There is a storm descending upon Arizona. These four Red Birds are coming, prepared to bring Hell with them to the field.
Jul 28, 2010 - Football season is approaching like a hell-born, brimstone-laden train programmed for the unholy destruction of all of your free time, gambling money, nachos and beer rations. We're days away from Arizona Cardinals training camp up in the enchanted forests of Flagstaff, AZ, and it's time to get rocking and rolling with the gridiron gab.
As we talked about a few weeks ago, gentle friends, the Cards have dealt with an offseason heavy in free agent departures and subsequent free agent acquisitions. They also had another productive draft (yawn... sooo passé), finding value and impact in the first round and potential diamonds-in-the-rough in the later rounds.
The Whisenhunt-era Red Birds have done a swell job of raising fan expectations and cultivating something resembling front office competency and league-wide respect. Can they continue the streak during the upcoming season? Probably.
Yeah: Warner's wandered off into the land of retirement, lost - probably confused - and accompanied only by a modest supply of bland and soft food items, Gold Bond foot powder, and lots of suspenders. But that doesn't mean they've fallen out of contention in the NFC West.
The St. Louis Rams are still licking scraps from the cellar floor of the NFL, despite obtaining a potential franchise quarterback in the draft. Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson will not be paving the way to a surprise postseason appearance, I'm afraid.
The Seahawks are still pretty decent, but not decent enough for anyone to consider them in any significant capacity. Despite the hoops jumped through and cash paid for Charlie Whitehurst, it still looks like the geriatric and fragile Matt Hasselbeck will be the starting dude-under-center. They drafted well and got a new coach (who absolutely did not, under any circumstances run to the NFL to escape the painful sanctions placed on USC), but they'll have a tough go of it with overall middling talent.
The 49ers are the stiffest competition for Arizona, but they have the same big problem the Cardinals do: overall, they're a talented team, but all that talent is surrounding a former big-shot draft pick quarterback who hasn't really done much yet in the pros, and has strong bust potential. It's going to be Alex Smith versus Matt Leinart in a battle of who is least mediocre, for the chance to take the NFC West.
But Matt Leinart's been discussed enough. It's getting kind of stale, right? And we all know about guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Darnell Dockett, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Adrian Wilson. Guys who've been to Pro Bowls already. So let's discuss some of the other Cardinals players who will have a significant impact this coming season... the Four Red Birds of the Apocalypse, so to speak.
More than any other player on the roster, Beanie is ripe to break out and destroy the league this season.
Though he started off slowly in his rookie year, his carries and yards-per-carry were up near the end, to the point that he was getting more carries than incumbent Tim Hightower and the entire rushing-yards-per-game of the team had jumped to 93.4 from 73.6 the season prior. Now, those numbers were still near the bottom of the league, but there was significant improvement once Wells' carries-per-game approached double digits.
Wells is a big sturdy hunk of a running back that has absolutely no problem merely plowing over defenders until they are dead or no longer attempting defense. However, he's also quite nimble, like a grizzly bear that had been raised and trained by antelope in some obscure pocket of the Alaskan wilderness. He's a sure thing to break the 1,000-yard mark in a tweaked offensive attack that's bound to rely less on the pass and more on the rush and crush.
Wells' impact will be dynamic, immediate, and awe-inspiring. It's been a while since Arizona has had a premier rusher that wasn't over the hill and approaching Alzheimer's, and I'm of the dead-on opinion the 2010-2011 season will thrust Beanie into the rushing elite of the NFL.
This will be Campbell's third year in the league and we already started to see some of his D-line dominance last season, particularly on special teams, when he alone was responsible for two blocked field goals.
Though Calais has a lot of (helpful and intimidating) weight, he's not weighted down, and his mobility on the defensive end is a huge boon to doing effective defensive things like stopping the run, disrupting the pass, and overall making the opposing offense work really hard for any points.
Dude's also the tallest guy on the Cardinals, looming over pretty much everyone at a towering-as-crap 6-foot-8. His unique physique goes miles toward inducing soiled pants in anyone unlucky enough to square off against him on the line.
I imagine there will be more and more dirty pantaloons in the upcoming season, as Campbell teams up with Dockett and (presumably) Dan Williams to form a damn scary frontline filled with large men and a single-minded agenda towards the cold-blooded murder of whoever's carrying the ball.
