko, spent the past two seasons as a scouting intern with the Steelers. His college scouting area will primarily be in the southeast and central regions of the country. Palko was the all-time leading receiver at Saint Francis (PA) in college, where he also got a degree in accounting.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Offensive Guards

Hawkwind — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:04:18 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui attempts to throw the ball to a teammate during practice at Cardinals mini-camp. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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We're still plowing through our weekly installments of position by position breakdowns of the NFC West (check out previous stories here) and today we finish our look at the big uglies. The Arizona Cardinals guards will finish up the offensive line and, as with the tackles, the starters are returning at guard and the depth behind them is, quite possibility, just as talented. How do they measure up against the rest of the NFC West though?

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals guards have the advantage of being dependable, experienced starters but the combo of Reggie Wells and Deuce Lutui don't exactly inspire a ton of confidence in the franchise's fans. Left guard Reggie Wells, quite possibility the best sixth round pick in franchise history, has started 74 games (including 48 consecutive) since being drafted in 2003 and is the type of player who does quite a bit of things well but doesn't excel in any area. Right guard Deuce Lutui, a second round pick from 2006, has been one of the more frustrating players to watch in recent years. He's started 40 games since being drafted but so far his reputation for picking up false starts and personal foul penalties far exceeds his instances of quality play. He improved during the second half of the 2008 season but if one of the 'starting five' from last year doesn't return to the starting lineup this season, it'll very likely be Lutui.

Providing depth at the guard position is a host of characters including Brandon Keith, Elton Brown, Herman Johnson and Trevor Canfield. Keith was drafted as a tackle and most expect him to end up outside eventually but he's been working behind Lutui this off season. The conspiracy theory, championed by yours truly, is that the coaching staff is hoping that Keith will take the starting job from Lutui this year before moving to one of the tackle spots in 2010. Keith, last year's seventh round pick, has drawn raves reviews since being drafted and he's got the size, strength and quickness to provide an upgrade at the position. Elton Brown has been the Cardinals top backup on the inside for several seasons and after getting no interest on the free agent market, he's back on a one year deal. Brown has competed with Lutui at right guard for two straight seasons and he has quite a few fans who think he could be just as effective, if not more, than Lutui. Herman Johnson, this year's fifth round pick, is currently working at right tackle after spending nearly his entire college career at guard. He might stay at tackle this season but if injuries strike and he's needed, I'm sure he'd slide down. Trevor Canfield, this year's seventh round pick, is primarily a guard, although he might see some time at center as well. The deck is stacked against him based on the amount of experienced depth ahead of him but some scouts had a third or fourth round grade on him coming out of Cincinnati.

Overall this group has a ton of depth and would be able to withstand one or even two significant injuries, but they don't have any one guy who stands above the rest as a really good player. Based on the starters I'd lean towards a C but when I consider all of the depth, I feel like they are much closer to a B.

San Francisco 49ers - Niners Nation

Although it's probably too soon to tell, the 49ers seem to be developing a solid pair of guards. In 2008 the team selected Chilo Rachal in the second round. After sitting on the bench during the tail end of the Mike Nolan era, Rachal was promoted into the starting lineup by newly minted head coach Mike Singletary. Singletary had been impressed with Rachal in practice and decided to throw him into the fire. Rachal had plenty of problems as a rookie, but he showed enough talent to secure a starting position in 2009, barring injury.

On the other side of the line, Dave Baas has also likely secured a starting spot for 2009. The former second round pick was on the bench behind Adam Snyder, but was promoted following the firing of Mike Nolan. Baas finished the season at left guard, while Snyder moved back over to his traditional tackle role. Snyder is likely going to battle Marvel Smith for playing time as a tackle this season. However, he can easily swing over to guard if there are any injury issues. Looking ahead, he might even get another crack to start at guard after this season. Baas is a free agent and 49ers GM Scot McCloughan has made it known that he is not a fan of investing large dollar figures in starting guards (see Smiley, Justin). However, for 2009, a healthy 49ers team would seem to be set at guard.

The 49ers have some undrafted free agents in camp, but in reality the only other backup option is Tony Wragge. Wragge is an all purpose backup who can play both center and guard. He won't win a job in training camp, but will provide solid support as a backup.

Overall, I'm going to go out on a limb and give the guards a B. Why higher than the tackles and first round talent Staley? Well, a lot of this depends on how Chilo Rachal continues to develop in his second season and I'm feeling quite optimistic about it. Baas will likely be starting from the get go meaning the line will have sufficient time to develop some solid chemistry, which is big for them. Consider this like the tackle position only rounding up from B-/C+ territory. Grade: B

St. Louis Rams - Turf Show Times

Starting at left guard for the Rams is 2008's big free agent acquisition, Jacob Bell. Signed away from the Titans, Bell dealt with a hamstring injury and watched his play fade down the stretch, to the point where when combined with the Rams' undersized centers Nick Leckey and Brett Romberg the middle of the line became a real liability. Part of the problem was that Bell played at 280 lbs last season, well below his listed weight of 296 lbs. Whether that was due to the hamstring injury or poor choices in an offseason conditioning program is irrelevant now, and the team was most relieved when Bell showed up for spring minicamps at 300 lbs, thanks to the addition of a personal chef. We should all be so lucky. Bell had a solid track record with the Titans, and will benefit greatly with the addition of C Jason Brown to his right.

