Cardinals’ Personnel Notes: The Underachievers

August 19, 2007 by Walter Mitchell

Going into this training camp, I felt as if the Cardinals had the deepest and most talented roster they have ever had. This morning, my patience is running very thin with many of the Cardinal players who are vastly underachieving. My patience is also running thin with Cardinal GM Rod Graves, who keeps telling the fans we are a “couple of players away” from being playoff contenders, and yet, given ample cap space and opportunities, he continues to fall short of adequately addressing the off-season needs. First, I will express some thoughts about several of the players…and then some thoughts about the GM and a trade that I feel he must make if the Cardinals are going to contend this year.

Player Notes:

1. QB Shane Boyd. His running ability and instincts are uncanny. Try him as an all-purpose back and slot receiver. Get him the ball where he can make people miss. Why not? It looks like he will never be a viable option at QB.

2. RB Edgerrin James. How does Shane Boyd run harder, more elusively and tougher than Edgerrin James in yesterday’s game? I have had it with James’ lackluster approach and his happy feet. He’s evolved into a squirter-type RB.

3. WR LeRon McCoy. On talent he should be pushing Bryant Johnson for the #3 job. Where in the world is this guy? One would think he would have been champing at the bit after spending a year on the IR. Instead, he’s become even more invisible.

4. WR Todd Watkins. Has had a year to get stronger and make a splash…with his speed and athletic ability, he should be a roster lock by now, at the very least as a premier gunner on special teams. Instead, he’s wasting away on the sidelines.

5. TE John Bronson. He’s one of the most physically imposing players on the roster…could be a one-man wedge and wedge buster on special teams…and with the need for a blocking TE, could be a real asset, yet, this guy is not even challenging.

6. T Brandon Gorin. While he’s been decent on the second team, he should be playing much better football for a guy with his experience.

7. DT Antonio Smith. Tabbed as a starter, what’s he been good for? One nice play a game? If that?

8. DE Darnell Dockett. Why isn’t this guy making plays? He looks to be in good physical shape…but he’s not bringing it and not finishing off plays, which has been his pattern the past two years. Do we really have to watch this pattern continue?

9. OLB/DE Calvin Pace. The Cardinals are desperate at OLB and at rush DE, especially now that Okeafor is out. What has Pace done? Anything? He’s not even playing with any tangible sense of urgency out there.

10. OLB Darryl Blackstock. Same thing as Pace. This is his third year and he still looks lost. He’s nowhere to be found when the action starts.

11. LB Buster Davis. He’s a rookie, so I will cut him some slack, but, what a disappointment he has been thus far. He’s playing slow, listless football, period.

12. CB Antrel Rolle. Another third year player and a top ten pick who remains a liability in pass coverage. Why hasn’t he been tried at SS or FS? He’s one of the toughest tacklers on the team…why not cater his role to his strengths? Why isn’t he a central figure on special teams?

13. FS Aaron Francisco. He’s not playing with the spark he showed last year. Why? A starting job is on the line. He’s making some tough hits, but it looks like he’s playing hurt or something…and his range in pass coverage has been less than adequate.

14. FS Terrence Holt. He’s been just as tentative in coverage as Francisco. Why? And Holt is not proving to be a reliable open field tackler either, as he has whiffed on a few tackles in the first two games. At least Robert Griffith was an excellent and tough run supporter.

15. SS Hanik Milligan. Where has he been on special teams? One time yesterday, he hardly even got downfield on a punt. Since he apparently does not factor into the backup role at SS, if he isn’t making plays on special teams, what’s he good for?

16. P Scott Player. I’ve had it with this guy. He’s not getting the distance and hangtime the team needs and then he takes no pride whatsoever in being a defender…his effort on the TD return yesterday was beyond pitiful. He epitomizes all the reasons why the Cardinals are perennial losers, because he’s a veteran fat-cat who coasts by without putting anything extra into the job…and he keeps getting handed the job year after year.

