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05-04-2006, 03:48 AM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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From A to Z... The Arizona Cardinals FOF Dynasty
Welcome to the Arizona Cardinals Front Office Football Dynasty. As you're about to find out, this is a different kind of FOF dynasty.
First order of business is go to my Arizona Cardinals FOF Website. The website integrates elements from both the Cardinals of the "real world" along with the Cardinals from my "FOF world." For example, on the "Records" page of the website you'll see Cardinals team records (some that have stood for more than fifty years)... but when those records are broken by my FOF Cardinals, the Records page will be updated. That goes the same for the entire website. As the FOF franchise grows, it will become a bigger part of the website. After you've checked out the website, there are a couple of things you can do to make this dynasty thread more interactive. As you follow along, you are encouraged to submit questions or comments to the GM, either through this thread or on the "Fan Forum" page on the website. Either way, it will make this dynasty much more fun. Also, if you have FOF TCY and would like to see your college stars play in my league, please, by all means, let me know. Even better, if you've tracked your TCY players' progress in the dynasty threads, we can refer the followers of this thread to your thread to read about their past collegiate careers. All I ask is that the years match up accordingly (IE 2010 TCY Draft Class would import into my 2010 FOF Season). If you're interested, please mention it in this thread or post on the azcardinals website. Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy!
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05-04-2006, 06:27 AM
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#2 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Cuban Crisis? Reality TV to Decide Football Exec
2005 -- NFL Offseason
Article from Associated Press Phoenix, AZ -- Mark Cuban has done it again. The internet mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks has finalized a deal with Bill Bidwill to purchase the NFL's Arizona Cardinals for a reported $320 million. The purchase is pending approval from NFL owners. Cuban is wasting no time making waves in the NFL. He announced that the role of Cardinals general manager will be up for grabs in a television reality series. The program, called "Front Office Football," will be aired on Fox Sports Net. Contestants will face a series of challenges, including running a mock NFL draft, for the right to become a pro football executive. None of the contestants will have any prior experience running a sports franchise. "Why should our GM need any experience?" quipped Cuban. "The Cardinals have sucked long enough with so-called 'experienced' executives. It's time to shake things up." The winner of the contest will be awarded a one-year contract worth $250,000.
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05-04-2006, 06:42 AM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Sportscaster Wins TV Contest, Named Cards GM
2005 -- NFL Offseason
Article from Associated Press PHOENIX, AZ -- The search is over. Mark Cuban's "Front Office Football" reality television series has crowned the next general manager of the Arizona Cardinals. Sam Adams, a TV sportscaster, beat out ten other contestants to earn the right to run the Cardinals football franchise. The other contestants included Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King, actor/comedian Tom Arnold, and former Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax. "Sam will make a fantastic NFL GM," said Cuban. "He obviously knows a lot about sports. And, besides, he's the most qualified for the job. He won his fantasy football league last season." Adams will certainly have his work cut out for him. He takes over a struggling franchise that is coming off a 6-10 season in 2004 and hasn't been to the postseason since 1998. "There's nowhere to go but up," said Adams, who quit his job as a sportscaster to take over general managerial duties for the Cardinals. "This is a young team with lots of potential. It's just a matter of time before we put it all together."
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-04-2006 at 06:45 AM. |
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05-04-2006, 11:13 AM
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High School Varsity
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oakdale, New York
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Very impressive looking site. I look forward to following along.
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VNFL Chargers VNFL AFC President NAFL Super Bowl Champions 2005 New York Jets |
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05-04-2006, 12:48 PM
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Canada
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great start, will be reading!