Early decided to say hello to the NFL world during the playoffs last season, admirably stepping up into the void left by Anquan Boldin's injuries. He showed himself to be a rough-and-tumble yards-after-catch trouble-maker that will be a handful for the cornerbacks and safeties of the world who already have to game plan for Fitz and (now) Steve Breaston.
Doucet, a third round pick out of LSU, struggled with his own injury problems in the early part of his career. A strained hamstring in his first training camp put him behind the eight ball and limited him to just seven games as a rookie, while a shoulder sprain suffered in training camp 2009 kept him tethered to the Cards bench until the midpoint of the season.
Once the young wideout finally earned playing time in 2009, he helped to mercifully end the error-filled Jerheme Urban era. Early acted as a promising fourth wide receiver for the balance of the second half of the season.
Now that Boldin has been shipped off to Baltimore to act as someone else's injury risk, Doucet has moved into the third receiver role he occupied during the playoffs. The major question for him will be whether he can maintain a consistent level of production throughout the season, not just one-off performances where passes are flying in from Kurt Warner.
It stands to reason that Doucet will be asked to carry some of the load left by Q, including those bubble screens Boldin handled so well. If my gut feelings are any indicator (and they should be), Early Doucet will more than answer the bell.
As the Cardinals moved to a pure 3-4 defense before the 2009, it seemed clear that they lacked one key element of that scheme. A stud nose tackle. While Bryan Robinson serves a key leadership role on the team and is an all-around decent player, he isn't gifted with the physical skills of a stud. You know who is? Dan Williams.
A 2010 first round draft pick out of Tennesee, Williams will almost certainly be counted on to play immediately alongside Dockett and Campbell. While Robinson is still on the roster and may even initially win the nose tackle job, you've got to think Big Dan will have every opportunity to take it from him.
Considering his combination of size and speed, Williams should be able to draw the double teams that Robinson is not quite capable of handling. Now I'm not a football expert, but I am almost certain that when one man is occupying two men it becomes easier for the other men - guys like Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, and Joey Porter - to arrive at the quarterback with malicious force.
As uncertain as the current linebacker situation is for the Cards, it is vital that Williams quickly becomes an impact player on the defensive line. The more pressure the D-line can apply, the less stress there will be on the linebackers to produce.
If the Cardinals are able to get good performances from the above four players (and if that Leinart fellow can be decent) they may just be able to slap another NFC West champions banner up in University of Phoenix Stadium. Now wouldn't that be swell?
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Good post
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team, throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.
by JoeCB1991 on Jul 28, 2010 2:40 PM MST reply actions
Well done.
I agree completely. I think the Cards are going to surprise a lot of people this year. Again. I think Matt will do fine, and the offense will flourish, though in a much more balanced form. Defense should be better (linebacker questions notwithstanding), though that really depends on some people stepping up. And while I am comfortable with the starters (mostly), injuries are going to be a particularly troublesome for more than a couple positions… I’m predicting either 10-6 or 11-5 and a third consecutive conference championship.
by psknapp on Jul 28, 2010 3:46 PM MST reply actions
It's an okay post with many flaws
The off-seasonof the Arizona Cardinals has been the worst in the NFL. Let’s keep it real, the players that bolted no longer wanted to be Cardinals. And if that’s a fact (which I know it to be and will explain later) how much of a cultural change has really taken place from a FO perspective? You don’t lose the type of talent the Cardinals lost and there not be a set back of monumental porportions.
1. Kurt Warner a player in HOF discussions can’t be replaced.
2. Anquan Boldin a player that became the franchise leaders in career
receptions, a foundational piece for the current “culture flip”, a huge
leader in the lockerrom, on the field and a great competitor can’t be
replaced.
3. Karlos Dansby, who I thought was overrated primarily because he’s
not a stout at the point LB but more of a run and hit in space player
who had leverage and use it to bleed the Cardinals FO. When the
money ran out so did he for greener pastures in Miami where he’s
cuurently overpaid.
4. Antrell Rolle, I remember having discussion about with Cardinals
fans. His talent was marginilezed by some and the bust word was
used in conjunction with Rolle. Rolle reap the rewards of an
outstanding season and now leads the NY Giants secondary.
