Arizona Cardinals Question of the Week

by Hawkwind on Jul 17, 2009 1:22 PM MDT

For those of you who weren't readers and/or commentors on ROTB last summer, we had a weekly feature called 'Question of the Week' and after taking nearly the entire off season off, we finally decided to bring this once-dead series back to life.

The Arizona Cardinals off season has had it's fair share of story lines but two guys have been at the center of nearly every debate and today we make our small attempt to put the debate to bed. Anquan Boldin is under contract but not happy with his situation while Karlos Dansby is also under contract but looking forward to the day when he's not. The day will soon come when the Cardinals front office has to decide whether one or both of these guys are worth the high dollars that it'll take to keep them. That's often the tough decisions that make or break the tenure of front office brass like Cardinals GM Rod Graves but today the decision is up to you. If you were the Cardinals front office and could only keep one or the other, who would your choice be: Anquan Boldin or Karlos Dansby?

The case for Boldin: Since his very first game in an Arizona Cardinal uniform, Boldin has been not only the face of the frachise but also it's heart and soul. He's been to three Pro Bowls, posted four 1,000 yard seasons and shattered the NFL record books by quickly ascending up the ladder for receptions. He plays tough, he plays hurt and he never leaves anything on the field. Younger players look up to Boldin and he leads by example. On top of all that he's the kind versatile, do anything and don't ask why players that Ken Whisenhunt covets.

Career Stats: 502 Receptions, 6,496 yards (12.9 avg), 40 TDs

The case for Dansby: The case for Dansby is pretty simple, he's a very good player who might still have his best playing days ahead of him and the team has no one behind him ready to step into the starting role. He's a special player because of his ability to a little bit of everything from one of the most important positions on the defensive side of the ball. He has the athleticism to make plays sideline the sideline, the quickness to rush the passer and the intelligence to be a force in zone or man coverage. He's also the first Cardinals defender to record 100 tackles since Adrian Wilson in 2005.

Career Stats: 444 tackles, 24.5 sacks, 9 interceptions

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For the sake of simplicity lets assume that we're talking about signing one of them to a new, reasonably fair market value (yea I know that's very subjective) contract next off season. Ok, it's all your's: Who ya got?

Poll

Who ya got?

Anquan Boldin

317 votes

Karlos Dansby

264 votes

581 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

This one's easy........ Boldin

Dansby is great, but he isn’t worth Haynesworth money.

As a fan I’d like to see Boldin resign with the team and finish his career in AZ (especially if Kurt and Larry will redo their contracts to make it possible.)

However, I also wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Boldin play here in 09 and then get traded (for the right price) next off season.

Dansby is as good as gone after this coming season.

by CardsDefense on Jul 17, 2009 2:58 PM MDT reply actions

Anquan, without doubt.

There simply isn’t as much of a premium placed on ILBs due to the fact that the transition from college to the pros isn’t as difficult for them; they can be replaced easier than premiere wide receivers can be.

Plus, while talented, Dansby isn’t worth 10+ million a year, which I’m sure is what he’ll be wanting following Suggs’ deal, and especially after Ware gets his deal done.

And even while going through all this contract BS, Boldin has still proven to be a team player through and through. Everything Dansby’s said and done points to the fact that he’s only in it for himself (not that there’s anything wrong with that – get your money, boo boo!)

So, yeah, like CardsD said, this one’s easy.

by Chg91 on Jul 17, 2009 4:10 PM MDT reply actions

+1 Very easy Boldin

Dansby isn’t worth what he’s looking for, Boldin is worth a large percentage of what he’s looking for. If I was going to put the money into one of them I think I’m going with getting the best player for the money, and through example that is Boldin.

by CardsFan08 on Jul 17, 2009 4:44 PM MDT up reply actions

Lmao. "get your money boo boo"

Katt Williams: If you’ve got a nice job and can’t smoke weed, then by all means make yo papah boo boo. But if you ain’t got a job, and you ain’t smokin weed?…then I do not know what you’re doin with yo life I really dont. To turn this back into a football comment, I agree Dansby ain’t worth that kind of money..above average LB? absolutely. Is he a Suggs or a Ware? absolutely not. Q-tip all the way if it comes down to one or the other.

by Fitz Jizzle on Jul 18, 2009 4:24 PM MDT up reply actions

Damn, I couldn’t remember if it was “paper” or “money”. Oh well, fuck it.

by Chg91 on Jul 18, 2009 7:59 PM MDT up reply actions

Welcome to ROTB

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

by Bezekira on Jul 20, 2009 6:29 AM MDT up reply actions

Well I chose Dansby...

