When Kurt Warner retired after the Arizona Cardinals playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints, it meant that the team would not only be in search of a new starting quarterback, but also a new face of the franchise.
Everyone knew that the quarterback situation would be up in the air until training camp, but the new face of the franchise seemed like a lock.
After his breakout season in 2008 and with numerous endorsements, including the cover of EA Sports Madden NFL ‘10, Larry Fitzgerald would have seemed to be the odds-on favorite. If Vegas put prop best on things like this (I checked, unfortunately they don’t), Fitzgerald would have been the 1/1 favorite with everyone else a very distant second.
Sports are all about upsets, and like in Super Bowl III, a brash young man, not afraid to speak his mind is about to pull one.
Cards defensive end Darnell Dockett, or 9-0 as he likes to be called, has emerged as the new “voice” of the team.
Need a comment on the trade for Kerry Rhodes? 9-0 is your man.
Wooing free agents to come to the desert and be part of the “Bird Gang”? Dockett has a few suggestions he’d like to share (Joey Porter seems to be his top priority.).
Since Warner’s retirement we’ve heard very little from most of the players on the team, Fitzgerald included. During that same time, Dockett hasn’t shied away from the spotlight. He’s done radio interviews locally and nationally. He’s been on CBSSports.com’s video show, along with sharing his uncensored opinions and offseason employment ideas via Twitter.
When the national media was ready to bury the Cardinals after Boldin, Dansby and Rolle all flew the coop last Friday, Dockett not only shared his truthful opinion on the moves, but was the first to defend his team and proclaim them still the team to beat in the NFC West.
With the bearded one under center, there was no question who the alpha “bird” was and there was no question what would come out of his mouth. Warner was a media relations director’s best friend. He gave thoughtful, insightful answers, rarely ruffled feathers (just let me know when the bird cliches are getting old) and rarely provided bulletin board material for the rest of the league.
If the current trend continues and 9-0 is the new face and voice of the franchise, the Cardinals are about to enter a brave new world, Darnell Dockett’s world. A world in which cliches and double speak aren’t welcome. One where those without confidence better not show up on Sundays, where winning is everything and freedom of speech is the only rule (as long as you’re a Cardinal).
Get excited, this isn’t your “same old Cardinals”. These birds have more attitude than the cast of Jersey Shore at 4 a.m. on a Saturday. It’s only appropriate that the new face of the team, is the same face that gave us one of the best pictures in team history.
Fitz may still have the most skills and endorsements, but it’s Darnell Dockett who has everyone’s attention.
Matt Leinart is going to have to compete to be the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in 2010. That’s not my opinion, it’s the opinion of head coach Ken Whisenhunt.
Whisenhunt told XTRA Sports 910’s Bickley and MJ yesterday that he wasn’t ready to name Matt Leinart the starter but that he has “a great deal of confidence” in him.
Much has been made about the comment but it really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Whisenhunt rarely names starters before the preseason is underway. Leinart knows that first hand. In 2008 the Whiz let held an open competition between him and Kurt Warner for the starting job even though Warner threw more touchdown passes the previous season (Hat Tip to Darren Urban). Whisenhunt is kind of like the Elin Nordegren of NFL coaching, he gives millionaire players a chance no matter how bad they’ve been in the past.
While a quarterback competition is obviously on the docket –should it be spelled dockett when talking about the Cards?–, there is one problem, Leinart is the only QB on the roster. Although many will argue that Leinart has been in competition with himself and his potential for years, Rod Graves and Whisenhunt will need to add at least one veteran quarterback with experience as a starter this off season.
Names like David Carr –recently signed by the 49ers to mentor Alex Smith on the finer points of being a big time number 1 pick bust– , Jake Delhome, Marc Bulger and Charlie Batch have all been mentioned as possible competitors for Leinart. The problem is, Delhome and Bulger are older injury prone quarterbacks past their prime and I’m not sure Charlie Batch ever had a prime. He hasn’t started more than two games in a season since Jake Plummer was the Cardinals Quarterback (2001) and he promptly went 0-9 for the lowly Lions.
If the Cards want an actual competition and not one just in theory –like any reality show on television–, they’ll have to turn to someone who doesn’t have one foot in their preverbal NFL grave (Sorry Cards’ fans, Whisenhunt and Graves were only allotted one miracle QB resurrection but they can still turn Gatorade into wine if you’d like).
There is one name on my list –which ironically was the case for most of my birthday guest lists as a child– and that guy is Derek Anderson.
