Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
QB (4): 7-Leinart; 3-Anderson; 6-Hall; 19-Skelton.
As we have seen with Kurt Warner and QBs like Drew Brees and Tom Brady, the key to great quarterbacking is showing the ability to deliver the ball on time and with accuracy. Warner, Brees and Brady do not have big-time arms, but they all have exemplary timing and touch.
This is why the fast riser here is Max Hall. Sure, you want to doubt him because (a) he is a rookie; and (b) he's a mere 6-1, 201, and looks like a dwarf stranding next to the 6-5 trio of Leinart, Anderson and Skelton.
However, Kurt Warner was only 6-2, 214...Brees is 6-0, 209...and Brady is 6-3, 225.
The rookie part is what will keep Hall on the sidelines, at least for most of this year. But, stay tuned. Hall may very well be in the mix for the starting job as soon as next year.
Whiz may have wanted to keep Max Hall a secret...but ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported from what he saw and heard that the Cardinals are very high on Hall and that he was outperforming John Skelton, the team's 5th round pick. Thus, the Cardinals may have a far more difficult time trying to sneak Hall by waivers...which will be a moot point anyway if he wins the #3 job.
What about Skelton? The team can't cut him, not this soon, and not with the physical talents he possesses. Because of those talents, Skelton would be claimed on waivers by a team like Pittsburgh.
This will force the Cardinals to keep 4 QBs. With so much uncertainty about the futures of Leinart and Anderson in Arizona, the Cardinals would be wise to hold onto the two rookies anyway.
RB (3): 34-Hightower; 26-Wells; 36-Stephens-Howling.
Because the Cardinals will have to keep 4 QBs, they will likely have to trim down to 3 RBs, which leaves Jason Wright on the outside looking in. If Wright plays lights-out on STs this pre-season, he can make the case for the Cardinals to trim the roster elsewhere...but the ST talent on the team has been growing, so Wright has to make a great case.
FB (1): 32-Broughton
Charles Ali is the challenger, and had been playing well until his injury. He's going to have to return in time to beat out Broughton, which Ali is very capable of doing.
The wild card here could be Dominique Byrd...he would give the Cardinals some much needed roster flexibility if he could double as a FB/TE. The question is: can he block from the FB position? He can catch, we know that. Let's keep a close eye on him this week versus the Texans.
WR (5): 11-Fitzgerald; 15-Breaston; 80-Doucet; 14-Williams; 12-Roberts.
The Cardinal coaches developed a good rapport with Stephen Williams prior to the draft for three reasons: (1) they love tall WRs; (2) the other WRs other than Fitz are smaller possession types and thus Williams is the right complement; (3) they fully anticipated that with a good camp Williams could make the roster....and this is what makes the Cardinals so good at attracting UCFAs.
This should be a very interesting year for Steve Breaston. First of all, he is scheduled to become a UFA next year and is on the verge of earning himself a big long-term contract, if not with the Cardinals, with another team. Secondly, his game emerged the past two years because Anquan Boldin was often hurt and Breaston had the perfect QB throwing to him. Warner had a knack for knowing exactly when and where to throw the ball to Breaston. Again...it's all timing and accuracy.
Thus far, Breaston does not have that chemistry with Leinart or Anderson...which was in full evidence in the Red-White scrimmage. If this continues, Breaston will become extremely frustrated...which could lead to erratic play.
Doucet remains an enigma of sorts. He should be shining in the Arizona sun this year the way Breaston did the past two years and yet he's still standing in the shadows due to injury issues and inconsistencies.
Stephen Williams will not only make the team, he will have every opportunity to make the WR rotation and could wind up---at some point---passing by Breaston and Doucet.
With Roberts, the team needs to be patient. Neither Breaston nor Doucet were instant hits in training camp either. For now, if Roberts can earn his stripes as a punt returner the way Breaston did his first year, then he can buy the time to let the rest of his game develop.