On the right side is Richie Incognito, who earned a reputation as a bit of meat head last year thanks to some unpopular comments and gestures directed toward Rams fans...or the lack thereof. Meathead or not, Incognito is one of the nastiest players in the game and a tough blocker. He came apart mentally last year, racking up more than his share of dumb, costly penalties as his attitude unraveled along with the team's play. The coaching change should really benefit a talented Incognito, who constantly needs a hot burning fire under his posterior. He is, arguably, the Rams best lineman.

Behind those two, the Rams have some solid depth at G. John Greco, a third round pick from the 2008 draft, did nothing to hurt his standing with the team in nine appearances last year. Greco uses his size and athleticism well, but could stand to play a little tougher. Mark Setterstrom returns this season after having missed the entire 2008 season with a knee injury. Setterstrom was pressed into starting duty late in 2006, and played well enough to earn a starting job out of camp the next year before getting hurt in week 3. Prior to the 2008 season, he was expected to compete for the starting center job before a camp injury ended his season before it began. He's reportedly at 100%, but his injury history is a huge concern. Greco and Setterstrom are the primary backups at G, and the team is very happy to have them should injury again befall the middle of the offensive line. There's also the versatile Adam Goldberg (see our OT write up), who has filled in nicely at times on the left and right over the last few seasons.

The Rams also helped themselves by signing a couple of very interesting guard prospects among this year's crop of undrafted rookie free agents. Many were surprised when Western Missouri G Roger Allen was not drafted this year. An injury that prevented him from working out at the Combine, a rare invite in the first place for a Missouri Western State player, likely contributed to that. All Mountain West Conference guard Ray Feinga, from BYU, will also be competing for a spot on the depth chart, and has looked good in the no-pad practices of spring. Hopefully, these guys give the Rams that nice to have problem of too much of a good thing.

All in all, I give the Rams a B at guard. If Bell can play to expectations, this could be one really good unit.

Seattle Seahawks - Field Gulls

Seattle has no starting guards. It instead has the field. Let's twitterize them.

Mike Wahle: Once good and can still run block, but bad in pass-pro and broken down. Shoulder might fall off.

Rob Sims: Pec goes pop, Seahawks flop, this semi-promising guard fails to develop. Good pass-block, bad feet.

Mansfield Wrotto: Mean ass brother used to play DT and blocks like it. Tech coming, but until then: Smash.

Steve Vallos: Upside: Tom Ashworth.

Ray Willis: More valuable at tackle, but beggars can't be choosers.

Max Unger: Oh please God yes.

The best combination for Seattle would be Sims at right and Unger at left, with Willis filling in where necessary. Unger isn't very strong at the point, but he's extremely skilled and employs that skill to be viciously opportunistic. He times his blocks well to upend unbalanced opponents and for someone that rarely looked strong in pass pro, he gets a good number of knockdown blocks. He is, simply, good at football. He's also a pretty good athlete and should take well to Seattle's zone system. Sims may or may not. He had a nasty habit of tripping over his own feet in 2007. That earned the ire of Mike Holmgren and helped earn him a bad reputation among fans. He's very good in pass protection and at right guard maybe won't need to be terribly agile. He could also develop, because he's young, but boy could he have used last season, because on the move he's raw, raw, raw.

It's a less than the sum of its parts bunch, because there's very little stability and each has some fatal flaw that could prove their professional doom. Still, it's a talented bunch, with better, deeper talent than you'll find on many rosters, and that alone keeps this from being an "F". I'll grade them "D" knowing they could gel and be better, or they could flunk in shifts, giving Seattle a revolving door of failure the holiday season through.

The rankings were relatively easy with the only contention being the middle two slots. In the end we practically flipped a coin so consider the second and third teams in the rankings nearly interchangeable.

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Overall every team sounds like they have their own question marks and only the Rams are truly set at starter. How would you rank the Cardinals and do you agree that Keith could take the starting job from Lutui? Would that change your opinion of the position grade?