Anderson, who was recently released by the Cleveland Browns, came into the league the same season as Leinart, started more games than him, has shown more potential and even played in a Pro Bowl. He has thrown for over 7,000 career yards and has 46 touchdowns.
Overall Anderson’s numbers don’t look significantly better than Leinart’s, but that’s before you take into consideration that he played for the Cleveland Browns. Not only did he have to deal with the elements in Cleveland but his best receivers in his time there were Joe Jurevicius, Donte Stallworth and Braylon Edwards (whose vast potential was outweighed only by the vast number of easy catches he dropped). Oh that and he had to live in Cleveland and deal with Cleveland fans for four seasons.
I’m not saying that Anderson would automatically be better than Leinart. I’m not even saying that he’d be the starter come September. What I am saying is that Anderson could offer the most competition of any quarterback on the market and, if he did prove to be worthy of the starting job, he is young enough to be part of the team’s future.
If the stats weren’t compelling enough to consider Anderson, his quotes, written in an e-mail to a Cleveland paper, after being released by the Browns certainly were (a paper that is most certainly on it’s way to lining the floor of the “Dawg Pound” next season).
“The fans are ruthless and don’t deserve a winner. I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured. I know at times I wasn’t great. I hope and pray I’m playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them.”
Even his “apology” was great.
“This was out of character for me. I wasn’t taken out of context but I was speaking with frustration.”
I don’t know about you, but a guy willing to be honest and show some fire is a guy that I want on my team. It’s a rare thing in sports that a guy will speak his mind and vehemently express a desire to prove his doubters wrong. That kind of passion is exactly the kind of thing that would create the kind of competition the Cardinals need to find the successor to Kurt Warner. Plus, if the Cardinals sign Anderson and Joey Porter to go along with Darnell Dockett and Kerry Rhodes, they’ll create competition in the NFL for the team with the best post game sound bytes.
Anderson’s proven on the field that he has what it takes to be a good NFL quarterback, more than can be said for Leinart. His 2007 season, 10-5 record with over 3,700 yards, 29 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl appearance, showed he has the talent. If there ever was a coaching staff that could help him cultivate it, it’s this one. (They just turned Antrel Rolle from first round cornerback bust, to highest paid free safety. They can do anything.)
That talent, or at least the threat of it, could also push Leinart to new levels. A situation that would benefit everyone involved.
The Cardinals can’t fulfill Anderson’s prayer of playing Cleveland, at least not this season, but if they’re smart, they’ll give him a chance at some serious playing time under center.
The Arizona Cardinals sure won’t look much like the team that took the field the past several seasons out in the desert. Gone are Kurt Warner to retirement, Anquan Boldin via trade, and more recently, defensive stalwarts Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle to free agency. Dansby is heading down to South Beach to play with the Dolphins while Rolle will be teaming up with fellow Miami Hurricane product Kenny Phillips in the the New York Giants defensive backfield. Rolle signed a 5-year $37 million dollar contract with the Giants with $15 million dollars in guarantees. The deal makes him the highest paid safety in the NFL.
Rolle joined Mike Francesca on WFAN in New York to talk about his exciting weekend, why he chose the Giants over the other potentially interested teams, his preliminary meetings with Giants coach Tom Coughlin, why the Giants organization just seems to be a little bit more ‘first class’ than the Cardinals, and why he’s excited to team up with fellow safety Kenny Phillips in the Giants secondary.
On being the highest paid safety in the National Football League:
“Oh, man, it was a great weekend. I’m very pleased with the decision I made and the opportunity I got to be a New York Giant.”
On why he chose New York amongst what had to have been several potential suitors:
“When I went to New York, I got the same feeling I got when I was being recruited out of high school to the University of Miami. It’s just a feeling of feeling like this is where you belong. It’s just a feeling of comfort and feeling like that’s where you need to be. I think I made a pretty good decision when I atteneded the University of Miami and I’m just following my gut instinct and I became a New York Giant. So I think it’s going to work out for the best. I’m pretty sure it will.”
On his big pick against the New York Giants last year:
“Oh that was a great game, probably one of the most exciting games of the 2009 season, besides the Green Bay playoff game of course. But it was a great night, you go into the Meadowlands, you’re playing against in my eyes what I thought was the number two team in the NFL at the time. You just had to go in there with your head forward; it was going to be a battle. And we knew it was going to be a battle for a full 60 minutes, and that’s exactly what it turned into. We just happened to come out on top that day. But it was a turn, you know, I’m a Giant now, and I’m definitely going to bring that same intensity and attitude and even more playmaking to the Giants.”