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05-04-2006, 02:56 PM
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Florida
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[oldschool]The Cardinals belong in St. Louis[/oldschool]
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05-04-2006, 11:06 PM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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My first day on the job
2005 -- NFL Offseason
From the journal of GM Sam Adams My first day on the job as General Manager of the Arizona Cardinals began with a visit to the team's headquarters in Tempe. I was greeted by a small gathering of reporters at the door, all scrambling to get their soundbite for the evening news. Just think, I used to be one of those reporters. Now I am the soundbite. Who woulda thunk it? Next up was a tour with Mark Cuban. The facility was already up to spec, but Cuban already has visions of a total makeover, including plasma screens and iPod docking bays in the clubhouse. You've got to love working for a guy like that. He genuinely wants to win (and have fun) at all costs. Having him write the paychecks certainly won't hurt when we're trying to bring free agents to the desert. The rest of the morning was spent meeting the staff. There are lots of old schoolers still working for this team. The video director, for example, is a year shy of his 40th season with the team. 40 years! Did they even have video back then? Maybe they just did cave drawings or something. Next up was a brief lunch with Mark. He has a basketball team to watch over in Dallas, and it's clear that the Cardinals will be the redheaded stepchild to the Mavericks, at least for the timebeing. After lunch, it was time to get down to business. I know everyone thinks this is just a publicity stunt, but I'm taking this seriously. I'm being given the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm not going to blow it. I'm going to bust my hump for this team, even if it's only for one year. My work started with a visit with our lead scout, Perry Nieves. He presented me with this preseason roster and his scouting evaluations. Code:
My first impression was, "Now I know why they gave the job to me." This team has 4-12 written all over it. Perry had graded only one player at more than 60 points ("very good"): DE Berry Bertrand. The good news is there's a handful of players who have the potential to join that group, including WR Larry Fitzgerald, CB Antrel Rolle, and LB Karlos Dansby. Still, not exactly the kind of roster a GM dreams about taking over. What's my first order of business? Drink heavily. Then try to figure out how the hell I'm going to turn this ship around.
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-05-2006 at 05:02 AM. |
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05-06-2006, 12:13 AM
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#9 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Wheelin' and Dealin'
2005 -- NFL Offseason
From the journal of GM Sam Adams After taking a look at the roster, it's time to make some moves. Like I said before, this team has 4-12 written all over it. If we're going to get better, we're going to have to make some sacrifices right now. It's like pulling off a band-aid. You can either pull it off slowly and go through a bunch of 6-10 seasons... or you can rip it off and go through one or two 4-12 seasons. That being said, there are still some guys on this roster that I would deem "untouchable." Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin could both be 1,000 yard receivers for this team. With Bodlin's contract up in two years, we worked quick to extend his contract another two seasons. Antrel Rolle looks like a future lockdown cornerback. And Bertrand Berry is just entering the prime of his career and should be a Pro Bowl candidate. Otherwise, everyone else is fair game. My number one goal this season is to gear up for the '06 Draft. There's a bumper crop of studs to be had next year... guys like Reggie Bush (RB, USC), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (OT, Virginia), AJ Hawk (OLB, Ohio State), and Matt Leinart (QB, USC). I'd like for us to be in position to pick one, if not two, of these guys come draft day. After making a few calls around the league, I was able to make some headway with the San Francisco 49ers. Like us, they have lots of holes to fill on both sides of the football. Their philosophy right now is to build their team around their quarterback, Alex Smith, who was the #1 pick in this year's draft. We don't have that luxury. We're still looking for that guy to build a team around. Thanks to the Niners, we may now be able to do that. ARIZONA GETS: 49ers 2006 1st round draft pick 49ers 2008 6th round draft pick SAN FRANCISCO GETS: OT Leonard Davis (58/76) CB David Macklin (48/51) FB James Hodgins (54/54) Cardinals 2008 2nd round draft pick We really had to give to get in this case. San Fran took three starters off our roster and a second round pick to boot. Davis gives them a dominant offensive tackle to bookend the O-Line with Kwame Harris and protect their franchise QB. Macklin shores up a depleted secondary. Hodgins will take over at fullback should the Niners lose Fred Beasley to free agency next season. All that for a 1st round pick. Still, I'm not complaining. I want a franchise quarterback to throw to Fitz and Boldin, and I don't think Josh McCown is going to get it done. A guy like Leinart might fit right in here. I've also got my eye on Bush. Considering our offensive line, we could use a back like Reggie who doesn't rely a whole lot on getting holes to run through. Getting that #1 pick is a gamble... the Niners could end up screwing us and going 9-7 this season, but it's a risk worth taking. After dealing with the 49ers, I turned around and shipped their 2008 6th rounder to the Houston Texans in our only other trade of the preseason. ARIZONA GETS: Texans 2008 3rd round draft pick Texans 2008 5th round draft pick HOUSTON GETS: OLB Orlando Huff (42/53) Cardinals 2008 6th round draft pick (via San Francisco) Again, we lose another starter on defense. But the departure of Huff opens the door for Darryl Blackstock, who should make an immediate impact for us at outside linebacker. The trades were met with heavy criticism from our fans. Luckily, the Arizona Cardinals don't have many fans. I guess that's the one advantage of working in Phoenix.
