Arizona Cardinals: All-time underrated, overrated players

kerouac9

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Larry Centers was not overrated, he was simply unconventional. He was slotted as a full back, but really was a pass catching running back. A guy like Centers doesn't have success on most other teams, but when your team's QBs are Dave Krieg, Jake Plummer, Kent Graham et al, and your offensive line is garbage, you need an effective pass catching back as a safety valve when you cant complete the deep ball or pass rushers are barreling down at the QB. Centers was almost always 1st or 2nd on the team each season in either receptions or yards.

He's way overrated, because while everything you say is true, fans here will say that Larry Centers deserves a Hall of Fame candidacy, and a place in the Ring of Honor at University of Phoenix Stadium.

He was essentially a guy who got a lot of meaningless receptions on some really terrible football teams. If your fullback is the "heart and soul" of your franchise, then you deserve to go 5-11 every year.
 

kerouac9

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Ronald Mckinnon was underrated. He was always in on every tackle. Undrafted as a rookie, started as our MLB for years.

Wrong-gap Ronnie? I think we need to make a distinction between "fan favorites" and "good players." Always in on every tackle means significantly less when every tackle is six yards downfield.

McKinnon is properly rated. I think that people are right that Gerald Hayes is underrated, and that's in part because of the stinky end to his career when Whis gambled that his back injury wouldn't matter, and we ended up starting Paris Lenon in his place.
 

gmabel830

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Its a joke. Lighten up Francis

Although he was a waste of a third round pick. He was rated by the Cards, who drafted him, and they overrated him

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

My comment was made in jest. And agree it was a wasted pick. But if we want to start throwing wasted Cardinal picks in the overrated list, then the list would never end!! :)
 

Cheesebeef

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how is there an underrated/overrated list where No Play Ray Thompson is left off the overrated list?
 

RugbyMuffin

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how is there an underrated/overrated list where No Play Ray Thompson is left off the overrated list?

LOL.

Raynoch Thompson.....forgot all about him.

Raynoch Thompson and LeVar Fischer were Madden superstars....to bad those Madden players never showed up on a Cardinal football field.


Can I get a LeVar Woods in the house for terrible Cardinals linebackers.
 

Duckjake

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Rob Moore had to have a YAC close to zero(exagerration but not by much), I never saw a WR catch a ball and immediately fall down more often.

Sure but he did it a lot. 322 receptions. 5,110 yards. 27 TDs in 5 seasons in Arizona. Led the NFL in receiving yards in 1997. :)

Both Moore and Boston went over 1500 yards receiving with Jake Plummer at QB.

Also of interest is that Centers had his biggest numbers in receptions with Boomer and Dave Kreig at QB. So it wasn't scared QBs it was guys who were so old they couldn't throw the ball very far.

Larry continued to catch a ton of passes with the Redskins and Bills. 230 from '99-'01.
 

Stronso

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My comment was made in jest. And agree it was a wasted pick. But if we want to start throwing wasted Cardinal picks in the overrated list, then the list would never end!! :)

Amen

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
 

Stronso

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LOL.

Raynoch Thompson.....forgot all about him.

Raynoch Thompson and LeVar Fischer were Madden superstars....to bad those Madden players never showed up on a Cardinal football field.


Can I get a LeVar Woods in the house for terrible Cardinals linebackers.

Oh dear god.......why did you have to bring those names up. Bleah:banghead:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
 

Buckybird

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LOL.

Raynoch Thompson.....forgot all about him.

Raynoch Thompson and LeVar Fischer were Madden superstars....to bad those Madden players never showed up on a Cardinal football field.


Can I get a LeVar Woods in the house for terrible Cardinals linebackers.

The sad thing is Anthony Bell has been ripped to shreds for his play by fans, but he produced tons more than those guys! ;)
 

Gottalean

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Sure but he did it a lot. 322 receptions. 5,110 yards. 27 TDs in 5 seasons in Arizona. Led the NFL in receiving yards in 1997. :)

Both Moore and Boston went over 1500 yards receiving with Jake Plummer at QB.

Also of interest is that Centers had his biggest numbers in receptions with Boomer and Dave Kreig at QB. So it wasn't scared QBs it was guys who were so old they couldn't throw the ball very far.

Larry continued to catch a ton of passes with the Redskins and Bills. 230 from '99-'01.

Thanks duck good points.

Boston may have washed out and been juiced (that's probly why he was so moody)
But were talking strictly cards, and he only played 4 seasons with us.
His rookie year, then he broke the franchise record for receiving yards with 1598 in a season. Even Fitz' closest is 200 yards shy of that and he did it with less catches. Then another 1000 yard season. And he was hurt his final year and only played 8 games.

He's no where near fitz' level but a lil underrated IMO

Rob moore played 5 seasons and had 2 1000 yard seasons and 2 950+ yd seasons.
He is second all time in cardinals franchise history behind Boston for most yds in a season. And he may not have gotten much yac, this is true, but he wasn't a burner and the guy knew how to get open.

Centers was a different player, is he a lil overrated by cardinals fans like I believe it was K9 who said it? Maybe but he was good at what he did

And Jake Plummer was not overrated. Dude was a gunslinger and threw some Ill advised passes sometimes but before Warner he was the only decent QB we had in a long time. He even took us to the playoffs and beat the cowgirls. Plus I loved his comebacks he never gave up and that's what I liked about him most. Should have never let him leave. But im an ASU fan so I guess im biased on that..

ok so go ahead hate that's just how I feel
 

Duckjake

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It's really amazing how much free agency affected the NFL and especially the Cardinals.

When the team moved to Arizona they brought 3 offensive linemen with them who were long time starters:

Luis Sharpe who started 7 years in AZ and 13 years overall with the Cards.
Tootie Robbins who started 4 years in AZ and 10 years overall.
Lance Smith 6 years in AZ and 9 years overall.

You don't see that with the Cardinals, and probably most other teams, much after the early 90's.

I was going to list Sharpe as underrated but he was selected to the Pro Bowl twice while in Arizona so I don't know if he'd qualify. Or maybe that would really qualify him. 13 years as a starter and 3 pro bowls and because of his off field troubles he's not mentioned much in talk about the top Cardinal players.
 

Darkside

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Disagree with Larry Centers being over-rated. Dude could have been our Roger Craig if he had players around him.
 

Card'em

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Overrated:
Buddy Ryan
Denny Green
Antrel Rolle
Sam Acho

Underrated:
Ricky Proehl
Garrison Hearst
Thomas Jones
Andre Roberts
 
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