I scanned quickly and didn't see this posted. I admit I was on the ditch McCown bandwagon but now I'm just not sure. I mean the man won games for us this year. Behind a piece meal OL. He is versitile (sp) and knows the offense. Why NOT dump Navarre and just upgrade the OL? Improve the running game and QB protection and have experience waiting if KW goes down. We can still draft a QB to develope under KW. And keep experience on the bench just in case.
This guy slaps the franchise around again but I thinke he makes a few good points.
and it's football talk not owner/union football talk.
Arizona Cardinals
New digs
Cardinals Stadium is slated to open for business on August 1st. You can take a 3-D tour of the state-of-the-art complex here.
Yes, playing Cardinals games in a palace is like serving cream chipped beef on Wedgwood china. But give the Bidwill family props for pulling out all the stops in their latest effort to revitalize (okay, vitalize) Cardinals football. "We wanted to set a new standard for design excellence for stadiums," Michael Bidwill told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "We wanted fresh ideas. We didn't want the 2006 version of whatever the sports architects wanted to throw out. We wanted something that would completely reset the rules."
The architects delivered, creating a facility with 88 luxury "lofts" (don't call them "boxes"), air conditioning, a retractable roof, and most intriguingly, a retractable grass playing field that slides into the stadium (in Bidwill's words) "like a cake pan into the oven".
All the retraction could help the Cardinals competitively. The architects stopped just short of equipping Kurt Warner with a retractable thumb, but a sliding field could put an end to the team's red zone woes (the Cardinals' red zone DVOA of -101.2 percent was the worst in the league by a huge margin). You say a drive stalled at the 15-yard line? No problem: just push a button, and the field can retract until the Cardinals are at the one. The players just have to slide around like that dude from Jamiroquai.
The final T-crossing and I-dotting for Cardinals Stadium occurred last week, as the team reached an agreement with Fiesta Bowl officials on how to divvy up luxury lofts for the big bowl game. The 73,000-seat venue is the home of Super Bowl XLII. And maybe it will be the home of some exciting Cardinals games as well.
Free agency preview
Here's a foolproof plan for getting the Cardinals into the playoffs in 2006.
With about $20 million in cap space to burn and a new stadium to fill, the Cardinals must go shopping. Denny Green can turn things around quickly if he can protect Kurt Warner, run the football, and make the Cardinals better in the red zone. He can accomplish all three goals by upgrading the offensive line. Green has hinted several times in the past month that improving the line is the team's top priority.
The Cardinals do have some talent up front. Leonard Davis isn't an elite left tackle, but he's adequate. Alex Stepanovich missed all of last season with a hand injury but showed promise in 2004; he could return at center or play either guard position. Guard Elton Brown started to come around late in the year. Reggie Wells may be given a chance to win the starting center job. But there are weak links, notably at right tackle, where Oliver Ross was a disappointment last year before getting hurt.
It shouldn't be too hard to replace Ross. Jon Runyan may be getting old, but he's a tough competitor who is rarely hurt. He would instantly upgrade the running game. If the Patriots let Tom Ashworth go, then the Cardinals can sign a more traditional pass blocker who can play either tackle position.
The Cardinals are willing to stick with J.J. Arrington at running back. (Elsa / Getty Images)
Green has made it clear that the Cardinals won't break the bank for Shaun Alexander or Edgerrin James, and he hasn't given up on J.J. Arrington, who showed signs of life in the second half of last season after gaining 27 yards on 20 carries in his first three games. Green's instincts are right on the money; the top running backs would probably shop a Cardinals contract offer instead of seriously considering it. Still, Arrington needs help. Najeh Davenport would be a cheaper alternative to Alexander or Edge; he would be the bruiser, Arrington the speedster, with Marcel Shipp picking up odds and ends. One rumor has the Cardinals pursuing Maurice Morris, but how many third-down backs does one team need?
The Cardinals' defense isn't great, but it should get better this year as youngsters Eric Green and Antrell Rolle develop at cornerback. Ahmed Plummer's name has surfaced in conjunction with the Cardinals, and he would provide some veteran stability in the secondary.