On if he had a chance to meet with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and on what they talked about if so:
“Coughlin pretty much sat me down and told me eye to eye that he wants me to be that guy, to be that leader that he knows I can be. Lead by example, and pretty much bring that intensity, bring that attitude and that swagger to the defensive backfield. Just be myself. He told me to bring my A game every day, and just to be a leader. That’s something that I am already. There wasn’t anything he was asking that can’t be delivered on my behalf.”
On taking his game to the NFC East:
“Hey, be your best. There’s definitely more competition in the NFC East, and if I know myself pretty well, I know I shine a little bit better when the lights shine a little bit brighter.”
Before I begin with the part that I imagine that most people care about (the sports stuff), I wanted to be a bit self-indulgent to begin, as this is my first official post for Fanster. I am new to this sports outlet and new at writing about sports, but I am not new to Phoenix sports fandom. I am a 33 year-old native of Mesa. I am a husband, a father of four, and I work in a field unrelated to the world of sports. I have lived through the peaks (few) and valleys (many) of loving my local teams. I would like to share my experience as a man passionate about my teams, yet having to temper that with things of greater value- family (and the things that accompany it, like work and American Idol) and faith. I hope to inform, provoke thought and debate, and maybe even entertain a little. Thanks for bearing with this selfish stuff, and on to the stuff you care about- your teams. So…
Friday was a bad day to be a fan of the Cardinals. The weird thing is that nothing that happened was surprising: Anquan Boldin’s trade was two years in the making, I think everyone expected Karlos Dansby to leave, and while Antrel Rolle’s signing with the Giants was surprising, the surprise was not that he signed with them, but that he (not Darren Sharper, Bob Sanders, Ed Reed, Adrian Wilson, Troy Polamalu, Nick Collins, or Brian Dawkins) is now the highest paid safety in NFL history. Combine these with Kurt Warner’s retirement (which, as we remember, was not all that surprising either), and I could sense uneasiness in the Redbird Nation, as if all those years of misery were approaching again like Lost’s black smoke monster (ticking sounds and everything).
I, myself, felt the uneasiness and wondered if there simply would be too many holes to fill, too many changes, too many starters and leaders gone, for the Cardinals to stay competitive. I had a night of doubt. But then, on Saturday, moments before leaving to pick up my oldest daughter from a friend’s birthday party, the familiar sound of the guitar intro for Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” (my phone’s text message tone) brought great news- an ESPN breaking news text message stating that Adam Schefter is reporting, “Jets trade S Kerry Rhodes to Cardinals for 4th-rd pick in 2010 and 7th-rd pick in 2011.” That moment reminded me that I was being foolish, considering I just wrote this not long ago after the breaking news of Coach Whisenhunt’s new contract (in “Cards Bus Going in Right Direction“):
Right now, the team is at a turning point. It has lost its elite quarterback. It is losing one to 3 key starters on defense. It may be dealing a starter on offense. Normally, I would be back to bracing myself for meagerness. I’m not saying that won’t take a step back this year. It might. But knowing that The Whiz is in the driver’s seat and that the organization has packed its bags and loaded them onto his bus, I trust that joining them for the ride is going to be enjoyable on the whole for many years. I can’t wait to see where the next stop is going to be.
I had momentarily (ok, maybe it was about 20 hours, but in my defense, I was spending the night and early morning at the Phoenix Zoo with my oldest and about 30 other 4th graders- it was great daddy-daughter time, but you do realize that there were another 30+ 9 and 10 year olds there, too) lost sight of the fact that these Cardinals have a plan. The Whiz knows what he is doing. Here is what he said on the trade:
“We had a good contingency plan in place if we lost Antrel and we acted quickly. We all know that the safety position was a hole we needed to fill. Kerry has the experience and ability to step in right away. He fits a lot of things that we do.”
