Cards win division draft

[Cbus cardsfan]

The Cardinals had the best draft, hands down, within the division but that was almost by default.

St. Louis: Thank god for Les Snead. After getting Todd Gurley, who will be limited at least at the start of the year, the Rams draft was complete garbage. Rob Haverstein would have been a reach in round 6, much less round 2. It's pretty bad when your best pick, after Gurley, was in the 7th round in Bryce Hager. They drafted 3 un-athletic, plodding OL. There is no team that has done less with all the draft picks they have made over the past few years. Sam Bradford, Jason Smith, and Tavon Austin are 3 horrendous blunders.

SF: Thank god for Trent Baalke. He continues to dismantle what was once a SB contender. The theme of this draft is Charmin because they drafted the "all -soft" team. Leading up to the NCAA championship game last year, much of the talk was how soft Oregon is and Armstead is a prime example. Word has it Eli Harold also dropped because he is considered a soft player.

Seattle: Their draft was tied to Jimmy Graham who I still say is anawful fit in Seattle. They drafted some okay talent in Frank Clark and Tyler Lockett but nothing overwhelming. Frank Clark was arrested for domestic violence at Michigan and kicked off the team. It was a mediocre draft, at best for them.

Cards: I'm coming around on the Humphries pick. If he pans out, they have a Ryan Clady type LT and can move Veldheer to RT which would have the makings of the best OT tandem in the league. However, Humphres has to pan out first. Golden and Johnson were solid picks at positions of need.

 

[HotSauce]

Couldn't disagree more.

I think each team had pretty decent draft classes and no one was better than the other.

Snead has given the Rams some pretty good draft classes. Jason Smith & Sam Bradford were there before he arrived. The only thing that has held this team back has been the QB position and Nick Foles upgrades that position. Anyway, Gurley might have been the best player in the entire draft and they finally addressed the OLine that they have ignored for years.

As for San Fran, Armstead looks like he could develop into another Calais Campbell in time to me. And Harold is probably who the Cards should have drafted instead of Golden, IMO. And mark my words. Once this Smelter kid gets healthy (it was a clean ACL tear), he is going to be a STUD in this league.

While the Frank Clark selection was despicable, Jimmy Graham is already a STUD. And Tyler Lockett might be a nightmare too due to his quickness and overall talent. And that Glowinski kid looks like the perfect fit for their zone blocking scheme as clearly one of the most athletic linemen in the entire draft class.

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

I gave the Seahawks a "D" grade. They had one of the worst drafts that I can remember.

The rest of our division got a B or B- from me. Nearly all are wait and see, could become something, or the usual round 5-7 never to be heard again type players.

The Cards draft was disappointing to me for the reason that they got no one who you can foresee as a great player, with the exception of their first "wait & see" pick at tackle. I don't see any of our other picks as being more than a solid player, who we could count on to strengthen our depth or be a decent starter over time.

There is no way we hit the ball out of the park with this draft, but when have we ever. We seem to be a blue collar type, we keep getting stronger with depth and with little steps here and there. We aren't, and maybe never will be, a great super bowl type team, but we can and will scrap and claw, not afraid to take on all comers in our fight to make the playoffs yearly. And if we should happen to slip through to the super bowl once more in our lifetime, well it will surely keep the dream alive.

I think the strength of our team finally is in the coaching and front office. I hope we never go back to hiring young, short on experience, experimental-type head coaches.

 

[Darkside]

Disagree with Graham not fitting in Seattle. I think that FA pick actually makes up for their poor draft, if that's possible. Graham is the perfect TE to play with Wilson. Broken plays and scrambling are where good/great TE's excel, especially a TE like Graham, who can break off routes and roll with Wilson. My guess is that Wilson eclipses his rushing record for the year (because defenders are going to get caught in no man's land trying to contain Wilson, while trying to cover the backside) and that Graham is #1 in receiving for their team. I also think the selection of Graham hurts us, as division opponents, the most. We have nobody who can cover Wilson or Graham in any capacity.

 

[TigToad]

Caveat... I agree with you. I was so happy when the 49ers first rounder came in. The last time I was that happy was when I told everyone they "reached" for Aldon Smith. Doh. We will have to wait and see.

 

[GatorAZ]

Wilson with Graham and Lockett definitely boosts their offense. Wonder about their OL with Unger though.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Graham is a great fit for Seattle IMO and Lockett is everything we've been lucky enough that Tavon Austin isn't. Eli Harold personifies mediocrity on the field. He's a known quantity of average.

 

[Darkside]

He's a known quantity of average.

This is honestly my favorite quote of the year thus far.

 

[Jetstream Green]

I gave the Seahawks a "D" grade. They had one of the worst drafts that I can remember.

The rest of our division got a B or B- from me. Nearly all are wait and see, could become something, or the usual round 5-7 never to be heard again type players.

The Cards draft was disappointing to me for the reason that they got no one who you can foresee as a great player, with the exception of their first "wait & see" pick at tackle. I don't see any of our other picks as being more than a solid player, who we could count on to strengthen our depth or be a decent starter over time.

