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Most Underrated or Overrated Arizona Cardinals of All-Time

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

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)

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?

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I should actually say he is the only current Cardinal to make the list.

Former Cardinal Simeon Rice made the overrated list at number thirteen. Those are the only two with Cardinals ties to make the lists.

by Pyromnc on Jun 29, 2009 11:56 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

cardinals' over/underrated

i think karlos dansby is quite overrated – i recognise he has big-play ability and is a leader but he is not worth 9.7mil/year or anything comparable for his less than stellar stats. i also don’t rate okeafor too highly anymore – berry has more value as a pass rusher

conversely i think gerald hayes is underrated – he’s a constant, reliable run-stopper with the ability to force fumbles and yet he never gets any recognition.
sendlein is also underrated as is the cardinals TE corps mainly because everyone is so harsh towards them as opposed to elite ability – i feel really comfortable going forward with spach, becht, patrick and byrd

any thoughts? i realise i’ve only dealt with present players

by beanbaglovers on Jun 29, 2009 12:20 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

I concur about Hayes

James Darling would get consideration as “underrated” Cardinal of the past 10 years. He assumed McKinnon’s spot without any noticeable drop-off in production. Seems to be a ILB theme going here…

In the past 10 years for overrated, where do we start? Dexter Jackson. Duane Starks. David Macklin…hmmm, another theme brewing…

We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!

by Hawkwind on Jun 29, 2009 1:04 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Duane Starks -

what a disaster that was.

Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.

by sc464 on Jun 30, 2009 10:00 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

+2 about Hayes

I think it’s funny how many of us are expecting Pope to get cut.

by CardsFan08 on Jun 29, 2009 1:37 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Okeafor has been an extremly solid player

Okeafor averaged 2.8 tkls and .42 sacks a game in 3 seasons (48 total games played). Note: did not play in a single game in 2007 total of 16 games missed.

Berry averaged 2.0 tkls and .59 sacks in 5 seasons (57 total games played). Note: Has only played one full 16 game season with the cards, total of 23 games missed.

Also for future reference Berry led the team in sacks in 2008 with 5.0. Would you like to take a guess who was #2 on the team with 4.5? Chike Okeafor

Okeafor should be top 3 in underrated current players for the Cards.

Other then that I agree with your post.

by Fireking on Jun 29, 2009 2:11 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

+ 1 about Okeafor

also I don’t think Michael Vick was overrated. He was a one man higlight reel, and carried the Falcon’s for years.

by CardsDefense on Jun 29, 2009 4:10 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

+1

Hayes is my boy!! not literally of course.

by Fitz Jizzle on Jun 29, 2009 7:44 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Over/Underrated

David Boston was overrated, and so was tommy knight ! rob fredrickson was a great player and so was ronald mckinnon…. for underrated, whatever happend to Raynoch Thompson????

by Azcards32 on Jun 29, 2009 2:12 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Dare I say it....

Overrated: Emmitt Smith?

Tommy Knight made the Top 10 worst draft picks of all time list a couple years ago (@ 9 I believe). McKinnon was a beast but wasn’t a “Denny” guy; he deserved to retire a Card.

Underrated: Pete Kendall, played guard and center and was solid at both. Could/should still be playing for the Birds except for whistle blowing on Green’s breach of union rules on OTAs in ’04.

Who else rates as “overrated” on the current roster? Dockett? McFadden? Breaston? Hightower? Keith? Rackers?

We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!

by Hawkwind on Jun 29, 2009 2:53 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

i have a few!

1. larry centers to me one of the most under recognized guy to put on a uniform. look at his numbers!
2. earl farrell another mid 80’s fullback who was very productive and he led the league in yards per carry in 84 or 85 and was very productive during his tenure with the big red. his off the field activities tarnished him the same way it has luis sharpe who doesn’t get his due recognition.
3. J T Smith was the other receiver next to roy green. while he is better known for his kick/punt return ability, he averaged over 70 catches a game during his run with the big red.
The very first person i thought of being way overrated with the bigred was emmitt smith. he was clearly at the end of his career when he joined the club. he couldn’t get through the holes the line made for him. another overrated player was ron mckinnon! i loved the guy’s motor but he was too easily blocked and all his tackles seemed to always be 5 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage. he couldn’t take on guards and stuff the hole either. But. the two most overrated guys without doubt was anthony bell a top 5 draft pick in the mid 80’s and tom knight. knight could play a whole game with eggs in his pads and not break one during the course of a game and bell looked like a greek god without the pads and played like a you know what on the field. there are a bunch of others but these two really stand out!

by lifelongcardfan on Jun 29, 2009 4:02 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

he averaged over 70 catches a game during his run with the big red.

Was this supposed to be 70 catches a season or 70 yards a game?

Life's too short. Be a fan. Magic, Cards and Rays! What a winning combo.

by hevchv on Jun 30, 2009 4:39 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

a game, he was really, really good.

by KDean75 on Jun 30, 2009 7:59 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm here

Just have very little to say. Waiting until there’s some hitting going on.

by KDean75 on Jun 30, 2009 11:59 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Larry Centers....now there's some good memories

I loved watching that guy play the game. The play where he hurdled a Cowboy defenders will forever be etched in my brain.

by Bezekira on Jun 30, 2009 6:02 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Larry Centers

Larry Centers, best all round cards player ever.

Jake Plumber….ironically one of the few cards to be totally overrated and go on to be totally overrated somewhere else.In fact having a long successful career of being overrated.