This deal looks great. Personally, I have NEVER drunk the Antrel Kool-Aid. He has been, for years, my least favorite player on the team- just ask my buddy, Nate. He can confirm this for you. When he was named to the Pro Bowl, I was dumbfounded. I am glad he’s gone. I don’t deny that he is exciting to watch when he gets the ball in his hands, but I never felt, as a fan, that he made much of an impact. As a cornerback (and he was expected to be dynamic- much like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie), he was a bust. He was dreadful in pass coverage. He is known as a physical player, but he never showed great tackling- acceptable, but not elite. He has been a bonehead, being called for numerous personal fouls. It has been said that he was good in the slot, but the only thing memorable he did was the one game against Cincinnati, and his interceptions were not the result of good coverage, but rather ok instincts on horrible throws right at him. I’ve always thought that Rolle has been simply one of the luckiest players in the NFL because, for all the things he has not done well, he happens to be remembered for scoring touchdowns. On half of his touchdowns, he got the ball and there was no one in front of him. My wife (who is beautiful, but anything BUT athletic) could have scored on those plays. When he was given punt return duties, it was downright scary. He didn’t come up on kicks he should have caught and caught ones he should have let go, and did absolutely nothing special if he happened to actually get the ball in his hands (which is his supposed strength). As a safety, he wasn’t bad, but I never saw anything to think that he was good. He, in my eyes, was simply serviceable as a free safety, and that status was barely for me. Rolle was one excruciating overthrow by Aaron Rodgers in overtime from being another Aaron Francisco (are you still as mad as I am about him and his play in the Super Bowl? Yeah, I thought so). Rolle got beat badly on that play.
Fortunately for him, he was considered a free agent prize. The New York Football Giants now have made Antrel Rolle the highest paid safety in league history. Does anyone else find this weird? In any case, the Cardinals now have Kerry Rhodes, and had to give up very little for him. To be fair, Rhodes does come with a red flag. He was considered the bust of the Jets defense. He was benched for two games, although he returned later as the starter and made solid contributions to the league’s #1 rated defense. It turns out that he had some differences with the new defensive coaching staff. Even so, he is the same age as Rolle, he is bigger, and while he is not known for his physicality, he is much better in coverage than Rolle. But that’s not all- he is signed through 2013, and gets paid only a portion of what Rolle now makes, or even what he would have made here in Arizona. This is a GREAT thing. For less money, we get an upgrade (and on a more personal level, my TV screen may have been saved from the remote control violence that Rolle had the potential of provoking). There’s no way to convince me otherwise (but I do welcome attempts).
Does this answer all the questions I have? Not yet. But one thing I do know is that, unlike in times past, these Cardinals are not just letting important talent run away. There is a vision, a plan. There is hope. So, Redbird faithful, do not fear, the Whiz is here. He is the leader of this team and will not let it take too much of a backward step, if in fact there will be a step back. If you had the urge to move toward the ledge to begin contemplating jumping again (because we all have done that before) into hopeless, faithless fandom, step back, pull up a chair, and enjoy the view and the ride. That’s what I will be doing.
It’s the episode number three, or as we like to call it, the Al Del Greco edition of The Phoenix Sports Retorters. The podcast that has more days off than a retired guy living in Sun City.
Your host Greg Esposito flies solo, once again, begging the question, “Can you really call a show with one guy the Phoenix Sports Retorters?”. Don’t worry though, Greg’s has filed a missing persons report on his co-host Matt Blake. Blake’s probably just on vacation in some remote location of the world… or has his head buried in code for Fanster.com.
On this edition of the show, the Sports Retorter breaks down ASU basketball’s tournament hopes, the toughness of the Phoenix Suns after Saturday’s altercation with Danny Granger and the Pacers and whether or not the Arizona Cardinals should be viewed as cheap (the title gives away his opinion on that topic).
The show is fully interactive. Share your own thoughts in the comment section, take part in the rant or rave polls and compete for Spring Training tickets by answering the “big question of the day” by voicemail, text or email.
It’s the Phoenix Sports Retorters, brought to you by [insert your company title here]
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Rant or Rave
Are you ranting or raving about ASU men’s basketball’s NCAA tournament chances ?
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Call or text the show at (602) 492-4FANS (4326) or email the guys at PSR@Fanster.com with your answer. The best response wins tickets to a Cactus League game this March and will be played or read on next week’s show.
It has been a very busy off-season in the desert for the Cardinals and not a very good one either. Just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the Cardinals are going to have a very different look in 2010. It started with the retirement of Kurt Warner, which is a huge loss because whether or not Matt Leinart is ready to play quarterback in the NFL is anyone’s guess at this point in time. Then in the past week, the Cards have also lost Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin and Antrel Rolle, who have been three pretty big pieces to the team’s success in recent years. However, the loss of Rolle might not be as big as the others. That’s because the Cardinals, in order to soften the sting felt by the loss of Rolle, went out and traded for Kerry Rhodes, who had fallen out of favor with the coaching staff in New York. I think it’s a very good move.
