Stout
Hold onto the ball, Murray!
I also apologize if it reads a little out of date, but I'm drained on the topic of this article, and really don't want to have to edit it. So, here ya go.
SHOW ME
or
THE OFF-SEASON, PART ONE
by
Brandon Ketchum
As this off-season period approached and NFL free agency loomed, I am sure many posters prepared for a blowup of epic proportions on my part. Because of my attitudes and opinions concerning the Arizona Cardinals front office over the past few years, many might label me negative, a killjoy, or even worse, a ‘darksider’. I prefer to think of myself as a Missourian at heart, because I want nothing more than for the Cardinals to ‘show me’. I want them to show me commitment, determination, and a winning attitude. I want them to show me that they are willing to do what it takes to win. Ultimately, I want them to show me victories. But, as free agency kicked off and it became clear that Rod Graves still would not follow an aggressive management approach, I pondered what it was the Cardinals would have to do in order to show me they could have a successful off-season.
As per usual, I had a specific vision of what I thought the team should do, or at least try to do, in order to take the necessary steps to build next year’s roster. In no particular order, I wanted the team to:
1: Sign Karlos Dansby to a long-term contract. Failing that, I wanted them to place the franchise tag on him and continue to negotiate.
2: Sign Larry Fitzgerald to a contract extension to lessen his cap hit going into free agency.
3: Retain Calvin Pace, even if it cost a significant amount of money.
4: Retain some of our key free agents and restricted free agents.
5: Go after free agent cornerback Asante Samuel.
6: Sign free agent guard Alan Faneca to replace Reggie Wells as a starter at guard.
7: Upgrade at the cornerback, pass-rushing outside linebacker, free safety, running back, guard, blocking tight end, third wide receiver and special teams positions. This could be done either through the acquisition of starters, depth players, or retaining players such as Calvin Pace.
8: Draft without need and without looking to press rookies into service.
9: Upgrade the overall depth of the team.
10: Keep positive momentum heading into the season.
I had compiled, both mentally and through various posts on the Cardinals message board, a dauntingly large laundry-list of off-season tasks that would prove difficult and tricky to accomplish. Some of them would prove impossible, and others would prove out-of-line with Michael Bidwill’s and Rod Graves’ approach. As I prepared for my yearly spree of ranting and raving at what I mostly consider to be a cowardly business approach, I made my yearly vow to try not to explode. For a wonder, I did not. I decided to wait and see what would play out and how Cardinal’s management would perform under trying circumstances. At this point, I want to give an initial evaluation of the first part of the off-season, and I want to relay what the Cardinals have shown me.
The Positives
First, while we have been unable to sign Dansby to a long-term deal, we have heard no rumors of acrimony after placing the franchise tag on him. We minimized Fitzgerald’s cap hit this season and will retain his services for the next four seasons. We solved our starting free safety problem by moving Antrel Rolle over to that position. We gave appropriate tenders to Elton Brown, Antonio Smith, and Eric Green, and they will either eventually sign them or we will be adequately compensated through draft picks. We signed a promising young pass rusher with some upside in Travis Laboy, a veteran punter in Dirk Johnson, and an outstanding mauler of a tight end in Jerame Tuman. Almost as important as any of these, with the recent Fitzgerald deal, the team is moving in a solid, positive direction as the draft approaches next month. We had and still have a number of issues to address on our roster before training camp begins, but we have taken some firmly positive steps forward.
The Negatives
The most glaring negative I have to relate comes in direct contradiction to the elation many feel at this time over the new Larry Fitzgerald contract. While I am thrilled that the deal was finished and that we saved so much cap space, I am less than thrilled at how Rod Graves handled the situation. Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, clearly wanted a 4-year deal. Graves clearly wanted a longer deal. Had it been a simple matter of Graves completely caving to Fitzgerald’s contract demands, I would have been satisfied. What irks me is that Graves caved so late into the free agency period. If he was going to give Fitzgerald exactly what he wanted, he should have done it a lot sooner. Many posters will disagree that this was an important detail because of this year’s undeniably weak free agent pool. I find it such a disappointment because it clearly cost us the opportunity to sign Alan Faneca. Cardinal’s brass may claim that they could have signed a significant free agent even with Fitzgerald’s high cap figure, but in reality it would not have happened without additional roster cuts. I still think the Cardinals should have went ahead and made the necessary sacrifices to bring Faneca into the fold, even knowing the high price of his contract. Two points remain clear as regards Faneca and our starting guard position, though: Faneca was too expensive for management’s taste, and Reggie Wells is regarded far better by coaches than he is by fans. The front office’s lack of desire to shell out the necessary numbers to attain Faneca therefore mitigates the Fitzgerald contract gaffe to a certain extent. I might not like how it was handled, and I might think that Rod Graves looks bad after holding tough and then collapsing in negotiations, but the short Fitzgerald contract fiasco was adequately contained.
