Free Agency

kerouac9

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Prolong the pain for another year? Please!!! The Cards will have $75M in cap space to work with next season and $188M in 2025. I think they will be fine moving forward.

They still have to field a team this season. They still need to sign a couple of dozen players just to fill out their roster before camp.
This is inane. Yes, they have this much cap space to work with, but they have 24 total players on the roster next season if you count DHop, Conner, and Ertz. Even if you assume that all of our draft picks stick (and throw in a three more from trades), that's 31 players of 53 you need to fill a football team and 80 to take to training camp.

This is no way to build a railroad. We're following the Bears, Texans, and Lions down a path where no one knows where it leads.
 

MadCardDisease

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This is inane. Yes, they have this much cap space to work with, but they have 24 total players on the roster next season if you count DHop, Conner, and Ertz. Even if you assume that all of our draft picks stick (and throw in a three more from trades), that's 31 players of 53 you need to fill a football team and 80 to take to training camp.

Exactly! Now you are starting to get it. Zach Allen will cost you $19M against the cap next season. Ooops!!!!!!
 

Dayman

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If the FO is really interested in properly clearing the cap and tanking this year with a focus squarely on the future, why is Dennis Gardeck still on the roster? Cutting him would save nearly $3 million on this year's cap, which could be used to absorb more dead cap this year instead of using the June 1st designations on guys like Hudson.

And why would you pay nearly $4 million to a kicker when making FGs is antithetical to the tanking mission?

The only way these moves appear to follow any sort of plan is if you form the "tanking" narrative in retrospect to justify some truly baffling decisions.
 
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Dude, don't bother. Certain posters have decided the new FO can do no wrong and are blindly approving every decision. Which I get, I guess, because if it were stupid to let those players walk, the hopium would already be trickling away. Man, I wish I could give in to hopium buzz. Alas, I'm too much of a realist.
I have not seen one post stating this. It's closer to the new FO can't do anything right than they can do no wrong. This board is becoming unreadable. We have no idea what the roster will look like opening day but people want to bitch & moan about things that are months away from training camp even.
 
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Cheesebeef

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If the FO is really interested in properly clearing the cap and tanking this year with a focus squarely on the future, why is Dennis Gardeck still on the roster? Cutting him would save nearly $3 million on this year's cap, which could be used to absorb more dead cap this year instead of using the June 1st designations on guys like Hudson.

And why would you pay nearly $4 million to a kicker when making FGs is antithetical to the tanking mission?

The only way these moves appear to follow any sort of plan is if you form the "tanking" narrative in retrospect to justify some truly baffling decisions.
bingo.
 

Cheesebeef

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This is inane. Yes, they have this much cap space to work with, but they have 24 total players on the roster next season if you count DHop, Conner, and Ertz. Even if you assume that all of our draft picks stick (and throw in a three more from trades), that's 31 players of 53 you need to fill a football team and 80 to take to training camp.

This is no way to build a railroad. We're following the Bears, Texans, and Lions down a path where no one knows where it leads.
this just isn't hard for anyone to understand.

I think we're just seeing multiple posters who originally put their stake in the ground that this is a tear down situation and just have too much pride to admit they were wrong/didn't understand what the hell they were even talking about.
 

Stout

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I hate to break it to you but next year is going to be terrible for the Cardinals. They probably will have the first pick in the 2024 draft. You need to take off your rose colored glasses realize that the only thing that the Cardinals are competing for next season is not to be the worst team in the league.
I wear Darksider glasses, so that's all fine :D

Yes, I realize we're going to suck. I can only hope we suck bad enough to get the first pick in the draft. This is not the problem. Knowing we're going to stink, we should still do our best to maximize our down time, so to speak. We aren't. We're spending money on some aging/old players for no purpose. We are purposefully making ourselves worse for no reason with players who are young and should have been part of the long-term solution. While we need to fill out the roster and not burn a lot of cap space doing so, we should at least be trying to get a few players part of our long-term plan. The draft can only fill so many holes, and we know--not fear, but know--that many of those picks won't work out. It's a simple fact of the draft.

Basically, what we're setting ourselves up for is years of suckage, not a year of suckage. Had we retained our young talent, fully cleared out the roster, and signed a few good up-and-comer FAs to long-term deal, they could be developing into solid starter/stars at the same time our young guns are firing, at the same time this year's draft hits are coming into their own, and we could bolster that with FA next year. Instead, we're going to be so bare of talent next offseason, we won't have a freaking prayer of competing in 2024 without burning a big chunk of money in FA. Our actions this offseason will prevent anything else. But, then, the team won't do that, because it's bad strategy, which rose-colored believers in the FO will lap up, and we'll have to keep our powder dry for ANOTHER offseason.

Building solely through the draft while letting your own talent walk without adequately tearing down the team is a recipe for prolonged failure. It's a 4-5 year rebuilding project that never nears completion. It's a few cycles of failure and then a new regime.