So what about Onrea Jones? One thing is for sure, he will show up in the pre-season games, for he always has. And if he gets Max Hall throwing to him, he may put up some good numbers. But, the bottom line is, Jones will have to prove his worth on STs and continue to endear Whiz.
TE (3): 89-Patrick; 84-Becht; 83-Spach.
The injuries to Patrick and Becht give Stephen Spach and Dominque Byrd a chance to showcase their skills. Too bad Jim Dray is injured too, because he could have used this opportunity.
One thing would seem certain: Whiz won't have the luxury this time to keep 4 TEs on the roster...which is a good thing, especially when the TEs are medi0cre at best.
OL (9): 75-Brown; 66-Faneca; 63-Sendlein; 76-Lutui; 72-Keith; 74-Wells; 73-Bridges; 70-Hadnot; 67-Johnson.
What's great for these guys is getting to play every day against one of the most talented d-lines in the NFL. It will make playing against other lines seem like a reprieve.
Having Joey Porter is a real boost as well, because he's the kind of quick, explosive edge rusher the Cardinals have not had in recent years, thus the Cardinals' tackles of the last few years were not get the kind of daily practice they needed. Now they can.
It's too early in camp to expect the offensive line to have their chemistry and all the blocking schemes and assignments down pat.
While Wells is the RG for now, it's just a matter of time before Lutui emerges. All eyes will be on Faneca, and while he's had a hard time thwarting Calais Campbell, so will most other LGs. Faneca also knows how to pace himself at his age as he rounds himself into game shape.
The wild cards are Jeremy Bridges and Rex Hadnot. Bridges is insurance at tackle and Hadnot is insurance at guard and center. They are vital to the depth. Both still have a chance to win starting jobs...and the coaches will be watching carefully.
The only real question is whether backup center Ben Claxton will make the team again. If Rex Hadnot is getting a fair share of play at center this pre-season, the answer would seem obvious. However, if the Cardinals are more comfortable with Claxton at center, they may try to trade one of the guards...because they are not going to keep 10 o-linemen on the roster.
NT (3): 97-Robinson; 98-Watson; 92-Williams.
As of right now the Cardinals will keep three NTs...but this is not ideal in the least. Watson's been playing the best thus far. Hmmm.
DE (4): 90-Dockett; 93-Campbell; 91-Iwebema; 78-Branch.
Jeremy Clark has been making a push...but this unit seems set.
ILB (4): 51-Lenon; 58-Washington; 56-Walker; 52-Beisel.
What's so curious about the release of Ali Highsmith is the lack of depth at WILB. It looks like the coaches are prepping Lenon and Washington to be the starters at SILB and WILB respectively.
The wild card here is the diminutive Togafau...but Reggie Walker is a better fit at SILB, and Monty Beisel is more versatile (can play both spots).
OLB (5): 53-Haggans; 55-Porter; 59-Davis; 50-Brown; 57-Baggs
For now Mark Washington is on the outside looking in...but with some good pre-season games, he could not only win a roster spot, but he could make the case for the Cardinals to keep 6 OLBers.
CB (5): 29-Rodgers-Cromartie; 28-Toler; 37-McBride; 27-Adams; 47-Miller
"Money" Mike Adams' and Justin Miller's ST prowess wins them the spots.
S (4): 24-Wilson; 25-Rhodes; 22-Ware; 49-Johnson
Abdullah and Rouse are in the picture, but Abdullah's been injured and Rouse needs to stand out to have a chance. In either case, the top four safeties are pretty well set.
ST (3): 4-Feely; 5-Graham; 82-Leach
Leach is too valuable to be playing backup TE. I think it would be very interesting if Whiz tried Herman Johnson as a situational blocking TE.
PS (8): RB-Smith; T/G-Pestock; TE-Dray; DE-Clark; LB-Johnson; LB-Washington; CB-Calvin; CB-Green.
As they say, "Let the games begin!"
