2-18-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Weekend

Time for some links to start off the weekend, mostly just going over stuff you already know.

So enjoy the picture of Beanie Wells getting his knee stretched.

Cardinals G.M. leaves door open for quarterback change | ProFootballTalk
Cardinals G.M. Rod Graves spoke about Kevin Kolb’s future on Thursday. Let’s see what he had to say, and then offer up a few interpretations.

Offense Gets Miller Time
Coordinator ready to make improvements with an offseason

NFL -- Fitzgerald is no diva - ESPN
Other wide receivers are reinforcing the diva image, but Larry Fitzgerald clearly didn't get the memo.

Arizona Cardinals likely to use tag on Calais Campbell
Cardinals GM Rod Graves didn't break new ground on Thursday with assurances defensive end Calais Campbell will be with the team in 2012. But he might have at least calmed the nerves of fans who were fearful.

Arizona Sports News:

Kobe Bryant's 36 points lead Lakers past Suns
If you saw one of the Suns' trips to Staples Center to play the Lakers, you saw them both, really. Good starts are frequent and futile with the Suns. There is always a dark side to the Suns' rise and it involves Kobe Bryant when the Suns play the Lakers. An 18-point Kobe Bryant third quarter coincided with the Suns cold shooting to build a 20-point Lakers lead that a noble rally try could not wipe away. The Suns lost 111-99, dropping their fourth consecutive game with the hope the plot can change when part three of this season's Suns-Lakers series takes place Sunday at US Airways Center.

NFL News:

18-game season remains a real possibility | ProFootballTalk
Though recent comments from Commissioner Roger Goodell to ESPN 1000 in New York regarding the league’s lack of an intention to expand its number of teams have gotten the most attention, it’s important to point out what Goodell said — and didn’t say — about the still-looming possibility of expanding the regular season.

Faulk: A 5,000-yard season "is nothing" | ProFootballTalk
Matthew Stafford became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season this year. Of course, three were able to do it in 2011 alone. Eli Manning topped 4,900. Aaron Rodgers would have had a shot to break 5,000 if he played in the final week. Add it all up, and NFL Network analyst Marshall Faulk isn’t overly impressed with Stafford’s achievement.

Raiders Release John Herrera, Who Is Now Free To Scream At Another Team's Beat Writers - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
The Oakland Raiders are undergoing a massive overhaul in their first offseason without Al Davis. They've hired a new general manager and are lining up an entirely new coaching staff. They've also reportedly parted ways with senior PR executive John Herrera, who has a history of being...excitable.