I don't mind us sucking this year; I'd like to have at least a chance in 2024.
 

Stout

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I have not seen one post stating this. It's closer to the new FO can't do anything right than they can do know wrong. This board is becoming unreadable. We have no idea what the roster will look like opening day but people want to bitch & moan about things that are months away from training camp even.
lol Right, the requisite "shut up and wait and see" post when we already saw young talent walk and old "talent" be given money and re-signed. But nah, we're not allowed to consider any of that.
 

Stout

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this just isn't hard for anyone to understand.

I think we're just seeing multiple posters who originally put their stake in the ground that this is a tear down situation and just have too much pride to admit they were wrong/didn't understand what the hell they were even talking about.
What I think we're seeing is posters trying their hardest to have faith in a new regime and are willing to ingest the hopium because anything else will mean this regime is getting off to a bad start. I totally get it, too. The thought that they're already stepping on their own schlongs is almost enough to make my stomach gurgle. It stinks. I'm not happy to feel this way. Unfortunately, the rest of us are watching what's happening and reading the writing on the wall. It's not pleasant reading ATM.
 

kerouac9

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In the draft a 2-point loss counts just as much a 13-point loss.

The way we’re running personnel is setting ourselves up for more of the latter than the former for some time.
 

football karma

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this is shaping up to be two years in a row where the team has been pretty passive in free agency, letting more talent go than they brought in

so for an owner that said "this can be a quick turnaround" -- when does it start?
 
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lol Right, the requisite "shut up and wait and see" post when we already saw young talent walk and old "talent" be given money and re-signed. But nah, we're not allowed to consider any of that.
Where did I say shut up & wait & see? I said it's closer to the opposite of what you said. Personally I wanted to keep Murphy & Allen. But Allen wasn't coming back no matter what because he wanted to follow VJ imo.
 

Dr. Jones

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If the FO is really interested in properly clearing the cap and tanking this year with a focus squarely on the future, why is Dennis Gardeck still on the roster? Cutting him would save nearly $3 million on this year's cap, which could be used to absorb more dead cap this year instead of using the June 1st designations on guys like Hudson.

And why would you pay nearly $4 million to a kicker when making FGs is antithetical to the tanking mission?

The only way these moves appear to follow any sort of plan is if you form the "tanking" narrative in retrospect to justify some truly baffling decisions.
This guy gets it. #Bullseye

Also..... regarding the tweet about who has been signed and re-signed...... Why does this feel like the dumbest version of "run it back" in NFL history?
 

slanidrac16

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I have not seen one post stating this. It's closer to the new FO can't do anything right than they can do know wrong. This board is becoming unreadable. We have no idea what the roster will look like opening day but people want to bitch & moan about things that are months away from training camp even.
Exactly. And contracts that are costing 1-2 peanuts. It’s the stupid contracts like Hopkins, Murray and others that are the back breakers.
We want to be and are probably going to be the worse team in the league next year. Not Signing Allen or Murphy opened my eyes to this regimes plans. I’ve accepted it.
 

oaken1

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Exactly. And contracts that are costing 1-2 peanuts. It’s the stupid contracts like Hopkins, Murray and others that are the back breakers.
We want to be and are probably going to be the worse team in the league next year. Not Signing Allen or Murphy opened my eyes to this regimes plans. I’ve accepted it.
Murphy and Allen were gone fast, so its pretty clear there was communication between them and the team as far as plans and expectations.

I think Allen split because he likes the VJ system and thinks he will have a better career in it. Im fine with it mostly because i had his max value at 12mil...15 is too rich for the player he is.


I spent the last 4 years on here defending murphy against all these guys claiming he was JAG and drafted way too high... now many of the same guys are bemoaning we didnt keep him...the barely adequate slot corner we never should have drafted in the second round.
But i have experience with back injuries... depending what issues he has its likely Murphy never plays a complete season again...and will basically be week to week the rest of his career... you just dont give big money to guys who you already know wont give you a full season...a slightly lesser talent that is likely to give you a full season is a better choice....
The only free agent i feel we missed out on was Lazard and that likely has a lot to do with Rodgers.
 

MadCardDisease

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I wear Darksider glasses, so that's all fine :D

Yes, I realize we're going to suck. I can only hope we suck bad enough to get the first pick in the draft. This is not the problem. Knowing we're going to stink, we should still do our best to maximize our down time, so to speak. We aren't. We're spending money on some aging/old players for no purpose. We are purposefully making ourselves worse for no reason with players who are young and should have been part of the long-term solution. While we need to fill out the roster and not burn a lot of cap space doing so, we should at least be trying to get a few players part of our long-term plan. The draft can only fill so many holes, and we know--not fear, but know--that many of those picks won't work out. It's a simple fact of the draft.