There is no way we hit the ball out of the park with this draft, but when have we ever. We seem to be a blue collar type, we keep getting stronger with depth and with little steps here and there. We aren't, and maybe never will be, a great super bowl type team, but we can and will scrap and claw, not afraid to take on all comers in our fight to make the playoffs yearly. And if we should happen to slip through to the super bowl once more in our lifetime, well it will surely keep the dream alive.

I think the strength of our team finally is in the coaching and front office. I hope we never go back to hiring young, short on experience, experimental-type head coaches.

Johnson and Gunter could be great players... and if we are in a tight game and that Nelson guy gets a lane to go into light speed and score, you will think he is pretty great too. One player in Golden in the second round fulfills your 'blue collar' philosophy by the front office

PS, the Cardinals did once knock the ball out of the park in 2004, drafting Fitzgerald, Dansby, Dockett and Antonio Smith

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

CBS Sports agrees with me:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...fc-west-team-grades-cardinals-closing-the-gap

 

[BigRedRage]

The Cardinals had the best draft, hands down, within the division but that was almost by default.

St. Louis: Thank god for Les Snead. After getting Todd Gurley, who will be limited at least at the start of the year, the Rams draft was complete garbage. Rob Haverstein would have been a reach in round 6, much less round 2. It's pretty bad when your best pick, after Gurley, was in the 7th round in Bryce Hager. They drafted 3 un-athletic, plodding OL. There is no team that has done less with all the draft picks they have made over the past few years. Sam Bradford, Jason Smith, and Tavon Austin are 3 horrendous blunders.

SF: Thank god for Trent Baalke. He continues to dismantle what was once a SB contender. The theme of this draft is Charmin because they drafted the "all -soft" team. Leading up to the NCAA championship game last year, much of the talk was how soft Oregon is and Armstead is a prime example. Word has it Eli Harold also dropped because he is considered a soft player.

Seattle: Their draft was tied to Jimmy Graham who I still say is anawful fit in Seattle. They drafted some okay talent in Frank Clark and Tyler Lockett but nothing overwhelming. Frank Clark was arrested for domestic violence at Michigan and kicked off the team. It was a mediocre draft, at best for them.

Cards: I'm coming around on the Humphries pick. If he pans out, they have a Ryan Clady type LT and can move Veldheer to RT which would have the makings of the best OT tandem in the league. However, Humphres has to pan out first. Golden and Johnson were solid picks at positions of need.

I HIGHLY doubt the kid will be better than Veldheer at LT.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I HIGHLY doubt the kid will be better than Veldheer at LT.

It wouldn't surprise me at all. He has more physical tools than Veldheer and is more athletic. I'm a huge Veldheer fan so if DJ can supplant him and get Veldheer moved to RT, it would be fantastic for the Cards.

I hope they don't use the Denny Green thinking and move Humphries just because of his pay and draft status. I'm saying if he can earn the LT job, it would be great.

 

[BigRedRage]

It wouldn't surprise me at all. He has more physical tools than Veldheer and is more athletic. I'm a huge Veldheer fan so if DJ can supplant him and get Veldheer moved to RT, it would be fantastic for the Cards.

I hope they don't use the Denny Green thinking and move Humphries just because of his pay and draft status. I'm saying if he can earn the LT job, it would be great.

Is the 24th pick slotted salary greater than the contract veldheer has? I would assume not.

I think its safe to say Arians doesnt care about draft status and paycheck size.


I find it funny we have the best LT we have had in god knows how long and everyone thinks some rookie who barely played in college is going to take his job.

 

[juza76]

at now what we won?nothing,on paper we didint have a competitive draft
anyway just the field can tell us which teams won on draft day

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Is the 24th pick slotted salary greater than the contract veldheer has? I would assume not.

I think its safe to say Arians doesnt care about draft status and paycheck size.


I find it funny we have the best LT we have had in god knows how long and everyone thinks some rookie who barely played in college is going to take his job.

Ok, well I never said that. I said he'd have to earn it and I hope he does for the benefit of the Cards.

I do think Humphries will eventually be the LT though. Probably in a year or two.

 

[Jim Otis]

we didint have a competitive draft

I have to agree with juza on that point .

I thought the seahags made bold moves (took some risk) Graham --Clark , added their on version of J. Brown -- Lockette .
I thought we took safe Buchannan-esque talent - character players .

Bottom Line , I thought the hags did more to hold their position of NFC-West KING OF THE HILL than we did to drive them from the hill .

 

[BigRedRage]

Ok, well I never said that. I said he'd have to earn it and I hope he does for the benefit of the Cards.

I do think Humphries will eventually be the LT though. Probably in a year or two.

We have Veldheer for 4 more years. Yeah, if hes even better that would be awesome but I would imagine he is more likely to cement the RT spot than take over the LT spot. Fine with me.

At the worst, he will bring out the best in MAssie this year.

 

[football karma]

Ok, well I never said that. I said he'd have to earn it and I hope he does for the benefit of the Cards.

I do think Humphries will eventually be the LT though. Probably in a year or two.

I think what Humphries allows is a smooth LT transition

in four years -- if Veldheer doesnt resign then you can take an experienced tackle playing on the right, move him over to the left and not miss a beat

if you beleive that LT is a top 4 position in the NFL ( 1. QB, 2. pass rusher, 3. LT, 4. shutdown corner) -- then adding what you beleive is a good one isnt the worst draft strategy