Beyond Our Control
I will gladly lump two items into this category that I normally would criticize the organization about. With the reasonable contract Asante Samuel signed, I would normally be brimming with criticism for not chasing after him. It is clear to me, however, that the Philadelphia Eagles broke league tampering rules and had a deal in place with this star cornerback before the start of free agency, giving us no chance to pursue the player. Also, while I did want us to be willing to overpay for Calvin Pace, his contract numbers dwarfed what I expected. We still desperately need to add depth to the position, but the addition of Laboy will help offset Pace’s loss.
To Be Determined...
While I have given a summary of some of the positives and negatives of the off-season, I must emphasize that the off-season is far from over. I was tempted to add a lack of a cornerback, running back, third wide receiver or kicker acquisitions to the negatives column, as well as a lack of defensive line depth, but I reminded myself that we still have time. Players that can help us still remain unsigned, and although I do not like to rely too much upon it for this season, the draft will undoubtedly fill some roster holes. We desperately need depth on the defensive line, with only one backup nose tackle and no backup defensive ends, and we desperately need to add a few cornerbacks to Hood and Green. On the plus side, we might even be able to retain Bryant Johnson as our third receiver, although we should not keep him if the price is too high. Even better, the draft appears to be solid at several of the positions we still need, most notably at running back and cornerback. Thankfully, with a probable intersection of need and talent, our draft should be something to look forward to rather than a date to be dreaded.
So, what have the Cardinals, Michael Bidwill and Rod Graves, shown me thus far in the off-season? Thus far, I must say that though our philosophies remain at polar opposites, we have maintained positive momentum in fulfilling our goals. Although I disagree with the team about Faneca, the front office has stayed the course with their approach, and we have modestly bolstered our roster because of it. The Cardinals have shown that they deserve more time before anyone forms definite conclusions about our off-season moves. I see us heading in the right direction. Now, Mr. Graves, Mr. Bidwill...show me more!
SHOW ME
or
THE OFF-SEASON, PART ONE
by
Brandon Ketchum
As this off-season period approached and NFL free agency loomed, I am sure many posters prepared for a blowup of epic proportions on my part. Because of my attitudes and opinions concerning the Arizona Cardinals front office over the past few years, many might label me negative, a killjoy, or even worse, a ‘darksider’. I prefer to think of myself as a Missourian at heart, because I want nothing more than for the Cardinals to ‘show me’. I want them to show me commitment, determination, and a winning attitude. I want them to show me that they are willing to do what it takes to win. Ultimately, I want them to show me victories. But, as free agency kicked off and it became clear that Rod Graves still would not follow an aggressive management approach, I pondered what it was the Cardinals would have to do in order to show me they could have a successful off-season.
As per usual, I had a specific vision of what I thought the team should do, or at least try to do, in order to take the necessary steps to build next year’s roster. In no particular order, I wanted the team to:
1: Sign Karlos Dansby to a long-term contract. Failing that, I wanted them to place the franchise tag on him and continue to negotiate.
2: Sign Larry Fitzgerald to a contract extension to lessen his cap hit going into free agency.
3: Retain Calvin Pace, even if it cost a significant amount of money.
4: Retain some of our key free agents and restricted free agents.
5: Go after free agent cornerback Asante Samuel.
6: Sign free agent guard Alan Faneca to replace Reggie Wells as a starter at guard.
7: Upgrade at the cornerback, pass-rushing outside linebacker, free safety, running back, guard, blocking tight end, third wide receiver and special teams positions. This could be done either through the acquisition of starters, depth players, or retaining players such as Calvin Pace.
8: Draft without need and without looking to press rookies into service.
9: Upgrade the overall depth of the team.
10: Keep positive momentum heading into the season.
I had compiled, both mentally and through various posts on the Cardinals message board, a dauntingly large laundry-list of off-season tasks that would prove difficult and tricky to accomplish. Some of them would prove impossible, and others would prove out-of-line with Michael Bidwill’s and Rod Graves’ approach. As I prepared for my yearly spree of ranting and raving at what I mostly consider to be a cowardly business approach, I made my yearly vow to try not to explode. For a wonder, I did not. I decided to wait and see what would play out and how Cardinal’s management would perform under trying circumstances. At this point, I want to give an initial evaluation of the first part of the off-season, and I want to relay what the Cardinals have shown me.