Obviously Rhodes isn’t as good as Antrel Rolle, but Rolle has never really lived up to his draft status and he also got a boatload of money from the Giants in free agency, too much in my opinion. Even though Rolle has more of a pedigree, the kind of money that the Cardinals would’ve had to pay him does not equal the production that he brings on the field. Rhodes has been in the league for five years and has been one of the better players on the Jets defense since being drafted in 2005. Not to mention, it only cost the Cardinals two draft picks – a fourth this year and a seventh next year – to bring a safety who has been an All-Pro to the Valley.
Kerry Rhodes joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to talk about what kind of player the Cardinals are getting with him, whether or not he was surprised by the trade, what it’s going to be like to play with Adrian Wilson, and what his thoughts were about playing with Rex Ryan.
What kind of player he is:
“He’s a very smart guy and very instinctive. When the ball’s in the air, it’s his and no one else’s. Very good tackler, sure tackler, a guy that’s a leader that can get other guys lined up and put them in a position to make plays as well. You’re getting pretty much a well rounded safety. Not just a free safety, but a safety.”
On whether or not he was surprised by the trade:
“I was a little surprised. In this league, it’s a business but they had just said that I was gonna be there. I guess Arizona gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse and they jumped on it. They got a couple of picks out of the situation and they were lacking picks so maybe it looked good for them at that time. I guess they also thought they could bring in somebody or they got the defense so good that they could have just anybody play that safety position but we’ll see. We’ll see.”
On playing next to Adrian Wilson this season:
“I’m very excited. I know that right now Arizona has the best safety tandem in the league. When you have a guy like me and a guy like him together, I think we’ll complement each other very, very well. We’re both versatile, we both can do different things and that helps out a defense because you can’t just look at one of us and say ‘okay he’s the free safety and he’s the strong safety.’ Its gonna be fun, it’s gonna be interesting for teams to come against us and I think it’s just gonna give our defense that much more flexibility.”
On the fact that the QB’s in the NFC West are not very good and throw interceptions:
“(Laughing) I hope that holds true to form. If they put ‘em up there I’m gonna be able to make a couple.”
His thoughts on Rex Ryan:
“He’s a great coach man. No question about it. He’s a player’s coach just like Coach Whisenhunt is. I don’t like to compare coaches or whatever, but as far as Rex, he’s a player’s coach. He’s a guy that people don’t give him much credit for being an X’s and O’s guy because he does so much other stuff, but he’s a very smart guy as well and he knows defense man.”
On what he learned from getting benched last season in New York:
“Ultimately it was Rex’s decision in the end but it really wasn’t his. It was the D-coordinator that wanted to I guess light a fire in me or whatever you want to call it. They didn’t start for me that one game, I still played and then came back and got the two interceptions (in the next game). It showed me that no player in this league is immune to criticism or scrutiny. I think it woke me up from that standpoint that it can happen to anybody so I need to get my act together or whatever. And I came out the rest of the season, played well, and put up the numbers like I was supposed to.”
The exodus out of Arizona continues. First it was Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin. Then on Monday – the first Monday of 2010 Free Agency – defensive stalwarts Antrel Rolle and Karlos Dansby signed with other teams. Both were free agents and both found bigger paydays than the Cardinals were willing to allocate. For Dansby, the suitor was Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins. Dansby, who had been playing under the franchise tag the previous two seasons in Arizona, inked the long term deal he was looking for, a 5-year $43 million dollar contract that contains $22 million in guaranteed money.
Dansby, who becomes the highest paid inside linebacker in the NFL, joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix to talk about how the courting process with the Dolphins played out, what it was like meeting with Bill Parcells and the Dolphins coaching staff, how the Cardinals tried to match the offer, and how even though it was tough to say goodbye to Arizona how he didn’t want to let Parcells down by not accepting their offer.
On what his visit and communication with the Dolphins has been like up to this point:
“When I first got here I did physicals. I did physicals right off the bat. They wanted to see how my body’s help up over the years in Arizona and if there were any lingering problems that they needed to address. And I knew that going into it, and I made sure I was as healthy as I could be. And I did the physicals then went right to Mr. Parcells. It was a great conversation, man. It was a great conversation. He just let me know he believed in what I can do on the field and how I played the game. He really liked to see that. A lot of guys had gotten away from doing the small things, and he liked watching me play the game. Like I said, I was in awe. He’s a legend, I was standing in front of a legend and you get that kind of praise from a legend – it says a lot about how you go about doing your daily work and going about preparing for the season and the games.”
