2011 recap: Position by Position
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 28, 2011 9:04 PM MST
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PrintSafety: A peculiar position for the Cardinals. This is one of two positions we have with two marquee players with plenty of attitude, experience and talent. Rhodes got injured, but appeared to spend his time with a bumfoot on the bench press, and is still a great safety. Rashad Johnson is a backup but could start for another team. Last but not least my favorite Cardinal Adrian Wilson . He is a beast and in the best of the NFL talk he is still getting snubbed, one of only two active 20/20 club members in the NFL. He may not be the ballhawk the ":best" safety/s are, but neither of those two will stuff an RB at the LoS like Adub can either. Now that the defense is under the Tutelage of Ray Horton with the assistance of a youth movement at a different position on the defense Adub's best years may very well be in front of him.
Cornerback: A position that you could proclaim to be a CB nursery. A couple solid DB's and three others with different skill sets. It will be interesting to see how they progress next season.
Linebacker: We experienced a MUCH needed youth movement. Lenon held his own for an old man, but Haggans was exposed in coverage time and time again. Porter like Faneca was just a wasted roster spot. Washington was all over the field. Scho and Cho were able to generate a pass rush and come up BIG every now and then. Lenon held his own, and Bradley spending so much time on the bench is worrisome. Washington needs a thumper to pair up with and he is already in Tempe.
Defensive Line: The other position we have featuring two marquee players. Simply put CC and DD may be argued as Top 5 3-4 DE's, but seriously we have both of them so who cares. Dan Williams came in to training camp overweight and out of shape. He was looking like the real estate hog he was drafted to be before an unfortunate season ending injury occured. Nick Eason and Vonnie Holliday provided solid depth. David Carter rounds out this group and has already been worth his draft stock, he will probably never be a full time starter, but it's nice to know we have a rotational guy that can make noise at all 3 spots on the line. One last thing, i'm crossing my fingers the FO locks CC up with a 7 year deal.
Offensive Line: The play was simply offensive. This is a position that needs to be addressed in FA I know everyone is clamoring for an OT in the first round, but we would probably be better off showing the money to 3 guys named, Demetrius Bell, Carl Knicks, and Ben Grubbs..
Wide Receiver: Fitz is Fitz, Doucet is every bit the Boldin-lite we were hoping for. Roberts disappoints and wows at the same time. Stuckey is roster fill and a wasted roster spot. Williams is fast and tall, but I don't recall seeing him at all this season. Sampson is a 7th round pick, we didn't see much of this season.
Tight End: Jeff King was a great signing, solid and productive. Todd Heap was finally sighted a few weeks ago after disappearing for half the season. Jim Dray didn't make much noise. Rob Housler is our piece for the evolution of a position, and he was wide open multiple times this season, but it would seem he is either too excited or just has terrible hands. I hope it was just the excitement.
Full back: The Shermanator is simply a beast and will help our ground game for seasons to come.
Running back: Beanie Wells is just a beast of a back. LaSh was simply dynamic all he did was make huge plays in the clutch, but running him inside still confuses me, maybe Mike Miller hasn't heard of a two back set. Taylor is just a journeymen back. Smith probably won't be around next season. Ryan Williams sat the season out due to an unfortunate knee injury, but seems like he will run like Frank Gore. This position looks very bright going forward.
Quarterback: Is just a hot mess. Kolb didn't look like a guy in his fifth season. Skelton can't get off to a fast start. Bartel is just simply roster fill. Two seasons and still no answer for the departed Kurt Warner which is the bad; however the good is we still managed to win seven and possibly eight games. At least the team has gotten better even if the QB position has not.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.
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Nice writeup
Thanks.
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On the topic of Williams,
the Coaching Staff feels as if he hit a “plateau” in his rookie season. After coming off hot in both Training Camp and Preseason, he regressed with mental errors, then came the back injury he suffered in either week 5 or 6. Hopefully he can get another shot, but then again… I want to see more of Demarco Sampson play.
End the QB controversy
Bartel for QB!
Joe Saunders: "They played a really good game, so hats off to us"
And if we had consistent QB play
I guarantee we’d make a deep Playoff run.
Joe Saunders: "They played a really good game, so hats off to us"
I'm still gonna beat the drum,
With Skelton under center we consistently started off slow, but finished strong.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 29, 2011 7:31 PM MST up reply actions
How bout that Browns game to keep the playoff hopes alive?
Like many have said before,Skeleton is consistently inconsistent
by cardinalbrown on Dec 30, 2011 7:39 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
How about that 1-6,
record he started off with, and consistently put together some extremely exciting 4th quarters. Had our “starter” not left us in such a hole we could have very well been watching the Cardinals in January.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 30, 2011 7:47 PM MST up reply actions
I think we can all agree
Drew Brees would look great in a Cardinals uniform.
