The 2010 free agency period began as the clock struck midnight on Friday, and as far as departures go, things didn’t go well for the two-time NFC Western Division champion Arizona Cardinals.
Linebacker Karlos Dansby, in what was the worst kept secret in the world, signed an enormous deal with the Miami Dolphins. Dansby inked a 5-year $43 million deal with Miami on Friday. Dansby is guaranteed $22 million, and the new pact makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the National Football League. Yes, he’ll make more than Ray Lewis. More than Jonathan Vilma. More than Brian Urlacher. The funny thing is, especially for people who will call the Cardinals cheap for not re-signing Dansby, is that last season he was the 2nd-highest paid linebacker in the league, behind only Urlacher.
Antrel Rolle got an almost laughable deal from the New York Giants–a 5-year, $37 million deal that includes $15 million in guaranteed money. Not bad for a player who nearly played his way out of the league in his first couple of seasons at cornerback for the Cardinals.
Still, the Cardinals were willing to match any offer the Giants made to Rolle, who decided that New York (or New Jersey, I guess) felt like home. Rolle will be line up next to Kenny Phillips, a Giants safety, who, like Rolle, played his college ball at the University of Miami.
It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to find Rolle’s replacement, as they traded two draft picks to the New York Jets for safety Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes is a more affordable option at safety, and during his career, has produced more quarterback sacks, more interceptions, more forced fumbles, more fumble recoveries and has more tackles than Rolle. Both players were drafted in 2005 (Rolle went 8th overall, while Rhodes went 123rd).
And then on Friday afternoon, the Cardinals finally unloaded wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two draft picks, a third rounder and a fourth rounder in April’s draft.
The consensus among fans that I’ve talked to is similar to Rob Schneider’s Townie character in the movie “The Waterboy”. When “Townie” finds out that Bobby Boucher won’t play in the Bourbon Bowl, and instead will sit at his supposedly ailing mother’s bedside, he blurts out “Oh no! We suck again!”
Call me crazy, but I’m not that worried–at least when it comes to these three departures.
Dansby is a solid linebacker, there’s no question about that. He’s a sure tackler, missing only 5 tackles all of 2009, according to ProFootballFocus.com. He’s led the Cardinals in tackles in each of the last two seasons. But is he worth $43 million? I don’t think so. There’s other inside linebackers available via free agency, and there’s plenty available in the draft, like Alabama’s Rolando McClain (who will likely be gone by the Cardinals’ first round pick), Florida’s Brandon Spikes, Micah Johnson of Kentucky and Iowa’s Pat Angerer.
Rolle is now the highest-paid safety in the history of the National Football League, yet when the season ended, he wasn’t even the Cardinals’ best safety. He is no doubt electric with the ball in his hands, but he only touched it 12 times last season. He’s a pretty good tackler, and as he showed in his days at corner, a sub-par cover man.
I’ve also heard the argument that the Cardinals are losing players from a defense that wasn’t very good in ‘09, especially in their two playoff games. Well, maybe that’s a good thing. The Cardinals were skewered for 90 points and nearly 900 yards in their two playoff games last season. And let’s not forget that the three most important players on the defensive side of the ball are still wearing red–defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, safety Adrian Wilson and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
On the offensive side of the football, Boldin is now finally an ex-Cardinal after two full years of squabbles and rumors. Boldin, by virtue of his toughness on the football field, and his ability to run after the catch is probably my all-time favorite Cardinals player. But guess what? He won’t be missed that much either. The Cardinals still have the best receiver in football in Larry Fitzgerald, a second receiver in Steve Breaston who already has a 1,000-yard season to his credit, and Early Doucet, who really came on late in ‘09, especially in the playoff win over the Packers when he had 6 catches for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns.
With Kurt Warner also gone, Matt Leinart will take the reins of the offense, meaning the throw first, run later approach is history. The Cardinals offense will be run-oriented with Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower carrying the bulk of the load. Leinart will be asked to be a game manager, and still has weapons to throw to when the situation arises.
Can you imagine how difficult Boldin would be to deal with in 2010, when he wasn’t getting the ball thrown to him? Like it or not, he will be remembered as the player who bellyached to then-offensive coordinator Todd Haley about not being on the field during the Cardinals NFC winning drive against the Eagles in January ‘09. He’s the player who bolted off the field while his teammates were celebrating a franchise first in a torrential downpour of red and white confetti. Something tells me he wouldn’t be all that happy (again) here next year anyway–and the Cardinals were able to get two picks which will turn into players that will immediately help in 2010.
All three of these players were good Cardinals, and key cogs to Arizona making their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl after the 2008 season. But that was then.
It was time to move on, and the Cardinals were right to do so in all three cases.
First off, everyone breath. If you’re reading media reports, you’re hearing doomsday for the Cardinals - it’s not. In fact, some moves truly benefit the Cardinals in the long run.
