Since Kurt Warner retired from the NFL in late January, the eyes of the football world, or at least those of Cardinals fans everywhere have been focused on Matt Leinart. And seemingly every article and blog post that’s been written about the soon-to-be 5th-year pro have all asked the same question…is he ready?
Well, here’s another one of those articles for you, courtesy of USA Today.
Heading into the season, the Arizona Cardinals have a lot of question marks surrounding them. A team doesn’t lose four of its top eight players, two on offense and two on defense, and not have some concerns. When Kurt Warner decided to hang up his cleats and retire, the franchise was saddened but believed that Matt Leinart could still do the job. Warner’s departure is definitely going to be noticed and will force Coach Ken Whisenhunt to be a more balanced playcaller. Even though Leinart was a first-round pick he has limited arm strength but Chris “Beanie” Wells and their powerful offensive line should help them out. With Warner gone, the unhappy Anquan Boldin was no longer worth tolerating. Instead of giving in to Boldin’s continuing demand for a new contract, Arizona shipped him to Baltimore for third- and fourth-round draft picks. Arizona believes that Early Doucet and Steve Breaston are capable enough to fill Boldin’s shoes.
The Cardinals then decided to trim some of the “fat” from their defense when they released Antrel Rolle rather than pay him his $40 million signing bonus and $8 million salary. Newly acquired veteran, safety Kerry Rhodes is expected to replace Rolle. Linebacker Karlos Dansby could have stayed in Arizona but the team decided not to place a third-straight franchise tag on him because $14 million would have been too much to pay a good-but-not-great inside linebacker. Second-round rookie LB, Daryl Washington is going to be counted upon to eventually replace Dansby even though it may take a couple of years. To put it bluntly, the Cardinals have a lot to prove this season. It remains to be seen if they have done enough to prevent the newly-recharged 49ers and Seahawks teams that have their crosshairs on Arizona.
Darnell Dockett joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix to talk about how he feels about Coach Whisenhunt praising him for becoming a leader and that they Cardinals will work with him to get a new contract done, what it has been like for Dan Williams to have him teach him and take him under his wing, and whether he is surprised that Terrell Owens hasn’t been able to find a job.
How he feels about Coach Whisenhunt praising him for becoming a leader and that they Cardinals will work with him to get a new contract done:
“Very inspiring, I appreciate the head coach believing in me. That is one thing that you want to kind of strive for when you are on the football team, to get your head coach’s respect along with the other players. That is huge for me and for them to believe in me and understand what I mean to this ball team and it is all love. I am excited and I hope everything works out well.”
What it has meant to him to get to know Joey Porter personally:
“Good guy man, I have known him for a long time and to actually have him on the team with just his energy and his enthusiasm to play the game, for me to be a part of his career because he has done so much as far as winning a ring and having a national sack title and all the sacks he has done and all of the plays that he has made in his career, for me to be a part of his career at this point it is an honor. I think he is going to bring great energy to our team. I have been texting with him back and forth and we have been talking football. He is excited. I am excited. He is ready to prove a lot of people wrong. I am ready to prove a lot of people wrong. Matt is ready to prove a lot of people wrong. Our team is ready to prove a lot of people wrong. We are just here ready to play some football and ready to get this thing started.”
What it has been like for Dan Williams to have him teach him and take him under his wing:
“Man I have been killing him and I enjoyed it too. I have been killing him. It is one of those things where when you go into our workout room, first of all, we have got one of the best strength and conditioning coaches. I always tell people that but sometimes I think people underestimate how much he means to our program. He pushes us and takes us to the next level. With that said, we come into the weight room and we have got a whole workout on this board and Dan came in one day and was like, ‘Ok cool. We can knock that out.’ But he notices that for every 3 sets I always do an extra set on every exercise. Dan was like, ‘We are done now,’ and I was like we are just getting started. His whole facial expression was like, whose idea was it to workout with Dockett anyway? I can honestly say that he has the perfect attitude and adjustment to understand what it takes to win in this league. I sat down and I had a real heart-to-heart with him and I explained to him that by you being in the first round, you are going to have every defensive lineman after you criticizing your game. You are going to have everybody in the media around Arizona that is going to criticize your game. You have got so many demons and people to fight off to why you were a first round draft pick you have no understanding what the pressure is going to be like. And I said that, the only way that you could overcome the adversity and everything towards, I said that you have got to put in the work to feel confident about your game. He understood and he listened and when I get him in the weight room now you should see him. He is fired up, he is excited. I talk to him three days ago and asked him what he was doing, he said, ‘I just finished working out in the morning and then he is going for an evening workout.’ That is what I want to hear. I don’t want to hear about you going on trips and you going back to your college going to hang out with your boys. Even if you lie to me, tell me that you are working out even if you aren’t, just tell me a lie and tell me that you are putting in some work.”
