9-5-10: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings
by JoeCB1991 on Sep 5, 2010 10:47 AM MDT
in Arizona Cardinals Links/Bird Droppings
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PrintThe Matt Leinart era is over, and the Derek Anderson era has begun. After an odd sequence of events over the last week and a half Leinart went from having a lock on his job to being on the street looking for a new team. Everyone here knows I wanted Leinart to be the starter (and I still do), and I did not have a lot of faith in Derek Anderson, but best of luck to Anderson now that he is the starter, and best of luck to Leinart wherever he goes. I hope that he can wind up having a good career with his new team.
Now, lets get on to the links.
Cardinals Announce Final Roster Cuts
Leinart's Days As Cardinal End
Quarterback cut; Whisenhunt chooses Hall to back up Anderson
NFL.com news: Cardinals release frustrated QB Leinart, will start Anderson
The Arizona Cardinals announced Saturday that they have released former first-round draft pick Matt Leinart, who lost the starting quarterback competition with Derek Anderson.
Thoughts on Matt Leinart's Arizona demise - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN
Releasing Matt Leinart seemed unthinkable when the Arizona Cardinals opened training camp.
Leinart released
Coach Ken Whisenhunt just told quarterback Matt Leinart Leinart is getting released. Whisenhunt is meeting with the media at noon.
KTAR.com - Finally official: Cardinals, Leinart part ways
While it would have shocked everyone just a couple of weeks ago, the Arizona Cardinals not surprisingly waived quarterback Matt Leinart Saturday.
Cardinals will cut Matt Leinart today | ProFootballTalk.com
Any moment now, Matt Leinart's tenure with the Arizona Cardinals will officially come to an end.
One snap away for Cardinals' Max Hall - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals saw some Kurt Warner-type qualities in Max Hall after signing him as an undrafted free agent from BYU.
Arizona Cardinals release Matt Leinart
The Cardinals released quarterback Matt Leinart on Saturday and appear ready to go with rookie Max Hall as the backup to starter Derek Anderson.
Source: Arizona Cardinals to cut ties with QB Matt Leinart - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals will release quarterback Matt Leinart, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
It's Official: Leinart Cut By Cardinals - SB Nation Arizona
Matt Leinart is now a free agent. I imagine there will be some interest in his services (Pittsburgh?).
Cardinals release former Heisman Trophy winning QB Matt Leinart - The Huddle: Football News from the NFL - USATODAY.com
First he lost his starting job, then he lost his job altogether.
Next team will make or break Leinart - Don Banks - SI.com
Now that he's an ex-Cardinal, Matt Leinart's next call is by far the most pivotal one of his five-year professional career. Finding his next address in the NFL pales in comparison to the real challenge he faces: Finding the right NFL address, one that will provide him a chance to revive his reputation and rebuild his game.
No. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford will start at quarterback in Rams' opener - latimes.com
No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford will start at quarterback in the St. Louis Rams' regular-season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 12.
(Lets see how Dockett, Campbell, Porter, Wilson, and DRC introduce him to the NFL....)
Cardinals' trade affects Seahawks' line - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals' decision to trade guard Reggie Wells to Philadelphia helped the Seattle Seahawks land guard Stacy Andrews from the Eagles in a deal made Saturday.
Whisenhunt: Max Hall was our best QB in camp | ProFootballTalk.com
Appearing on Saturday's Notre Dame-Purdue halftime show (positioned just to the left of PFT's Grand Poobah), Peter King of NBC Sports revealed the details of his recent conversation with Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt. According to King, Whisenhunt called Hall "the best of our four quarterbacks" in training camp.
Houshmandzadeh, Leinart lead the charge among final cuts - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
As expected, Seattle Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes) and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart(notes) were the highest-profile players to lose their current spots as NFL teams reduced their rosters to 53 names by 6:00 EDT on Saturday afternoon. Houshmandzadeh was a bad fit with a new Seattle organization, and Leinart simply never lived up to the expectations that go with the top-10 pick status he received in 2006. Rookie free agent Max Hall(notes) clearly outplayed Leinart, and reclamation project Mike Williams helped make Houshmandzadeh expendable.
