Who's your most underappreciated player in Cardinal history

[PACardsFan]

After thinking long & hard, and seeing that no one has uttered his name at all, I would say that Roger Wehrli is the most under appreciated Cardinal player in their history. The guy is in the HOF, and yet I’m not sure he ever made the cover of any Cardinal media guide. He was a stud at a time when the the Cardinals’s D was always considered the redheaded stepchild of the franchise. This guy was always cited by his peers as one of the best CB’s of his era, but he was under appreciated by Cardinal fans because our fans in that era only viewed their offensive players as great.

 

[slanidrac16]

After thinking long & hard, and seeing that no one has uttered his name at all, I would say that Roger Wehrli is the most under appreciated Cardinal player in their history. The guy is in the HOF, and yet I’m not sure he ever made the cover of any Cardinal media guide. He was a stud at a time when the the Cardinals’s D was always considered the redheaded stepchild of the franchise. This guy was always cited by his peers as one of the best CB’s of his era, but he was under appreciated by Cardinal fans because our fans in that era only viewed their offensive players as great.

I thought of him but he is in the HOF. Maybe the casual fan didn’t appreciate him but I think hardcore fans did.

 

[Twist18]

Curtis Greer or Pat Tilley

 

[slanidrac16]

Curtis Greer or Pat Tilley

Pat Tilley! Good one!

 

[Brak]

Josh Rosen....

You must be registered for see images attach

Sorry

 

[Buckybird]

Curtis Greer or Pat Tilley

2 great names!

how about Freddie Joe Nunn? He’s still unknowingly the franchise all time leader in sacks despite off the field issues early on. But hell I was a HUGE Greer fan

 

[JosiahLee]

Players who come to mind:

-Rashad Johnson
-Gerald Hayes
-Calais Campbell

 

[BritCard]

The answers are more confusing than the question. Several of them are clearly more about the front office/coaches than the fans. I confined myself to the 2000 roster forward. Certainly Leonard Davis and Ronald McKinnon were good answers already offered. Neither got the fan support they deserved. I already said my piece about Leinart on another thread. I think the current animosity toward DJ is unwarranted. He’s attacked because of his contract. Should he end up in Tampa I’m expecting to see an entirely different player.

He's only attacked for his contract because his play is so far below it.

In a scheme where Edmonds and Drake have shined DJ has been one of the worst RBs in the league.

 

[Buckybird]

He's only attacked for his contract because his play is so far below it.

In a scheme where Edmonds and Drake have shined DJ has been one of the worst RBs in the league.

Let’s be real here, regardless if he fits or doesn’t fit this offense outside of 2 games this season he was rarely used to run the ball. He was still giving teams fits in the passing game to start the season, then they basically took him off the field

For the most part he hasn’t looked as explosive as 3 years ago & those reasons we probably won’t ever know why. I still say this kid is a helluva player & he goes & proves it after he leaves Arizona if used properly.

 

[BritCard]

Let’s be real here, regardless if he fits or doesn’t fit this offense outside of 2 games this season he was rarely used to run the ball. He was still giving teams fits in the passing game to start the season, then they basically took him off the field

For the most part he hasn’t looked as explosive as 3 years ago & those reasons we probably won’t ever know why. I still say this kid is a helluva player & he goes & proves it after he leaves Arizona if used properly.

I think the MCL injury he had at the end of 2016 was worse than thought. He's lost masses of pace and agility and looks like a linebacker trying to play running back.

The reason he was taken off the field was because he has been amazingly bad at running the ball, pretty much in every game since the end of 2016. Even in game 1 of '17 before he did his wrist he was bad. He was then bad under McCoy and we all blamed the scheme and then he was bad under Kliff when two other RB's shined.

Since 2016 he's had 1 game over 100 yards in 32 games played. He had a 2 game stretch in 2018 where he ran for 98 yards vs Kansas and 137 yards vs Oakland and outside that he's done very little in the running game.

I personally think he is cooked and might possibly be done in the league. You only have to have eyes to see he just doesn't have any juice left when he runs.

I also wonder about his football intelligence. He's always been really bad at pass pro and he hasn't got any better in 5 seasons. I wonder if he has trouble picking up playbooks too. His one good year was the 2nd year in BA's scheme and something clicked for him. Since then he has had 2 seasons with new OC's and new plays and just hasn't looked comfortable.

 

[slanidrac16]

I think the MCL injury he had at the end of 2016 was worse than thought. He's lost masses of pace and agility and looks like a linebacker trying to play running back.

The reason he was taken off the field was because he has been amazingly bad at running the ball, pretty much in every game since the end of 2016. Even in game 1 of '17 before he did his wrist he was bad. He was then bad under McCoy and we all blamed the scheme and then he was bad under Kliff when two other RB's shined.

Since 2016 he's had 1 game over 100 yards in 32 games played. He had a 2 game stretch in 2018 where he ran for 98 yards vs Kansas and 137 yards vs Oakland and outside that he's done very little in the running game.

I personally think he is cooked and might possibly be done in the league. You only have to have eyes to see he just doesn't have any juice left when he runs.

I also wonder about his football intelligence. He's always been really bad at pass pro and he hasn't got any better in 5 seasons. I wonder if he has trouble picking up playbooks too. His one good year was the 2nd year in BA's scheme and something clicked for him. Since then he has had 2 seasons with new OC's and new plays and just hasn't looked comfortable.

Do you remember the one play this year when DJ caught a pass in the left flat and there was nobody, and mean nobody within 35 yards of him?

I remember thinking why was he running so slow? I think the play gained 40 yards or so.

 

[BritCard]

Do you remember the one play this year when DJ caught a pass in the left flat and there was nobody, and mean nobody within 35 yards of him?

I remember thinking why was he running so slow? I think the play gained 40 yards or so.

I do indeed. It was the first game vs the Seahawks at home. He just ran slowly in a straight line for about 35 yards until he hit the first safety. Half the RB's in the league would have taken it to the house.

 

[cardpa]

After thinking long & hard, and seeing that no one has uttered his name at all, I would say that Roger Wehrli is the most under appreciated Cardinal player in their history. The guy is in the HOF, and yet I’m not sure he ever made the cover of any Cardinal media guide. He was a stud at a time when the the Cardinals’s D was always considered the redheaded stepchild of the franchise. This guy was always cited by his peers as one of the best CB’s of his era, but he was under appreciated by Cardinal fans because our fans in that era only viewed their offensive players as great.

You beat me to it. Wehrli is also my choice as one of the most unappreciated Cardinals in team history.

 

[cardpa]

Let’s be real here, regardless if he fits or doesn’t fit this offense outside of 2 games this season he was rarely used to run the ball. He was still giving teams fits in the passing game to start the season, then they basically took him off the field

For the most part he hasn’t looked as explosive as 3 years ago & those reasons we probably won’t ever know why. I still say this kid is a helluva player & he goes & proves it after he leaves Arizona if used properly.

I don't know about this. If Johnson is so talented at catching the ball and making things happen in that phase of the game any coach with a little common sense would be finding ways to get him on the field and getting him the ball. After all isn't it on the coach to win games by utilizing the talent available to him and in the case of Johnson it would be in the passing game. Instead Johnson got buried on the bench and was basically ignored by the entire offensive coaching staff. Now this either means Johnson has lost his abilities or Klingsbury really missed the boat on him and failed to use Johnson effectively and failed to see what Johnson could bring to the table.

Bottom line is either Johnson is done or Klingsbury doesn't always know how to use the talent he has on the team to it's fullest.

 

[phillycard]

I do indeed. It was the first game vs the Seahawks at home. He just ran slowly in a straight line for about 35 yards until he hit the first safety. Half the RB's in the league would have taken it to the house.

No, I think that was the Falcons game BritCard. It was definitely a win at home.

 

[BritCard]

No, I think that was the Falcons game BritCard. It was definitely a win at home.

Here it is at 2:05

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Weenus O'Baggins]

2x all pro and in a 4 year window the most disruptive DT I have ever seen play as a Cardinal.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[BritCard]

2x all pro and in a 4 year window the most disruptive DT I have ever seen play as a Cardinal.

You must be registered for see images attach

Good call

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Ronald McKinnon.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Talking about how the fans viewed him, with nothing to do with the front office, contracts or trades etc... mine is Ronald McKinnon

My thought exact ly!

 

[Osbern61]

A lot of good names here. I'll go with Jamir Miller, another guy we let walk going into that '99 season.

 

[Russ Smith]

For me it has to be Terry Metcalf. i know you said not how the front office treated him but I have vivid recollections of Terry saying part of the reason he went to Canada was money, and part was he got tired of being booed for fumbling when he was the best all purpose player in the NFL at the time(rushing, receiving, returns).

Full disclosure he was and still is my all time favorite NFL player so I'm biased but I don't think it's a coincidence that he left and the franchise fell apart and went into a deep black hole for decades. He left, other players left, Coryell left in large part because he was furious the Cards didn't keep Metcalf. If you remember the story Metcalf played at Long Beach State in college and Coryell coached San Diego State. When they played in college Metcalf played so well against SDSU that Coryell remembered him and after getting the Cards job, he insisted they draft him. I read a book where Metcalf said after drafting him Bidwill and Coryell took him out to dinner, at dinner Bidwill asked him what he thought about playing CB and before a puzzled Metcalf could say a word, Coryell spoke up and said oh no Terry is my starting RB Mr Bidwill.

One of those things I've always wondered how the franchise would have differed if we keep Terry and keep Coryell.

 

[Russ Smith]

2x all pro and in a 4 year window the most disruptive DT I have ever seen play as a Cardinal.

You must be registered for see images attach

That would be my other one so many people called him soft having no idea how bad his knees really were.

 

[Russ Smith]

Actually after looking a bit more Coryell is actually the guy even though not a player. He actually warned all of us that the Cards were in huge trouble due to the lack of willingness to pay market value. When Bidwill traded Dobler to New Orleans without telling Coryell in advance he came out and said I demanded a trade, I'm not the only guy who wants out. We've known this for awhile the players were only happy because we were winning, eventually the money was going to become a huge issue and the players were going to want out. In that one offseason we had like 12 guys file for free agency when it was very rare, and Coryell had publicly declared he wanted to be fired and flirted with the rams job before ultimately taking the Chargers job.

At the time the fans blamed Coryell, in hindsight it's pretty obvious who was right, he went on to a HOF career in San Diego, and we fell apart and eventually left St Louis.

 

[Jetstream Green]

That would be my other one so many people called him soft having no idea how bad his knees really were.

Larry Allen who might be the best guard to ever play with a control mean streak said Eric Swann was the one player he feared and made it a point to tell his guys to not p!ss him off because he said when he was mad you could not block him