The Positives
First, while we have been unable to sign Dansby to a long-term deal, we have heard no rumors of acrimony after placing the franchise tag on him. We minimized Fitzgerald’s cap hit this season and will retain his services for the next four seasons. We solved our starting free safety problem by moving Antrel Rolle over to that position. We gave appropriate tenders to Elton Brown, Antonio Smith, and Eric Green, and they will either eventually sign them or we will be adequately compensated through draft picks. We signed a promising young pass rusher with some upside in Travis Laboy, a veteran punter in Dirk Johnson, and an outstanding mauler of a tight end in Jerame Tuman. Almost as important as any of these, with the recent Fitzgerald deal, the team is moving in a solid, positive direction as the draft approaches next month. We had and still have a number of issues to address on our roster before training camp begins, but we have taken some firmly positive steps forward.
The Negatives
The most glaring negative I have to relate comes in direct contradiction to the elation many feel at this time over the new Larry Fitzgerald contract. While I am thrilled that the deal was finished and that we saved so much cap space, I am less than thrilled at how Rod Graves handled the situation. Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, clearly wanted a 4-year deal. Graves clearly wanted a longer deal. Had it been a simple matter of Graves completely caving to Fitzgerald’s contract demands, I would have been satisfied. What irks me is that Graves caved so late into the free agency period. If he was going to give Fitzgerald exactly what he wanted, he should have done it a lot sooner. Many posters will disagree that this was an important detail because of this year’s undeniably weak free agent pool. I find it such a disappointment because it clearly cost us the opportunity to sign Alan Faneca. Cardinal’s brass may claim that they could have signed a significant free agent even with Fitzgerald’s high cap figure, but in reality it would not have happened without additional roster cuts. I still think the Cardinals should have went ahead and made the necessary sacrifices to bring Faneca into the fold, even knowing the high price of his contract. Two points remain clear as regards Faneca and our starting guard position, though: Faneca was too expensive for management’s taste, and Reggie Wells is regarded far better by coaches than he is by fans. The front office’s lack of desire to shell out the necessary numbers to attain Faneca therefore mitigates the Fitzgerald contract gaffe to a certain extent. I might not like how it was handled, and I might think that Rod Graves looks bad after holding tough and then collapsing in negotiations, but the short Fitzgerald contract fiasco was adequately contained.
Beyond Our Control
I will gladly lump two items into this category that I normally would criticize the organization about. With the reasonable contract Asante Samuel signed, I would normally be brimming with criticism for not chasing after him. It is clear to me, however, that the Philadelphia Eagles broke league tampering rules and had a deal in place with this star cornerback before the start of free agency, giving us no chance to pursue the player. Also, while I did want us to be willing to overpay for Calvin Pace, his contract numbers dwarfed what I expected. We still desperately need to add depth to the position, but the addition of Laboy will help offset Pace’s loss.
To Be Determined...
While I have given a summary of some of the positives and negatives of the off-season, I must emphasize that the off-season is far from over. I was tempted to add a lack of a cornerback, running back, third wide receiver or kicker acquisitions to the negatives column, as well as a lack of defensive line depth, but I reminded myself that we still have time. Players that can help us still remain unsigned, and although I do not like to rely too much upon it for this season, the draft will undoubtedly fill some roster holes. We desperately need depth on the defensive line, with only one backup nose tackle and no backup defensive ends, and we desperately need to add a few cornerbacks to Hood and Green. On the plus side, we might even be able to retain Bryant Johnson as our third receiver, although we should not keep him if the price is too high. Even better, the draft appears to be solid at several of the positions we still need, most notably at running back and cornerback. Thankfully, with a probable intersection of need and talent, our draft should be something to look forward to rather than a date to be dreaded.
So, what have the Cardinals, Michael Bidwill and Rod Graves, shown me thus far in the off-season? Thus far, I must say that though our philosophies remain at polar opposites, we have maintained positive momentum in fulfilling our goals. Although I disagree with the team about Faneca, the front office has stayed the course with their approach, and we have modestly bolstered our roster because of it. The Cardinals have shown that they deserve more time before anyone forms definite conclusions about our off-season moves. I see us heading in the right direction. Now, Mr. Graves, Mr. Bidwill...show me more!
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