So what are the moves?
1. Anquan Boldin is traded to the Baltimore Ravens (with a Cardinals 5th round pick) for the Ravens 3rd and 4th round picks.
2. Karlos Dansby leaves the Cardinals in Free Agency and signs with the Miami Dolphins for $43 million in five years, making him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL.
3. Antrel Rolle leaves the Cardinals in Free Agency and signs with the New York Giants for $37 million in five years.
So what is the reality with these situations? Well, as always, there is good and bad, but considering the circumstances, more good than bad as far as I’m concerned. Mike Sando makes the point in his blog on ESPN.com that the circumstances were avoidable. Well, sure…hindsight’s always 20/20. But the circumstances are still the circumstances and the present organization can’t deal in what-if’s. The current organization is dealing in the here and now and doing the best with what they have to work with.
For what it’s worth, here’s my take: The Cardinals have proven over and over again that there isn’t much drop-off without Boldin in the lineup. The depth in the wide receiver position is such that receivers cut by the Cardinals in training camp end up playing for other NFL teams. And though 3rd and 4th round draft picks don’t look like much when thrown around in trade talks, the picks are actually perfectly placed for the Cardinals. Because the Ravens were picking directly before the Cardinals, Arizona now gets to pick twice in a row in both the 3rd and 4th rounds…that is significant. Taking two players at a time in the critical 3rd and 4th rounds is golden and I expect Whisenhunt and crew to make the most of it. Look for one value and one need with the 1-2 in each round.
As far as Dansby is concerned, he’s not worth what he is being paid. Period. He’s a leader. Okay. But there are inside linebackers that can fill his shoes. Does Dansby’s departure make inside linebacker a more pressing need? Sure. But it also gives the Cardinals the freedom to pick up a free agent due to the “Final Eight” rule. With a couple of safeties, some defensive linemen, and a quarterback or two still available, the Cardinals probably won’t waste the opportunity to pick someone up for much cheaper than what the Dolphins ridiculously paid for Dansby. You heard it hear first: Karlos Dansby WILL be a disappointment in Dolphin-ville.
Maybe the most surprising and hardest hitting loss so far (not counting Warner to retirement) is Antrel Rolle. The Cardinals were already hurting at the safety position, so this one definitely stings. I truly believe this is the Cardinals biggest need (it was high even before the loss of Rolle) and think that if Kyle Wilson is on the board at #26, the Cardinals should take him. He’s not a safety, but a good cornerback can make a bad safety look better. Wilson and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could be a pretty frightening duo.
Free agency will continue. And the offseason has really only just begun. Don’t listen to the naysayers and doomsday predictions until we get to see all the pieces fall into place. If there’s one thing Coach Whisenhunt and Rod Graves have proven, it’s that they don’t make one move without another move in mind. Have faith, Big Red.
The ASU junior got hot at the right time, hitting three three-pointers in a stretch that saw a 2-point Sun Devil deficit turn into a 9-point lead.
Abbott finished with a game-high 19 points, the 14th time he’s scored in double figures in his last 16 games.
Glasser was not to be outdone. After a very quiet first half, the senior point guard looked to score a little more after halftime, pumping in 8 points, including a 35-footer right before the shot clock blew up with 1:31 left to go in the game. Glasser’s trey stretched the Sun Devil lead to 9 points.
The pair also combined for 10 assists and just three turnovers for ASU, and played stellar defense as well. The Sun Devil guards held Oregon’s Tajuan Porter and Matthew Humphrey to 4 of 20 shooting on the night.
Arizona State pushed their record to 18-8 overall, and 8-5 in Pac-10 play, good for sole possession of 2nd place in the conference, just one game behind Cal. The Sun Devils visit the Golden Bears in Berkeley in two weeks.
Glasser and Abbott spoke to the media following the game, and talked about the Sun Devils’ defensive effort, their slow start, and the importance of their upcoming games.
Glasser and Abbott talk to the media following ASU’s win over Oregon
Greg Esposito sits in with me for the Monday edition of “The Show To Be Named Later” here on Fanster.com, and there’s a plethora of things to talk about…
Segment 1 (0:00) - Now that it’s official, Greg and I talk about Kurt Warner’s classy retirement speech on Friday (seriously, it was way better than Conan O’Brien’s goodbye as he was being forcefully escorted off of NBC property) and we discuss the other ramifications about #13 hanging up the cleats.
Segment 2 (22:44) - Just when you thought it was safe to start digging a grave for the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns, they start showing signs of life. Amare scores 36 and Steve Nash hands out 16 assists in a nice overtime win over Houston on Sunday. But the Amare trade rumors persist (where there’s smoke, there’s fire), so Greg and I talk about STAT’s future with the team.
