Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. QB: Right now Matt Leinart is the clear favorite. He knows the system and is looking more accurate in practice. The question is: what will Leinart look like when chin straps are buckled and the hitting starts?
What gives Derek Anderson a fighting chance is having the stronger arm...but, most of all, having the grit and ruggedness to stand in the pocket and wait for the precise moment to let er loose.
This is a team that is putting more and more of a premium on toughness...both mental and physcial toughness. If Leinart falters in this area, he will lose the job to Anderson. It's as simple as that.
But, this is where a veteran tough guy in Alan Faneca can make such a great impact. Leinart can feed off this guy and if he does, Leinart could be the prime time player we've been hoping to see.
2. #4 RB Jason Wright. With roster spots getting more and more competitive, Jason Wright is going to have to prove his worth on STs and as a role payer in the offense. Wright made some positive contributions last year. He was solid on STs...not special, however. And his nifty couple of runs off slip screens were a bonus...but this year he is going to have to be special on STs to stick.
3. FB: Nehemiah Broughton brings the whole package. He's a solid blocker, good strong inside runner and surprisingly effective receiver out of the backfield. But, Broughton lacks experience and is relatively unproven. He will be pushed by Charles Ali, who may be a stronger blocker, but not quite as versatile as Broughton. It may come down to which player is better on STs. Reagan Maui'a is a wild card with his brute strength...and if he shows explosion on his blocks and an ability to tackle on STs, he could surprise.
4. #5 WR: The first four are set in Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet and Andre Roberts. What should be one of the more intriguing comeptitions is the one for the #5 WR spot. The early favorite is Onrea Jones, whom Whiz has lauded during the OTAs. Jones has played well in pre-season games...he's got decent size (6-0, 202), body control and strength. He has good hands and runs solid routes. The questions are his speed and his STs ability. Jones is a possession WR...the problem is, so are Breaston, Doucet and Roberts. Thus, the players to keep an eye on here are Darren Mougey (6-6, 230) and Stephen Williams (6-5, 200). Whiz loves to have another big target WR to go with Fitz, which is why Whiz had high hopes for Jerheme Urban. Both Mougey and Williams are good athletes...Mougey is strong and Williams has sneaky speed and can go up and get balls in a crowd.
Whomever wins the #5 WR won't necessarily have to be a STs player because more than likely the #5 WR won't be activated on game days...what this means is the team would likely keep the player with the best all-around talent...one who is a good compliment to the other WRs.
RG: The question is: will Deuce Lutui's holdout cost him his starting job? The coaches were critical of Reggie Wells' overall performance last year. Wells has better feet than Lutui, but not nearly as much pop. Rex Hadnot likely has a better chance to start than Wells in that Hadnot is a mauler and Wells is not. However, if Lutui come in in great shape and picks up where he left off last year, he will retain the job. If Lutui arrives overweight and starts playing inconsistently again, he's toast.
TE: It would seem that Ben Patrick and Anthony Becht are set. The competition for the #3 TE come down to Stephen Spach, Dominique Byrd and 7th round pick Jim Dray. It would seem logical that the team would try to designate Dray as a PS member this year, so in all reality it's a battle between Spach and Bryd. If Whiz threw more to the TEs, Byrd would have a better chance...but maybe with Leinart, the team will try to throw to the TEs more and he seems to have good chemistry with his old Trojan teammate. Yet, Spach, no question, is a Whiz favorite...in fact, Spach likely reminds Whiz a little of himself...not a great athlete per se, but a tough comeptitor who beats the odds through diligence and perseverance. The problem is Spach really hurt the team last year with penalties, and his overall play was not very good. He was setback by his knee injury, no question. Spach will need to to erase those deficiencies, no matter how much Whiz is pulling for him.
NT: Like Bryan Robinson said, if Dan Williams isn't beating him out, "he's not doing his job." Williams will beat Robinson out. Williams is the better athlete, he's much stronger and he is a far better fit at the position. The question is: what happens with Robinson and Gabe Watson? Ideally, because Robinson is near retirement, the Cardinals would like to hold on to Watson as their backup NT for the next few years. Watson made some strides last year and continues to work hard and play solidly in sub situations. Can the Cardinals afford to keep 3 NTs? Robinson is versatile and can also play 34DE...but the backups there are Kenny Iwebema and Alan Branch. As much as the Cardinals love Robinson's leadership, it looks like, barring injuries or a trade involving Watson, he is going to have a hard time sticking.
SILB: Gerald Hayes, no matter what he says, is a question mark, not just for his ailing back, but for his erratic play the past couple of years. In light of these factors, Reggie Walker will be given an opportunity to unseat him as the starter. This should be interesting to watch. Walker is a textbook tackler and has shown good instincts at the point of attack in his limited play there in goalline situations. The question will be whether he can display the range and covering ability that would make him a bona fide starter at the position. Monty Beisel, unless he shows considerable improvement, won't be anything more than a STs player and versatile backup, if he even makes the team. There may and probably should be another addition to the mix here. It would be great if the Cardinals coud find a way to trade for the Browns' D'Qwell Jackson, who is disgruntled and wants a new contract. Thus far, there's been no talk of interest on the Cardinals' part. But that could change especially if Hayes continues to ail and/or struggle.