Arizona Cardinals Weekly Flock: Fantasy Football Edition

Hawkwind — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:24:16 -0000

The only saving grace of the NFL 'dead' month known as late June to late July is that now fantasy football news dominates the headlines. For some fans the fantasy side of the NFL has become just as enjoyable or popular as the actual game being played on the field. With that in mind, here's boat load of fantasy news related to the Cardinals:

From SI.com - Are there any backup QB's worth drafting - Normally it's a reach to spend a valuable draft selection on a player who is slated to carry a clipboard and wear a baseball cap, but in the case of Matt Leinart it might just be worth it. Remember last season when Warner took over, the underlying sentiment around the fantasy world was that it was just a matter of time before the oft-injured oldster would find his way back to the bench, clearing the way for the quarterback of the future. That didn't happen last year, but Leinart is again just one big hit away from having the receiving corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, and the huge fantasy numbers they contribute, at his disposal.
From SI.com - Should a Third WR ever be taken over a #1 Wide Out - Third-string wideout Steve Breaston caught 77 balls for 1,006 yards in '08, a better output than the WR1 of 12 other teams.
Fantasy Impact of Warner returning to the desert - For both real-life and fantasy purposes, Warner made the right choice returning to the Cards. He'll continue to play in an up-tempo, pass-first offense that fits his abilities perfectly and won't have to worry about learning a new scheme or meshing with different players in this late stage of his career. He'll also get to keep throwing to the best receiver in the game today, Larry Fitzgerald.

Fantasy Impact of first and second round players - Things couldn't have worked out any better for the Cardinals, who get their back of the future without having to trade up. Wells is a big, powerful runner who also has the speed to break away from defenders in space. He should immediately become Arizona's starter, handling the bulk of carries on first and second down and maybe some goal-line work, although it's possible Tim Hightower could be inserted in short-yardage situations. As 2009 rookies go, few, if any, landed in a better spot to contribute right away than Wells.
2009 Offensive Team Rankings - AZ comes in at #6 - Addition of RB Wells should give them a more complete offense which is quite scary since their passing game was basically unstoppable in 2008.
2009’s Contract Year Players - Steve Breaston (RFA) - Breaston established himself as one of the best slot receivers in football last season, and he was one of the Cardinals' three 1000+-yard beasts at the WR position. Of course, Breaston benefits from playing with two elite players at the position, and it'd be unrealistic at best to expect another campaign like the one he had last year. But the fact of the matter is that he's probably already earned a raise over the 460k he's going to make this season, and he could receive significantly more than that if he produces big numbers again and the Cardinals' relationship with Anquan Boldin truly is irreparable.
OL Previews - T Mike Gandy and G Reggie Wells are the best along the front. Gandy has played well in his two seasons in Arizona, often facing the other team's best rusher. Wells is a physical run blocker. C Lyle Sendlein sometimes has a hard time holding up against the league’s bigger interior defensive lineup. He's a bit undersized, but he improved as the season progressed. The right side of G Deuce Lutui and T Levi Brown is solid and played better in the second half of the season. G/T Elton Brown is a suitable backup, but he tends to gain weight when he's not playing. Ts Brandon Keith and Elliot Vallejo are projects, while C Pat Ross was just an insurance policy.
2009 Team Defenses - Arizona ranked #11 - While their numbers don’t really jump off the page, the Cardinals actually finished the 2008 season in the top-10 in terms of fantasy points. The team finished in the middle of the pack in both sacks and interceptions – and they gave up the 5th-most points – but thanks to five defensive TDs, they were still a serviceable fantasy defense, and one with upside each week. Now that CB Eric Green is gone, playmaker Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is the unquestioned starter, a role he took over halfway through last season. CB Bryant McFadden (who will start) and SS Keith Lewis will add some needed depth to a secondary that finished 22nd against the pass, giving up a league-high 36 TDs and registering only 13 INTs. But they are still a little thin in the secondary and need a good nickel corner. They haven’t done much to upgrade a D-line that finished 16th against the run, and they lost some veterans, plus they could have a contract problem with LB Karlos Dansby.
NFL position battles - Tim Hightower vs. Chris Wells - Hightower was a pleasant surprise for the team last season, but the coaching staff got down on him because of his inconsistency. His yards per carry steadily dropped as the weeks progressed. The team decided that it had to upgrade their RB position and did that with its No. 1 pick in April’s draft with Wells, who is expected to start. Hightower could see time in some passing situations, but look for him to see just 5-7 touches/game, at best, with Wells handling most of the touches.

Does Greg Jennings New Contract Have Any Effect on Anquan Boldin?

Hawkwind — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:17:08 -0000

Perhaps it's the world we live in that we have to keep one eye on our own and one eye on everyone else, but the first thing I thought of when I heard that Greg Jennings got the new contract that he's been lobbying for is, will it effect Anquan Boldin? In case you missed it, Jennings' contract is a four year deal worth $27.535 million with $15 million guaranteed with an additional three million avaliable via incentives. That averages to almost seven million season at the original amount or just over seven and a half million if he reaches his incentives. Jennings was entering the final year of his rookie contract and was scheduled to make $535,000.

Jennings, of course, isn't on the same level as Boldin but his contract is still pretty significant considering that he could make as much as $7.6 million per season. It's possible that Boldin could see that number and consider it the baseline for his demands. Boldin's first three years on the league were much more productive than Jennings and their overall numbers really aren't comparable outside of touchdowns. All of that points to the idea that Boldin wouldn't accept a contract for similar dollars.

If you were Boldin would you accept a similar deal or would this deal push your demands very close to or over eight million per season?