We'll round out the defense today today with this breakdown of the current crop of corner backs. Considering that the pass defense was among the worst in the league last season, an improvement from this group could be the difference between another mediocre season and the post season. The same starters return but all eyes will be on a promising first round pick. Is a year of added experience and a rookie enough to get this unit over the hump though?

Roderick Hood: Hood signed a five year, $15 million dollar deal to come to Arizona in 2007, after four seasons in Philly. The former undrafted free agent stepped into his first season as a starter and posted career highs in nearly every category including tackles, passes defended and interceptions. He was the sixth most targeted corner in the league last year and ranked as the 17th most successful, according to Pro Football Prospectus. He's got solid cover skills and is a good enough tackler to be adequate in run support. Hood has enough size (5'11 198), speed and quickness to match up with most receivers in the league and his instincts are improving. He'll turn 27 midway through the season but with less than 30 career starts, we still haven't seen his best football yet.

Eric Green: Green's first full season as a starter produced.....mixed results at best. He's been slowed by injuries throughout his career and 2007 was no different. He missed the final 5 games of the season with a torn groin. He possesses the physical skills to be a decent player but has yet to develop the football instincts or consistency necessary to remain a starter. He's only managed one interception in 24 career starts and his game didn't seem to improve in 2007. After averaging just over one pass defense per start in 2006 (9 PD in 8 starts), he struggled in 2007 with just 8 passes defended in 11 starts. Green knows the situation though, this could be his last chance to prove he's a quality starter. He'll be a free agent after this season and the Cardinals have already drafted his replacement so he'll have every motivation to have a career year. Considering that he just turned 26 and has less than 25 career starts, he could be on the verge of putting it all together.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: The good news for DRC is that he won't be pushed to start by opening day or even by mid-season. The goal from him this season is just to progress and gain as much experience as necessary. While he may have had the highest ceiling of any corner in the draft, he's not 'NFL ready' by any means. 
He's working to add bulk to his slender frame (6'1 184) but he'll also to get stronger in order to handle physical receivers. His athleticism is second to none though and if he can handle the physical demands of the game, he could be a star much quicker than expected. He'll likely start the season as the nickel corner but if Green's game doesn't improve, DRC could take over before long.

Ralph Brown: Brown is entering his ninth season, second with the Cardinals, and he's a decent backup. He lacks the athleticism that you normally look for in a corner but he's developed some veteran savvy. He has good body control and decent instincts when the balls in the air. He's also a willing tackler and capable of the big hit (second on the team with forced three fumbles in 2007). He's a force on special teams and is best suited in that role.

Michael Adams: Adams is a relatively unknown commodity. He's vastly undersized (5'8 178) and inconsistent, but that's not uncommon for an undrafted free agent in his second season. He's a competitor though and at just 23 years old, he could develop into an adequate backup and contribute on special teams. He played in 7 games last season after injuries ravaged the secondary and finished with 10 tackles and a pass defended.

Marcus Brown: Brown is another undrafted free agent from a small D-1AA school but that's pretty much where the similarities between him and Adams end. Brown's got the size (6'1 200) and athletic ability (4.42 forty, 43 1/2 inch vertical) to play in this league and is versatile enough to contribute in several different areas. He led McNeese State in interceptions his senior season and was also used on punt returns at times. With the lack of depth at corner, Brown might be able to make the opening day roster if he can outperform Adams.

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The ultimate success or failure of the cornerback position could simply come down to health. If they can make it through the season with Hood, Green and DRC as the top 3 (in some order), then it has the potential to be a solid group, but injuries could cause major problems. Any significant injury to the top three could drag Antrel Rolle out of the free safety spot and the entire secondary would have to be reshuffled. Thoughts? Is this a solid group or just a house of cards that'll crumble eventually? How many games does DRC start, if any at all?

Darren Urban just posted a note saying that general manager Rod Graves has acknowledged that there is a strong possibility that DRC will not get his deal finalized by the start of training camp (tomorrow). Rodgers-Cromartie's agent has been traveling and hasn't been able to talk money yet with the Cardinals. The players report for camp tomorrow but the first actual practice isn't until Friday so there is 'wiggle room' for the rest of the week.

While it may not be a disastrous situation for DRC to miss a couple of practices, he is a very raw player who will need as many snaps in camp as possible. Hopefully if he isn't in camp on Wednesday or Thursday, he spends that time eating burgers and drinking protein shakes to try and bulk up to close to 200 pounds.