WILB: Paris Lenon will keep the seat warm until Daryl Washington is ready. Washington, to start with, will be in the nickel and dime packages. Lenon will be a high effort player...but Washington's talent will be so obvious that it wouldn't be surprisng if Washington wins the starting job early. If that's indeed the case, don't count out Ali Highsmith for a roster spot. If Lenon is not the starter and Highsmith has shown strong improvement and remains one of the team's better STs players, Highsmith may get the nod over Lenon.
OLB: The most exciting competition may be for the #3, #4 and #5 OLB positions where Cody Brown, Will Davis, Stevie Baggs, Mark Washington and O'Brien Schofield will be trying to emerge as young up-and-coming playmakers. Even though Schofield is still rehabbing his knee and will need more time, this is a kid who is so motivated to play and turn heads that we may be seeing him in action by Week 3 of the pre-season. Schofield may have the most natural talent of the group. Cody Brown is healthy now and stronger. Can he show a burst off that back edge? Will Davis has already shown promise and flashes of excellence in games. Baggs wasn't the CFL sacks leader by chance. He's driven to excel. And Washington is a superb athlete who may be the most versatile of the group.
CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Greg Toler are the starters...Trumaine McBride, Michael Adams and Justin Miller are the backups, and McBride and Adams are the nickels and dimers. Miller is going to team with LSH to form a dynamic kickoff return tandem. Jorrick Clavin, Marshay Green and A.J. Jefferson will try to earn their way onto the roster...but all three will likely start the year on the PS.
S: The Cardinals will likely keep five safeties, especially because of the multiple safety looks they will throw at defenses. The quintet looks to be Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes, Rashad Johnson, Matt Ware and Hamza Abdullah...although when the hitting starts look for Herana-Daze Jones to challenge Hamza Abdullah for that 5th spot in what should be one of the greatest challenges of exotic names in Cardinals' history! Jones is a better tackler (Abdullah arrives quickly but lacks fundamentals and doesn't finish well---if he improves this, he'll be a lock for the roster---he's already shown improvement in coverage in the OTAs) and Jones is a very good STs player.
Wild Cards (Possible surprise scenarios):
1. Reggie Wells getting into the mix at tackle.
2. Herman Johnson making a run at the RG spot.
3. Alfonso Smith---with his 4.3 speed---making a run for the roster at RB and STs speedster.
4. The Sheik--DT Dean Muhtada---"scraping and clawing" his way to a roster spot, as John Lott has forecasted.
Stay thirsty my friends!
Your thoughts?
What gives Derek Anderson a fighting chance is having the stronger arm...but, most of all, having the grit and ruggedness to stand in the pocket and wait for the precise moment to let er loose.
This is a team that is putting more and more of a premium on toughness...both mental and physcial toughness. If Leinart falters in this area, he will lose the job to Anderson. It's as simple as that.
But, this is where a veteran tough guy in Alan Faneca can make such a great impact. Leinart can feed off this guy and if he does, Leinart could be the prime time player we've been hoping to see.
2. #4 RB Jason Wright. With roster spots getting more and more competitive, Jason Wright is going to have to prove his worth on STs and as a role payer in the offense. Wright made some positive contributions last year. He was solid on STs...not special, however. And his nifty couple of runs off slip screens were a bonus...but this year he is going to have to be special on STs to stick.
3. FB: Nehemiah Broughton brings the whole package. He's a solid blocker, good strong inside runner and surprisingly effective receiver out of the backfield. But, Broughton lacks experience and is relatively unproven. He will be pushed by Charles Ali, who may be a stronger blocker, but not quite as versatile as Broughton. It may come down to which player is better on STs. Reagan Maui'a is a wild card with his brute strength...and if he shows explosion on his blocks and an ability to tackle on STs, he could surprise.
4. #5 WR: The first four are set in Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet and Andre Roberts. What should be one of the more intriguing comeptitions is the one for the #5 WR spot. The early favorite is Onrea Jones, whom Whiz has lauded during the OTAs. Jones has played well in pre-season games...he's got decent size (6-0, 202), body control and strength. He has good hands and runs solid routes. The questions are his speed and his STs ability. Jones is a possession WR...the problem is, so are Breaston, Doucet and Roberts. Thus, the players to keep an eye on here are Darren Mougey (6-6, 230) and Stephen Williams (6-5, 200). Whiz loves to have another big target WR to go with Fitz, which is why Whiz had high hopes for Jerheme Urban. Both Mougey and Williams are good athletes...Mougey is strong and Williams has sneaky speed and can go up and get balls in a crowd.
Whomever wins the #5 WR won't necessarily have to be a STs player because more than likely the #5 WR won't be activated on game days...what this means is the team would likely keep the player with the best all-around talent...one who is a good compliment to the other WRs.
