1 – I think the Cardinals were winners this week.
- I want Steve Wilks gone, as I have simply lost faith in him; A blowout loss increases that likelihood.
- The Niners beat the Seahawks and by that nullified the Falcons’ win, the Redskins’ win, the Giants’ loss and Buccaneers’ loss (the four relevant teams – besides the Cards and the Niners themselves – regarding draft order), and thus made it much more likely that the Cards will end up picking #1 overall.
- The Rams lost. That’s always a win for me.
2 – For me, it’s all about the draft now. I certainly realize that I am in a much different position than all you fans who have paid thousands of dollars for tickets (trust me, I feel terrible for you), and thus you could argue that I am more free to want the Cardinals to lose the home game against the Rams, as well as the road game in Seattle. I can’t help it, though. I don’t care if they end 3-13 or 5-11.
3 - On that note, it’s not that I think it would be catastrophic to pick #2, #3 or #4, but I would really like how the national attention would be huge on the Cardinals if they do pick first. Usually I don’t care about that stuff, but in this case we are talking about more than four months of analysis’, debates, speculation and all in all spotlight on the Cardinals in both the media and the public. Yes, that happens with any team picking in the top five, and even the top ten, but it’s just different with the team that holds the first overall selection.
ESPN gives the Cards an 85% chance of getting the first pick, while the Raiders are second with 9%.
Football Outsiders give the Cardinals an 74.5% chance of getting the pick, and the Raiders a 17.5% chance.
4 – A couple of notes on the draftees: since I began to follow the draft in 2007 there has been a total of two draft prospects, that I would deem as generational talents. Andrew Luck and Jadeveon Clowney are living legends in the NCAA, and they are the only players I have ever experienced where you basically knew right when their season ended, they would get drafted first overall. Not like most people now think they know that Nick Bosa or Quinnen Williams will get picked #1 overall, but like EVERYONE – fans, media, team sources, everyone – knew it was bound to happen because of how Luck and Clowney had dominated in college like very, very few had done before (and after). Both times, the media tried their best to create suspense in various ways, but there was never any doubt that any team would take them first. In fact, go back and look at the Panthers’ message board in 2011. They had been so bad the entire season that they ended with the #1 pick, and their fans were enamored with the consolation prize that was the redshirt sophomore from Stanford, Andrew Luck. When he declared that he would return to Stanford, there was mourning all over Carolina. I remember how the rumblings already started at that point about how any bad team should do everything in their power to get the #1 overall pick and Andrew Luck the year after. I guess the “Suck for Luck”-catchphrase was the start of similar phrases in the years to come, and the “Suck for Luck”-campaign was literally a thing among fans even before the season started.
My point is that scenarios like those two doesn’t happen very often, and I doubt this year is any different. At least until now no one has distanced himself from the pack as far as I know. Yes, we can talk forever about different prospects, but first, we don’t even have the full overview of who will be available, and second, things change. Every year multiple players, that no one is talking about in December, ends up getting drafted in the top 10 if not higher. Just like every year players, that many people in December are deeming future superstars ends up as disappointments drafted in the lower rounds. I am sure one of the reasons is that Mike Mayock, Mel Kiper and the likes tells us what to think of these players, and so we pretend to know something (sometimes I do it myself, so I am not just criticizing everyone else). Another reason is (and this one is certain) that the coaches have not even been included in the draft process yet. Until now, only the scouting departments has given some uncoordinated input, and when the coaches gets involved whenever their season ends, rankings will begin to look very different. Actually, I promise you that the talking heads’ evaluation are affected by what actual professional scouts, personnel people and coaches tell them, just as our opinions are affected by the talking heads, so you might say that my first point kind of collide with the second. It’s the same dynamic.
Anyway, I think the important part is that while everyone is excited about Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams or Jonah Williams, be careful. Not only can both Quinnen and Jonah Williams decide to go back to school, but there is also the possibility that all three of those players will drop in the rankings. It happens every year.
5 – I feel like Korey Cunningham has been praised a lot in his two first games, but he sure came down to earth in this one, huh? I guess there was a reason that he fell to the 7th round.