NFC West positional counts at initial 53 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The fun is only beginning for NFC West teams after the mandatory reduction to 53 players Saturday.
Matt Leinart Era Ends For The Cardinals With Surprisingly Little Fuss, All Hail Max Hall - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona
Here's the funniest thing about this entire Matt Leinart roller coaster: it just shows how incredibly effective Coach Whisenhunt and the Cardinals are when it comes to media manipulation. I am beginning to wonder if they don't have Karl Rove or James Carville consulting.
Matt Leinart couldn't win over Arizona Cardinals teammates
Everything you need to know about why Matt Leinart was released can be found in this quote about quarterbacks from Ken Whisenhunt on Saturday:
NFC West to be a dogfight between Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers
If the rivalry between the Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers has as much bite on the field as all the barking being done off it, the NFC West actually might have some teeth after all.
Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes form stellar safety tandem
One thing about the NFL, you can always count on a healthy amount of boasting. When words are backed up with tremendous play, they carry a lot more weight. So when Kerry Rhodes of the Cardinals makes the following bold proclamation, you hope he and fellow safety Adrian Wilson can live up to the hype: "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I think we're the best safety tandem in the league." Rhodes came to the Cardinals in a trade with the Jets and has no fear in making that statement.
Arizona Cardinals' Darnell Dockett barrels toward stardom
Sixteen years ago, the uncle answered the phone to horrific news. His sister-in-law had been murdered, and her 13-year-old son had discovered the body. "They said, 'Can you take him?' " Kevin Dockett recalled. "They didn't have nobody to take him." The uncle thought of that moment four days ago after that boy, now Cardinals defensive end Darnell Dockett, signed a $48 million contract extension, a reward for the hard work that has him among the elite at his position. The juxtaposition illustrates one of the NFL's better success stories and explains who Dockett is today: a player who approaches everything at full throttle.
Arizona Cardinals have reasons for concern, optimism
After two preseason games, coach Ken Whisenhunt was worried. After all the changes the Cardinals made in the off-season, his team looked like an Ikea box that had ripped open, scattering parts, screws and instructions.
azcentral.com blogs - Dan Bickley - DanBickley - Cardinals laying it all on the line
Change can be violent and unnerving. In moments of chaos, the calming influence on a football team must come from those up front. They are the pile drivers, the human shock absorbers, the men who receive little credit. In Arizona, the offensive line will tell the story of the 2010 Cardinals.
azcentral.com blogs - Dan Bickley - DanBickley - Hall ready to succeed where Leinart failed
Matt Leinart and Amar'e Stoudemire were supposed to be long-term superstars in Arizona. Now, their replica jerseys are irrelevant, hanging limp in closets all across Arizona.
TV talkers take stab at story lines for NFL season
The announcing crews of NBC's "Sunday Night Football" and ESPN's "Monday Night Football" weighed in on the NFL season.
NFL lockout for 2011 grows more likely
Enjoy this NFL season. Savor every sack, touchdown pass and a punt return, because a year from now the only NFL news might include fun words such as lockout, financial transparency and debt service.
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - KentSomers - Evaluating the roster
Some Saturday afternoon notes
Seahawks won't go for Leinart - CBSSports.com
Don't look for Matt Leinart in Seattle. Persons close to the team tell me it's not going to happen.
Seahawks may have a split of opinion on Leinart | ProFootballTalk.com
As we try to compile a list of the potential suitors for quarterback Matt Leinart, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us that there are indications that the Seahawks have an internal split of opinion regarding the potential pursuit of coach Pete Carroll's former protege.
NFC West practice squad eligibility - NFC West Blog - ESPN
NFL teams can begin signing eight or fewer players to their practice squads once the players clear waivers Sunday.
Arizona Cardinals Release Matt Leinart: A Look At His Potential Landing Spots | Bleacher Report
In a surprising turn of events, the Arizona Cardinals released Quarterback Matt Leinart today after the embattled Kurt Warner heir apparent lost his Preseason battle with veteran QB Derek Anderson.
Derek Anderson Over Matt Leinart? Really Ken Whisenhunt? | Bleacher Report
Did Ken Whisenhunt watch Derek Anderson last year? Or even during the preseason?