I say all that to say thiis, all of the players mentioned wanted out. Spin
it all you like but the truth is there. Warner left money on the table. Boldin
wanted money. Dansby wanted the big pay day. The FO decided not to honor the Rolle contract and he walked. The Cards FO made half-hearted attemps to “match the offers” Dansby and Rolle had on the table.
This is a QB-driven league and Matt Leinart’s limitations as a passer with hurt this offense. He simply can’t drive the football down the field, attacking all 5 field zones. The great QB’s are able to stand in the pocket with bodies around them and calmly deliver the football. Matt Leinart is not that guy. He a bust in my opinion and we’ll all have that opinion after this season. Teams will stack 8 in the box and dare Leinart to make stick throws into tight windows. Derek Anderson could be an improvement over Leinart and I’m not a Derek Anderson fan either ( he’s also inconsistent and a poor decision maker) but he can command some respect from a defense because he can make all the throws.
Without good Quaterbacking, Breaston and Doucet (unproven) will be limited. Is Whisenhunt creative enough in his playcalling to maximize this limited offense? I have questions about that!
Acopalypse is a certainty. This team is worst off because talent has not be replace with talent.
by Cardsfan81 on Jul 29, 2010 10:15 AM MST reply actions
Very much overstated
“Teams will stack 8 in the box and dare Leinart to make stick throws into tight windows.” This is self-contradictory – you can’t create tight windows with man-on-man coverage, which is what you’d have to have with 8 in the box.
And you can say that “all the players mentioned wanted out”, but that’s true for 99% of the free agents that hit the market – they all “want out” if they can get bigger money somewhere else. (You neglected to mention the players that didn’t “want out” that got paid, like Fitz and Wilson, btw.) And the fact that the Cardinals didn’t want to overpay an overrated (your word) Dansby and Antrell “Toasted” Rolle isn’t a reflection on anything but their desire to get the biggest paycheck (well, with Rolle it’s the previous administrations mismanaging of contracts as well, but that’s not really relevant to this discussion).
Regarding Leinart, there are many indications that he’ll be fine. He had a solid first 16 games, comparable to most successful QBs’ rookie seasons, and far better than most busts’ rookie seasons. Other than his struggles in a few spot situations, where it’s inherently difficult for a QB to succeed, there’s not much reason for doom-and-gloom at this point.
Will the Cards take a step back? Probably. But “monumental proportions”? Not likely. The Cards were 6-1 without Boldin playing, and although that doesn’t mean he won’t be missed, it also means he wasn’t crucial to the success of the team. Rhodes will do fine in place of Rolle. The loss of Dansby will hurt, as will the loss of Warner – you don’t replace a HOF QB without some drop-off. But with the solid players we have and the potential of others, there’s no reason this can’t be an 8-9 win season.
by CardsFan1976 on Jul 29, 2010 2:42 PM MST up reply actions
I love it (the fandom)
To address the previous administrations mismanaging of contracts (to used your phrase) is to speak of the current administration. Bill Bidwill has historically placed escalator clauses in contracts. The Larry Fitzgerald contract is the cause for the great consternation (Bidwills’s were hoping that these escalaors were not met) in the organization now.When these escalaors were met Fitzgerald and his agent used the leveage to stick it the Cardinals thereby blowing up the salary stucture at the WR position in the league. The rest is history as it it relates to Boldin, Dansby, Rolle and now Dockett. So, I disagree, it does have relevance.
Interesting how Boldin, Dansby and Rolle were love as Cardinals and now are below average players.
On Leinart, I provided sound analysis (in my opinion) as to why Leinart is not the answer. Your response, CF76 is to recite stats from his rookie season? You say he’s had a few struggles? Really?
As to Kerry Rhodes, is it a guarantee that Rhodes will be an impact player or successful in this defense this season? Billy Davis runs a very complex scheme where the Cardinals stem and deguise defensive front and coverages. He will be required to in the right stop at the right time consistently or the big play occurs hurting the defense. It take more time to develope the necessary chemistry than you think. Rhodes had trouble picking up this type of scheme in New York under Rex Ryan. Rhodes also does not like to be physical in support. Hasn’t Dockett (who talks way too much) called out Kerry Rhodes in the press? Or are you not aware this? You see a better team than I do.
by Cardsfan81 on Jul 30, 2010 5:55 AM MST up reply actions
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