Whether he is surprised that Terrell Owens hasn’t been able to find a job:
“I am a little bit but I know T.O. is a heck of a player and he is going to find the best situation. I don’t believe that he didn’t get any offers. I believe that he did get some offers but I also believe what he wants to do what is best for him in this situation. That is important where he is at this point in his career you want to make the best decision to finish your career up on a high note. I think that is the situation right now. I wish him well because I like T.O. a lot.”
For the past couple of years, the Cardinals have been a playoff team and one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. A big reason for their success was the play of Kurt Warner, who resurrected his career in the desert. Not only did Warner put up gaudy numbers in the regular season, but he also had huge games in the playoffs and the offense was centered around his accurate right arm. However, Warner is gone now and he is happy with his decision to retire. That means the defending NFC West Champs are left with one giant question mark at the most important psoiton in the NFL. Who will take the torch from Warner? Will it be former first round pick Matt Leinart or will Derek Anderson resurrect his struggling career in the desert like Warner did a few years ago. After an offseason that saw the departure of some key players, the Cardinals have more questions than answers at this point and it could be a tough year in the valley without the potential Hall-Of-Fame quarterback running the show.
Kurt Warner joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to talk about the rumors of him doing a reality TV show, whether or not he has gotten the itch to return to football, and what he thinks of the Cardinals chances this season.
On the possibility for him doing a reality TV show:
“The thing is, I’ve been approached by a number of different people asking us to get involved with a reality show. That’s all when I was talking the other day just what was upcoming and what were some of the possible plans of the future. Almost on a weekly basis we get approached to do something different from that standpoint. Right now we’re just kinda weighing everything, trying to juggle things, and trying to figure out what the career path is going to be moving forward. From there, we want to take advantage of some of the neat opportunities that are out there. What we take advantage of at this point, we don’t even really know, but it’s fun to have options and it’s fun to have possibilities to really be able to show a different side of me, a different side of my family, and what were like as people.”
On whether or not there may be a movie of his life in the near future:
“Yes. We’ve had a number of people that have approached us on that. A number of different production companies and my marketing people have already had a number of different discussions. I’m actually going to be in LA for the next couple of days and I’m gonna sit in a few of those meetings during that time. I definitely think there is a strong possibility at some point there will be a movie on my career and on our lives and I welcome that. Another opportunity to share what we’re all about and I think share a story that rivals some of the best sports stories that are out there. I’m looking forward to that process but very, very much in the beginning stages of that. A long way to go but I definitely think that’s something that’ll happen.”
On whether or not he is happy with his decision to retire:
“I’m completely at peace. The itch has not come back one bit. I’ve loved my time in the NFL and I will always say that. It did so much for me and my family and it was a dream of mine to play at that level and to accomplish some of the things that I did, but I knew it was the right time. I continue to remember how difficult the last couple of years were. I knew that they were rewarding, I know we accomplished a lot things, and I enjoyed my time these last couple of years in Arizona, but it was just really, really hard on me. It wore me down both physically and mentally and that was the biggest reason I retired. And I remember that. As much as I love the game and I would love to suit up and play one Sunday here and one Sunday there, it’s bigger than that. To try and accomplish and play at the level that I tried to play at my whole career, it takes a high level of commitment. I think I gave that every time I was on the football field and every time that I signed up with each and every team I played for, but I just was not willing to give that anymore. That’s why the itch hasn’t come back because I remember how much I would have to give and how I’m not willing to do that anymore. I’m happy with the way my career ended and I’m happy that it ended here with the Cardinals and with the success that we had, but now it’s time for me to do something else. I’m fully content with that.”
