5-18-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Another Draft Pick Signed

Time for todays links, which mainly focus on another draft pick being signed to a contract by the Cards. Only two left.

Arizona Cardinals sign offensive tackle Nate Potter
The Cardinals signed offensive tackle Nate Potter, their seventh-round pick, to a four-year contract, the team announced on Thursday.

Cardinals rookie Fleming looks forward to facing Fitzgerald - ArizonaSports.com
Cardinals rookie Jamell Fleming did not expect to be there in the third round for the Arizona Cardinals. Figuring he'd be a late second rounder, the corner from Oklahoma didn't think he'd end up in the Valley -- until, of course, he did. "They called me early on in the round, like right when the third round started," Fleming told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Wednesday.

Word From the Birds Blog | Cards sign seventh-rounder Potter
The Cardinals signed another draft pick Thursday when seventh-round pick Nate Potter, a tackle, inked a four-year contract. That leaves just the Cards’ top two picks — first-round WR Michael Floyd and third-round CB Jamell Fleming — unsigned out of seven draft picks. Those should be coming soon enough, relatively speaking. It is going to be nice not to have the annual "Are-they-going-to-sign-all-their-picks-for-camp" story this year.

Word From the Birds Blog | A top 100 with Cards sprinkled in
While the NFL Network continues to count down it’s top 100 current players in the NFL based on interviews with players — no Cards on the list from 61-100, which is all that has been unveiled at this point — CBSsports.com’s Pete Prisco put out his own annual top 100 list today, which has four Cards on it. It just so happens to be the last four Cards to receive significant contract extensions, so at least one person agrees with the organization’s line of thinking. Prisco bases his list in part on talks with scouts but a lot of his findings are based on his own eyes and what he has seen on tape after covering the NFL for many, many years. His rankings and notes on the Cards on his list:

Word From the Birds Blog | Training camp to start July 24
The full camp schedule is still to come, but the Cardinals will report to Flagstaff for training camp July 24 — a Tuesday — and the first practice will be the following afternoon on the 25th. Sorry, but no further details at this point while the schedule is being worked out.

The most developed QB in the NFC West - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Kolb (Cardinals): Kolb did not practice with the Cardinals until 38 days before the 2011 opener. That made it tough for Kolb to learn a new system and settle into the role. Injuries derailed Kolb once he finally did get experience in the system. The Cardinals fired quarterbacks coach Chris Miller and promoted receivers coach John McNulty to the position. Arizona valued McNulty enough to block Tampa Bay from pursuing him as its offensive coordinator. The team's new receivers coach, Frank Reich, was an NFL quarterback for 14 seasons. What does it all mean? It's a little early to tell.

Coach Whiz says there's no early leader in Cardinals QB race - ArizonaSports.com
As it pertains to the Cardinals QB competition, only one thing is certain: Neither Richard Bartel nor Ryan Lindley will open the season under center. Unless, of course, disaster strikes, in which case the team may as well fold up shop because they aren't winning much this year anyway. Assuming disaster does not strike, one of either Kevin Kolb or John Skelton will be the team's starter when the season opens on September 9. And, as of right now, neither has an edge in the race.

Cardinals sign 7th-round pick Nate Potter - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals inked another member of their 2012 NFL Draft class Thursday, coming to terms with 7th-round pick Nate Potter.

Four Cardinals listed among top 100 in the NFL - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals have four of the NFL's best 100 players. At least, according to CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco, they do.

Whisenhunt says Kolb vs. Skelton is as even as a competition can be | ProFootballTalk
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt says that he’ll pick either Kevin Kolb or John Skelton as his starting quarterback based entirely on who looks better between now and September, and that he’s heading into the competition with no favorite in place.

Top rookies stare down sophomore slumps - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Aldon Smith, Patrick Peterson and Doug Baldwin lit up the NFL, relatively speaking, as NFC West rookies last season. Smith's 14 sacks led the 49ers. Peterson's four touchdowns on punt returns tied an NFL record. Baldwin led the Seattle Seahawks in receiving as an undrafted free agent. Great work, guys, but what's next?