I wonder if D.J. Humphries will be around to solidify that left tackle-spot. I don’t think there is any doubt that his injury history will factor in to his next contract, but neither is there any question that average to above average left tackles is so coveted in the NFL, that teams are prepared to overpay for those players, no matter if there is a risk involved. So Humphries will definitely get paid handsomely, and I just wonder if the Cardinals are willing to pay him as a sub top left tackle.
6 – I know this is weird considering what I wrote above, but a part of me can’t help but hoping badly that the Cards beat the Rams, no matter what it would do to the offseason. I just really don’t like them. I can’t stand how the media has been in love with them for months with all their “look at Sean McVay, he is such a genius and revolutionizing the head coaching position and the entire NFL”, “the Rams is definitely Super Bowl favorites with their great and innovative play”, “the Rams and especially Les Snead is geniuses for bringing in world class veterans”. While their fans have so much conviction that their team can’t ever lose. Shut up! I would really like to bring them down to earth.
I don’t really have the same feeling toward the Seahawks. One of my best friends are a big Seahawks-fan, and I don’t like to wish bad things for him.
7 – Did you see Andy Lee punting the ball 60 yards? Wow! He’s a first team All Pro.
8 – As Steve Wilks would say: “Starts upfront! Starts upfront!” Like I would say: “Ends upfront! Ends upfront!”
9 – I thought I saw several veteran players making so-called “business decisions” throughout the game. I don’t know exactly what that is a sign of – and I guess it could be multiple different things – but every possible reason most likely includes the notion “not playing for the coaching staff”.
10 - When Mike Glennon’s name was called in the 4th quarter he MUST have thought “oh no. This is how it will end. This is how I will go. Lord, have mercy.”
11 – It has certainly taken its time, but a part of me is coming around on the idea of firing Steve Keim. Not that I think it will happen – and probably not even that I would do it myself if it was up to me (if it was up to me he had actually been fired immediately after his DUI, but I do think the context is different this time) – but neither do I want to be ignorant to the reports that he is on the hot seat.
So, I thought of Will McClay as someone I would be intrigued with in that position. McClay is currently employed with the Dallas Cowboys where he is the Vice President of Pro Personnel, but in reality is doing much more than that. He is in charge of creating their draft board, and the last couple of years he has been highly involved in various things regarding free agency, including trades, and he is coordinating the cooperation between the personnel staff and coaching staff. Now, obviously he is, in every regard, subject to the Joneses wishes and demands, but the fact remains that a lot of the credit for the Cowboys’ success with various acquisitions since 2014 goes to McClay. This March he got a contract extension, and my best guess is that he is now paid as an actual general manager in an attempt to keep him, though it is obviously very unlikely that he would ever get promoted, since that can only happen at the expense of either Jerry- or Stephen Jones. The last three years several teams have asked to interview McClay for general manager-positions, yet every time he has turned down the request. I just think that, at some point, every personnel guy in the NFL wants the chance to control their own team.
12 – I don’t really have anything to back it up, but I just really like linebacker Dennis Gardeck, and I would throw him in on defense and see what happens. I like his energy and motor, but I don’t know how he does in fact play on defense.
13 - “In my mind, if I'm third or fourth on the depth chart making $14.5 million to $15 million, I don't see too much future for me in Jacksonville. I'm not trying to be a journeyman by any means. But it's a business and soon as you try to forget that then it's a rude awakening for sure." That’s a quote by defensive tackle Malik Jackson. Would you go after him in free agency? I would. I think he is good, and he is only 29.
14 – There are many reasons why I am exited about the future for Josh Rosen, and one of them is his actual age. Not how long he has been in the NFL. Out of all the first- and second year quarterbacks who are starting on a team, Rosen is the second youngest, and Lamar Jackson is only one month younger. Sam Darnold is about four months older than Rosen while Josh Allen is more than a year older, and everyone else is at least two years older. Such things are often forgotten, but I think they definitely matter.
15 – The Bears clinched the NFC North this week. That means they went from worst last year to first this year. The Texans are up by two games in the AFC South with two games to go. They would also go from worst to first if they win. If the Texans do win the division it would make it 16 teams that has gone from worst to first in the last 16 seasons. I’m just saying.