Segment 3 (41:34) - The rebuilding U of A Wildcats find themselves in first place in the Pac-10 halfway through the conference season after their win over Cal on Sunday. Is this a sign that Sean Miller has the magic touch already or that the conference is really that bad?
Show To Be Named Later 2/1/10 - Life without Kurt begins
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Coyotes captain Shane Doan had 3 goals, 6 assists and a +5 rating as Phoenix went 4-0-0 last week, strengthening their grip on a Western Conference playoff spot.
For his performance, Doan was today named the NHL’s First Star of the Week, beating out Ottawa goalie Brian Elliott who went 3-0 with a shutout last week, and Nicklas Backstrom of Washington who had 2 goals and 7 assists for the red-hot Caps.
On Sunday, after the Dallas Stars had scored to pull to within one at 3-2, Doan silenced the crowd just :11 later, beating Dallas goalie Alex Auld with a slap shot to pad the Coyotes’ lead once again.
Doan’s recent play has certainly caught the eye of head coach Dave Tippett. “He had chances like this early in the year and they just weren’t going in for him. Now they’re going in and that’s a great sign for us,” Tippett said Sunday.
For the year, Doan has 17 goals and 26 assists for a team-leading 43 points.
Keith Yandle snuck behind the Dallas defense and took a cross-ice pass from Shane Doan, then beat Stars’ goalie Alex Auld for the first goal of the game at 4:41 of the first period.
Big deal, right?
Actually it is. Yandle’s goal was his 10th of the season, and the 34th goal by a Coyotes’ defenseman during the 2009-10 campaign–a figure that is far and away the most in the NHL this year.
Chicago, Los Angeles and Vancouver have 27 goals apiece from their blue liners.
Last season, the Coyotes got only 30 from their corps of defenseman all season.
Keep in mind that Yandle and the Coyotes have done this in only 56 games, and they have a chance to have three defenseman end up in double figures in the goals category before the season is through. Ed Jovanovski needs just one to reach the mark, and Adrian Aucoin will reach double digits with just three more tallies.
The more offensive minded defense has been a godsend for the Coyotes, who don’t have any forwards ranked in the top 30 in goal scoring in the league.
From Waste Management Phoenix Open Media Relations
PHOENIX, Ariz. – 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman David Rauch announced today that 2004 FBR Open champion Jonathan Kaye will receive the third sponsor exemption for the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Billy Mayfair and Rickie Fowler received the first two tournament exemptions. Rauch and the tournament host Thunderbirds will hand out a total of eight sponsor exemptions for the tournament, scheduled to be played at the TPC Scottsdale, February 22 – 28.
“Jonathan is a great champion of this tournament and we are happy to offer him an exemption to play in our 2010 tournament,” said Rauch. “He’s been battling some injuries the last couple of years but hopefully this can springboard him to a great 2010 season.”
Kaye has two victories in his 14-year PGA TOUR career, including the 2003 Buick Championship to go along with his FBR Open title in 2004. He played on a Medical Extension in 2009 and needed to earn $743,805 in 13 events to earn status for the remainder of the year, but he made just 8 cuts and earned $240,000 in 13 events.
Kaye finished T25 at last year’s FBR Open, and has made the cut in seven of 12 appearances at the TPC Scottsdale.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open will be played February 22 – 28, 2010, at the TPC Scottsdale. The tournament host Thunderbirds have raised more than $65.9 million for charities, with more than $37.9 million generated since 2004. The 2010 edition will mark the 75th playing of the event, making it one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR (not including the major championships). Title sponsor Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. For more information on Waste Management visit wm.com or thinkgreen.com. For more information on the Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit wmphoenixopen.com.
The Arizona State Sun Devils wrapped up the first half of the Pac-10 schedule by splitting a pair with the Northern California schools–falling 78-70 against Cal on Thursday, and then riding Ty Abbott’s hot shooting to an 88-70 win over Stanford.
So, with 9 conference games (pre-Pac-10 Tournament) left, the Devils find themselves with more wins than any other Pac-10 team (15-7), and tied for 2nd place in the conference at 5-4.
If ASU can match their first half results in the second half, they’ll finish 10-8 in conference and have 20 wins heading into the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles in March. Not too bad for a team that lost two players to the NBA after last season, huh?
But it’s not all rosy. For the first time this season, there are questions about the Sun Devils defense. ASU started the recently-completed three-game homestand ranked number one in the nation in scoring defense. After allowing 70 or more points in three straight games, they’re now ranked 5th. Seven different players scored 20 or more points against ASU during their stay in Tempe.
But for the struggles on defense, there are signs of the Sun Devils’ offense picking up. In their last two games, ASU has averaged 79 points per game, and has shot 48% from the field.