Only b/c at a quick glance I thought the last choice was non of the above. Letting those two go would save us about $13 mil this season alone.

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

by hevchv on Jul 17, 2009 5:22 PM MDT reply actions

I also would have voted for neither

But I voted for Dansby simply because we have nobody to take his place right now

by AJ BirdWatcher on Jul 17, 2009 5:32 PM MDT up reply actions

Boldin’s fun to watch and all, but we’ve got infinite depth at receiver… and defense is our weak point. Enough said.

by tw3kr on Jul 17, 2009 11:33 PM MDT reply actions

I wouldn't necessarily say defense is our week point...

but I would say that LB isn’t exactly filled with depth where as our receivers corps is.

by Pyromnc on Jul 20, 2009 8:20 AM MDT up reply actions

I would comment on this

But I think my viewpoint has already been established. Dansby is very good, but I think he is replaceable. Boldin is very very good. Don’t forget last year, when he had his streak of games with a touchdown catch going on. He is an incredible player, and I don’t think that Fitz’s amazing postseason and this off the field stuff should let us forget that.

Additionally, as of this posting, there are 172 votes on this poll, and only 6 comments. Let’s get going lurkers! If you’ve got time to click in your vote, you’ve got time to say a little something!

by bcloirao on Jul 18, 2009 1:10 AM MDT reply actions

I think there is very few comments on the issue because each player’s topic/issue has been exhausted this offseason. Most people are just sick of the topic and would gladly move on. Unfortunately we have been in the boring part of the offseason the past few weeks and this is really the only topic out their for the Cards.

by Pyromnc on Jul 20, 2009 8:29 AM MDT up reply actions

Boldin with Positive Attitude TOO Valuable!

Boldin’s value goes way beyond the field! His influence on younger players and underperforming pros is way too valuable. Fitz is great, and will only get better, but I don’t see him getting in the face of an OLB or DT and yelling at them on the sideline. Boldin has that quality and proven his toughness and reliability after last year’s hit in the Jets game. The game was clearly over, but he continued to go play after play non-stop! That is infectious and is leadership this team needs now more than ever! He can and will call out underachieving players, keeping the team focused on not letting up. The Cards need that now more than ever!

by RuStInCh on Jul 18, 2009 10:45 AM MDT reply actions

Welcome to ROTB

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

by Bezekira on Jul 20, 2009 6:29 AM MDT up reply actions

Good question

There’s no question that we’re much deeper at WR than at LB so from that aspect I think we could overcome the loss of Q a lot easier than we could Dansby, at this point.

Having said that, I still think I’d go with Q. I believe it sends a better message to the team and the rest of the league. I don’t think outside of Wilson that anybody has contributed more to this team making a move to respectability from their days of being a punchline more than Boldin has. I like Dansby, a lot, but he had issues with consistency and dedication that were never in question with Boldin from the moment he arrived.

But I’d hate to lose either one of them.

by Long Beach on Jul 18, 2009 1:37 PM MDT reply actions

Each player brings something to this team that would be lost if they leave.

Boldin brings his respected hard nose type of play and is also very respected in that locker room by the players. Q brings so much more to this team than his play and I believe you hit the nail right on the head when you say “it sends a better message to the team and the rest of the league.” Keeping a player like this around says this is the type of player we want all you to be and this is the type of player we will try to keep.
The problem is that we have shown we can win without him, can the same be said for Dansby?

Dansby is very outspoken in a way that makes you cringe. It’s not that he says stupid stuff like Dockett or OchoCinco, it’s that he is greedy and feels he should be the highest payed player in the NFL. Our problem is that Dansby is one of the better ILBs in the league and we have no depth behind him, other than Gerald Hayes but in a 3-4 alignment you need 2 starting ILBs. Another problem with Dansby is that he doesn’t bring what Q brings to the locker room. Q is more of a “I play for my teammates” where as Dansby is more of “I play for money”. That’s not the type of player we want but when you have no depth at the position you have to take another look at that option.

