Well now, the NFL draft is over, the Cardinals actually took three linemen in the final day, and now it is time to bring in some of the undrafted free agents.
So, here is an overview of everything from yesterday.
Arizona Cardinals News:Adding Depth To The Offensive Line
Draft notebook: Battle looming in secondary; Taking familiar QB
After Drop, Massie "Hungry" To Play
Highly-rated tackle comes to Cards in fourth round
Arizona Cardinals focus on offensive line on Day 3 of draft
And on the third day ... the Cardinals finally drafted an offensive tackle. But wait. Not only did they use their first pick of the third day on one in the fourth round, but they actually drafted a second one with their next pick that they plan on using as a guard. And with their seventh and final pick in the draft, the Cardinals selected yet another offensive tackle for good measure. No, seriously. It's true.
Word From the Birds Blog | On the way out the draft door, some cleanup
OK. The three-day wait-and-write of the NFL draft is finally over. Before I scoot out the door. Some quick hit thoughts/nuggets to tide you over until Monday (or until the possible undrafted rookies start getting leaked):
Word From the Birds Blog | Cards grab tackle Massie in the fourth round
So many fans were upset when the Cards didn’t take Ole Miss tackle Bobby Massie with their third round pick, instead taking cornerback Jamell Fleming. But it worked out Saturday morning, because Massie was still on the board when the Cards had their fourth-round pick and the Cards scooped him up. Some thought Massie could go late in the second round, although a lot of the highly-rated tackle slipped to the second round, pushing him lower.
Word From the Birds Blog | The fifth belongs to the offensive line
A round after taking tackle Bobby Massie, the Cards go with Washington offensive lineman Senio Kelemete in the fifth round. Kelemete, 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, played tackle in college but projects to guard in the NFL. Kelemete was a two-time captain with the Huskies, starting 41 of 45 games and getting on the Pac-12′s second-team all-conference. He only benched 20 times at the Combine (by comparison, new cornerback Jamell Fleming had 23 reps.)
Word From the Birds Blog | Sixth-round pick Bethel’s viral jump
The Cardinals just took defensive back Justin Bethel from tiny Presbyterian College in South Carolina, a special teams ace (nine blocked kicks in his career, including one against Cal this season, in a game where he also had an interception for a touchdown) who probably will be best known for now for a 60-inch standing jump. The story, straight from Bethel:
Word From the Birds Blog | A quarterback in the mix
The Cardinals indeed decided to go with a developmental quarterback in the draft, taking San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley — a big (6-foot-3, 232-pound) and big-armed passer who struggled with accuracy. One analysis compared him to Derek Anderson. Lindley was a four-year starter and threw for 90 touchdowns. His TD-to-INT ratio as a senior was 23-8. But he never completed more than 57 percent of his passes and that dipped to 53 percent this past year.
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Horton on drafting CB Jamell Fleming
Defensive coordinator Ray Horton thinks the Cardinals drafted a cornerback with "size, speed and, really, smarts" by taking Jamell Fleming in the third round. Horton interviewed Fleming at the scouting combine and at the end of his notes wrote "very smart player."
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - A look at the final day's draft selections
GM Rod Graves and Coach Ken Whisenhunt just concluded the final press conference of the draft. Here are some of their comments on each of the players chosen on Saturday.
Wait, the Cardinals needed a tackle? - NFC West Blog - ESPN
OK, Arizona Cardinals fans, time to back off a little. Your team finally selected an offensive tackle in the 2012 NFL draft. Bobby Massie from Mississippi was projected as a second-round choice by some draft analysts; the Cardinals did not have a choice in that round, but they did have a need for a tackle (the headline was intended in good fun). Massie stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 316 pounds. He projects as a potential starter for the Cardinals, presumably at right tackle, with Levi Brown the leading candidate on the left side. Scouts Inc. gave Massie above-average marks in most categories.
NFL Draft: Day 3 Wrap
GM Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt talk about the picks made in rounds four through seven on day three of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Massie Conference Call
AUDIO: Cardinals 4th round draft pick Bobby Massie conducts a conference call with Arizona media shortly after being selected with the 112th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Kelemete Conference Call
AUDIO: Cardinals 5th round draft pick Senio Kelemete conducts a conference call with Arizona media shortly after being selected with the 151st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Bethel Conference Call
AUDIO: Cardinals 6th round draft pick DB Justin Bethel conducts a conference call with Arizona media shortly after being selected with the 177th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Lindley Conference Call
AUDIO: Cardinals 6th round draft pick QB Ryan Lindley conducts a conference call with Arizona media shortly after being selected with the 185th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Potter Conference Call
AUDIO: Cardinals 7th round draft pick OT Nate Potter conducts a conference call with Arizona media shortly after being selected with the 221st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Ryan Lindley Highlights
Highlights of Cardinals 6th Round draft pick, Quarterback Ryan Lindley.
Fleming Highlights
Watch highlights of the Cardinals 3rd round pick Jamell Fleming from his days at Oklahoma and at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine.
Arizona Sports News:
Arizona Diamondbacks can't hold lead against Miami Marlins
Hanley Ramirez hit a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Marlins over the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Saturday night, snapping Miami's losing streak at six games.
Former ASU CB Omar Bolden drafted by Denver Broncos; Vontaze Burfict goes undrafted
One former Arizona State player had his dreams come true during the final four rounds of the NFL draft, but another had them dashed in jaw-dropping fashion. Cornerback Omar Bolden had thought about the NFL since grade school, a dream he grasped despite two knee injuries suffered in college. Saturday, it became a reality when the Denver Broncos selected Bolden in the fourth round with the draft's 101st overall pick. But as the day progressed, the bigger storyline drifted toward Vontaze Burfict, the ASU linebacker who eight months ago was considered a future first-round pick. Over the past three days, through seven rounds, NFL teams drafted 253 players. Burfict was not among them.