And what about Josh McCown, who appears to be in limbo now that Warner has signed? The Cardinals should keep him, ditch John Navarre, and forget about Vince Young or Jay Cutler. This team spends too much time on the developmental merry-go-round at that position. But Green likes Navarre, appears lukewarm toward McCown, and has stated that the team will either sign or draft a quarterback.
This guy slaps the franchise around again but I thinke he makes a few good points.
and it's football talk not owner/union football talk.
Arizona Cardinals
New digs
Cardinals Stadium is slated to open for business on August 1st. You can take a 3-D tour of the state-of-the-art complex here.
Yes, playing Cardinals games in a palace is like serving cream chipped beef on Wedgwood china. But give the Bidwill family props for pulling out all the stops in their latest effort to revitalize (okay, vitalize) Cardinals football. "We wanted to set a new standard for design excellence for stadiums," Michael Bidwill told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "We wanted fresh ideas. We didn't want the 2006 version of whatever the sports architects wanted to throw out. We wanted something that would completely reset the rules."
The architects delivered, creating a facility with 88 luxury "lofts" (don't call them "boxes"), air conditioning, a retractable roof, and most intriguingly, a retractable grass playing field that slides into the stadium (in Bidwill's words) "like a cake pan into the oven".
All the retraction could help the Cardinals competitively. The architects stopped just short of equipping Kurt Warner with a retractable thumb, but a sliding field could put an end to the team's red zone woes (the Cardinals' red zone DVOA of -101.2 percent was the worst in the league by a huge margin). You say a drive stalled at the 15-yard line? No problem: just push a button, and the field can retract until the Cardinals are at the one. The players just have to slide around like that dude from Jamiroquai.
The final T-crossing and I-dotting for Cardinals Stadium occurred last week, as the team reached an agreement with Fiesta Bowl officials on how to divvy up luxury lofts for the big bowl game. The 73,000-seat venue is the home of Super Bowl XLII. And maybe it will be the home of some exciting Cardinals games as well.
Free agency preview
Here's a foolproof plan for getting the Cardinals into the playoffs in 2006.
With about $20 million in cap space to burn and a new stadium to fill, the Cardinals must go shopping. Denny Green can turn things around quickly if he can protect Kurt Warner, run the football, and make the Cardinals better in the red zone. He can accomplish all three goals by upgrading the offensive line. Green has hinted several times in the past month that improving the line is the team's top priority.
The Cardinals do have some talent up front. Leonard Davis isn't an elite left tackle, but he's adequate. Alex Stepanovich missed all of last season with a hand injury but showed promise in 2004; he could return at center or play either guard position. Guard Elton Brown started to come around late in the year. Reggie Wells may be given a chance to win the starting center job. But there are weak links, notably at right tackle, where Oliver Ross was a disappointment last year before getting hurt.
It shouldn't be too hard to replace Ross. Jon Runyan may be getting old, but he's a tough competitor who is rarely hurt. He would instantly upgrade the running game. If the Patriots let Tom Ashworth go, then the Cardinals can sign a more traditional pass blocker who can play either tackle position.
The Cardinals are willing to stick with J.J. Arrington at running back. (Elsa / Getty Images)
Green has made it clear that the Cardinals won't break the bank for Shaun Alexander or Edgerrin James, and he hasn't given up on J.J. Arrington, who showed signs of life in the second half of last season after gaining 27 yards on 20 carries in his first three games. Green's instincts are right on the money; the top running backs would probably shop a Cardinals contract offer instead of seriously considering it. Still, Arrington needs help. Najeh Davenport would be a cheaper alternative to Alexander or Edge; he would be the bruiser, Arrington the speedster, with Marcel Shipp picking up odds and ends. One rumor has the Cardinals pursuing Maurice Morris, but how many third-down backs does one team need?
The Cardinals' defense isn't great, but it should get better this year as youngsters Eric Green and Antrell Rolle develop at cornerback. Ahmed Plummer's name has surfaced in conjunction with the Cardinals, and he would provide some veteran stability in the secondary.
And what about Josh McCown, who appears to be in limbo now that Warner has signed? The Cardinals should keep him, ditch John Navarre, and forget about Vince Young or Jay Cutler. This team spends too much time on the developmental merry-go-round at that position. But Green likes Navarre, appears lukewarm toward McCown, and has stated that the team will either sign or draft a quarterback.