With each week, let's see how our roster predictions change...that's the fun of pre-season games, isn't it?!
As we have seen with Kurt Warner and QBs like Drew Brees and Tom Brady, the key to great quarterbacking is showing the ability to deliver the ball on time and with accuracy. Warner, Brees and Brady do not have big-time arms, but they all have exemplary timing and touch.
This is why the fast riser here is Max Hall. Sure, you want to doubt him because (a) he is a rookie; and (b) he's a mere 6-1, 201, and looks like a dwarf stranding next to the 6-5 trio of Leinart, Anderson and Skelton.
However, Kurt Warner was only 6-2, 214...Brees is 6-0, 209...and Brady is 6-3, 225.
The rookie part is what will keep Hall on the sidelines, at least for most of this year. But, stay tuned. Hall may very well be in the mix for the starting job as soon as next year.
Whiz may have wanted to keep Max Hall a secret...but ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported from what he saw and heard that the Cardinals are very high on Hall and that he was outperforming John Skelton, the team's 5th round pick. Thus, the Cardinals may have a far more difficult time trying to sneak Hall by waivers...which will be a moot point anyway if he wins the #3 job.
What about Skelton? The team can't cut him, not this soon, and not with the physical talents he possesses. Because of those talents, Skelton would be claimed on waivers by a team like Pittsburgh.
This will force the Cardinals to keep 4 QBs. With so much uncertainty about the futures of Leinart and Anderson in Arizona, the Cardinals would be wise to hold onto the two rookies anyway.
RB (3): 34-Hightower; 26-Wells; 36-Stephens-Howling.
Because the Cardinals will have to keep 4 QBs, they will likely have to trim down to 3 RBs, which leaves Jason Wright on the outside looking in. If Wright plays lights-out on STs this pre-season, he can make the case for the Cardinals to trim the roster elsewhere...but the ST talent on the team has been growing, so Wright has to make a great case.
FB (1): 32-Broughton
Charles Ali is the challenger, and had been playing well until his injury. He's going to have to return in time to beat out Broughton, which Ali is very capable of doing.
The wild card here could be Dominique Byrd...he would give the Cardinals some much needed roster flexibility if he could double as a FB/TE. The question is: can he block from the FB position? He can catch, we know that. Let's keep a close eye on him this week versus the Texans.
WR (5): 11-Fitzgerald; 15-Breaston; 80-Doucet; 14-Williams; 12-Roberts.
The Cardinal coaches developed a good rapport with Stephen Williams prior to the draft for three reasons: (1) they love tall WRs; (2) the other WRs other than Fitz are smaller possession types and thus Williams is the right complement; (3) they fully anticipated that with a good camp Williams could make the roster....and this is what makes the Cardinals so good at attracting UCFAs.
This should be a very interesting year for Steve Breaston. First of all, he is scheduled to become a UFA next year and is on the verge of earning himself a big long-term contract, if not with the Cardinals, with another team. Secondly, his game emerged the past two years because Anquan Boldin was often hurt and Breaston had the perfect QB throwing to him. Warner had a knack for knowing exactly when and where to throw the ball to Breaston. Again...it's all timing and accuracy.
Thus far, Breaston does not have that chemistry with Leinart or Anderson...which was in full evidence in the Red-White scrimmage. If this continues, Breaston will become extremely frustrated...which could lead to erratic play.
Doucet remains an enigma of sorts. He should be shining in the Arizona sun this year the way Breaston did the past two years and yet he's still standing in the shadows due to injury issues and inconsistencies.
Stephen Williams will not only make the team, he will have every opportunity to make the WR rotation and could wind up---at some point---passing by Breaston and Doucet.
With Roberts, the team needs to be patient. Neither Breaston nor Doucet were instant hits in training camp either. For now, if Roberts can earn his stripes as a punt returner the way Breaston did his first year, then he can buy the time to let the rest of his game develop.