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-06-2006 at 03:10 AM. |
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05-06-2006, 03:31 AM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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2005 Season
2005 -- NFL Season
From the journal of GM Sam Adams I don't want to call this a "rebuilding year" because, frankly, there's nothing to "re"-build. That would suggest that we had something to rebuild from. The way I see it, this team is starting from ground zero. Hopes were obviously low going into the season, and our team met all expectations. Code:
4-12, just like I called it. We filled about half the seats in our swan song at Sun Devil Stadium. We did give fans some hope for next season, though. Kurt Warner passed for 4,000 yards on the button, becoming just the second quarterback in Cardinals franchise history to reach that mark. I was even more encouraged by the play of WR's Anquan Boldin (76 rec, 1252 yds, 5 TD) and Larry Fitzgerald (88 rec, 1326 yds, 6 TD), who both surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the season. Rookie RB J.J. Arrington rushed for over 1,000 yards for the year, despite running behind a makeshift offensive line, though I'd like to see our runningbacks get a little more involved in the passing game. Perhaps the brightest spot came from DE Bertrand Berry, who broke Simeon Rice's team record for sacks in a season with 18.0, earning 1st team All-League honors. We had some great individual performances, but our lack of skill at the non-skill positions really bit us in the butt, as we finished toward the bottom of the NFL in points scored (17.7) and points allowed (22.3). A rough season, but it was expected.
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05-06-2006, 05:48 AM
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#11 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Gearing up for '06
2006 -- NFL Offseason
From the journal of GM Sam Adams We enter the '06 season with renewed optimism. Our team had a 4,000 yard passer... two 1,000 yard receivers... a 1,000 yard rusher... and an 18.0 sack machine. We were also leaving the not-so-friendly confines of Sun Devil Stadium for our new retractable roof, retractable playing surface, brand-spanking new Cardinals Stadium in Glendale. Though the results weren't promising in 2005, Mark Cuban decided to renew my contract for 2006. Maybe he wanted to prove everyone wrong... that a reality show winner could actually run a successful front office in the NFL. Or, perhaps more likely, he's just paying more attention to his Dallas Mavericks. Whatever the rationale, I'm glad to be back for '06. Because we're going to be building this team with youth, I decided to part ways with our old scout and hire someone with a keen eye for college prospects. Enter Bernard Bates, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys. We're lucky to have him on board. This season is going to rely heavily on the draft. We "earned" the #2 overall pick with our 4-12 record, winning a tie-breaker with the Dolphins and Titans. More importantly, we were lucky enough to snag the #1 overall pick courtesy the San Francisco 49ers and their hidious 1-15 campaign. That gives us the #1 and #2 overall picks in the 2006 Draft. I can't believe our good (mis)fortune. Of course, everyone is screaming for us to pick USC teammates Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart 1-2. I've got to admit, it sounded intruiging. Not a bad offense... Leinart, Bush, Fitzgerald, and Boldin. But there are still plenty of other quality players to look at: linebacker A.J. Hawk out of Ohio State, Memphis runningback DeAngelo Williams, and Virginia lineman D'Brickashaw Ferguson, just to name a few. Heading toward D-Day coach Denny Green, scout Bernard Bates, and the rest of the staff have started finalizing the draft board: 1. Matt Leinart, QB, USC (36/79) 2. AJ Hawk, OLB, Ohio State (57/82) 3. Reggie Bush, RB, USC (54/73) 4. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis (56/72) 5. Jonathan Orr, WR, Wisconsin (50/74) 6. Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State (34/76) 7. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia (29/72) 8. Michael Huff, S, Texas (33/71) 9. Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota (52/62) 10. Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State (24/71) The possibilities are endless. We're in a position to deal one of our two picks and slide down in the draft to fill multiple holes, or we can just hold on to the top two picks and have our pick of the litter. Either way, I'm loving where we are and can't wait for draft day!