Basically, what we're setting ourselves up for is years of suckage, not a year of suckage. Had we retained our young talent, fully cleared out the roster, and signed a few good up-and-comer FAs to long-term deal, they could be developing into solid starter/stars at the same time our young guns are firing, at the same time this year's draft hits are coming into their own, and we could bolster that with FA next year. Instead, we're going to be so bare of talent next offseason, we won't have a freaking prayer of competing in 2024 without burning a big chunk of money in FA. Our actions this offseason will prevent anything else. But, then, the team won't do that, because it's bad strategy, which rose-colored believers in the FO will lap up, and we'll have to keep our powder dry for ANOTHER offseason.

Building solely through the draft while letting your own talent walk without adequately tearing down the team is a recipe for prolonged failure. It's a 4-5 year rebuilding project that never nears completion. It's a few cycles of failure and then a new regime.

I don't mind us sucking this year; I'd like to have at least a chance in 2024.

This isn’t fantasy football though. The Cardinals still have to field a team in 2023. You can’t sell season tickets and not put a team on the field and at least make an attempt to win games.

Those aging players that you referenced I assume are Ertz and Conner. They are already paid for this season as part of the generous contract that Keim gave them. It makes zero sense to move on from them this season. Don’t shoot the messenger. They will be gone next season when it makes sense.

“But MadCard they just re-signed a 30 year old CB in Hamilton.” Yes they did. It’s a one year deal on the cheap to help get the Cards through the 2023 season.

There will be a bunch more contracts like this that will be signed in the coming months as the Cardinals slowly plug holes this season on the cheap. Don’t expect
any big names. It makes no sense to spend big money on expensive FAs this year.

The Cards will draft about 10 players this season. There will UDFA brought in as well. These players are the beginning and the future of the new look Cardinals. How well Monti drafts and identifies talent will be a big part of how long the pain lasts.

Next season the Cards will add 8 more or so players via the 2024 draft. They will also be able to start targeting several key Free Agents. Hopefully by then Kyler will be back to 100%. This is the season where if all goes well the Cards are competitive enough to Compete for a wild card spot.

If in a couple of years only one or two players drafted by Monti are making an impact then the Cards will be in serious trouble.
 

slanidrac16

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This isn’t fantasy football though. The Cardinals still have to field a team in 2023. You can’t sell season tickets and not put a team on the field and at least make an attempt to win games.

Those aging players that you referenced I assume are Ertz and Conner. They are already paid for this season as part of the generous contract that Keim gave them. It makes zero sense to move on from them this season. Don’t shoot the messenger. They will be gone next season when it makes sense.

“But MadCard they just re-signed a 30 year old CB in Hamilton.” Yes they did. It’s a one year deal on the cheap to help get the Cards through the 2023 season.

There will be a bunch more contracts like this that will be signed in the coming months as the Cardinals slowly plug holes this season on the cheap. Don’t expect
any big names. It makes no sense to spend big money on expensive FAs this year.

The Cards will draft about 10 players this season. There will UDFA brought in as well. These players are the beginning and the future of the new look Cardinals. How well Monti drafts and identifies talent will be a big part of how long the pain lasts.

Next season the Cards will add 8 more or so players via the 2024 draft. They will also be able to start targeting several key Free Agents. Hopefully by then Kyler will be back to 100%. This is the season where if all goes well the Cards are competitive enough to Compete for a wild card spot.

If in a couple of years only one or two players drafted by Monti are making an impact then the Cards will be in serious trouble.
We’ve all been through this dozens of the time over the years. I understand the lack of trust and the presumption of doom.
We can only hope these guys can draft and coach.
 

QuebecCard

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If the FO is really interested in properly clearing the cap and tanking this year with a focus squarely on the future, why is Dennis Gardeck still on the roster? Cutting him would save nearly $3 million on this year's cap, which could be used to absorb more dead cap this year instead of using the June 1st designations on guys like Hudson.

And why would you pay nearly $4 million to a kicker when making FGs is antithetical to the tanking mission?

The only way these moves appear to follow any sort of plan is if you form the "tanking" narrative in retrospect to justify some truly baffling decisions.

I'm sure you have quotes from Cards HQ saying that the Cards are 'tanking' this year.
 

Buckybird

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This is inane. Yes, they have this much cap space to work with, but they have 24 total players on the roster next season if you count DHop, Conner, and Ertz. Even if you assume that all of our draft picks stick (and throw in a three more from trades), that's 31 players of 53 you need to fill a football team and 80 to take to training camp.

This is no way to build a railroad. We're following the Bears, Texans, and Lions down a path where no one knows where it leads.
Didn’t we have 25-30 headed into FA this season?
 

Buckybird

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What I think we're seeing is posters trying their hardest to have faith in a new regime and are willing to ingest the hopium because anything else will mean this regime is getting off to a bad start. I totally get it, too. The thought that they're already stepping on their own schlongs is almost enough to make my stomach gurgle. It stinks. I'm not happy to feel this way. Unfortunately, the rest of us are watching what's happening and reading the writing on the wall. It's not pleasant reading ATM.
You said schlongs lol
 
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