The Arizona Cardinals signed Calais Campbell, their second round pick, to a four year deal today and as usual, terms of the deal were not disclosed. I should know the base salary amounts in a day or two and the signing bonus and guaranteed amounts will come out in time.

In order to sign Campbell the team had to release someone and Bo Schobel was the odd man out. Schobel, who was signed mid-way through the 2007 season, was a long shot to make the roster. He appeared in two games and had one tackle. The deal leaves Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as the only unsigned rookie, but negotations are ongoing and hopefully a deal should be announced before camp starts. Only five first round picks have agreed to contracts so far but the Cardinals report to camp earlier than most teams. There is some speculation the Cardinals are keeping a close eye on the negotiations between the Bears and Chris Williams. It is believed that the two sides are close to agreeing on a contract and the Cardinals can then use that contract to gauge DRC's value, considering that Williams was selected at 14 (DRC was 16th).

On an even more positive note, Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Dockett and Boldin, said that both players will be in camp on time. The Cardinals should open camp with every player there and accounted for. The team is also hopeful that Gabe Watson will be the only player who is limited because of injury, although Leonard Pope is another possibility.

After some research I found the details of each of the Cardinals draft picks that have signed. Each pick agreed to three year deals for the minimum amount per season: $295,000 (2008), $385,000 (2009) $470,000 (2010). I also found that Early Doucet got a $550,000 signing bonus but I can't find if any of of the other picks received a bonus upon signing.

There's also some promising note that the Redskins singed one of their second round picks, Malcolm Kelly. The significance of his signing is that he was drafted on spot behind the Cardinals second round pick, Calais Campbell. The Cardinals will likely use Kelly's contract as a starting point in the negotiations with Campbell. Kelly's contract is a four year deal for 3.36 million and includes $1.655 million in guarantees. The Cardinals have just over a week to finalize deals with both Campbell and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

 

The Arizona Cardinals have now signed five of their seven draft picks, announcing today that Early Doucet has agreed to a three year deal. It's not a big surprise considering that most reports have mentioned that a deal was close to being finalized.

That leaves only first and second round picks, DRC and Calais Campbell unsigned and they're be more difficult considering the uncertainty surrounding the salary cap and the possibility of an uncapped year. It's also worth mentioning that Doucet's signing brings the Cardinals to 80 players under contract, which is the max roster size. So when DRC and CC do sign, someone will have to be cut as soon as each signing is announced.

• Darren Urban, at the Cardinals official site, identifies five players who are poised for a breakout season, including Levi Brown, Antrel Rolle, Steve Breaston, Matt Leinart and Alan Branch. Needless to say, if his list is correct an those five do step up and have career years, this team is playoff bound.
• The official site also took a look at Fitzgerald's off season travels and needless to say with his pocket book he can go just about anywhere he pleases, including Brazil, Peru, New Zealand, Australia and is planning trips to Africa and Morocco. I hope his future plans also include taking this team to the promise land as well.
  
• The Cardinals are keeping an open mind as to which players could make an impact on special teams in the upcoming season. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked several kicks in college and he could be a candidate as well as Leonard Pope Calais Campbell, both of who are 6'8.
  
• While every sports cast that I've seen the past week has centered around Favre's possible return to the NFL, I didn't expect to see Kurt Warner's take on it, but he offers his opinion to STL Today. He adds that he plans to play three more years before seriously considering retirement, but also said that he understands Favre's predicament.
  
• The Cardinals and Karlos Dansby aren't any closer to agreeing to a long term contract and both sides seem to have conceded that a deal won't get done before the July 15th deadline. Dansby wants $9 million a season, while the Cardinals are trying to stick much closer to Lofa Tatupa and Lance Briggs' contracts.

The Cardinals did not waste any time after agreeing to terms with Brandon Keith
yesterday, as they added another pick to the fold today with Chris Harrington signing a three year contract. Harrington, a 23 year old former Aggie, is moving from defensive end to outside linebacker this season. Despite the depth and varied talent at outside linebacker, Harrington brings an unique set of traits and strong intagibles to the table. I'd look for him to contribute on special teams during his rookie season and move into a more expanded role next season or as injuries strike.