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05-06-2006, 06:36 AM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Penny pinchin'
NFL -- 2006 Free Agent Period
From the journal of GM Sam Adams In my first full offseason in the front office, I've decided to lay low during the free agent signing period. Though Cuban would prefer that we sign a big name star with some of our cap space ($35 million under), I've assured the boss that our money would be better spent on signing draft picks and improving the depth of our roster. He grumbled as MVP Edgerrin James signed for 4 years, $36 million with the Eagles. Then Drew Brees bolted San Diego for a 5 year, $41.5 million deal with the Dolphins. Not long after, the Browns ponied up $81.5 million for DE John Abraham. I'll admit, it was tough watching all those big names sign with other teams, but I've got to believe that we'll be better off in the long run. During the free agent feeding frenzy, we did get approached about a deal for Josh McCown. The Rams, bracing for the departure of Marc Bulger to free agency, offered up a 3rd round pick. We countered, and received a 2nd rounder in exchange for McCown and our 4th rounder. As far as our signings go, we quietly picked up DT Bryant Young, G Zach Wiegert, CB Sam Madison, and TE Brian Kozlowski. Perhaps the toughest pill to swallow was watching Kurt Warner leave us for New Orleans and a $21 million payday with the Saints. He's taking full advantage of one good season with us. More power to him, but I think the Saints paid way too much to get him. If the Saints think they're getting the same Kurt Warner who took the Rams to the Super Bowl, they're going to be sorely disappointed. But what do I know? I'm just a guy who won a reality show. Not a big free agent period for us, but we should make plenty of noise come draft day.
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05-06-2006, 08:40 AM
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#13 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Draft Day
2006 NFL DRAFT
INSIDE THE WAR ROOM An exclusive from SI.COM by Peter King Ever wonder what it's like to be in the war room? You're about to find out. The folks with the Arizona Cardinals gave me an all-access badge for Draft Day in a Sports Illustrated exclusive. We all know things get a little crazy in the draft, but I doubt we've ever seen anything like this. The Cardinals took the #1 and #2 overall picks into the weekend. Rumors were swirling that they would snatch up SoCal college teammates Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart with those picks, but the Cards never made an official announcement before the draft. You're about to find out why. 30 minutes until Arizona is on the clock with the #1 pick. The Miami Dolphins are on the phone. They want to move up from #4 to #1, presumably to snatch Bush. 20 minutes later, just 10 minutes before the start of the draft, the 'Fins send their #4 overall pick, two future 1st rounders, and a 2nd rounder, in exchange for the Cardinals #1 choice. It's a trade that brings back memories of Mike Ditka giving up everything but the kitchen sink for Ricky Williams in New Orleans. But the real stunner comes when Miami uses the pick on Oregon defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. Arizona is on the clock with the #2 pick. Now the Chargers are on the phone. They're looking to trade up so they can get stud wide receiver Jonathan Orr. The Cardinals bite, sending the #2 pick and their 5th rounder to San Diego for the Chargers' #6 pick, 2008 1st rounder, and a pair of second rounders. Tennessee is on the clock with the #3 pick. Arizona, fearing the Titans will snare Bush one pick ahead of them, get on the phone in a bid to move up a spot. They offer up the #4 choice and a high second rounder from San Diego for the #3 choice. Tennessee accepts. Cards get Bush, Titans get DeAngelo Williams. Tennessee would later reveal they had Williams ahead of Bush on the draft board, essentially stealing a 2nd rounder away from Arizona. The Saints draft Ohio State WR Santonio Holmes at #5. Arizona is on the clock with the #6 pick. Now Tampa wants to move up to grab Virginia O-Lineman D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Everyone assumed he would go in the top 4. Arizona's still got its sites set on Matt Leinart, who continues to slide. The Cards deal their #6 to Tampa for the Bucs' #10 and a 2nd rounder. Cincinnati gets a steal in DE Mario Williams at #7. Denny Green is pounding his fists on the conference table. "Come on! Don't pick Leinart!" The voodoo works. Minnesota picks up Arizona State ILB Dale Robinson at #8. One more pick to go. Now the guys are sweating bullets. Sam Adams will never live this one down if he loses Leinart after having the #1 and #2 picks. Adams starts working his voodoo. "Pick Hawk! Pick Hawk!" Adams wants the Atlanta Falcons to draft Ohio State linebacker AJ Hawk at #9. They don't. The Falcons select Miami WR Sinorice Moss. The