So what about Onrea Jones? One thing is for sure, he will show up in the pre-season games, for he always has. And if he gets Max Hall throwing to him, he may put up some good numbers. But, the bottom line is, Jones will have to prove his worth on STs and continue to endear Whiz.
TE (3): 89-Patrick; 84-Becht; 83-Spach.
The injuries to Patrick and Becht give Stephen Spach and Dominque Byrd a chance to showcase their skills. Too bad Jim Dray is injured too, because he could have used this opportunity.
One thing would seem certain: Whiz won't have the luxury this time to keep 4 TEs on the roster...which is a good thing, especially when the TEs are medi0cre at best.
OL (9): 75-Brown; 66-Faneca; 63-Sendlein; 76-Lutui; 72-Keith; 74-Wells; 73-Bridges; 70-Hadnot; 67-Johnson.
What's great for these guys is getting to play every day against one of the most talented d-lines in the NFL. It will make playing against other lines seem like a reprieve.
Having Joey Porter is a real boost as well, because he's the kind of quick, explosive edge rusher the Cardinals have not had in recent years, thus the Cardinals' tackles of the last few years were not get the kind of daily practice they needed. Now they can.
It's too early in camp to expect the offensive line to have their chemistry and all the blocking schemes and assignments down pat.
While Wells is the RG for now, it's just a matter of time before Lutui emerges. All eyes will be on Faneca, and while he's had a hard time thwarting Calais Campbell, so will most other LGs. Faneca also knows how to pace himself at his age as he rounds himself into game shape.
The wild cards are Jeremy Bridges and Rex Hadnot. Bridges is insurance at tackle and Hadnot is insurance at guard and center. They are vital to the depth. Both still have a chance to win starting jobs...and the coaches will be watching carefully.
The only real question is whether backup center Ben Claxton will make the team again. If Rex Hadnot is getting a fair share of play at center this pre-season, the answer would seem obvious. However, if the Cardinals are more comfortable with Claxton at center, they may try to trade one of the guards...because they are not going to keep 10 o-linemen on the roster.
NT (3): 97-Robinson; 98-Watson; 92-Williams.
As of right now the Cardinals will keep three NTs...but this is not ideal in the least. Watson's been playing the best thus far. Hmmm.
DE (4): 90-Dockett; 93-Campbell; 91-Iwebema; 78-Branch.
Jeremy Clark has been making a push...but this unit seems set.
ILB (4): 51-Lenon; 58-Washington; 56-Walker; 52-Beisel.
What's so curious about the release of Ali Highsmith is the lack of depth at WILB. It looks like the coaches are prepping Lenon and Washington to be the starters at SILB and WILB respectively.
The wild card here is the diminutive Togafau...but Reggie Walker is a better fit at SILB, and Monty Beisel is more versatile (can play both spots).
OLB (5): 53-Haggans; 55-Porter; 59-Davis; 50-Brown; 57-Baggs
For now Mark Washington is on the outside looking in...but with some good pre-season games, he could not only win a roster spot, but he could make the case for the Cardinals to keep 6 OLBers.
CB (5): 29-Rodgers-Cromartie; 28-Toler; 37-McBride; 27-Adams; 47-Miller
"Money" Mike Adams' and Justin Miller's ST prowess wins them the spots.
S (4): 24-Wilson; 25-Rhodes; 22-Ware; 49-Johnson
Abdullah and Rouse are in the picture, but Abdullah's been injured and Rouse needs to stand out to have a chance. In either case, the top four safeties are pretty well set.
ST (3): 4-Feely; 5-Graham; 82-Leach
Leach is too valuable to be playing backup TE. I think it would be very interesting if Whiz tried Herman Johnson as a situational blocking TE.
PS (8): RB-Smith; T/G-Pestock; TE-Dray; DE-Clark; LB-Johnson; LB-Washington; CB-Calvin; CB-Green.
As they say, "Let the games begin!"
With each week, let's see how our roster predictions change...that's the fun of pre-season games, isn't it?!