The only remaining rookies left to sign are Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Calais Campbell and Early Doucet. Being that they are the first three picks, they'll be the toughest to ink to a deal. One thing to keep an eye on is that the next rookie to sign will fill out the roster at 82, meaning that the team will have to cut two players in order to sign all three remaining rookies. Any early guesses as to the first two players to go?

The Cardinals signed another draft pick today when Brandon Keith agreed to a three year deal. Keith, the Cards seventh round pick, is competing for a backup spot somewhere along the offensive line and has logged most of his practice snaps at right tackle so far. He was a relative unknown prospect coming out of Northern Iowa but so far he looks to have all the tools to stick around for a while. His former coach certainly thought he not only had the skills but was also versatile enough to play both guard or tackle (a trait that helps a guy looking to add depth to a shallow offensive line unit). He's the third draft pick to sign, joining Tim Hightower and Kenny Iwebema, although financial terms were not disclosed.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Calais Campbell, Early Doucet and Chris Harrington remain unsigned but the club is hopeful to finalize another deal by the end of the week. The goal, as always is to have every pick signed by the start of camp and so far they seem to be in good shape to accomplish that task. Anyone think we'll see a holdout this year? If so, who will it be?

The Cardinals entered the NFL Draft, a couple of months ago with two glaring needs: a corner to shore up one of the worst pass defenses in the league and a running back (preferably with "home run" speed) to help Edge shoulder the load and improve one of the worst run offenses from a year ago. The Cardinals had both options sitting right in front of them when they went on the clock. Sitting in their lap was the most athletic corner in the draft, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a running back with legit 4.4 speed, Rashard Mendenhall. Well, we all know who the Cardinals selected and even though that selection didn't sit well with some fans, DRC is our guy now. But how does he fit into the Cardinals defense in 2008 and beyond and what kind of immediate impact can he make?

Why DRC will have an immediate impact: He comes into a secondary that was 28th against the pass last year and only picked off 18 passes. Last year's nickel corner is now the starting free safety and best competition for the spot is 29 year old, Ralph Brown who has accumulated 22 passes defended and four interceptions in eight seasons. What does all that mean, well DRC can't do much worse than last year's group. DRC comes from the tiny college of Tennessee State but he will get plenty of practice against top flight NFL receivers working against Fitz and Q in camp and practice every day. I'd expect DRC to start out as the nickel corner and once he gets his feet wet he might even be able to step into a starting role in place of incumbent starter Eric Green who underperformed in his first year as a starter. Rodgers-Cromartie should also be able to contribute in some capacity on special teams as well. He blocked eight kicks at Tennessee State and recorded 14 special teams tackles.  

Why DRC will struggle in his first year: He does have a couple of factors working against him. First off, he's undersized and thus will have to add some bulk to his slender frame (6'2 182). He's already said that he hopes to get up to at least 195  before the start of the season. He'll likely have trouble jamming receivers during his rookie season and I wouldn't be surprised if he has some trouble tackling bigger receivers and backs. He'll also have to deal with the steep learning curve coming from Tennessee State and that's led at least some to label him as the Cardinal's rookie most likely to struggle in 2008:

Rodgers-Cromartie arguably boasts more potential than any cornerback in the draft, but he also may experience the longest learning curve. Along with needing to add bulk, Rodgers-Cromartie will face a difficult transition from tiny Tennessee St University to the NFL. Rodgers-Cromartie does have the luxury of learning behind incumbent starters Rod Hood and Eric Green, but he’ll undoubtedly feel pressure to see the field quickly as the teams top draft pick. While many have already slotted Rodgers-Cromartie in as the teams starting nickel back, it may not happen until midway through the season.

I expect we'll see him go through some rough patches during his rookie season but he's shown the ability already to bounce back and have a short memory.

Overall: Rodgers-Cromartie most likely won't win any rookie of the year awards or lead the league in interceptions in 2008, but he got the athletic ability and mental make-up to be a top flight corner for years to come. If I had to make a projection right now, I'd guess that he'll have some moments where he looks like he doesn't belong in the league early in the season, but by the end of the year he'll likely pick up a handful of starts and show some significant signs of becoming a top tier cornerback.

So what are your expectations of DRC for 2008? How quickly should be break into the starting lineup and how long until he dominates?

In a continued look back at past Cardinals' draft classes, today brings us up to the 2005 draft. The Cards were coming off a 6-10 season and held the 8th overall selection after their first season with Dennis Green as the head coach.