conference room erupts with cheers. The Cards get their man, Matt Leinart at #10, putting an end to a shocking freefall for the former Heisman winner. But what the Cardinals don't know is that another freefall is in the works. Arizona's still catching its breath from the flurry of trades -- four in all -- that netted them Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and three future 1st round picks. As the coaches, scouts, and executives regain their composure and prepare for their #2 pick in the 2nd round, the unthinkable happens. "Why the hell is AJ Hawk still out there?" Hawk, actually rated ahead of Bush on the Cardinals draft board, still hasn't been picked midway through the 1st round. Teams continue to pass on the all-world linebacker to address other needs. "We've got to make a move." "Somebody will pick him up. Let's just focus on the second round." But Hawk continues to plummet. The Jets take a pass and draft RB Leon Washington at #22. "Get on the phone with Seattle." The Seahawks hold the #24 overall pick. The Cardinals quickly offer up the #2 pick in the 2nd round and the #3 choice in the 3rd. Seattle takes the offer. But the Cards still have to wait for the Packers to pick at #23. They draft CB Ashton Youboty. More cheering. The Cardinals waste no time getting on the phone and calling in their third and final pick of the 1st round, AJ Hawk. "Guys, we may have just gotten ourselves a Super Bowl team," says one front office cronie. I wouldn't go that far, but the Cardinals just erased any hint of being a doormat for the rest of the NFL, having wrapped up one of the most frenetic and successful 1st rounds in NFL history. Rnd 1 (3) - Reggie Bush, RB, Southern California Rnd 1 (10) - Matt Leinart, QB, Southern California Rnd 1 (24) - A.J. Hawk, OLB, Ohio State Rnd 2 (4) - Derrick Martin, CB, Wyoming Rnd 4 (2) - Quinn Ojinnaka, T, Syracuse Rnd 6 (2) - Cody Douglas, G, Tennessee Rnd 7 (2) - Anthony Smith, S, Syracuse Draft Review: A-
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05-07-2006, 04:07 AM
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#14 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Let the training begin
2006 -- NFL Mini-Camp
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Careful what you ask for, you might just get it. Yes we were able to parlay those #1 and #2 picks into three first round draft choices. But drafting a player is one thing... signing him is another thing entirely. Reggie Bush still wanted #1 draft pick money, despite sliding to #3. Bush held out of Mini-camp, as did A.J. Hawk, who also felt he should get top pick money even after his freefall to #24 in the 1st round. Matt Leinart was the only first rounder to attend Mini-camp for us, signing a 6 year, $20.5 million deal. With such a young team, it was important to sign some veterans to take on leadership roles. Vinny Testaverde was signed during the late free agent period, as a backup and tutor to Leinart at QB. Vinny knows what it's like to enter the NFL with high expectations and should be a great influence on Matt. Garrison Hearst will take on a similar role with Bush at runningback. Like Bush, Hearst had phenomenal breakaway speed and elusiveness in his prime and should make the perfect mentor. Terry Glenn was another late addition and gives us some depth at wide receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Also attending Mini-camp, undrafted signees Vince Young and Lendale White. Both are longshots to make the cut, but worth taking a flyer on. Hopefully we'll get Bush and Hawk under contract soon so they can join their new teammates. Story from azcardinals.com Cards Launch 3 Day Mini-Camp Kate Brandt  The Arizona Cardinals kicked off Mini-camp 2006 Friday morning at their south Tempe Training Facility. “It went well,” said Head Coach Dennis Green following the morning session. “We caught a break in the weather. I think we were predicting 102 degrees and we don’t have anything like that and hopefully it will stay that way this weekend, but we had good work and good intensity.” Fellow first round picks Reggie Bush and A.J. Hawk did not attend the session, holding out of Mini-camp. The rest of the Red Birds 2006 draft picks and the newly signed undrafted rookie free agents joined the Cards veterans for their first NFL practice. “We had a chance to look at them a little bit,” said Green on the rookie class. “But they will get most of their work when they come back in May. There are still so many things that we are doing that they are not familiar with, but all of them jumped in when they could and so we had some excellent work today.” “I wasn’t really nervous,” commented Cardinals first round draft pick Matt Leinart following his first NFL practice. “I just didn’t know what to expect coming out here with brand new guys and receivers. The timing is crucial and we’re big on rhythm so I just have to get that down. But yeah, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I felt comfortable.” “He