As for Rod Graves, this off-season deserves the utmost scrutiny…for a VP and now GM who has told the fans that the Cardinals are a couple of players away from being contenders, he has not finsished off one yearly shopping spree in his tenure in Arizona, as he keeps coming home without a full bag of groceries.

Yes, Graves added three players to the offensive line: C Al Johnson, T Mike Gandy and T Levi Brown. Although one could certainly argue that Graves greatly overpaid for Johnson and Gandy, at least the offensive line was addressed.

What about the secondary? Yes, Graves added two players in CB Roderick Hood (which looks like Graves’ best signing to date) and FS Terrence Holt. But, was this enough, especially for a team that has had major problems in the secondary? CB Ralph Brown was added as an afterthought…but he looks like he may not even make the roster. The Cardinals still need another CB.

What about the defensive line? DT Alan Branch was drafted and Graves made a bold move to trade up to get him. But, last year the team defense was considerably weakened by the loss of DE Bertrand Berry. Why then were there no DEs signed or drafted? The pass rush is now even worse than it was last year, especially now that Chike Okeafor is out.

What about the linebacking situation? Yes, Buster Davis was taken in the 3rd round, but where does he fit in a 3-4 scheme? Is he stout enough to be the Mike Backer? Is he athletic enough to be the WILL Backer?

What about the outside linebacker situation? Were there good enough reasons to believe that Calvin Pace, Darryl Blackstock and Brandon Johnson (all potential draft busts as #1, #3 and #5 round picks respectively) were going to suddenly morph into good players?

What about the blocking TE situation? Yes, the Cards made a strong run at Reggie Kelly…but when Kelly re-signed with Cincinnati, was there no Plan B? Plan C? Plan D?

Yes, credit Graves for signing a blocking FB in Terrelle Smith. Credit Graves and the scouts for adding once again some good undrafted college free agents.

But…only part of the cupboard is full…and no one is more to blame for that than Rod Graves, for it was Graves who decided to sign away the majority of this year’s cap on signing bonuses, thus limiting the number of free agents he could sign…and so it looks like another year in which Graves will have to say, “we are still a few players away.”

Then there were the questionable releases of G Milford Brown and NT Kendrick Clancy. Brown is a better and stronger NFL LG than Reggie Wells and he proved that last year. To eliminate one option at guard before training camp even started was mind boggling…and even worse, was the quick release of NT Kendrick Clancy, a player who is certainly good enough to get something back in a trade for…some would say his salary with the Cardinals was a bargain…in fact the Saints signed him to a higher salary…and their signing of Clancy was so well received by the pundits that even John Clayton of ESPN hailed the Clancy signing as one of the best off-season moves.

Right now the Cardinals do appear set at NT with Watson and Branch…but, what if one of them gets hurt? Who will be the backup NT? What if Branch starts playing 3-4 SDE? Who backs up Watson at NT?

All NFL teams covet depth at every position. The Cardinals played with fire on this one and it could burn them. They certainly lost out on getting a player or a draft pick in return for Clancy.

A MUST Trade:

The Cardinals must do something bold to compensate for losing OLB/DE Chike Okeafor. If Rod Graves doesn’t see this as a priority, in favor of sticking with the underachieving trio of Pace, Blackstock and Johnson, then the Cardinals are in real trouble. Perhaps offering Antrel Rolle to a team that is weak or desperate at safety and willing to bet Rolle would be real good there, but has a glut of good outside linebackers, would do it. Perhaps offering a 2008 draft pick is the more realistic avenue. But, something must be done if the Cardinals have any aspirations to contend in the NFC West.

In addition to trading for a starting linebacker, the Cardinals will likely need to add the following need players off the waiver wire: (1) a blocking TE; (2) a T, unless Brandon Gorin starts asserting himself more aggressively; (3) a #3 QB; (4) a DE pass rusher; (5) another OLB; (6) a CB or two.

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