First Round: Antrel Rolle CB - Miami

The good news for the Cardinals is that Rolle had the best season of his career in 2007 and is finally getting moved to a position that better suits his skill set. The bad news is that if Rolle's career ended today, he'd go down in history as a bust. Rolle has started 28 games over the past three years (played in another 9) but only has 21 passes defended and 7 interceptions (although 5 of those INTs came in '07) to show for it. His move to safety should allow him to use his above average closing speed and superior tackling to support the run and patrol the middle of the field. We may very well check back in a couple of years and say that Rolle is a very solid (maybe even Pro Bowl caliber) safety.

Other possible selections: Carlos Rogers, Demarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman

Second Round: JJ Arrington RB - California

Dennis Green thought he was getting the future at running back when he drafted Arrington, even though most scouts considered him a situational back based on his lack of size and some durability questions. As it turned out it, the scouts were right. Arrington's game simply hasn't transitioned to the NFL game. He got a chance to start his rookie season but hasn't done much with any opportunity he's been given. His career line of 152 carries for 467 yards (3.1 ypc) and two touchdowns simply aren't good enough for an early second round pick. He offers something out of the backfield and on kick off returns but that's about it. Being that's he's still only 25 years old, some might argue that he's still developing his game.

Other possible selections: Lofa Tatupa, Khalif Barnes, Roscoe Parrish

Third Round: Eric Green CB - Virginia Tech

After two seasons behind Rolle on the depth chart, Green finally took over as the starter in 2007, but his performance warranted the Cardinals using another first round pick on a corner. Green has started 24 games (played in another 14) over the past three seasons but only has 25 passes defended and one interception to show for it. The knock on Green coming out of VT was that he played off receivers too far allowing passes underneath, because of a lack of physicality and that has been the case so far in his career. Green will likely to be pushed early by rookie DRC and should move back to the slot by mid-season.

Other possible selections: Ryan Moats, Ellis Hobbs, Kirk Morrison

Third Round: Darryl Blackstock OLB - Virginia

The Cardinals traded Duane Starks and their fifth round pick to the Patriots for the Pats third and fifth round pick in order to select Blackstock, who by some accounts was the steal of the draft. Blackstock was supposed to be a versatile player who was stout against the run and a gifted pass rusher but in three seasons in Arizona he started just two games and managed a total of four sacks (three of which came in '07).He left via free agency this off season and signed with the Bengals.

Other possible selections: Domonique Foxworth, Marion Barber III, Brandon Jacobs

Fourth Round: Elton Brown OG - Virginia

Brown's been a versatile player for the Cardinals since he was drafted starting games at both guard and tackle. In total he's started 14 games (played in 4 more) and according to who you believe he's got the tools to become a starter at either guard or tackle in the future. For now he's the top backup at each guard, possibly each tackle and a solid run blocker when he's in the game.

Other possible selections: Jerome Mathis, Kerry Rhodes, Darren Sproles

Fifth Round: Lance Mitchell LB - Oklahoma

Mitchell was a inside linebacker who sustained a serious knee injury his junior year that most thought lingered throughout his senior season. He was supposed to be very good against run although there were question marks about his ability in coverage. He'd play just one year in Arizona though, finishing the 2005 season with
eight tackles in 12 games. He injured his ankle before the 2006 season and was placed on injured reserve before being cut.

Other possible selections: Bo Scaife, Cedric Houston, Derek Anderson

Seventh Round: LeRon McCoy WR - Indiana

McCoy was a speedy reciever with good size but was considered an underachiever who would have to improve his route running to become a legit receiver. McCoy would play in 10 games, even starting 4, his rookie year and would total 191 yards on 18 receptions including a touchdown. Injuries would lead to his release from the Cardinals and kept him from getting on the field last year in San Francisco. He is currently a Texan and competing for a roster spot there.

Other possible selections: no notable players

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Overall the 2005 has been pretty weak draft so far, producing just 12 Pro Bowlers out of 255 picks. It's tough to judge the Cardinals draft yet because so far it's produced zero solid starters and four players who are somewhere between marginal starters (Rolle & Green) and career backups (Arrington & Brown). In time though, if Rolle excels at free safety and if Green performs better as the nickel corner and if Brown steps in as a starter soon then this draft could be very successful (but we all know that was alot of 'ifs'). Overall right now I've gotta say it's a C minus.