Kurt Warner was on the local airwaves here in Phoenix on Chuck and Vince Live on AM 1060 and discussed possible veteran quarterback candidates for the Arizona Cardinals this upcoming season. He discussed his former teammate Marc Bulger and Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer.
Warner was very high on Bulger and, without solicitation, praised Carson Palmer as great possibilities to lead the Cardinals in 2011.
On Bulger, Warner said this:
"The thing I always look at putting guys in certain systems is, how does it fit what they have done in their career and how does it fit their skill set? If the Cardinals want to do what we did when I was there, I think Marc fits the bill extremely well. He is a very accurate passer down the field, he can read defenses, he understands the system they play there and can do those things very well."
He added this about Carson Palmer, and it is noteworthy that he was not asked about him. He was asked about Bulger because of his knowing him as a teammate, but unsolicited he gave high praise about Palmer:
"I think a guy like Carson Palmer would be tremendous in that kind of system."
Warner ought to be the one to know what it takes to succeed in the Cardinals' offense, but I have two issues with his insights. One is the fact that he changed Ken Whisenhunt in his offense, at least from my observations. He was strong-willed and likely molded Whisenhunt's offensive philosophies every but as much as Whiz helped Warner with his footwork and ball protection. So the "system" that either of these new quarterbacks would be in may or may not be what Warner was in.
Then again, on second thought, considering the playcalling with the trio of quarterback sludge, maybe Warner has something. Anyway...
The second reason is what Warner himself has said before. His words of confidence for Matt Leinart are the bigger reason why to take Warner's words as truth. True, Leinart might not have had what we would consider a fair shake on the playing field, but he hasn't achieved anything since then either.
Warner might be right. I am wary of Palmer and have some reservations about Bulger, but I would not see either as being a bad move. Obviously, either one would be a better fit than Derek Anderson was last season.