Here’s how the Sun Devils fared individually last weekend…
Ty Abbott: Abbott is playing his best basketball as a Sun Devil as of late. In the games against Cal and Stanford, Abbott averaged 24.5 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists per game. His early shooting against Stanford on Saturday had people reminiscing about Eddie House’s 61-point performance back in 2000. Any signs of the shooting slump that plaged Abbott during most of his sophomore season are gone.
Eric Boateng: It wasn’t Abbott, Rihards Kuksiks or Derek Glasser that led ASU back from a double digit deficit in the second half against Cal on Thursday–it was Boateng. The senior from London thru Duke scored 9 points in a stretch that saw the Cal lead shrink from 12 to 1. For the weekend, Boateng averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks while shooting 67% from the field.
Derek Glasser: It was kind of a strange weekend for Glasser, who didn’t play well Thursday against Cal, scoring just 4 points in 28 minutes. He sat for a long stretch of the second half when ASU was forging their comeback. Head coach Herb Sendek was asked if Glasser was struggling, and his one-word response was “yes”. When asked what the reason was, Sendek replied, “I don’t know”.
Sendek then decided to make a change in the starting lineup for Saturday, inserting freshman Demetrius Walker into the point guard spot, and sitting Glasser, who saw his streak of 54 straight starts snapped. Glasser didn’t shoot much better in the win vs. Stanford, hitting just 1 of 6 shots–but he did dish out 10 assists and hit 10 of 12 from the free throw line. For the weekend, Glasser averaged 8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists on 20% shooting from the field.
Rihards Kuksiks: Kuksiks had an o.k. weekend, averaging 10.5 points on 44.4% shooting. He connected on 5 of 12 three-point attempts, but didn’t get to the free throw line once in the two games, and averaged only 2.5 rebounds.
Trent Lockett: Lockett has recaptured his early season swagger that had many (including ESPN’s Dick Vitale) drooling over his potential. Lockett averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting a respectable 55.6% from the field. He’s no longer settling for threes, instead using his slashing ability to get to the rim, as evidenced by his 16 free throw attempts this weekend.
Jamelle McMillan: Did not play. Has missed the last four games with plantar fascitis in his left foot.
Ruslan Pateev: Played a total of 11 minutes off the bench, totaling 2 points, 3 rebounds and one blocked shot.
Taylor Rohde: Rohde has seemingly fallen out of favor, and been passed in the rotation by Pateev. The sophomore from Phoenix did not play Thursday vs. Cal, but got 6 minutes in the win over Stanford, and had 1 point.
Victor Rudd: Rudd played 6 minutes off the bench against Cal, and was on the floor during ASU’s comeback. The freshman made the most of his time as well, scoring 5 points, grabbing 2 rebounds and coming up with a steal. But curiously, he didn’t see any time in Saturday’s win over Stanford.
Jerren Shipp: The senior played 11 minutes in each game, but didn’t score, going 0 for 3 from the field.
Demetrius Walker: Walker played 20 minutes vs. Cal, his longest stint since the season-opening win over Western Illinois, but struggled in the shooting department, going 0 for 7 from the field. But he did do a nice job on defense, playing out in front of the matchup zone. Walker got his first collegiate start on Saturday, and scored 5 points, while grabbing 2 rebounds and handing out 1 assist.
Word has come down from the Phoenix Coyotes today that Scottie Upshall has a torn ACL and out indefinitely. You can pretty much bet that Upshall will be out for most, if not all, of the rest of the regular season as recovery time for ACL injuries is around 6 months.
Todd Walsh of Fox Sports Arizona brought up a good question not too long ago on his Twitter account:
So, what does Don Maloney do?
The first logical move is to not make a move for the next few games to see if anyone on the roster steps up and fills in this role (Mueller or Pyatt anyone?)
If no one can step up over the next 2 to 5 games it’s time to bring in a player who can. Wouldn’t Edmonton Oilers forward Dustin Penner look good in a Coyotes uniform?
Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune brought up a good point just now on his Twitter account:
With Scottie Upshall out with a knee injury, I’m betting the Phoenix Coyotes look to sign Petr Sykora
That’s a good idea that would fit in the model of Don Maloney’s franchise model. However, if he doesn’t have speed, this may not be a player worth looking at.
These will be an interesting next few weeks for all Coyotes fans to watch and see what happens.
Geez Marotta, you’ve got a face for radio and a body for a website.
Be that as it may, Joe Dana had me on as a guest this morning on 12 News to discuss the retirement of Kurt Warner, the reaction of Valley fans and what this will mean for the Cardinals. And speaking of athletes leaving town, we even sneak in a little Amare Stoudemire talk.
Enjoy– and thanks to 12 News for having me on the air once again–even if they spelled my name wrong on their on-screen graphic. At least they got Fanster.com right!!
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The 2010 free agency period began as the clock struck midnight on Friday, and as far as departures go, things didn’t go well for the two-time NFC Western Division champion Arizona Cardinals.
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