RG: The question is: will Deuce Lutui's holdout cost him his starting job? The coaches were critical of Reggie Wells' overall performance last year. Wells has better feet than Lutui, but not nearly as much pop. Rex Hadnot likely has a better chance to start than Wells in that Hadnot is a mauler and Wells is not. However, if Lutui come in in great shape and picks up where he left off last year, he will retain the job. If Lutui arrives overweight and starts playing inconsistently again, he's toast.
TE: It would seem that Ben Patrick and Anthony Becht are set. The competition for the #3 TE come down to Stephen Spach, Dominique Byrd and 7th round pick Jim Dray. It would seem logical that the team would try to designate Dray as a PS member this year, so in all reality it's a battle between Spach and Bryd. If Whiz threw more to the TEs, Byrd would have a better chance...but maybe with Leinart, the team will try to throw to the TEs more and he seems to have good chemistry with his old Trojan teammate. Yet, Spach, no question, is a Whiz favorite...in fact, Spach likely reminds Whiz a little of himself...not a great athlete per se, but a tough comeptitor who beats the odds through diligence and perseverance. The problem is Spach really hurt the team last year with penalties, and his overall play was not very good. He was setback by his knee injury, no question. Spach will need to to erase those deficiencies, no matter how much Whiz is pulling for him.
NT: Like Bryan Robinson said, if Dan Williams isn't beating him out, "he's not doing his job." Williams will beat Robinson out. Williams is the better athlete, he's much stronger and he is a far better fit at the position. The question is: what happens with Robinson and Gabe Watson? Ideally, because Robinson is near retirement, the Cardinals would like to hold on to Watson as their backup NT for the next few years. Watson made some strides last year and continues to work hard and play solidly in sub situations. Can the Cardinals afford to keep 3 NTs? Robinson is versatile and can also play 34DE...but the backups there are Kenny Iwebema and Alan Branch. As much as the Cardinals love Robinson's leadership, it looks like, barring injuries or a trade involving Watson, he is going to have a hard time sticking.
SILB: Gerald Hayes, no matter what he says, is a question mark, not just for his ailing back, but for his erratic play the past couple of years. In light of these factors, Reggie Walker will be given an opportunity to unseat him as the starter. This should be interesting to watch. Walker is a textbook tackler and has shown good instincts at the point of attack in his limited play there in goalline situations. The question will be whether he can display the range and covering ability that would make him a bona fide starter at the position. Monty Beisel, unless he shows considerable improvement, won't be anything more than a STs player and versatile backup, if he even makes the team. There may and probably should be another addition to the mix here. It would be great if the Cardinals coud find a way to trade for the Browns' D'Qwell Jackson, who is disgruntled and wants a new contract. Thus far, there's been no talk of interest on the Cardinals' part. But that could change especially if Hayes continues to ail and/or struggle.
WILB: Paris Lenon will keep the seat warm until Daryl Washington is ready. Washington, to start with, will be in the nickel and dime packages. Lenon will be a high effort player...but Washington's talent will be so obvious that it wouldn't be surprisng if Washington wins the starting job early. If that's indeed the case, don't count out Ali Highsmith for a roster spot. If Lenon is not the starter and Highsmith has shown strong improvement and remains one of the team's better STs players, Highsmith may get the nod over Lenon.
OLB: The most exciting competition may be for the #3, #4 and #5 OLB positions where Cody Brown, Will Davis, Stevie Baggs, Mark Washington and O'Brien Schofield will be trying to emerge as young up-and-coming playmakers. Even though Schofield is still rehabbing his knee and will need more time, this is a kid who is so motivated to play and turn heads that we may be seeing him in action by Week 3 of the pre-season. Schofield may have the most natural talent of the group. Cody Brown is healthy now and stronger. Can he show a burst off that back edge? Will Davis has already shown promise and flashes of excellence in games. Baggs wasn't the CFL sacks leader by chance. He's driven to excel. And Washington is a superb athlete who may be the most versatile of the group.
CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Greg Toler are the starters...Trumaine McBride, Michael Adams and Justin Miller are the backups, and McBride and Adams are the nickels and dimers. Miller is going to team with LSH to form a dynamic kickoff return tandem. Jorrick Clavin, Marshay Green and A.J. Jefferson will try to earn their way onto the roster...but all three will likely start the year on the PS.
S: The Cardinals will likely keep five safeties, especially because of the multiple safety looks they will throw at defenses. The quintet looks to be Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes, Rashad Johnson, Matt Ware and Hamza Abdullah...although when the hitting starts look for Herana-Daze Jones to challenge Hamza Abdullah for that 5th spot in what should be one of the greatest challenges of exotic names in Cardinals' history! Jones is a better tackler (Abdullah arrives quickly but lacks fundamentals and doesn't finish well---if he improves this, he'll be a lock for the roster---he's already shown improvement in coverage in the OTAs) and Jones is a very good STs player.
Wild Cards (Possible surprise scenarios):
1. Reggie Wells getting into the mix at tackle.
2. Herman Johnson making a run at the RG spot.
3. Alfonso Smith---with his 4.3 speed---making a run for the roster at RB and STs speedster.
4. The Sheik--DT Dean Muhtada---"scraping and clawing" his way to a roster spot, as John Lott has forecasted.
Stay thirsty my friends!
Your thoughts?
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