throws a terrific ball, throws it high, and he’s tall of course, 6’5” and he has a very good release at the top,” said Green. “His ball carries shoulder to shoulder which is always very important. You never see his ball diving and it is easy to catch because it has a really nice touch on it. I think he is really enjoying throwing to the guys and they are enjoying him also.” Leinart’s college accolades speak for themselves but his new role with the Cardinals is much different from what he is used to as the starting quarterback at USC. However, the former Heisman trophy winner has the luxury of learning from veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde. “It is definitely different to be sitting back but it is a great situation for me to learn from a guy like Vinny,” admitted the California native. “Just to be able to sit and watch to see how he plays on all the coverages and get the coach’s perspective. Then when I do get in there I just have to make the most of my opportunities.” “I think he’s sharp, he picked things up really well, I’m sure there were nerves and those kinds of things going on, first time out here,” said Testaverde. “The thing I really noticed was he was on top of things, got in there and called some plays and executed them and what else do you expect from day one?” “He is giving me tidbits here and there about reading certain coverages on certain plays and he has been very helpful for the first day and I’m going to keep on asking him,” Leinart explained. Although Leinart played in a similar offensive system in college, he admits it will take some time for him to get the play calling down. “It is just repetition and saying it a lot because some of it gets a little wordy,” said the rookie quarterback. “I was excited to get out here and learn the plays and the system. This is really the veteran’s camp and as a rookie you just get thrown into the mix with all of the stuff, but we’ll have our rookie camp down the road.” Leinart has dealt with the media frenzy surrounding the draft the past few months. For him, it was great to just get back to football. “Oh man, its fun,” Leinart said. “I was very fortunate to play at USC with a lot of great players and NFL players, but here it is no different. These guys are the best of the best and just handing the ball of to Edge is pretty cool.” The Cardinals return to the field Friday afternoon for another practice and will have two practices Saturday and one Sunday before wrapping up Mini-camp.
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05-07-2006, 05:13 AM
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#15 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Roster check
2006 -- NFL Training Camp
From the journal of GM Sam Adams With Mini-camp out of the way, we had to get Reggie Bush and AJ Hawk under contract before training camp. After lengthy negotiations, were were able to get them both to sign just before camp in Flagstaff. Meanwhile, I had to make some trades to strengthen our roster for 2006. Since Bush was going to take over the starting runningback, 1000-yard rookie rusher J.J. Arrington became expendable. He and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett were traded along with three 2007 draft picks (3rd, 6th, and 7th rounders) to Baltimore for D-lineman Dwan Edwards and the Ravens' 2nd round pick in 2009. In another deal, defensive end Calvin Pace and 3 2008 draft choices (5th, 6th, 7th) were shipped off to Tennessee from linebacker Gerris Williams and a 2nd round pick in 2008. With that, our roster was complete. Code:
Still plenty of holes to fill. Among the chief concerns are tight end, offensive line, interior defensive line, middle linebacker, and free safety. Holding six picks in the first three rounds of the '07 Draft, we should be able to address much of those needs. But that is little comfort to the guys in 2006.
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05-07-2006, 04:58 PM
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Florida
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Quote:
Hmmmm...Dave Wannstedt must still be running things for the Dolphins in your universe. |
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05-07-2006, 05:11 PM
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Out of curiosity, where did Jay Cutler and my man Jovon Bouknight go? I forgive you the drafting of Leinart since you drafted a Wyoming guy.
 Hell of a steal with A.J. Hawk, btw.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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05-07-2006, 08:26 PM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Quote:
Cutler slid all the way to the 7th round before the Ravens finally picked him up. He's holding the clipboard for free agent signee Marc Bulger. Bouknight got nabbed by the Redskins in round two. He's playing behind Alvis Whitted, who signed a 2-year free agent deal. If you remind me, I'll keep you posted on their progress throughout their careers.
