Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
BA & SK are pretty straightforward when they talk at the Combine. It's interesting...BA just said that he doesn't see any glaring needs except the need to "get younger" at CB, S, OLB and possibly at QB. So. listening to what BA & SK had to say the last couple of days here are the vibes I'm getting:
QB:
* They are very high on Carson Palmer.
* BA wants Drew Stanton back.
* BA said they are not sure about Matt Barkley because they haven't seen enough of him.
* BA and SK have both indicated that if they see a QB they like in this draft at a particular spot, they will strongly consider taking him. BA said he would like to have a young QB in the mix.
RB:
* They are very high on David Johnson as the bell cow RB.
* They would like to sign Chris Johnson.
* They are frustrated with Andre Ellington
* They are concerned about having backup RBs who do not play on STs.
WR:
* They are not sure whether Larry Fitzgerald will want to play beyond this season, but feel that if he doesn't get a ring this year, it could motivate him to play another year or two.
* They like the progress Michael Floyd had made and would like to address his contract situation, but nothing is imminent.
* They are delighted to have two speed WRs in John Smokey Brown and J.J. Nelson.
* They feel that because of Fitz and Floyd being on the last years of their contracts that they may take a WR in the draft.
TE:
* They like the progress Darren Fells has been making.
* They think that youth and injuries have slowed Troy Niklas' assimilation into the NFL.
* BA was high on Gerald Christian before he was injured last year.
* Have yet to hear any buzz about whether they want Jermaine Gresham back.
T:
* They remain very high on LT Jared Veldheer.
* They feel that the red-shirt year for D.J. Humphries has him on track to start at RT.
* They feel that Bobby Massie is going to get a good contract elsewhere.
* BA said that he likes the young o-linementn they had on the practice squad. The two tackles were LT Rob Crisp and RT John Wetzel.
* Haven't heard them say much about T Earl Watford, has anyone? I would assume that in light of how solid he was to start the year that he is very prominent in their plans. Just the same i get the vibe that they would like to add another versatile o-lineman who can challenge for playing time at RG and/or RT. I think they will try to add that player in FA.
* While they haven't said much about Bradley Sowell, I think it is very likely that they will re-sign him. I know this will frustrate and even infuriate some of you---but with Sowell, I get the impression that he's one of BA's pet players---for example, at the resort in West Virginia, when BA and a couple of the coaches met Arnold Palmer, what player was there with the coaches? Bradley Sowell. And I think there's a chance that Sowell sticks on this year's roster as a backup at RT because, if need be, D.J. Humphries can be flipped over to LT.
G:
* They are very high on Mike Iupati at LG.
* They appear to be set on Jonathan Cooper being the starter at RG, but whenever they talk about Cooper they issue caveats. Thus, my hunch is that if they can agree to a cap friendly deal with Michael Harris (MIN), Richie Incognito (BUF), Jahri Evans (NO) or Ramon Foster (PIT), Alex Boone (SF) or Evan Mathis (DEN), they may wind up putting Cooper on the trading block (not sure if there would be a lot of interest---maybe in a trade at the end of TC?
* They have always liked Ted Larsen's versatility and thus it would not be a total surprise if they re-sign him to a deal just above the veteran minimum.
C:
* They appear to be ready to move on from Lyle Sendlein.
* BA said that they will address the position in FA or the draft.
* Haven't heard them say much about A.Q. Shipley, which could mean that he may be squarely on the bubble.
Hunches:
* They will re-sign Drew Stanton and they will draft a QB, which would mean that barring injury, Matt Barkley will be the odd man out.
* They will sign RB Chris Johnson and will draft a RB to challenge Ellington and Taylor, especially a RB who can play STs and perhaps be of value in short yardage situations.