- I want Steve Wilks gone, as I have simply lost faith in him; A blowout loss increases that likelihood.
- The Niners beat the Seahawks and by that nullified the Falcons’ win, the Redskins’ win, the Giants’ loss and Buccaneers’ loss (the four relevant teams – besides the Cards and the Niners themselves – regarding draft order), and thus made it much more likely that the Cards will end up picking #1 overall.
- The Rams lost. That’s always a win for me.
2 – For me, it’s all about the draft now. I certainly realize that I am in a much different position than all you fans who have paid thousands of dollars for tickets (trust me, I feel terrible for you), and thus you could argue that I am more free to want the Cardinals to lose the home game against the Rams, as well as the road game in Seattle. I can’t help it, though. I don’t care if they end 3-13 or 5-11.
3 - On that note, it’s not that I think it would be catastrophic to pick #2, #3 or #4, but I would really like how the national attention would be huge on the Cardinals if they do pick first. Usually I don’t care about that stuff, but in this case we are talking about more than four months of analysis’, debates, speculation and all in all spotlight on the Cardinals in both the media and the public. Yes, that happens with any team picking in the top five, and even the top ten, but it’s just different with the team that holds the first overall selection.
ESPN gives the Cards an 85% chance of getting the first pick, while the Raiders are second with 9%.
Football Outsiders give the Cardinals an 74.5% chance of getting the pick, and the Raiders a 17.5% chance.
4 – A couple of notes on the draftees: since I began to follow the draft in 2007 there has been a total of two draft prospects, that I would deem as generational talents. Andrew Luck and Jadeveon Clowney are living legends in the NCAA, and they are the only players I have ever experienced where you basically knew right when their season ended, they would get drafted first overall. Not like most people now think they know that Nick Bosa or Quinnen Williams will get picked #1 overall, but like EVERYONE – fans, media, team sources, everyone – knew it was bound to happen because of how Luck and Clowney had dominated in college like very, very few had done before (and after). Both times, the media tried their best to create suspense in various ways, but there was never any doubt that any team would take them first. In fact, go back and look at the Panthers’ message board in 2011. They had been so bad the entire season that they ended with the #1 pick, and their fans were enamored with the consolation prize that was the redshirt sophomore from Stanford, Andrew Luck. When he declared that he would return to Stanford, there was mourning all over Carolina. I remember how the rumblings already started at that point about how any bad team should do everything in their power to get the #1 overall pick and Andrew Luck the year after. I guess the “Suck for Luck”-catchphrase was the start of similar phrases in the years to come, and the “Suck for Luck”-campaign was literally a thing among fans even before the season started.
My point is that scenarios like those two doesn’t happen very often, and I doubt this year is any different. At least until now no one has distanced himself from the pack as far as I know. Yes, we can talk forever about different prospects, but first, we don’t even have the full overview of who will be available, and second, things change. Every year multiple players, that no one is talking about in December, ends up getting drafted in the top 10 if not higher. Just like every year players, that many people in December are deeming future superstars ends up as disappointments drafted in the lower rounds. I am sure one of the reasons is that Mike Mayock, Mel Kiper and the likes tells us what to think of these players, and so we pretend to know something (sometimes I do it myself, so I am not just criticizing everyone else). Another reason is (and this one is certain) that the coaches have not even been included in the draft process yet. Until now, only the scouting departments has given some uncoordinated input, and when the coaches gets involved whenever their season ends, rankings will begin to look very different. Actually, I promise you that the talking heads’ evaluation are affected by what actual professional scouts, personnel people and coaches tell them, just as our opinions are affected by the talking heads, so you might say that my first point kind of collide with the second. It’s the same dynamic.
Anyway, I think the important part is that while everyone is excited about Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams or Jonah Williams, be careful. Not only can both Quinnen and Jonah Williams decide to go back to school, but there is also the possibility that all three of those players will drop in the rankings. It happens every year.
5 – I feel like Korey Cunningham has been praised a lot in his two first games, but he sure came down to earth in this one, huh? I guess there was a reason that he fell to the 7th round.