Matt Leinart To The Pittsburgh Steelers, Could This Be His Road To Success? | Bleacher Report
Many things were expected of Matt Leinart when he came out of USC and was taken as the tenth overall pick in the 2006 draft. Unfortunately for him things have not panned out as he expected.
N.F.L. Roundup - Cardinals Release Quarterback Matt Leinart - NYTimes.com
Four years ago, Matt Leinart stared into space, his megawatt smile dimmed by a 90-minute tumble through the draft, leaving him contemplating the twist in a klieg-lighted career that had included two college national championships and a Heisman Trophy. Leinart would almost certainly have been the first overall pick if he had left Southern California a year earlier, but on that day at Radio City Music Hall in New York, he could only drop his head into his hand when the Arizona Cardinals finally plucked him from his anxiety with the 10th overall pick.
Danny White not surprised by Max Hall's success with Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt insisted Saturday that there was no "watershed moment" when he was convinced that undrafted rookie quarterback Max Hall could handle being the team's backup and, it stands to reason, its future at the position.
Arizona Cardinals release quarterback Matt Leinart - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The Arizona Cardinals have released Matt Leinart, parting ways with the former Heisman Trophy winner who was supposed to be the team’s franchise quarterback but couldn’t escape the backup role.
Arizona Cardinals cut ties with QB Matt Leinart - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals have released quarterback Matt Leinart, ending a rocky stint with the team that began with fanfare as he was drafted 10th overall in 2006 and ended this preseason with the former USC star taking a backseat to Derek Anderson.
Cardinals waive Matt Leinart after poor preseason - NFL - SI.com
The Arizona Cardinals have released quarterback Matt Leinart, ending a rocky stint with the team that began with fanfare as he was drafted 10th overall in 2006 and ended this preseason with the former USC star taking a backseat to Derek Anderson.
KTAR.com - Bloom: Lack of confidence doomed Leinart
I guess sometimes guys can have intuition to. While Ken Whisenhunt continued to trot #7 out on the field in the preseason, I never felt there was a true confidence level in him nor did I feel like Leinart has ever regained the confidence, swagger and leadership ability he brought with him when he first came to the Valley in 2006.
Peter King floats possibility of Leinart in Houston | ProFootballTalk.com
Sports Illustrated's Peter King, with whom Mike Florio will presumably share "the big-boy table" at halftime of today's Notre Dame-Purdue game, interestingly floated on Twitter Saturday the notion of waived quarterback Matt Leinart resurfacing in Houston.
azcentral.com blogs - Bob McManaman - BobMcManaman - Mac on the NFL: Jaws, Gruden weigh in on Leinart
Ron Jaworski, said Leinart’s situation is only a part of a bigger problem with the Cardinals. "If you compound that with the changes they made in the offseason, this has been a very difficult preseason for them," Jaworski said, citing the departures of Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin, plus changes up front on the offensive line. "… There’s been a lot of changes on that offense. It’s still a work in progress right now." Because of that, it was almost inevitable Leinart would be the one getting most of the blame, Jaworski added.
News conferences for Rams, Cards coaches - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Looks like we've got some news on the horizon.
NFL Cuts: Cardinals Release Matt Leinart, Why It Was a Smart Decision | Bleacher Report
According to various reports, the Arizona Cardinals have officially released quarterback Matt Leinart, and they made the right call.
NFL Cuts: Cardinals Release Matt Leinart, Is Derek Anderson The Solution? | Bleacher Report
According to both ESPN and nfl.com, the Cardinals have released former first-round pick quarterback Matt Leinart.
Reason for concerns: NFC West - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
A capsule look at reasons for concern among teams in the NFC West:
Leinart never learned NFL isn't Hollywood - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Those who have watched quarterback Matt Leinart go through the motions of his college and pro career consistently come to the same basic conclusion about him.
(Notice how Jason Cole doesn't mention the 78 yard Touchdown pass when he starts talking about the Patriots game...)
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Although I agree with you, Joe, and I wanted Matt Leinart to be the starter
Good luck to Derek Anderson! Hopefully he can turn a Kurt Warner story or something.