So for now I would have to say Dansby, since we have no one else to really take his spot. Otherwise I say neither because neither one of them is worth how much they are asking for.

by Pyromnc on Jul 20, 2009 8:39 AM MDT up reply actions

99% Agreement

I agree with just about everything you said, no debate about how thin we are at ILB so for now Dansby is the more valuable of the two from that perspective. However, since we should have both for the 2009 season I think we could draft a pretty good replacement for Dansby in 2010 since ILBs are lasting longer in the draft than they should (i.e. – Maualuga in round 2, R. Lewis late round 1, etc.) and not have to ruin the current cap in the process (who knows what it will be when that time comes).

I do have to disagree about Boldin not being worth what he’s asking for, but I do agree it would be questionable for us to pay it with our depth at WR. Boldin is a legit #1 WR and is justified in thinking so. I do think Dansby is setting his price too high, a borderline Pro Bowl ILB isn’t worth Suggs type money. Again, I don’t like the idea of losing either but if forced to choose I think Boldin is a safer investment to have under a long-term contract for all the reasons you made in your second paragraph.

by Long Beach on Jul 20, 2009 1:33 PM MDT up reply actions

+1

It’s amazing how people forget that Anquan has been very productive since his rookie year, and how he has been playing tough at all times… as for Dansby totally agree he hasn’t been constant and I think his motivation is high because of the one year contract, but I don’t think that would be the same with a long term contract…. GO CARDINALS

paco cabrera

by pacocab on Jul 18, 2009 1:51 PM MDT reply actions

Boldin is one of my fav WRs of all time but...

Have to say, Boldin is one of my fav WRs of all time. Somehow he has struggled to get the respect he deserves for what he has accomplished in his career so far, IMO. Even two seasons ago BEFORE Fitz blew up, people were still taking Fitz higher in fantasy drafts for example, when Boldin was outproducing. People were so amped about Fitz’s potential that somehow Boldin’s productivity was glossed over too often.

Thats said, I am on board with Whiz’s system. I don’t think we need Boldin or Dansby. Sure, love to have em. But we can still get back to the SB w/o Boldin. Heck we almost won it all w/o Boldin contributing all that much so…I just think we have enough playmakers on defense that we could also work around Karlos not being around too. Sure, rather do it with him. I don’t even think Dansby has reached his potential yet, he could dominate week in and week out IMO….

http://crixtopher.blogspot.com/

by Undrafteds on Jul 19, 2009 9:16 AM MDT reply actions

Disagree

I really like where the organization appears to be going, and I think our young talent rivals that of any in the league right now but we haven’t come so far that we can afford to lose two players the calibre of Dansby and Boldin and expect to repeat our results from last season. In the age of free agency most teams aren’t but one or two players away from being a legit Super Bowl contender or from dropping back to the middle of the pack.

While his stats may not have been overwhelming in the playoffs, keep in mind that Boldin had a huge 71 yard TD reception against Atlanta in round 1, a game we won by 6 points. I’d say that contribution was pretty significant. The other thing to keep in mind is his teammates, in particular Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner, consider him the “heart and soul” of the team.

by Long Beach on Jul 19, 2009 1:18 PM MDT up reply actions

I would also vote for let them both go

I love them both, but for the kind of scratch they want I would have to say, let’s use that money to address other needs in Boldin’s case and let’s see what we can find to replace Dansby. For the long term health of the franchise, I don’t see how we can put #1 receiver $$ on two guys.

by Drullin'OverDaCards on Jul 19, 2009 4:33 PM MDT reply actions

A lot of Boldin love out there

But I say Gandy, we proved we can win ball games and put up the same numbers when he was out with injury last season. Wide out has the most depth of any position on the team. Dansby is more valuable

by badmatty53 on Jul 20, 2009 10:25 AM MDT reply actions

Should be Keep Dansby

Boldin out on injury last year.

by badmatty53 on Jul 20, 2009 10:26 AM MDT up reply actions

Dump Boldin, or better yet, let him handle the towels and water

I used to idolize Boldin, especially seeing the heart he had to bounce back from some pretty devastating hits and play his hardest. It angers me that he would turn into a whiny prima-donna because the team saw success this year. I’m in favor of getting rid of him for salary cap, I’m also in favor of letting him hand out water and towels to the real players this year. He’s overshadowed by better receivers on the team anyhow.

by superwombat on Jul 24, 2009 3:54 AM MDT reply actions