Planets Aligned For Cards and Isaiah

Walter B J Mitchell

@WBJMItch

After dazzling all season and esp. in the FCSCG, I never thought Isaiah Simmons would get within sniffing distance of the #8 Pick. The Cardinals’ unicorn HC and QB just added the ultimate unicorn defender. Planets aligned for Cards.

Check this short video:

• The name Isaiah comes from the Hebrew word for “to save.” How fitting, because this young star from Clemson, whose team record the past two years at Clemson was 29-1, including back to back ACC Championships and back to back trips to the FCS Championship Game, won by Clemson over 14-0 Alabama in 2018 and lost by Clemson this past season to LSU.
• In that one loss in 2 years, Isaiah Simmons left everything he had out on the football field, playing 4 different positions as he customarily does. His final stat line: 7 tackles, 6 solo, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss and 3 passes defended.
• Simmons ran a 4.39 40 at the Combine at 6-4, 238 pounds—-which means that he can cover the fastest WRs in the NFL, let alone the best TEs. He’s got a huge wingspan for a Cardinal, plus he boasts a 39” vertical.
• Simmons’ play in 2029 (102 tackles, 16 for loss, eight sacks, three interceptions, nine pass breakups in 15 starts) earned him the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. He was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski and Lott IMPACT Trophies, as well as a first-team Associated Press All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection. (per NFL.com)
• When was the last time the Cardinals drafted the nation’s Butkis Award winner? How about—-never. His names is on the Butkis list with the likes of Patrick Willis, Von Miller, Luke Keuchly, C.J. Mosely, Erik kendricks, Roquan Smith and Devin White.

Commentary:

Here I have been spending days and hours trying to find a cover safety or linebacker “to save” the Cardinals from their TE woes, and trying like mad to find someone at least comparable to #11, as I think I did with Jeremy Chinn—-but Chinn has to transition into the NFL from Southern Illinois. All the while I was thinking that there was no way the Cardinals were going to be able to draft Isaiah. Yet—-here we are!

It’s kind of like thinking—-hey how about the Cardinals draft the next DeAndre Hopkins in WR CeeDee Lamb—-oh but wait—-how about the Cardinals just go ahead and trade for DeAndre Hopkins!

The Cardinals are doing us proud my friends.

I don't know if you believe in signs—-but this morning I stood in my driveway at 5 AM, as I customarily do to watch the sun rise—-and there in the southeastern sky near the royal blue horizon, three planets were aligned and have been for over a week now—-from left to right, they are Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

I looked at Jupiter’s radiance and I said to myself, there just might be a shining moment for the Cardinals tonight.

Then, just after daybreak as I was making the coffee, I was looking out my back window and lo and behold there was a brilliant red cardinal strutting around proudly and pecking at the lawn. Usually cardinals don’t hang around too long—-but this one stayed for what seemed to be three minutes.

So how in the world did Isaiah Simmons make it to the Cardinals at pick #8?

Simmons is such a modern day defensive innovation and anomaly—-I think teams don’t really know how to play him at the NFL level. You just cannot pigeonhole this kid—-and if you do, imo, you will break his spirit and, thereby, his genius.

What i would do asap, if i were the Cardinals, I would call Dick LeBeau to see if he would be willing to share with the Cardinals’ defensive coaches how he used one of the former great NFL unicorns, Troy Polamalu. LeBeau was brilliant with Polamalu.

I think Wade Phillips would have great ideas about how to use Simmons. Consult LeBeau and hire Phillips as an assistant head coach and defensive advisor. Vance Joseph will have his own ideas too—-but collaborate LeBeau’s, Phillips’ and Vance’s ideas.

Here is Mike Florio’s excellent reaction to the Cardinals taking Isaiah Simmons:

Bravo, Cardinals!

Gotta love Isaiah’s #11 too...

That is...if you are into looking for signs...