* They will address the punt returner situation in FA via a "prove it deal" with possibly WR Percy Harvin, WR Devin Hester or CB Adam Pacman Jones) or in the draft with possibly WR Braxton Miller (Ohio St.), CB Cyrus Jones (Alabama)
Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech
DeAndre Reaves, Marshall
Bralon Addison, Oregon
Chris Moore, Cincinnati
Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Paul McRoberts, Southeast Missouri State
Morgan Burns, Kansas State
* If they don't re-sign Jermaine Gresham, they will sign a FA TE, possibly one of the two Indy boys, Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener...or hope to sign a prove it deal with a player like Mercedes Lewis.
* They will sign a FA guard, possibly one of the several previously mentioned.
* They will try to sign a FA center: Stefen Wisniewski (JAX), Ben Jones (HOU) or Gino Gradkowski (ATL), but no matter what, they will draft a young center:
35 Ryan Kelly, Alabama (6-4, 311, 1-2)
65 Nick Martin, Notre Dame (6-4, 299, 2-3)
106 Jack Allen C, Michigan State (6-1, 294, 3-4)
147 Max Tuerk, Southern California (6-5, 298, 4-5)
158 Evan Boehm, Missouri (6-2, 309, 5)
236 Austin Blythe, Iowa, (6-2, 291, 6-7)
264 Mike Matthews, Texas A&M (6-2, 294, 7-FA*)
NT:
* Corey Peters was signed to fill that role and he injured his Achilles. Haven't heard much about his progress and BA&SK aren't saying much---except that BA was adamant when he said that last year's starter Rodney Gunter is a more natural fit at DE.
* Xavier Williams provides some solid depth.
DE:
* From what BA said about moving Gunter to DE, it would allow Frostee Rucker to go back to his role at first man in the DE rotation.
* The team is waiting for Calais Campbell to hire his new agent so that they can agree on a new deal that would lower Campbell's $15M 2016 cap figure. It should be interesting to see what develops with Campbell if Steve Keim draws a hard line in the sand with him. While Campbell earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl, his play in the playoffs and at other times during the season was a disappointment and teams cannot afford inconsistent performances from the players it pays the most money to.
* For now it appears that Steve Keim is intent on bringing Cory Redding back at $4M. The coaches love his leadership in the locker room, and Redding did have a couple of big highlight plays, but overall he looked out of shape and at age 35 and a $4m cap figure, it's hard to justify keeping him after he posted a paltry 5 tackles and 0 sacks in 2015.
* Josh Mauro played early and often in games and recorded 16 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 1 sack.
* Ed Stinson showed some flashes toward the end of the season, but he doesn't appear to be the kind of penetrator the team needs ever since it let go of Darnell Dockett. With a draft that is deep on 34DEs and DTs, some of whom thrive on penetration, it is very likely that Steve Keim will add an interior defensive lineman early in the draft.
OLB:
* BA&SK rave about the new starter at LOLB Markus Golden. BA calls him a 10+ sack guy.
* BA said a couple of days ago that he feels Alex Okafor can also be a 10+ sack guy if he can stay healthy and motivated.
* BA said the "we'll see" if they will be able to bring Dwight Freeney back.
* BA offered high hopes for Shaq Riddick, whom he said was nagged and slowed by hamstring injuries from the get-go last season. BA loves his length and athleticism off the edge.
* BA also expressed high hopes for newly signed CFL star Tristan Okpalaugo.
ILB:
* BA put all speculation to rest when he avowed that Deone Bucannon will remain the starter at WILB. BA loves his speed, tackling ferocity and pass coverage versatility at that position.
* All indications are that the coaches are pleased with Kevin Minter's progress. Keeping him focused on his role as a 2 down ILB is key.
* I have heard BA rave about the prospects of Alani Fua and Gabe Martin, as well as touting Kenny Demens' production on STs.
CB:
* They are elated with the season Patrick Peterson turned in.
* BA maintains that Justin Bethel possesses elite physical CB attributes---that he just needs time to hone his skills.
* It is no secret that BA loves Jerraud Powers and would be very happy to have him back if both side can agree on the money.
* BA and SK both mentioned that they intend on drafting a young CB, one preferably with good length and speed.
S:
* Tony Jefferson is now considered a core player and Steve Keim would like to sign him long-term.
* The intent is to start Tyrann Mathieu at FS, but they would also like to draft a young safety with centerfield range. Keeping Mathieu at safety would save them over $3M if they have to place the f-tag on him next year, as the average safety figure is $10M, while the CB figure is over $13M.
* It appears they are very keen on keeping D.J. Swearinger.
* Steve Keim indicated that they would like to have Rashad Johnson back and that he, like Jerraud Powers will receive "line in the sand" offers.
Hunches:
* I think they would like to bring DT Red Bryant back to fill the role of middle run stuffer when need be.
* It would surprise me if they move on from Corey Peters and add a more conventional NT in FA or the draft. They aren't saying much about Peters, which may be a tipping of their hand.
* While I don't see Keim overpaying for a FA like Malik Jackson, I do see him pouncing on one of the top interior defensive linemen early in the draft.
* I know most of you disagree, but I think that if Calais Campbell's new agent tries to play hard ball with Keim, that Keim will attempt to trade him. There is no way Keim is going to pay Campbell $15M this season.
* It will be interesting to see if Keim makes a run at WOLB Olivier Vernon, who would be a nifty and precise for for the Cardinals. It appears that the Dolphins are going to f-tag him with the purpose of trading him---thus, I could see Keim offering the 1st round pick plus a player or a 2017 pick.
* If the Cardinals do not address the CB situation in FA, what this says is that they intend to take a CB with one of their first three picks. Could Keim go with a CB at #29? It would depend on whether the defensive linemen they like are off the board. If so, I could see Keim taking a CB or a S at #29...and possibly moving down some spots to do so as he did with Deone Bucannon. The players to watch here are CB Mackensie Alexander of Clemson and Su'a Cravens of USC. Keim wants to get faster and more explosive in the secondary.
Your thoughts?
QB:
* They are very high on Carson Palmer.
* BA wants Drew Stanton back.
* BA said they are not sure about Matt Barkley because they haven't seen enough of him.
* BA and SK have both indicated that if they see a QB they like in this draft at a particular spot, they will strongly consider taking him. BA said he would like to have a young QB in the mix.
RB:
* They are very high on David Johnson as the bell cow RB.
* They would like to sign Chris Johnson.
* They are frustrated with Andre Ellington
* They are concerned about having backup RBs who do not play on STs.
WR:
* They are not sure whether Larry Fitzgerald will want to play beyond this season, but feel that if he doesn't get a ring this year, it could motivate him to play another year or two.
* They like the progress Michael Floyd had made and would like to address his contract situation, but nothing is imminent.
* They are delighted to have two speed WRs in John Smokey Brown and J.J. Nelson.
* They feel that because of Fitz and Floyd being on the last years of their contracts that they may take a WR in the draft.
TE:
* They like the progress Darren Fells has been making.
* They think that youth and injuries have slowed Troy Niklas' assimilation into the NFL.
* BA was high on Gerald Christian before he was injured last year.
* Have yet to hear any buzz about whether they want Jermaine Gresham back.
T:
* They remain very high on LT Jared Veldheer.
* They feel that the red-shirt year for D.J. Humphries has him on track to start at RT.
* They feel that Bobby Massie is going to get a good contract elsewhere.
* BA said that he likes the young o-linementn they had on the practice squad. The two tackles were LT Rob Crisp and RT John Wetzel.
* Haven't heard them say much about T Earl Watford, has anyone? I would assume that in light of how solid he was to start the year that he is very prominent in their plans. Just the same i get the vibe that they would like to add another versatile o-lineman who can challenge for playing time at RG and/or RT. I think they will try to add that player in FA.
* While they haven't said much about Bradley Sowell, I think it is very likely that they will re-sign him. I know this will frustrate and even infuriate some of you---but with Sowell, I get the impression that he's one of BA's pet players---for example, at the resort in West Virginia, when BA and a couple of the coaches met Arnold Palmer, what player was there with the coaches? Bradley Sowell. And I think there's a chance that Sowell sticks on this year's roster as a backup at RT because, if need be, D.J. Humphries can be flipped over to LT.
G:
* They are very high on Mike Iupati at LG.
* They appear to be set on Jonathan Cooper being the starter at RG, but whenever they talk about Cooper they issue caveats. Thus, my hunch is that if they can agree to a cap friendly deal with Michael Harris (MIN), Richie Incognito (BUF), Jahri Evans (NO) or Ramon Foster (PIT), Alex Boone (SF) or Evan Mathis (DEN), they may wind up putting Cooper on the trading block (not sure if there would be a lot of interest---maybe in a trade at the end of TC?
* They have always liked Ted Larsen's versatility and thus it would not be a total surprise if they re-sign him to a deal just above the veteran minimum.
C:
* They appear to be ready to move on from Lyle Sendlein.
* BA said that they will address the position in FA or the draft.
* Haven't heard them say much about A.Q. Shipley, which could mean that he may be squarely on the bubble.
Hunches:
* They will re-sign Drew Stanton and they will draft a QB, which would mean that barring injury, Matt Barkley will be the odd man out.
* They will sign RB Chris Johnson and will draft a RB to challenge Ellington and Taylor, especially a RB who can play STs and perhaps be of value in short yardage situations.
* They will address the punt returner situation in FA via a "prove it deal" with possibly WR Percy Harvin, WR Devin Hester or CB Adam Pacman Jones) or in the draft with possibly WR Braxton Miller (Ohio St.), CB Cyrus Jones (Alabama)
Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech
DeAndre Reaves, Marshall
Bralon Addison, Oregon
Chris Moore, Cincinnati
Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Paul McRoberts, Southeast Missouri State
Morgan Burns, Kansas State
* If they don't re-sign Jermaine Gresham, they will sign a FA TE, possibly one of the two Indy boys, Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener...or hope to sign a prove it deal with a player like Mercedes Lewis.
* They will sign a FA guard, possibly one of the several previously mentioned.
* They will try to sign a FA center: Stefen Wisniewski (JAX), Ben Jones (HOU) or Gino Gradkowski (ATL), but no matter what, they will draft a young center:
35 Ryan Kelly, Alabama (6-4, 311, 1-2)
65 Nick Martin, Notre Dame (6-4, 299, 2-3)
106 Jack Allen C, Michigan State (6-1, 294, 3-4)
147 Max Tuerk, Southern California (6-5, 298, 4-5)
158 Evan Boehm, Missouri (6-2, 309, 5)
236 Austin Blythe, Iowa, (6-2, 291, 6-7)
264 Mike Matthews, Texas A&M (6-2, 294, 7-FA*)
NT:
* Corey Peters was signed to fill that role and he injured his Achilles. Haven't heard much about his progress and BA&SK aren't saying much---except that BA was adamant when he said that last year's starter Rodney Gunter is a more natural fit at DE.
* Xavier Williams provides some solid depth.
DE:
* From what BA said about moving Gunter to DE, it would allow Frostee Rucker to go back to his role at first man in the DE rotation.
* The team is waiting for Calais Campbell to hire his new agent so that they can agree on a new deal that would lower Campbell's $15M 2016 cap figure. It should be interesting to see what develops with Campbell if Steve Keim draws a hard line in the sand with him. While Campbell earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl, his play in the playoffs and at other times during the season was a disappointment and teams cannot afford inconsistent performances from the players it pays the most money to.
* For now it appears that Steve Keim is intent on bringing Cory Redding back at $4M. The coaches love his leadership in the locker room, and Redding did have a couple of big highlight plays, but overall he looked out of shape and at age 35 and a $4m cap figure, it's hard to justify keeping him after he posted a paltry 5 tackles and 0 sacks in 2015.
* Josh Mauro played early and often in games and recorded 16 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 1 sack.
* Ed Stinson showed some flashes toward the end of the season, but he doesn't appear to be the kind of penetrator the team needs ever since it let go of Darnell Dockett. With a draft that is deep on 34DEs and DTs, some of whom thrive on penetration, it is very likely that Steve Keim will add an interior defensive lineman early in the draft.
OLB:
* BA&SK rave about the new starter at LOLB Markus Golden. BA calls him a 10+ sack guy.
* BA said a couple of days ago that he feels Alex Okafor can also be a 10+ sack guy if he can stay healthy and motivated.
* BA said the "we'll see" if they will be able to bring Dwight Freeney back.
* BA offered high hopes for Shaq Riddick, whom he said was nagged and slowed by hamstring injuries from the get-go last season. BA loves his length and athleticism off the edge.
* BA also expressed high hopes for newly signed CFL star Tristan Okpalaugo.
ILB:
* BA put all speculation to rest when he avowed that Deone Bucannon will remain the starter at WILB. BA loves his speed, tackling ferocity and pass coverage versatility at that position.
* All indications are that the coaches are pleased with Kevin Minter's progress. Keeping him focused on his role as a 2 down ILB is key.
* I have heard BA rave about the prospects of Alani Fua and Gabe Martin, as well as touting Kenny Demens' production on STs.
CB:
* They are elated with the season Patrick Peterson turned in.
* BA maintains that Justin Bethel possesses elite physical CB attributes---that he just needs time to hone his skills.
* It is no secret that BA loves Jerraud Powers and would be very happy to have him back if both side can agree on the money.
* BA and SK both mentioned that they intend on drafting a young CB, one preferably with good length and speed.
S:
* Tony Jefferson is now considered a core player and Steve Keim would like to sign him long-term.
* The intent is to start Tyrann Mathieu at FS, but they would also like to draft a young safety with centerfield range. Keeping Mathieu at safety would save them over $3M if they have to place the f-tag on him next year, as the average safety figure is $10M, while the CB figure is over $13M.
* It appears they are very keen on keeping D.J. Swearinger.
* Steve Keim indicated that they would like to have Rashad Johnson back and that he, like Jerraud Powers will receive "line in the sand" offers.
Hunches:
* I think they would like to bring DT Red Bryant back to fill the role of middle run stuffer when need be.
* It would surprise me if they move on from Corey Peters and add a more conventional NT in FA or the draft. They aren't saying much about Peters, which may be a tipping of their hand.
* While I don't see Keim overpaying for a FA like Malik Jackson, I do see him pouncing on one of the top interior defensive linemen early in the draft.
* I know most of you disagree, but I think that if Calais Campbell's new agent tries to play hard ball with Keim, that Keim will attempt to trade him. There is no way Keim is going to pay Campbell $15M this season.
* It will be interesting to see if Keim makes a run at WOLB Olivier Vernon, who would be a nifty and precise for for the Cardinals. It appears that the Dolphins are going to f-tag him with the purpose of trading him---thus, I could see Keim offering the 1st round pick plus a player or a 2017 pick.
* If the Cardinals do not address the CB situation in FA, what this says is that they intend to take a CB with one of their first three picks. Could Keim go with a CB at #29? It would depend on whether the defensive linemen they like are off the board. If so, I could see Keim taking a CB or a S at #29...and possibly moving down some spots to do so as he did with Deone Bucannon. The players to watch here are CB Mackensie Alexander of Clemson and Su'a Cravens of USC. Keim wants to get faster and more explosive in the secondary.
Your thoughts?
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I personally think Barkley could perform as well as Stanton anyway & is mucho cheaper. 