Im changing my name to
“UNDRAFTED ROOKIE MAX HALL WINS SUPERBOWL”
And next season it will be…
“UNDRAFTED STAR MAX HALL WINS BACK TO BACK SUPERBOWLS”
Lol
I think we are going to be okay with DA, we have the receivers
"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly
I like it
I’m thinking ‘WASHED UP QB DEREK ANDERSON GETS FIRST CARDINAL SUPERBOWL WIN HA HA TOLD YOU SO NANNY NANNY BOO BOO’ then we can switch to your moniker
Excellent idea
"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly
by Jesse Reynolds on Sep 5, 2010 1:42 PM MDT up reply actions
Story on Wilson and Rhodes is pretty good.
Also goes into Toler and DRC. Interesting the subtle slights thrown Rolles way by Wilson and DB coach Donnie Henderson. Our secondary is going to be way better this year.
On the last link
Check out those quotes from his “teammates.” If that is what they really thought of him and if that is who Leinart really was, then he never had a shot here anyway. I would love to know who said that, but unfortunately I don’t think I ever will.
by YoungCardsFanatic on Sep 5, 2010 1:05 PM MDT reply actions
I wouldn't be surprised if they were made up.
I don’t believe those kinds of things unless they actually give their name.
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.
The whole article is a load of crap
So I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised either. You’d think modern journalism would be past these kinds of things.
by YoungCardsFanatic on Sep 5, 2010 3:14 PM MDT up reply actions
What did Leinart do to earn anything?
You find these comments surprising? Didn’t it strike you as strange that not a single player came to Leinart’s defense during the chaos of the last week or so? It seems obvious to me that their was no division in the locker room – Leinart had no support. Not a peep from a single teammate. Even media interviews were strangely devoid of any personal commentary when other players were questioned about the Leinart hullabaloo. So, maybe the team has enough class, unlike Leinart, to keep comments out of the press, but it seems glaringly obvious that he was not respected by anyone. Even Kurt Warner, the king of playing nice, didn’t exactly provide a ringing endorsement.
I’m sorry, but all this Matty Ballgame love is misplaced. Whether you wanted him to be the leader has nothing to do with whether he could be. And what potential did you see? At best, Leinart managed not to lose games, but he never won a game for us. Take the Titans game last year – he played not to lose. The guy couldn’t make a deep pass for the life of him and he consistently played nervous. Maybe the O-line was off in preseason with all the position switches, but the O-line-QB relationship goes both ways. A hesitant QB never willing to take risks and always checking down can make an O-line look bad, too.
The guy was a lazy putz with a questionable attitude that alienated his teammates and a limited skill-set characterized by a very weak arm – all of which screams zero upside. Leinart had too many years to prove himself. He failed to overtake “old, washed-up” men. It doesn’t matter if Warner was HoF material – Leinart couldn’t overtake him which means he was inferior. Shouldn’t we be searching for the next Kurt Warner rather than accepting some second rate guy that did not have the mental & physical attributes to compliment the Arizona players and schemes.
Leinart was simply settling for something less; that approach doesn’t generally win titles.
The Cardinals may be in a transition mode at the QB position. Eh, big deal. That’s life in the NFL. The talent on this team is not limited to a 1-year window. There’s time. If they struggle in the passing game enough to affect the season, then get Hall in there and let the future begin. But spare me the potential of Leinart – if you think that you haven’t seen a player’s potential after this many years, then it isn’t there.
by wiredzen on Sep 5, 2010 3:46 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Generally, you don't groom a guy for 2 and a half years and then cut him before the season
No one would say anything about the quarterback situation because it was a lose-lose for them. If you endorse one guy over another and the other guy gets the job, then you put yourself in a bad position and the new quarterback will remember those comments you made. I said in another comment that Leinart was cut because when he was under center, players didn’t try their hardest. Will we ever know why they didn’t? Probably not. Kurt said he didn’t think Leinart got a chance—which is what people have been saying this ever since the Bears game. Note that people wanted him to get a chance in the REGULAR season. Leinart played sparingly in the REGULAR season after his second year. Anyone who thinks DA and Hall will tear teams up in the regular season because they can tear teams up in the preseason are mistaken. Maybe they can, but the regular season is a whole different animal.