Joe Saunders: "They played a really good game, so hats off to us"
Brees would bomb his career,
here he simply isn’t tall enough for the 3 step drops Whiz loves using.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 31, 2011 9:07 AM MST up reply actions
Worried about Dan Williams
Even though the front office downplays his struggles with fitness, he wasn’t exactly dominant in his second year and coming into his third with a lot of time off here could be dangerous.
I thought he was playing well when he got hurt too
In that game at least
Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan
Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Rattlers fan
[I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
Leading the NFL in swagtangibles
I'd still like to bring in a free agent NT
Let Williams see what a true 3 – 4 run stuffer looks like. Learn behind him. That let’s the team move Carter around to backup Dockett or Campbell.
And thanks for the write up INSOMAN1ATIC!
Just a guy, because I was born that way.
I don't know many teams Rashard could start on
We just threw a boatload of money at Daryn Colledge, who has played only LG in his career. Both Nicks and Grubbs have also only played LG, are young, and sure to command a ton of money in FA. My guess is both guys will resign with their team. I don’t see either of those guys are real targets this offseason. Now Demetrius Bell, that’s my guy. It would be a great signing and then resign Levi, flip him back to the right side, and we have our bookends set.
By now we all get you love Burfict. He is mentioned in every post you make. There is a 0% chance we draft Burfcit (He hasn’t even committed to the draft but the writing is on the wall). I’m not going to harp on his character issues because they are only on the field and only because of his aggressiveness. Off the field, he is a quiet guy and I’m sure he could change opinions during pro interviews. What an interview can’t answer is why his play dropped off so much this year vs. previous years. Playing heavy, lacking lateral quickness, mental lapses, and missed tackles plagued him this year. The combine in February will tell us alot about his dedication to the game or if he just relied on god given talent thus far.
On the topic of the linemen,
I did mention showing them the money, New Orleans probably won’t be able to afford keeping Nicks around you know with Brees and Colston wanting a payday and all. Grubbs will command high dollar, and Bell will as well, but these guys are proven talents and would make any offensive line better. Just think if they make Kolb renegotiate then it will free up plenty of money to possibly lock down all three. Then our offense will be set at everything but QB which will be an open audition for anyone waiting to drive an offense to a Lombardi trophy.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 29, 2011 5:06 PM MST up reply actions
Not a chance we can/will make Kolb renegotiate
Cutting Kolb after 1 year admits defeat and creates a QB battle. Why would Kolb willingly give up the remaining money on his contract and why would he want to resign with a team after they cut him after only 1 year? Too many teams would be after Kolb if we let him hit the FA market.
I’d be all for cutting Colledge and going after one of those guards, but it’s just not gonna happen. We can’t allocate that much money to interior lineman. There is also a chance of landing DeCastro out of Standford in the draft which would be a future replacement for Hadnot.
by cardinalbrown on Dec 29, 2011 5:31 PM MST up reply actions
Seriously,
Kolb wouldn’t be a hot commodity on the FA market. Durability is a big factor for any team and he certainly isn’t that.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 29, 2011 7:20 PM MST up reply actions
Why would you cut Colledge?
He played fairly well this season and had some pretty strong games. The interior of our line played well, relatively.
by Jesse Reynolds on Dec 29, 2011 9:01 PM MST up reply actions
Grubbs and Hicks are younger and arguably better
My wording was a little misleading, so let me say this… I don’t want to cut Colledge. INSOMAN1ATIC suggested going after Grubbs & Hicks, which I only see as a real option if Colledge is no longer on our team. Not in favor of spending a ton of money on interior lineman in free agency. Only argument I can make for getting rid of Colledge in favor of Grubbs or Nicks is his inflating contract – Colledge had a $2.5M cap hit in ’11 vs. $5.5M cap hit in ’12 & $6.5M cap hit in ’13 through ’15.
by cardinalbrown on Dec 29, 2011 10:02 PM MST up reply actions
Colledge played very poorly this season.
The Oline is just playing bad. The only bright spot is Levi Brown finally playing well during the last 5 weeks of the season. From Profootballfocus:
“… Levi Brown’s late season displays have left me shocked. I actually thought he was incapable of holding out anybody but seven hurries in the last five weeks is unbelievable. When you say this included Dallas and San Francisco it becomes almost surreal.”
The Cards cannot sign those FA guards that were listed above. I think this team has two options for their 1st round pick coming up. Oline or Pass rusher. Acho really improved in the 2nd half of the season. I would almost go so far to say that the Cards have no choice, they have to take an O-lineman in the draft. Jonathan Martin, DeCastro or Reiff.