I wonder if D.J. Humphries will be around to solidify that left tackle-spot. I don’t think there is any doubt that his injury history will factor in to his next contract, but neither is there any question that average to above average left tackles is so coveted in the NFL, that teams are prepared to overpay for those players, no matter if there is a risk involved. So Humphries will definitely get paid handsomely, and I just wonder if the Cardinals are willing to pay him as a sub top left tackle.
6 – I know this is weird considering what I wrote above, but a part of me can’t help but hoping badly that the Cards beat the Rams, no matter what it would do to the offseason. I just really don’t like them. I can’t stand how the media has been in love with them for months with all their “look at Sean McVay, he is such a genius and revolutionizing the head coaching position and the entire NFL”, “the Rams is definitely Super Bowl favorites with their great and innovative play”, “the Rams and especially Les Snead is geniuses for bringing in world class veterans”. While their fans have so much conviction that their team can’t ever lose. Shut up! I would really like to bring them down to earth.
I don’t really have the same feeling toward the Seahawks. One of my best friends are a big Seahawks-fan, and I don’t like to wish bad things for him.
7 – Did you see Andy Lee punting the ball 60 yards? Wow! He’s a first team All Pro.
8 – As Steve Wilks would say: “Starts upfront! Starts upfront!” Like I would say: “Ends upfront! Ends upfront!”
9 – I thought I saw several veteran players making so-called “business decisions” throughout the game. I don’t know exactly what that is a sign of – and I guess it could be multiple different things – but every possible reason most likely includes the notion “not playing for the coaching staff”.
10 - When Mike Glennon’s name was called in the 4th quarter he MUST have thought “oh no. This is how it will end. This is how I will go. Lord, have mercy.”
11 – It has certainly taken its time, but a part of me is coming around on the idea of firing Steve Keim. Not that I think it will happen – and probably not even that I would do it myself if it was up to me (if it was up to me he had actually been fired immediately after his DUI, but I do think the context is different this time) – but neither do I want to be ignorant to the reports that he is on the hot seat.
So, I thought of Will McClay as someone I would be intrigued with in that position. McClay is currently employed with the Dallas Cowboys where he is the Vice President of Pro Personnel, but in reality is doing much more than that. He is in charge of creating their draft board, and the last couple of years he has been highly involved in various things regarding free agency, including trades, and he is coordinating the cooperation between the personnel staff and coaching staff. Now, obviously he is, in every regard, subject to the Joneses wishes and demands, but the fact remains that a lot of the credit for the Cowboys’ success with various acquisitions since 2014 goes to McClay. This March he got a contract extension, and my best guess is that he is now paid as an actual general manager in an attempt to keep him, though it is obviously very unlikely that he would ever get promoted, since that can only happen at the expense of either Jerry- or Stephen Jones. The last three years several teams have asked to interview McClay for general manager-positions, yet every time he has turned down the request. I just think that, at some point, every personnel guy in the NFL wants the chance to control their own team.
12 – I don’t really have anything to back it up, but I just really like linebacker Dennis Gardeck, and I would throw him in on defense and see what happens. I like his energy and motor, but I don’t know how he does in fact play on defense.
13 - “In my mind, if I'm third or fourth on the depth chart making $14.5 million to $15 million, I don't see too much future for me in Jacksonville. I'm not trying to be a journeyman by any means. But it's a business and soon as you try to forget that then it's a rude awakening for sure." That’s a quote by defensive tackle Malik Jackson. Would you go after him in free agency? I would. I think he is good, and he is only 29.
14 – There are many reasons why I am exited about the future for Josh Rosen, and one of them is his actual age. Not how long he has been in the NFL. Out of all the first- and second year quarterbacks who are starting on a team, Rosen is the second youngest, and Lamar Jackson is only one month younger. Sam Darnold is about four months older than Rosen while Josh Allen is more than a year older, and everyone else is at least two years older. Such things are often forgotten, but I think they definitely matter.
15 – The Bears clinched the NFC North this week. That means they went from worst last year to first this year. The Texans are up by two games in the AFC South with two games to go. They would also go from worst to first if they win. If the Texans do win the division it would make it 16 teams that has gone from worst to first in the last 16 seasons. I’m just saying.