People here have already gone over the fact that all of the hating on ML’s arm is misplaced. I think JoeCB1991 or someone made a post that proved the ML was better at throwing the deep ball during his rookie season than DA was at throwing the deep ball during his Pro Bowl season. We already know that ML can throw the deep ball; now we need to examine why he wouldn’t. Personally, I think it all stems back from his relationship with Whiz. I think that relationship also had an effect on his teammates. Whiz never fully supported Matt 100%, and that was what got ML’s confidence and swagger down. If Whiz just once said, “Matt Leinart is our starter and he has my full support and the full support of his coaching staff,” then I think that would have worked wonders with ML’s confidence. That affected his relationship with his teammates—if your coach doesn’t even support your quarterback, how much will you support and respect him? When I devoured any bit of Cardinals information I could over the summer, I got the impression that Leinart had matured, that having a son helped him grow up, that his work ethic and passion for the game had improved, and that he was keeping a low profile as far as hot tubs and parties. Maybe I was wrong, but that was the impression I got.
Yes, we are in a transition mode as far as the QB, but the rest of our team is championship-caliber. Others and I felt that Leinart gave us the best chance to win now, and also win in the future. But hey, that’s just our opinion. Putting Hall in might help him as far as experience, but to me, it would signal that we gave up on this season and now we are trying to build for the future. Despite all the hype surrounding Hall, he is still a rookie QB, and rookie QBs have a lot to learn. Even all the great quarterbacks of today had a QB rating of 75 or less during their rookie season, and I think that expecting Hall to get much better than that is stretching it. I am hoping that having much better players around DA will help him lead the team, but I still have my doubts.
by YoungCardsFanatic on Sep 5, 2010 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions
Whiz did say it was Leinart's team.
At the beginning of the off season. Leinart couldn’t hold on to the job. Get over it.
He said he was the starter
But he didn’t support him 100%. He just wanted his competition and see who came out standing at the end. I did “get over it”—but forgive me if I do not exactly go wild with excitement for the upcoming season.
by YoungCardsFanatic on Sep 5, 2010 5:32 PM MDT up reply actions
Hey Joe...
Here is a great video piece (from ESPN’s OTL) about the life of Hamza Abdullah over the past month. Since it features a Cardinals player and has interviews from Whiz and A Dub, I think its a great video for us all.
Please share it if you like: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5536248&categoryid=2378529
GO CARDS!
Peacefully sincere,
Suns13fan
I missed it, but I posted another story about that a couple of weeks ago.
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.
Time to move on.
This reality show needs to end.
"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly
by Jesse Reynolds on Sep 5, 2010 5:23 PM MDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
It won't end anytime soon
It might end after the season is over and we will see whether DA or Hall pan out, or if ML plays well elsewhere. Of course, it could also end when ML becomes the starter for another team, if he ever does. Let’s hope Hall is as good as the hype makes him out to be.
by YoungCardsFanatic on Sep 5, 2010 5:31 PM MDT up reply actions
Until the season starts
People (not you specifically) are grasping at straws trying to justify/rationalize what has taken place. We can’t worry about what was or what will be, only what is. DA is the starter, Matt is gone, and Whiz and Co have my full support.
I was a pro Leinart guy at the beginning of the off season. I thought he finally figured it out but obviously he didn’t. Whiz wouldn’t kick a guy to the curb if he thought he was a winner. I thought DA was the worst pickup we made all off season, but so far I have turned out to be wrong.
Despite all the drama, I am very excited for the season and to see what unfolds.
"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly
by Jesse Reynolds on Sep 5, 2010 6:47 PM MDT up reply actions
DA also has my full support
But I was just trying to wrap my head around the whole thing earlier. I would rather see DA play well because like I said earlier, if we have to put in Hall, a rookie QB, I think that it would be a sign of having given up on the season, and I would rather not waste a season when we have so much talent at every position.
by YoungCardsFanatic on Sep 6, 2010 8:19 AM MDT up reply actions
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