Welcome to the Cam Cave
I'd be upset with Decastro at 13
IMO way to high for him. I think Martin and/or Rieff will be available at 13 and we can take them, but if they are gone, go BPA.
Follow me on Twitter at @AlexDavidson68
THANK YOU CARDINALBROWN.....
I didn’t have to say it this time… Its nice to see someone agree with me.
My money says Burfict,
seems even more questionable after his interviews. We gotta get that guy.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
Your money is as good as gone
I was referring to pro interviews at the combine. The confidential kind run by the FO with intrusive questions and exposing tidbids. We won’t hear about those answers but they’ll be referred to as character issues. A good interview explaining his troubles over the past season is the only way he can get back in the top 20
by cardinalbrown on Dec 29, 2011 5:35 PM MST up reply actions
I know the interviews you meant,
and we obviously won’t agree, just like Maurice Jones Drew, whichever team has the chance to take him but chooses not to will probably wish they had for the next decade. I can only hope to hell he doesn’t land in San Francisco.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
Remember the kind of value inside linebackers have in the draft
If all we want is a two-down thumper, the late rounds will be ripe with good players that fit that mold. Burfict may be one of them. Look at Martez Wilson from last year. He was the consensus top ILB in the class and went in the 4th round. Colin McCarthy & K.J. Wright went in the 3rd- and 4th-rounds and both guys played exceptionally well this year. Laurinaitis and Maualuga are other examples — then there’s that Darryl Washington guy. If we want one, we’ll be able to get a darn good ILB a little bit later on. We still have Sturdivant kicking around, too.
Good point
If we can just get a young solid ILB next to Washington it will be frightening for other teams.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Martez Wilson,
who? seriously. You obviously haven’t watched any Sun Devil games, Burfict is waaaay more than a two down thumper.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 29, 2011 8:57 PM MST up reply actions
Martez Wilson is pretty darn good
i was clamouring for him last year in round 2, and then again in round 3. He went a few picks later to the Saints. Not as talented as Burfict, but less issues surrounding him.
Follow me on Twitter at @AlexDavidson68
Can't be that good,
his only hype was being a good sleeper pick, and hasnt made any noise in the NFL
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 30, 2011 5:46 AM MST up reply actions
Not yet
but he’s sitting behind some pretty talented LBs in New Orleans. He has the potential to be a pretty good ILB, only time will tell
Follow me on Twitter at @AlexDavidson68
+1
You are correct that I have not watched Burfict play. I am judging him solely off of the back-and-forth we’ve had on RotB at the moment, which puts him somewhere between a top 10 franchise player and a stiff, overaggressive maniac who can’t cover to save his life.
Watch highlights,
even though you only get the best of, you’ll be impressed…looks like Polamalu playing LB
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 30, 2011 4:54 PM MST up reply actions
Too bad that highlight reel was from his frosh and soph year
This year you can catch Burfcit on Oregon, UofA, and UCLA highlights. He’s the one playing out of position and missing tackles
by cardinalbrown on Dec 30, 2011 7:24 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
and if you read these threads,
you can see your disdain for me for some odd reason appearing quite a bit lately…They’re opinions and we all have them, so get over yourself.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
by INSOMAN1ATIC on Dec 30, 2011 7:50 PM MST up reply actions
It has nothing to do with you
Anyone that speaks that highly of Burfcit deserves a rebuttal. Notice I’m not the one calling you out by name in the gamethreads
by cardinalbrown on Dec 30, 2011 8:12 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
I think everyone is giving up on Bradley too quickly
He didn’t make any “wow” plays this year because he couldn’t beat out Lenon who had himself a very strong year. Lenon has 87 tackles, 3 sacks, 1FR, # TFL’s and a couple of PDs.
I'm not worried about Bradley
And i definitely want to see him back next year. He was trying to find playing time against a Defensive Captain, and arguably a defensive MVP. Not many players would find a lot of time in his situation
Follow me on Twitter at @AlexDavidson68
Bradley does seem to get short shrift from fans.
I seriously doubt that inside linebacker gets weighted heavily on the draft board. With Washington, Lenon and Bradley there is no driving need for anything more than depth at the position. If the Cardinals go after a linebacker in the first round it has to be for a marquee pass rusher. If any team thinks Burfict is the player he has been hyped to be then he will probably be gone before the Cardinals get another shot at him.
The thing with Bradley is that he hasn't lived up to his expectations or his contract
I’m not really disappointed because as Jesse said, I think that has more to do with Lenon’s play than Stew’s. Aside from Washington, I really don’t have a clue what our ILB’s are going to look like next year. Bradley’s a terrific fit on paper.