Oakland Raiders draft former Arizona Wildcats WR Juron Criner, Cleveland Brown pick CB Trevin Wade
The Oakland Raiders selected Arizona receiver Juron Criner with their second pick in the fifth round. The Raiders took Criner 168th overall Saturday with a compensatory pick.
Bengals bag Burfict | ProFootballTalk
Vontaze Burfict, the onetime first-round prospect whose disappointing 2011 season was followed by a disastrous Scouting Combine and Pro Day, has found his NFL home in Cincinnati.
NFL News:
2012 NFL Draft Results: Every Pick From 1 To 253 - SBNation.com
The 2012 NFL Draft is complete. From No. 1 Andrew Luck to Mr. Irrelevant, here's a look at every 2012 draft pick.
Undrafted Free Agent Signings Begin As NFL Draft Ends - SBNation.com
At the end of the NFL Draft, the work isn't done. Teams immediately started signing undrafted free agents.
2012 NFL Draft: Round 4 Coverage - SBNation.com
The first three rounds of the NFL Draft are in the books and only one day remains.
2012 NFL Draft: Round 5 Coverage - SBNation.com
The first four rounds of the NFL Draft are in the books as we continue on in the final day.
2012 NFL Draft: Round 6 Coverage - SBNation.com
The NFL Draft moves into the 6th round.
2012 NFL Draft: Round 7 Coverage - SBNation.com
The NFL Draft moves into the final round with Mr. Irrelevant nearing.
First look: 2012 NFC West draft choices - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The 2012 NFL draft has finished. I've put together a chart showing all the NFC West picks. Seattle drafted an NFL-high eight players on defense. One, defensive tackle J.R. Sweezy, projects as a guard. No other team drafted more than six defensive players, by my count. Total draft picks: Rams 10, Seahawks 10, Arizona Cardinals 7, San Francisco 49ers 7.
NFC West draft analysis - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The shift in NFL disciplinary emphasis from off-field behavior to on-field safety should serve the NFC West well over the coming months. The division took calculated gambles early and often in the 2012 NFL draft, selecting players with rap sheets as varied as the players' on-field skill sets. But player safety is trumping player behavior as the prevailing NFL issue these days, and NFC West teams aren't likely to draw much scrutiny for their decisions, at least initially.
Burfict, Chris Polk, Case Keenum among notable UDFAs | ProFootballTalk
The 2012 NFL draft came to an end at 7:20 p.m. ET on Saturday, when the Indianapolis Colts made Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. NFL teams have already begun contacting and agreeing to terms with undrafted free agents. Here are the notables:
A Reminder About Undrafted Free Agents - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
There will be a flurry of activity in the next few hours as NFL teams chase after players who went undrafted. Things get wild, and change in a hurry. And it didn't take long for Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen to remind us how nuts this whole deal gets.
Mr. Irrelevant is Chandler Harnish, Andrew Luck’s future backup | ProFootballTalk
Mr. Irrelevant’s identity has been revealed, and the 2012 NFL draft has come to an end.
VIDEO: Mr. Irrelevant Announcement Kind Of Awkward - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
So there's a tradition for Mr. Irrelevant, the final pick in the NFL Draft. Each year, Paul Salata announces the pick, and the player chosen with the final selection in the draft is showered with gifts. It's somewhat of a dummy prize, and somewhat cool at the same time. After all, a free trip to Newport Beach isn't bad! This year got just a little bit awkward. There's usually some semblance of suspense surrounding the Mr. Irrelevant announcement, especially since picking the final round is like throwing darts. It's built up on television and is something to look forward to. But not so this year! It was whispered right into the mic ahead of time. And then things just got kinda ... odd.
NFL.com news: Woman sets her scandalous eyes on next Mr. Irrelevant
The stakes just got higher in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Redskins add Kirk Cousins to crowded quarterback depth chart | ProFootballTalk
On Saturday morning, ESPN’s Trent Dilfer suggested that quarterback Kirk Cousins will be a starter within a few years. Dilfer may want to revise that prediction now.
Raiders expected to sign Matt Leinart | ProFootballTalk
We noted last month that Matt Leinart could become the backup to Carson Palmer in Oakland, and it appears that’s about to happen.
Jake Long could be on the outs in Miami | ProFootballTalk
Four years ago, the Dolphins opted for a left tackle over a franchise quarterback, taking Jake Long instead of Matt Ryan with the first pick in the draft. With the Dolphins using a first-round pick in 2012 on the player they hope will become the team’s next franchise quarterback, the Dolphins also may have acquired their next cornerstone left tackle.
(Miami's FO is incompetent)
Report: Redskins cut John Beck | ProFootballTalk
When the Redskins drafted Kirk Cousins with the 102nd overall pick in the draft, you knew there were going to be repercussions for the quarterbacks already on the team’s roster. It doesn’t seem to haven taken long for those repercussions to be felt. Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network reported during the draft that the team has already parted ways with John Beck.
2012 NFL Draft Results: A Punter Wasn't The Only Round 3 Surprise - SBNation.com
The 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft is in the books. What are some of the surprises (besides the Jaguars taking a punter)?
2012 NFL Draft Results: 2nd Round's Best And Worst Picks - SBNation.com
Which picks were surprises and which ones already look like misses? SB Nation recaps the results from the 2nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft.