Head on over to Butthegameison.com to read my Arizona Cardinals Season Preview I wrote for them. It is long, but I think it is pretty solid. Thanks to Mark for letting me post over there.
Check out more of his blog too, its pretty cool.
The Cardinals new fullback, Reagan Maui’a, runs through walls . . . literally
and instead of breaking the wall you bounced off it and passed out
Just popping in real quick to share a few links with y’all.
From ESPN.com, they have a pretty cool College Football Mock Draft going. They basically pick the top 40 football teams in the nation and assign them to ten different conferences. Pat Forde explains it a lot better than I do. I like it because ASU gets picked with the very last pick, 40th overall. Overall, five Pac-10 teams got drafted. That makes me feel good too.
IGN.com also did their NFL season preview using Madden’s engine. How did the Cardinals do? They finished in first place in the NFC West with a 12-4 record, which was the fourth best record in the league. The Steelers went 15-1 and the Packers win the NFC North with a 7-9 record.
The Cardinals host the Falcons again in the first round of the playoffs but lose on an overtime FG. The Patriots end up defeating the Saints in the Super Bowl, 21-14.
ESPN’s first NFL power rankings are out, it looks like the Cardinals can expect another year of the national media hating them. The defending NFC champions aren’t even in the top 10 (they are 12th). ESPN was never kind to the Cardinals last year, often having them middle of the pack even when they were 7-3 at one point. Actually, it is probably a good thing the national media is going to disrespect the Cardinals again, it is a great motivator and that helped get them to the Super Bowl in the first place. I feel much more comfortable with no one believing in the Cardinals than everyone singing their praises.
I understand it is hard for the national media to wrap their heads around the Cardinals being good, but they need to get over it. Them being ranked 12th is ludicrous. Open your eyes, guys. Just because the team doesn’t hail from a major media market or have a star logo on their helmet doesn’t mean they have no chance.
The media got sick of the Cardinals playing the “no one respected us” card last year, but if no one is going to ever respect them might as well keep playing it, right?
At least Mike Sando’s got our back.
Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com rated us 5th today and said “Fall off after the Super Bowl? Not a chance. The Cardinals are built to win for a while, or as long as Kurt Warner stays on the field.”
Of Obi Wan Kenobi could perform at this age, Kurt Warner should be just fine
You know what I always found interesting about the first Star Wars movie? The complete act of desperation on behalf of the Rebel Alliance right as the movie starts. Princess Leia, in a final attempt to avoid the capture of the secret Death Star plans, enlists the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi. As her hologram, projected by R2-D2 of course, states, “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.” Really? An old hermit living in obscurity in the desert that hasn’t been relevant in the galactic scene in over 20 years is your only hope? This is who you are basing your entire rebellion on? Obviously, it worked, but initially the idea is crazy.
What the hell does this have to do with anything? Well, on the Arizona sports scene the Cardinals are our only hope. A franchise that has had two winning seasons in 21 years is Arizona’s only hope to produce a winning professional team in 2009. This isn’t as far fetched as it would have been in, say, 2008 because the team is coming off a Super Bowl appearance but it is still hard to fathom. The Cardinals are all we have in 2009. The Suns and D-Backs both let us down and the Coyotes almost moved.
For 2009 the Cards are all we got, but I believe they will succeed where most others have failed. I feel I should elaborate on this statement, so here is a super brief season preview:
The Cardinals lost both their coordinators in the off-season. Clancy Pendergast was fired and Todd Haley left to become head coach in Kansas City. I am unsure how much Pendergast will be missed, Ken Whisenhunt never really wanted him here. Haley is a tough loss, his play calling was great last year. He, along with Whis, wasn’t afraid to take chances and go for the home-run. Haley’s creativity and fire on the sidelines will be missed.
I have faith the coaching staff will be just fine because of Whis. He has proven to be one of the better head coaches in this league and has earned the benefit of the doubt from all Cardinals fans. He is the best head coach Arizona has ever had, he can walk away today and he would already have done enough to prove himself forever in the eyes of Cardinals fans. Forget his Super Bowl appearance, Ken Whisenhunt has NEVER had a losing season as head coach of this team. That trend will continue in 2009.
The Cardinals’ offense is full of play-makers. Kurt Warner has managed to rejuvenate his career and should be efficient for the next two years. Perhaps he can’t avoid injury in 2009 like he did in 2008, but the Cardinals will survive if he misses a few games. If he misses a prolonged period of time they will be in trouble, even though I have more confidence in Matt Leinart than most. Obviously, the receivers are good and deep. Anquan Boldin is always going to play hard even if he is squabbling publicly about his contract. Larry Fitzgerald has elevated himself from one of the best receivers in the league to one of the best receivers of all-time. He is a god, I pray to him. Steve Breaston, Early Doucett and Jerhame Urban are solid receivers in their own rights. The offensive line is better than it has been in a while. They may have trouble run blocking but they can protect the QB as well as anyone in the league. If Beanie Wells lives up to his promise and brings a physical and speedy option in the backfield I am unsure if there will be a better offense in the NFL this year.
Considering that this offense will be very good if Beanie is a bust and great if he gives them anything, I think this unit is pretty promising going into 2009.
We are lucky in Arizona because the Cardinals’ defense is as exciting as their offense. They are not as good as their offensive counterpart and they will occasionally suffer a bad performance, but the unit is chalked full of play-makers. It starts with Darnell Dockett, who was almost unblockable in the Super Bowl. Dockett has excelled at the end in the 3-4 defense this team plays and is a fantastic pass rusher. Karlos Dansby gives this team an athletic linebacker that is going to command big money on the open market in 2010. Dansby is going to have a big year because he is in his contract year, which means he is probably going to bring it every single game (something he hasn’t always done). Dockett and Dansby are the two play-makers in the front seven but the rest of this unit is filled up with multiple talented players that are great in support. Chike Okeafor, Clark Haggins and Bert Berry are veterans that still play well. Gerald Hayes has quietly become a very efficient compliment to Dansby on the inside. This team can survive an injury or two, which hasn’t been the case in previous years.
The secondary was the weak spot of the team last year, but now it is just as strong as the rest of the defense. Dominique Rodgers-Cromratie (DRC as he is more commonly known, but I prefer to call him Dr. C) has become a stud. He was a fantastic draft pick by the Cardinals and has all the tools to become an elite NFL CB, if he isn’t already. It says something about the kid that he started as the nickel back last year and became their #1 CB on the way to the Super Bowl. Signing Bryant McFadden was important in the off-season, he gives the Cardinals maybe their best 1-2 punch at CB since the days of Aeneas Williams and Corey Chavous. What more can we say about Adrian Wilson? He is one of the best SS in the league and a team leader. Antrel Rolle played well at FS last year. He is hit and miss but he can make a lot of exciting plays.
Let’s face it, the Cardinals’ got off easy on their 2009 schedule. They are always going to benefit from playing 6 games against the NFC West. The division should be a little better this year but the Cardinals could very easily go 6-0 again. The only real tough game will be their road trip to Seattle, always a hard place to pull out a win. Outside of their conference they only play five playoff teams in 2009. Their toughest home game is against Indy, the Cardinals will be favored in every other home game. Somehow, the Cardinals received a game with the 0-16 Detroit Lions . . . that should be a fun one.
The Madden 2010 Player Ratings for the Arizona Cardinals came out today. Time to see if the good folks at EA got the ratings right. I will do my best not to be bias. I will only touch on relevant players, because honestly I don’t think anyone cares what Brian St. Pierre rating is.
QB Kurt Warner 94
They have Warner rated perfectly here. His return to grace last season makes him a top tier QB, but anything above this rating would probably have been a little too much. Fire up Madden 2010 and party like its 1999 again, probably the last time Warner had a rating so high.
QB Matt Leinart 68
Ouch, Matt Leinart sits out a year and his rating drastically declines. Maybe the good people at EA took offense to his beer bong photos of last off-season, but that was almost a year ago. I would have rated Leinart in the mid 70s.
RB Chris Wells 79
In all my years of playing Madden I have learned one thing: First round draft picks are always going to fall in the 77-83 range. Wells my be a huge find and rush for 1,500+ yards this year but he has to start where every other rookie did, with a rating in the seventies.
RB Tim Hightower 75
Sure, Tim Hightower wasn’t the most spectacular runner last year but I have to think this rating was a little low. For his goal line abilities and toughness I would have rated him at an 80.
WR Larry Fitzgerald 99
There is no way Fitz could have been anything less than a 99 after his performance in the playoffs last year. The only beef I could possibly have with EA is that they didn’t give him the first ever 100 overall rating this year.
WR Anquan Boldin 94
I think this is a little high for Boldin. I would have slotted him at 90, but maybe I am just bitter about the whole contract situation. I believe this is the highest rating Boldin has had in a Madden game, but don’t quote me on that.
WR Steve Breaston 79
Really EA? Breaston’s season last year warranted an 85 overall rating this year. He easily filled in for Boldin when he had to and was a dangerous third receiver. Steve is getting totally screwed by the rating system here.
OL Mike Gandy 86
Sure
OL Levi Brown 81
If you’re gonna make Gandy an 86 might as well make Levi Brown an 86.
DT Darnell Dockett 94
I still have visions in my head of Dockett destroying the Steelers‘ offensive line in the Super Bowl, which makes me want to say he should be rated higher. In reality, 94 is probably the right rating for Dockett.
DE Bert Berry 83
I’m fine with this rating, but will this be the year EA finally lists him as an OLB, the position he has played for the past two seasons? Probably not.
DE Chike Okeafor 76
I would have put Chikie a little higher, but I doubt anyone is complaining that he is a 76.
DE Calais Campbell 74
He didn’t do a whole lot last year to justify a bigger rating, but I think he will preform well above a 74 level on the field this year.
LB Karlos Dansby 89
Dansby should be a 90, it’s that simple.
CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie 87
I love DRC so I am going to be totally bias here and say he should be a 90. A 87 is probably good for him, as long as he has 99 speed.
CB Bryant McFadden 78
Did Bryant do something to piss off EA? His rating is much, much lower than I would have guessed. I considered McFadden a mid 80s guy, low 80s at the worst. I might have to fire up the player editor when I get my copy and change this injustice.
S Adrian Wilson 97
EA has always given Adrian ratings love. Is he a 97 overall? I would have guessed a low 90s rating for him.
S Antrel Rolle 84
This one really surprised me, I would have guessed EA would give Rolle a high 70s rating. I would have personally given him an 80, so I think this rating is a tad high.
K Neil Rackers 81
Cardinals fans will be pissed, but does it really matter what your kicker is rated? I needed a clutch field gaol in about 0.05% of all the Madden games I have ever played.
Congrats Edge, you got your wish. You were released today. You’ve been waiting for this day since the middle of last season, when you were riding the bench and watching Tim Hightower average two yards a carry.
The lingering question is: What is Edge’s Legacy in Arizona?
Many will say he is a bust, that he was given a ton of money and underperformed for three seasons. After seeing Edge overvalue himself this year we now know why he came to Arizona in 2006, the Cardinals were the only team would would come close to thinking Edge was worth as much money as he thought he was worth. Maybe at the time we thought he came here to turn around a franchise, but deep down it is always about money.
Edge still managed to do what no Cardinal running back had done in years, put together back to back 1,000 yard rushing seasons. He got those numbers because of the amount of carries he received, his rushing average was never spectacular. Ironically, his average was highest this year at 3.9 yards a carry. In Edge’s defense he was playing behind a terrible, and I mean terrible, offensive line. He never really had the burst you wanted out of a running back, but he almost always ran for positive yards. He was never great in Arizona, but he was a workhorse. Some say, with the state of the offensive line, that was enough. Others will say you don’t spend that type of money just for a workhorse.
Edge will always be defined in my eyes by what he did in the 2009 playoffs. He went from being totally irrelevant to being a big part of the Cardinals amazing run to the Super Bowl. He did everything in the playoffs that the Cardinals hoped he would when they signed him back in 2006. He ran for tough yards, picked up the blitz, gave the team an identity and won them football games. Was that giant contract worth four playoff games? Considering the Cardinals’ history at the time, I would sure say so.
Now Edge is gone, the prime of his career is over and his last chance to win a Super Bowl as a team’s top back is out the window. He will probably sign somewhere else, although he is for the stark realization that no team will value Edge as much as he values himself. It was an up and down relationship with the Cardinals, but when he came here they were losers and when he left they were NFC Champions. I am sure everyone would have taken that back in 2006.
Along with Edge the Cardinals cut CB Rod Hood and LB Travis LaBoy today. I am pretty shocked by both these releases because I thought they would be able to provide solid depth for the Cardinals this year. Hood was the team’s starting CB last year, but he often gave up the big play. Still, I thought Hood would be a solid nickelback but I guess the Cardinals trust Ralph Brown and the rookies they drafted to handle that role. LaBoy shocked me as well, he was the Cardinals marquee free agent signing last year and I expected him to last a lot longer than one year. He had some injury concerns, but I liked him as a player. When he came to Arizona he brought some attitude to the defense, I think that will be missed. The Cardinals cleared almost $10 million in cap space by cutting these three guys. If the team reinvests that money into extensions for Anquan Boldin, Adrian Wilson, Karlos Dansby and Darnell Dockett then all will be good. If these were the Cardinals teams from a few years ago, the fan base would be up in arms over these moves. Now everyone trusts the Cardinals and they deserve the benefit of the doubt. Yes, times sure have changed.
I get the Cardinals’ decision to draft Beanie Wells, they needed a running back and he was the best one on the board. I’m not going to kill the Cardinals for making this pick, but I am not overly enthusiastic about it.
I remember watching Beanie (are we going to call him Beanie or Chris? Or just Wells?) early in his career at Ohio State and being really impressed. He had size, speed and was a legit Heisman candidate. Injuries kind of derailed his career at Ohio State and he slipped out of the national spotlight to a degree last year. The more and more I watched him the less impressed I became. I never bought into Beanie Wells being the best running back in this draft and was not surprised at all that he almost fell out of the first round.
I would have loved Knowshawn Moreno, but that wasn’t happening. I really wanted Donald Brown, but instead the Colts nabbed themselves another solid RB late in the first round. With Larry English off the board the Cardinals really only had one route to go, Wells. I might have opted for DE/OLB Everette Brown, ILB Rey Maualuga or even OT Ebon Britton. Brown probably would have been my choice and it would have been pretty unpopular with Cardinals fans, the vast majority was clamoring for Wells. Taking someone like Brown would have helped the pass rush and Shonne Green, RB from Iowa, still would have been on the board when they picked in the 2nd round.
Getting Beanie Wells isn’t bad, however. They also netted DE/OLB Cody Brown from UConn in round two. I don’t know anything about him but I trust the Cardinals with this pick. Maybe they got him confused with Donald Brown from UConn. I hope Beanie pans out; I am just not overly enthusiastic about him. I’m at the point where I trust the Cardinals to do the right thing . . . . I can’t believe I just typed that.
Gotta love how the Boldin situation played out this weekend. No one wanted to trade for Boldin because no one wanted to meet his contract demands; this should help the Cardinals in future negotiations. The Cardinals did their part, they tried to trade him and there were no takers. Now Boldin should lower his contract demands a bit and sign with the Cards. Common sense, however, has no place in negotiation.
The game has changed. If I am Rod Graves I am picking up the phone right now and offering Anquan Boldin whatever he wants. The Cardinals can’t afford to get rid of him, they can’t go into the season with Steve Breaston as their #1 WR. They have to prepare themselves for the worst; they have to prepare themselves for this:
Fitz being on the cover of Madden 10 is not going to sit well with Cardinal fans who worry about the Madden Curse. It is wonderful publicity for a team that is just starting to get some, but one can not deny the effectiveness of the Madden Curse. “God controls our destiny, our fate” Fitz said when asked about the Curse. I believe that is automated Madden Curse response #13. Right in front of “I don’t believe in no curse” and right behind “I don’t care, did you see the money they are paying me?”
Madden 10 will be the most unique case study in the Madden Curse history because there are two players on it, Fitz and Troy Polamalu. If both players have sub par years and suffer injuries, you better believe curse talk will be at an all time high. If just one of these men gets injured we will wonder if it is coincidence or if the curse only affected one of them. If neither of them suffer down years then we can officially claim the curse dead.
Just in case the curse isn’t dead, perhaps the Cardinals should consider giving Anquan Boldin whatever he wants.
For arguments sake let’s say that the Arizona Cardinals traded Anquan Boldin to the Detroit Lions for the #1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Detroit would never do this (mainly because Matt Millen is no longer GM) but let us pretend they did. If the Cardinals had owned the first pick in the NFL Draft, who would they draft?
No one in this year’s running back class is considered top 10 potential. The Cardinals would not use the #1 pick in the NFL draft on a Knowshawn Moreno or a Beanie Wells. The Cards would probably settle on the best offensive line or defensive end/linebacker prospect. That being said, with the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft the Arizona Cardinals would select:
Aaron Curry Could be a Dominate OLB
Curry would be the logical selection here. In the 3-4 scheme that the Cardinals like to employ there is nothing more valuable then a guy who can play multiple linebacker positions and maybe some defensive end. Curry would slide right in with Bert Berry, Chike Okeafor and Travis LaBoy and give the Cardinals great depth at outside linebacker. Curry would become a dangerous pass rusher at OLB and can also stop the run, which would allow the Cardinals to play him at inside linebacker at times. Aaron Curry teaming with Karlos Dansby would give the Cardinals a line backing duo that could match up with almost anyone in the league. Curry would also give the Cardinals insurance in case Dansby left as a free agent the following season.
Other players the Cardinals would consider:
OT Jason Smith, Baylor
Smith is widely considered the best offensive line prospect in the draft, but he is more of a pass blocker than a run blocker at this point. The Cardinals’ offensive line is already above average at pass blocking, which makes Jason Smith a nice but not necessary commodity.
DE Brian Orakpo, Texas
Orakpo has the coolest name in the draft. He is also the draft’s best defensive end prospect and would instantly fill the void left by Antonio Smith. Orakpo is a good pass rusher and he can play some linebacker, which would make him attractive to the Cardinals. He wouldn’t be more attractive than Curry, however.
OLB Brian Cushing, USC
I really liked Cushing, he was dominating at USC and I believe he will be a good pro. He can play either linebacker position and would be an asset on special teams. Cushing won’t go before Curry in the draft but I think he could end up having a better career.
DT B.J. Raji, Boston College
This would be considered a reach, but Raji is a huge defensive tackle that would really help the Cardinals in their 3-4 defense. Raji is 337 pounds of pure strength and had to be consistently double teamed in college. Raji could team with Gabe Watson to give the Cardinals strength on their interior line.
QB Mark Sanchez, USC
Just Kidding
Tommy Football and 
Josh are discussing. 
I did that once…but it involved whiskey.