Lenon and Washington were doing a fine job
Bradley also gets more time to focus on learning the defense, then he can get in there next year
Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan
Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Rattlers fan
[I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
Leading the NFL in swagtangibles
Paris Lenon is under contract through next season.
Bradley signed a five year deal. There is no reason to even speculate that either won’t return for next season.
Smith will more likely be kept over Taylor.
Smith plays special teams. That’s important for a player relegated to 4th on the depth chart. With the return of Ryan Williams there won’t be space for Taylor.
I can attest
To Burfict having otherworldly talent. The kid has more raw skill, athleticism, and feel for the game then Patrick Willis coming out of college. One thing that people tend to overlook, and I personally believe is very relevant, is the horrible coaching that Burfict was subjected to under Erickson.
It’s no secret that Erickson had no control over his team in the lockeroom and off the field. The whole squad maybe besides a select few had discipline problems, motivation problems, lack of desire etc… That is a reflection of the coaching.
I’m not pinning all of Burficts mishaps on coaching, but its safe to say that with good coaching and an attitude change, Burfict can be mentioned under the same breath as Guys like Willis, Edwards, Dansby. He has all pro talent but needs help channeling his focus and attention to playing football the right way, not like a highschool kid.
Id say its a pretty risky draft pick, but if he pans out to reach his full potential…. Well, let’s just say he’d be the scariest MLB football has ever seen, and I truly believe that.
by cgcardzfan on Dec 31, 2011 2:39 AM MST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
This
Burfict has ridiculous ability, that cannot be argued. The only argument is whether that ability can be coached to its full potential, or if he will bust. Personally, I like Burfict a lot, and would love to see him in Cardinal red. I think that Horton could wipe him into shape, and having 4 young talented LBs in Schofield, Burfict, Washington, and Acho makes me salivate.
Follow me on Twitter at @AlexDavidson68
Thank you,
the guy would give Horton’s defense a nastiness that will be talked about 30 years from now.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
lol I wrote that before finding this link on the Seahawks page
Also, I compared him to Willis and EDWARDS… I don’t know why I was saying Edwards but I was thinking of LEWIS as I typed Edwards.
by cgcardzfan on Dec 31, 2011 10:38 AM MST via mobile reply actions
That is a good report,
he’s gonna be a beast…His family lives in SoCal, like I said keep Burfict in Tempe.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
My only concern is
If he costs our first round pick, do we not have greater need then LB? If you subscribe to BPA and he is it, then thats a valid argument but our oline bites
by Birdman from Mesa on Jan 1, 2012 8:23 PM MST up reply actions
Is our Oline really that bad though?
and yes I believe adding Burfict will have out defense dictating the tempo of a game and “attacking” like Horton wants, the guy is gonna bring a nastiness like Dockett and Wilson do at their positions.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
Yes. The O line really is that bad.
Offensive tackle is the most pressing need on account of both sides needing an upgrade.
It REALLY is that bad
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Brown is coming back,,
those of you clamoring for Oline in the first round, slow down. We have to get better at LB before anything.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
What? Are you nuts the O-line is without question and by far worse than the LBing core.
I’m not saying what to draft at this point as I want to see more before I suggest a pick or trade etc.
"The point is, by my standards, I won fair and square."
-Bender
Keith is an unrestricted free agent. Brown is never getting what his contract stipulates.
Keith hasn’t shown he’s worth keeping at all. Brown will most likely be cut to avoid paying him. Will he restructure without getting cut? Will he resign after getting cut? It’s maybe 50/50 he’s back at all. Inside linebacker is not a pressing need. Inside linebackers rarely go in the first round. They should try to improve at linebacker this off season but drafting Burfict is a rather unlikely scenario unless he slips down to later rounds.
+1. The line will defiinately need attention, even if you thought they played well
which I don’t particularliy, although they were better later in the year. We have no depth, are probably losing 1 or maybe 2 starters. Seems like the most pressing situation to me.
by Birdman from Mesa on Jan 2, 2012 6:38 PM MST up reply actions
You are the biggest homer for whoever you like
Might as well make a statue of Skelton and Vontaze outside the stadium at this rate. LB is not our #1 concern. If we take a LB in the first round it better be OLB.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
Another ILB wouldn't be awful
Im happy with BPA really. Unless its a QB or RB, go BPA, collect a bevy of extremely talented players, and find a spot to put them in our line-up
Follow me on Twitter at @AlexDavidson68
Nail on the head,
What’s better drafting solid depth throughout each position or having some weak positions with others loaded with pro bowl/elite talent…The million dollar question history says stacking positions with superior talent is the better recipe for sustained success.
Formerly known as Cardsfan928, If you wanna grab a quick game of madden, my screenname is also my Xbox name.
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