David Boston……less overrated and more underachieving and possibly street rat crazy.

Emmit Smith……neither overrated or underrated…and at that time of his career was only actually rated at all by the Cards.

 Shaq…..not a card, but the worst deal in Arizona sports history.

Travis Laboy….very underrated…has injury issues, but when he is in the game it is a much better defense all around.

Niel Rackers….do erratic kickers even get rated?

Dennis Green…..underrated….not a player but really pulled the heavy lifting to help make this a serviceable organization and built much of the infrastructure that makes this team work today.Also had best line in NFL history ………THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE………

Matt Leinart …..another overated USC quarterback…..I hope the coaching staff sees this and tries to deal him sometime while he still has some trade value.

Pago Togafu …best name in Cards history…my name is Pago dammit!!!!

Mike Gandy ….overrated just because he gives up like 7 sacks a year. 7 sacks may not seem like much, but when your starting QB fumbles every time the defense breaths on him, he may as well take the ball and give it to the defense himself.How many holding calls does he get in critical moments?

Todd Haley………Changed the whole definition of WEST COAST OFFENSE…It was sooooo…. west coast…..he could not win a game on the east coast……now with Kansas City we may see the KANSAS city offense ….an offense that can only win in Missouri.

 

by shady_sanchez on Jun 29, 2009 8:03 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

welcome to ROTB

I don’t agree with much of what you said but welcome none the less.

by Bezekira on Jun 30, 2009 6:04 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

+1, haha, perfectly stated

Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.

by sc464 on Jun 30, 2009 10:04 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Now shady, I think Laboy is extremely overrated.

He was invisible after week 4. He is more a system player if you ask me. Don’t believe me, where is Antwan Peek. Both he and Laboy were huge FAs coming out of Tennessee. Now they were both cut this year. I think they could both be good but their technique is severly lacking.

Life's too short. Be a fan. Magic, Cards and Rays! What a winning combo.

by hevchv on Jun 30, 2009 4:52 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

+ one million

LaBoy basically got paid like 6 million (or whatever it was) last year to play in two games, the season opener and the Bills game. He was an absolute beast in those two games (11 tackles, 4 sacks) and a guy in a skirt for the other 14 games (22 tackles, zero sacks).

That’s a bit harsh b/c I remember him having a couple of other decent games but he’ll never go down on an under rated list.

by Bezekira on Jun 30, 2009 6:09 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

OK. Here we go.

Dale Meinert MLB
Jerry Norton P/S
Bobby Joe Conrad P
Bob DeMarco C
John David Crow RB (not underrated as a Cardinal but league-wide)
Ollie Matson RB (not underrated as a Cardinal but league-wide)
Irv Goode G
Bob Reynolds T
Johnny Roland RB
Willis Crenshaw FB
Cid Edwards FB
McArthur Lane RB
Jerry Stovall S
Tom Banks G-C
Bob Young G
Tim Kearney LB (for his one memorable close-line hit on return coverage)
Wayne Morris RB
Joe Bostic G
Pat Tilley WR
Carl Birdsong P
Lee Nelson S
Benny Perrin S
Tootie Robbins T
Niko Noga MLB
Stump Mitchell RB
Ken Harvey LB
Ricky Proehl WR
Larry Centers FB (not underrated as a Cardinal but league-wide)
Kwamie Lassiter (KLass) S
Ronald McKinnon MLB
Mark Smith DT

I’d be reluctant to rate any player “underrated” after that date because of what to me seems to be the increased emphasis on role-playing and each player meshing with the other guys on his unit. For example, you could make the case that Antonio Smith, Clark Haggans, Monte Beisel or Calais Campbell were underrated, but in a very real sense, they were “just doing their jobs.”

GBR

by jeffgollin@aol.com on Jun 30, 2009 8:42 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Ooops!

Bobby Joe Conrad was inadvertently listed as a punter. He was a very good WR.

GBR

by jeffgollin@aol.com on Jun 30, 2009 8:44 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

nice list

so many names that don’t ring a bell. That’ll give me some googling to do during a slow week.

by Bezekira on Jun 30, 2009 12:17 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm curious where Edge would fall in a discussion like this

I tend to think he was over rated during his time here but I know he’s got tons of people who think he was practically a savior during his first two seasons. Maybe I’m jaded by how much money he made but I’ve never thought he was that great while he was here.

by Bezekira on Jun 30, 2009 10:07 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Thank you Edge for getting Adrian Murrell off the board for the last 1,000 yard rusher

I was getting sick of that.

We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!

by Hawkwind on Jun 30, 2009 11:48 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

I don't think he would be on either list.

He still produced, maybe not to the level that some thought he should but he still was good enough not to be considered overrated. I agree that for how much he got payed that he should have had better numbers but I don’t necessarily believe he was overrated.

by Pyromnc on Jul 1, 2009 9:04 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

pretty good description

I guess not-rated-at-all is about the best description of his time here.

I've won the same lifetime achievement award twice....yes I'm the Most Interesting Man in the World

by Bezekira on Jul 1, 2009 10:28 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

BRYANT JOHNSON!

i see No body put his name up there, THANK GOD WE DRAFTED Q in the 2nd round. if only the cards didnt trade the pick and we drafted terrell suggs and then Q!!

by Azcards32 on Jul 1, 2009 1:35 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

BJ has a restraining order against me otherwise....hope he likes it in Detroit.

We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!

by Hawkwind on Jul 1, 2009 3:49 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

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