On if he’s had a chance to meet with head coach Tony Sparano yet:
“Coach Sparano is nice. I had lunch with him and the G.M. Jeff Ireland and we had a great lunch. They was just getting to know me, I tried to tell them about my passion for the game, and just let them know about my family, and how I was raised, and how I’ve been carrying myself off the field and on the field, and what I like to do off the field. And just how God has been blessing me all this time down in Arizona. I told I’m excited to be here in Miami and that if I do have the opportunity to play for them this year, then I would look forward to the opportunity and would make the most of it.”
On if the Cardinals tried to match the offer made by Parcells and the ‘Fins:
“The Cardinals tried to match. They wanted to match it, they really did…But once Parcells puts the stamp on you, it’s hard to let him down. You know what I’m saying? You don’t want to let down a guy who’s that legendary down. You don’t want to let that guy down. He really wants me there, he really needs me here. He made a play for me, you know what I’m saying? He put a guy out for me and said here you go, here’s your opportunity to be great. And I’m like, I’m not going to pass on that kind of opportunity. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pass. It was a sad situation, to at that time let the Cardinals down also. Because you got a good coach in Whiz, a great organization, you know the Bidwells they really believed in me. They gave me the franchise tag twice, and that really shows me that they really believed in what I could do out on the field. It was a tough situation, but I think it was the best move for me and my family.”
A poster-child for all that is wrong with the NFL Scouting Combine – a 4.71 40-time pushed him into the second round of the draft, costing him millions – and all that is right with the league with his gritty play on the field, Anquan Boldin is finally cashing in on some of that first-round caliber money that he lacked in the first seven years of his career, in which he went to three Pro Bowls, won Offensive Rookie of the Year and played in a Super Bowl.
Boldin has been traded (with a fifth round pick) by Arizona to the Baltimore Ravens for a third and a fourth-round draft choice. He has also signed a four-year deal worth $28 million to be the team’s top wide receiver.
As a send-off from the town where he had played his entire NFL career, Anquan Boldin joined Bickley and MJ on XTRA 910 in Phoenix one last time to discuss leaving Arizona, his contract situation, playing at Sun Devil Stadium, and the future of the Cardinals.
On whether leaving is bitter-sweet:
“Definitely. Arizona is the only place that I have been professionally. I’ve been there seven years. I consider that home. My family has been there and settled for seven years. I have built a lot relationships there on on and off the field. I have a great relationship with the community, so it’s definitely bitter sweet.
On having the contract situation behind him:
“As a football player or any athlete, the only thing you want is security and that is what I was seeking in Arizona. When I got there, I only saw myself playing for one team. I didn’t want to be a guy who bounced around from city-to-city. I wanted to get involved with one organization and retire there. But, there is a business side to it. At some point you need to look out for the best interests of yourself and your family. There is a business side of it and unfortunately it came to that.”
On whether he thought he would ever receive a fair offer from Arizona:
“No. That wasn’t going to happen. I don’t want to go too much into what they offered me, but I just didn’t think it was fair market value and my agent didn’t either. All that being said, I have to say that I definitely enjoyed my time in Arizona – especially with the fans. They embraced me from the beginning. They accepted me with open arms and every Sunday I went out to play my heart out for them because they made it worth it.”
On the future of the Cardinals:
“There are still some great guys in the locker room, but I have to be honest…Everybody that left was a leader. You think about defense with Karlos Dansby or Antrel Rolle or Bertrand Berry, who was also great guy in the locker room. And then on offense with myself and Kurt. There are definitely some guys in the locker room who had a good grasp on the team that won’t be there next year.”
On his favorite memory as a Cardinal:
“That’s easy. Getting to the Super Bowl. To go from playing at Sun Devil Stadium my rookie year to hosting an NFC Championship game and winning it is at the top.”
And on what he was thinking in his first game at Sun Devil Stadium:
“I was thinking that everybody was late. Coming from Florida State, we got 90,000 every Saturday. With 25,000 there, I was thinking, ‘Where is everybody? Maybe they ran into traffic or something.’”
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.
Eli blogs vigorously on the Arizona Cardinals at his personal blog Voice of the Cardinals here on Fanster as well as on MVN.com. Eli’s podcast “Voice of the Cardinals” can be heard on Fanster Radio. // Eli's Profile
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