Money no object for NFC West coaches - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The San Francisco 49ers' Jim Harbaugh, known to walk past the first-class cabin to his seat in coach, should be relieved to have missed Forbes' list of 10 highest-paid coaches. Harbaugh's three NFC West contemporaries made the list, with the St. Louis Rams' Jeff Fisher and the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll earning a reported $7 million annually.

Arizona Sports News:

Phoenix Coyotes lose Game 3 to Los Angeles Kings, face 3-0 series deficit
At both blue lines, a wall seemed to be set up. For the Coyotes, it seemed impenetrable at times, hemming their defensemen in their own end and frustrating their forwards at the other side who tried to skate into the Kings' zone. The wall wasn't real, but it was felt like a barrier thanks to endless pressure from the Kings. And despite an improved effort from the Coyotes, they continued to hit that wall - in Game 3 and in the series - as the Kings collected a 2-1 win in front of 18,367 at Staples Center on Thursday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Arizona Diamondbacks top Colorado Rockies on Justin Upton's home run in 9th inning
Off the bat, Justin Upton wasn't sure if the ball was gone -- off the wall, at least, but gone? He wasn't sure. He figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for a little help. "I was yelling at it to get up, and it carried," he said. "It carried for me, which was nice." Nice for Upton, whose struggles through the first six weeks have changed the dynamic of the Diamondbacks' lineup. And, of course, nice for the Diamondbacks, who didn't just seem desperate for a win. They seemed desperate for this kind of win, a 9-7, Coors Field Special over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday that showcased the kind of attributes that defined them last season but have been alarmingly absent this season.

Arizona Diamondbacks promote Trevor Bauer to Triple-A Reno
Top prospect Trevor Bauer was promoted from Double-A Mobile to Triple-A Reno, where he will make his first start Friday night against Oklahoma City. Bauer had been dominating Southern League hitters. Through eight starts, he had a 1.68 ERA in 48 1/3 innings with 60 strikeouts. "I wouldn't say he completely overmatched Double-A," Towers said. "But if you look at his numbers, we wanted to put him in an environment to where he was probably facing a little better competition, a little bit more of a veteran hitter." The one blemish to Bauer's stat line is that he's walked 26. Towers sounded interested in seeing if he can improve that against more experienced hitters.

Today's Diamondbacks-Rockies Game Was Delayed Due To Bees. Lots Of Bees. [UPDATE]
A swarm of bees delayed today's Arizona-Colorado game in Denver for several minutes during the top of the fifth inning, as the mass of winged insects invaded the first base line and Rockies' dugout before eventually gathering near a photographers' well on the the right field line.

NFL News:

Damned Lies: Your Guide To NFL Offseason Storylines - SBNation.com
Spring time in the NFL overflows with optimism as coaches and players promise new beginnings. Which statements should you take with a healthy dose of skepticism?

Oakland Raiders LB Rolando McClain Sentenced To 180 Days In Jail - SBNation.com
Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain was sentenced to 180 days in jail on Thursday, according to Michael Casagrande of the Decatur Daily. McClain was found guilty on charges of assault, reckless endangerment, menacing, and wrongful discharge of a firearm for an incident on Nov. 30, 2011, in Decatur, Al.

LeSean McCoy Signs 5-Year Contract Extension With Eagles - SBNation.com
The Philadelphia Eagles signed running back LeSean McCoy to a five-year contract extension, locking up the All-Pro running back through 2017.

Tim Tebow Threatens To Sue 'My Jesus' T-Shirt Maker - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
Tim Tebow is continuing his battle to protect his brand image, but he might be going a little too far this time. Representatives of Tim Tebow sent a cease-and-desist letter to the proprietors of cubbytees.com demanding they "immediately cease and desist from any use of Mr. Tebow's name and/or likeness on their site." Head after the jump to view the T-shirt in question.

Jonathan Vilma Lawsuit Against Roger Goodell Cites 11 Defamation Claims - SBNation.com
The New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal remains in the news on Thursday as suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma filed a defamation lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The lawsuit contains eleven claims related to slander, libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Here are the eleven claims Vilma set forth in his complaint: