azdad1978
Championship!!!!
While anyone close to the organization could tell you great things are on the horizon for the Arizona Cardinals, apparently the national media has also caught on as the oldest continually operated franchise is being picked as this year’s up and coming team.
Peter King and Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated both picked the Cardinals to win the NFC West division. ESPN’s John Clayton wrote, “The Cardinals had the best offseason of any team in the division.”
The Bidwill family has certainly prepared the club for success by securing the state-of-the-art stadium that will open in 2006, re-designing the team logo, changing the uniforms, and bringing in Head Coach Dennis Green to do what he does best, turn programs around.
Since his arrival, Green has preached that the key to winning is believing that you can. He said it was his job to convince his players that the Arizona Cardinals have the talent to be successful. With two years of an aggressive approach to free agency and two outstanding drafts, VP – Football Operations Rod Graves and Green have upped the talent pool, and Green has his players believing exactly what he wants.
“I think we believed last year we were not as bad as we were perceived and that guys could play better and we were going to turn the corner,” said linebacker James Darling. “This year, guys feel like we are going to make some real noise.”
Under defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, the Cardinals defense exhibited the kind of play the team needs to make the playoffs, but the offense struggled. With new offensive coordinator Keith Rowen managing the offense, Green expects improvement.
“We are determined to put an offense on the field that will compete like our defense will compete,” said Green. “I think it is going to be pretty good. I think the rhythm should be a lot better. I think we will be able to run the ball. I feel a lot better about some of the key guys that we have.”
Improvement on offense is pivotal to the Cardinals competing for the division. The new offense features more shifting, a balanced running and passing attack, and precise rhythm and timing between the quarterback and his receivers.
With three weeks of organized workouts beginning on Wednesday, newly anointed starting quarterback Kurt Warner is working on getting that timing down with his three top receivers in Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson. Warner believes he has the same tools here in Arizona that he did in St. Louis when he led the “Greatest Show on Turf.”
“Anytime you can surround yourself with great talent which we have, not just at the receiver spots but all across the board, that excites you because you know you can never have success at this level as a quarterback unless you have great players around you,” Warner offered. “I had that at St. Louis and that’s why I was able to have some of the success that I had and I look forward to that again here because all of the pieces are here.”
As they say talk is cheap and all the hype won’t mean anything if the Cardinals can’t perform on the field this season, but everything being written echoes what Green expects from his staff and his players.
“I think it is good,” summed up Green. “I don’t think there is any guy here who shouldn’t take himself serious as a pro football player. Too often, it’s been just the opposite, too often it has been negative and I don’t think anyone who wants to associate themselves with something negative. That implies you are an NFL player who can’t win games or an NFL coach who can’t coach. That’s not good, so I think the positive aspect we are getting is great.”
Practice Notes: Defensive end Peppi Zellner and running back Troy Hambrick were not in attendance for Thursday’s voluntary workout. Kicker Neil Rackers was excused from practice.
Cornerback Jermaine Hardy (hamstring), defensive lineman Kenny King (quad pull), guard Elton Brown (hamstring), running back Roger Robinson (hamstring), and safety Ernest Shazor (groin) did not practice. Receiver Lawrence Hamilton (hamstring) was limited.
http://azcardinals.com/news/news_details.html?iid=2866
Peter King and Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated both picked the Cardinals to win the NFC West division. ESPN’s John Clayton wrote, “The Cardinals had the best offseason of any team in the division.”
The Bidwill family has certainly prepared the club for success by securing the state-of-the-art stadium that will open in 2006, re-designing the team logo, changing the uniforms, and bringing in Head Coach Dennis Green to do what he does best, turn programs around.
Since his arrival, Green has preached that the key to winning is believing that you can. He said it was his job to convince his players that the Arizona Cardinals have the talent to be successful. With two years of an aggressive approach to free agency and two outstanding drafts, VP – Football Operations Rod Graves and Green have upped the talent pool, and Green has his players believing exactly what he wants.
“I think we believed last year we were not as bad as we were perceived and that guys could play better and we were going to turn the corner,” said linebacker James Darling. “This year, guys feel like we are going to make some real noise.”
Under defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, the Cardinals defense exhibited the kind of play the team needs to make the playoffs, but the offense struggled. With new offensive coordinator Keith Rowen managing the offense, Green expects improvement.
“We are determined to put an offense on the field that will compete like our defense will compete,” said Green. “I think it is going to be pretty good. I think the rhythm should be a lot better. I think we will be able to run the ball. I feel a lot better about some of the key guys that we have.”
Improvement on offense is pivotal to the Cardinals competing for the division. The new offense features more shifting, a balanced running and passing attack, and precise rhythm and timing between the quarterback and his receivers.
With three weeks of organized workouts beginning on Wednesday, newly anointed starting quarterback Kurt Warner is working on getting that timing down with his three top receivers in Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson. Warner believes he has the same tools here in Arizona that he did in St. Louis when he led the “Greatest Show on Turf.”
“Anytime you can surround yourself with great talent which we have, not just at the receiver spots but all across the board, that excites you because you know you can never have success at this level as a quarterback unless you have great players around you,” Warner offered. “I had that at St. Louis and that’s why I was able to have some of the success that I had and I look forward to that again here because all of the pieces are here.”
As they say talk is cheap and all the hype won’t mean anything if the Cardinals can’t perform on the field this season, but everything being written echoes what Green expects from his staff and his players.
“I think it is good,” summed up Green. “I don’t think there is any guy here who shouldn’t take himself serious as a pro football player. Too often, it’s been just the opposite, too often it has been negative and I don’t think anyone who wants to associate themselves with something negative. That implies you are an NFL player who can’t win games or an NFL coach who can’t coach. That’s not good, so I think the positive aspect we are getting is great.”
Practice Notes: Defensive end Peppi Zellner and running back Troy Hambrick were not in attendance for Thursday’s voluntary workout. Kicker Neil Rackers was excused from practice.
Cornerback Jermaine Hardy (hamstring), defensive lineman Kenny King (quad pull), guard Elton Brown (hamstring), running back Roger Robinson (hamstring), and safety Ernest Shazor (groin) did not practice. Receiver Lawrence Hamilton (hamstring) was limited.
http://azcardinals.com/news/news_details.html?iid=2866
