Time for some links to lead you off into the weekend, featuring stuff on the Furlough that was just announced for the Cardinals, PP7's rating in Madden 12 (also featuring a possible nickname for him, "P Squared"), Orton and the workouts hosted by Larry Fitzgerald.
Also, NFL.com is ranking the top 20 games of last season, and one of the games the Cardinals won last year made the list, find out which one it is after the jump.
Cardinals News:Peterson to be highest rated rookie in 'Madden' - ArizonaSports.com
You may not be able to see first round draft pick Patrick Peterson make thrilling plays for the Arizona Cardinals in real life this fall but you're almost guaranteed to see him make more than a few in "Madden NFL 12". According to ESPN.com Peterson, the ‘can't miss' cornerback prospect out of LSU, will be the highest rated rookie in the game.
Warner throws to Fitz. Just don't read into it - ArizonaSports.com
Larry Fitzgerald caught passes Thursday from a guy that would be everyone's consensus pick to be the Arizona Cardinals quarterback in 2011. It wasn't Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton or even Marc Bulger. It was Kurt Warner. Here is where most people would blow things out of proportion and start rumors of his return to the NFL as the Cardinals' savior. Not us. We know better … thanks to Warner's Twitter account.
To wait or not to wait? That is the Arizona Cardinals' debate - ArizonaSports.com
Could all of the Arizona Cardinals quarterback rumors be for naught? John Gambadoro (or Gambo, as we know him) of Sports 620 KTAR's Gambo & Ash said Thursday that the Cardinals could be better off utilizing another stop-gap quarterback and waiting for next year's strong quarterback draft class.
NFL.com news: Fitzgerald says McNabb in same frat, not looking to join Cards
Larry Fitzgerald told Fox Sports Radio that Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb has been working out with some Arizona Cardinals players simply because it's convenient, not because he's a leading candidate to join the team, as many pundits have speculated.
Kyle Orton may have motivation questions - ArizonaSports.com
For those of you with Kyle Orton in the ‘Next quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals' office pool, you might want to read this.
Kyle Orton may cost more than most think - ArizonaSports.com
Just one day after an NFL Network analyst said the Denver Broncos Kyle Orton may lack motivation to be a starter, a different analyst is saying it may cost more than originally thought for a team to land the quarterback. The NFL Network's Jason La Canfora said on NFL Total Access that teams hoping to offer a mid to late round pick for Orton won't get very far with the Broncos.
NFL.com news: No. 16: Cards ride third-string QB past Cowboys on Christmas
As the research analyst for NFL Network's NFL RedZone, Elliot Harrison watched all 267 games in the 2010 season. We asked him to rank the 20 most memorable.
Cardinals will pay price for furloughs - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Don't bother reaching out to Arizona Cardinals employees next week. They'll be out of the office -- on furloughs.
Coryell, the Cardinals and Jim Harbaugh - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Don Coryell's tenure with the old St. Louis Cardinals and influence on the San Francisco 49ers through Bill Walsh led one Arizona Cardinals fan to hit the NFC West mailbag Thursday. Randy from Peoria, Ariz., thought Coryell's absence from our Cardinals "Flash Points" ballot was striking.
Word From the Birds Blog - Feeling familiar
While everyone waits for the league year to start — and, at its root, waits for the Cardinals to have a chance to figure out its quarterback situation — the possibilities remain open speculation. Suddenly, it begins to feel very familiar.
Word From the Birds Blog - Patrick Peterson is virtually No. 1
No, Patrick Peterson hasn’t been on the field yet in an NFL game. But the expectations for his play, even as a rookie, are high well beyond here in Arizona.
The Long Road To The Inside
Casey takes improbable path to Cardinals' front office
Cardinals place employees on furlough - ArizonaSports.com
It is becoming all to common place around the NFL. Teams having to place employees on furlough due to the lockout. The New York Jets have already done it. So have the Miami Dolphins. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, you can add the Arizona Cardinals to the list.
Patrick Peterson is 'Madden's' top-rated rookie - ESPN
I've been obsessed with cornerbacks ever since I first saw Lester Hayes dip his hands in a bucket of Stickum. And growing up in the Bay Area, I've seen some greats run by me backwards, from a young Ronnie Lott to Mike Haynes to even a season of Deion Sanders. Next in line to go "primetime" is the Cardinals first-round pick, Patrick Peterson. With P-Squared, we're talking ball hawking, blanket coverage, and the type of return skills that make you think back to the days of Deion dripping in jewelry.
Arizona Sports News:
Josh Collmenter lights out again in Diamondbacks win
Talk about an encore. What will Josh Collmenter do next? All he did his previous time out was become the first pitcher in 100 years to win his first career start when throwing six shutout innings and allowing two hits or fewer as his team recorded only one hit. He followed that with another sensational start Thursday night, pitching six shutout innings and again holding the opposition to just two hits as the Diamondbacks swept the Braves in a two-game series with a 2-1 victory at Chase Field.
Arizona Diamondbacks showing passion after lackluster years
The Diamondbacks look the same in the standings. They don't feel the same on a baseball field. Attendance still is embarrassingly low, and infidels come only to support the opponent, such as those performing the tomahawk chop. Yet the change in Arizona is obvious to anyone who cares to look. "The culture and the chemistry are different," Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers said. "Before, there were not great expectations." That's not to say the team has morphed back into a contender. Through 42 games, the Diamondbacks have only one more victory than they did at this point in 2010. But they hustle. They don't quit. They taste their own blood and decide to hit back.
Arizona high school quarterbacks starting in the NFL a rarity
Think of all the NFL starting quarterbacks that Arizona high schools have developed. There, that didn't take long. It is not quite as bad as the Valley's 0.0 shooting percentage on producing an NBA All-Star, but it is not much better. That is why Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan's comment that John Beck (Mesa Mountain View) is the frontrunner to start at quarterback next season got our attention.
NFL News:
NFL.com news: Cowboys owner Jones confident there will be football in 2011
Jerry Jones is confident this labor standoff between the players and owners will end in time for football. He's just not ready to say exactly when or how that might happen.
What NFC West coaches earn per victory - NFC West Blog - ESPN
One million dollars per regular-season victory seems like a reasonable price for NFL teams already paying much more in player salaries. That was the rate a couple NFC West teams paid their head coaches last season, according to a Forbes magazine report.