On the Cardinals chances this year:
“Well, I think there is a lot up in the air right now, but I think they’ve made some moves that are going to benefit them in the philosophy change that they have made. I think they’re going to try and run the football more. I think guys like Alan Faneca are going to be a huge piece to that puzzle. He brings a leadership, a knowledge, and a toughness to the football team. I’ve talked to some people and they couldn’t be more excited about the position he has brought to the offensive line and the offense as a whole and I think that’s going to pay huge dividends right now. As we both know, the bottom line comes down to what do you do on Sunday afternoons when everything is on the line. Do you have the guys that can step up and make the plays that need to be made to win football games? Philosophies are great and good teams are great, but the bottom line in this business is it comes down to great players making big plays at big times and we’ve lost some of those here with the Cardinals. There are a number of guys that made huge plays for us over the number of years that were game changers. I think they can make the transition, I think they brought in some good players, but the bottom line is do they have the guys who can step up and make those plays in critical situations? If they do, then I think there’s no question they can continue to be successful and make that change in philosophy and do well.”
It’s not often we here in Phoenix can say one of our own is better than Michael Jordan but we can when it comes to Ken Whisenhunt. At least when it pertains to the 2010 Tahoe Celebrity Golf Tournament. It doesn’t quite make up for 1993 but it will do.
Ken Whisenhunt ended up with 46 points at the Tahoe celebrity golf tournament, tying for 18th. Former quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver ran away with the tourney with 85 points in the modified Stableford scoring system. Cardinals QB Derek Anderson finished with 37 points. Whisenhunt beat out Michael Jordan by a point (not that it was Jordan’s biggest storyline of the day), although Jordan seemed OK with it…[AzCardinals.com]
Evan Weiner, a writer for NewJerseyNewsRoom.com, paints a bleak and unflattering picture about how Arizona politicians and voters alike have opened the vault to pay for sports facilities over the last 18 years.
Apparently earning millions of dollars isn’t enough anymore. Maybe it just doesn’t go as far (it certainly would be nice to find out, though). More than likely, professional athletes have extra time to burn and when they are not playing, they get bored.
Cardinal running back Beanie Wells is the latest to try his hand at a career not in his sport. According to a tweet by Darren Urban, azcardinals.com writer, today (July 7, 2010) during the 5pm Channel 12 newscast, Wells will be giving the weather report.
I, for one, will be sure to record that. It could be quite entertaining watch him in front of the green screen.
Wells is hardly the first athlete to try something different during their playing career. Our local (and formerly local) pro athletes have been at it for a while.
Steve Nash and Jared Dudley have been on the more serious side of things. Nash has a successful video production company and Dudley is making news with his JMZ reporting (and causing a buzz with his tweet that he has insider information claiming LeBron James is joining Amar’e Stoudemire in New York).
This week, former Sun Shawn Marioncompeted in the World Series of Poker, losing in the first round. I’m not sure if this was for fun or if it was trying to score the big money he couldn’t get from the Suns.
In Wells’ case, I think he is thinking ahead. After all, the average life of an NFL running back is about 2 ½ seasons. On a more serious side, he has already expressed a desire to work in the media in his post-NFL days. I guess this is the first step for him in building a résumé.
Part of me despises how rich and famous people automatically have an in when it comes to doing things they want. It makes things harder for regular schmucks like me and you (sorry if you don’t think that you’re a regular schmuck).
The other part of me realizes that these are regular people and have a career that will end about the time many people start theirs. They want something to do. Heck, I am guilty of testing the waters in another area of interest by writing this.
So, tune in to Channel 12 News at 5 tonight, follow Dudley on Twitter, watch Nash’s videos, go visit Dockett at Victoria’s Secret (no, not really—he doesn’t really work there), and above all, keep reading my stuff.
We’re all just trying to make it, after all.
You can follow me, the (Happily) Trapped Fan, for my posts and other random thoughts that come up in my trapped life on Twitter.
No, Darnell Dockett is not showering live on UStream or propositioning Oprah Winfrey again. This time he’s using his Twitter account to communicate with teammates.
His first target, Kerry Rhodes, whom the Cardinals signed as a free agent this offseason. Rhodes tweeted on Monday that he enjoyed the movie Grown Ups, which he saw while vacationing in the Bahamas. It didn’t take Dockett long to respond.
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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