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05-07-2006, 09:35 PM
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Quote:
I couldn't believe the 'Fins traded all those picks for the #1, and didn't even use it to get Bush. I figured I would trade down and pick up DeAngelo Williams at #2 or #4. Whenever I make a trade, I try to make sure the other team is better off having made the deal. In every other deal, I think the other team profited... but not this one. I think Miami could've stood pat and still gotten Ngata at #4. *sigh*
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05-07-2006, 10:41 PM
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Colorado
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Quote:
That's FOF. |
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05-08-2006, 06:05 AM
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#21 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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2006, here we come
2006 -- NFL Season
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Every year it seems there's a Cinderella story in the NFL. This year, we were the trendy pick. New stadium. Heisman quarterback. Heisman runningback. Two 1,000 yard receivers. Why not the Arizona Cardinals? To be honest, I still thought we were a couple of years away from making the playoffs. Sure, we had the skills players in place. We all saw what Denny Green did as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings (Daunte Culpepper at quarterback, Randy Moss and Cris Carter at receiver, and Robert Smith at runningback). So one would assume that he would duplicate that success in Phoenix. But I still had my doubts, hoping for an 8-8 season at best. Code:
Somehow, despite a horrid -11 turnover margin, our team grinded out an 8-8 season and snuck into the postseason. Reggie Bush was absolutely stellar, helping us average 4.97 yards per carry (tops in the NFL). The fact that Bush was getting that yardage behind a depleted offensive line speaks volumes about his skills. Our best lineman, LT Oliver Ross, underwent MCL knee surgery and won't be full strength until 2008. Despite being sacked 55 times (worst in NFL), Matt Leinart compiled a respectable 84.7 quarterback rating. Of course, when you have guys like Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to throw to, it makes your job a little easier. A.J. Hawk was the heart of our defense. The former Ohio State star recorded 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 103 tackles on his way to NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Not bad for a #24 overall pick. We began our surprising playoff run with a visit against the 8-8 Rams in St. Louis. Code:
Former Cards quarterback Josh McCown was out for revenge after we dealt him to the Rams for a draft pick, but our man Leinart proved why McCown was so expendable. But the going would be rough against a stingy Panthers defense in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Code:
A heartbreaking 1-point loss to a Carolina squad that would eventually beat the Colts to win their first-ever Super Bowl. Our team definitely showed promise in 2006. We proved we can hang with any team in the NFL. But if we're going to make the next step, we're going to have to get more consistent. That starts with keeping Leinart off his back, and learning to keep the ball out of the other team's hands. But with a little experience and some shrewd front office moves, anything is possible.
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-10-2006 at 04:39 AM. |
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05-08-2006, 06:27 AM
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#22 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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We're about to enter the 2007 season. Anyone have any TCY draft classes they'd like me to import, or better yet a 2007 draft file including the likes of Chris Leak, Brady Quinn, and Ted Ginn Jr.? If not, I'll just have to do the generic FOF draft class. Please reply ASAP if you have any suggestions before I start the '07 draft.
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05-12-2006, 05:38 AM
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#23 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Getting ready for '07
2007 -- NFL Offseason
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Coming off an 8-8 playoff season, there's reason for optimism. For the first time since the franchise moved here from St. Louis, the Cardinals are actually the talk of the town in Phoenix. Offensive Rookie of the Year Reggie Bush is the toast of the town. He's already got Adidas commercials on national television, and rumor has it he'll be on the cover of Madden Football 2007 this season. Hope he doesn't get the Madden curse. We gave our fans a playoff run last year. Now we're raising the bar. We want to give our fans a home playoff game. Lofty expectations? Sure. Reasonable? Absolutely. To reach those goals this year, we're going to have to continue to upgrade on both sides of the ball. Offensively, we have our guys at the skill positions. But our offensive line is still in shambles, and we'll need to patch things up either through the draft or free agency, or a little of both. We also need to find a sure set of hands for Matt Leinart to throw to as a safety net. Fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo filled that role last year for us but, frankly, we can do better. I'd love to get us a great tight end in the Jason Witten mold... a guy who Matt can throw to if he has to check off Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Defensively, I like where we're at with our linebackers. It all starts with AJ Hawk, who is fast becoming the heart and soul of our defense. You won't find a better cover corner than Antrel Rolle. We just need to find a capable cornerback on the other end of the field. We had some guys with some serious "beat deep" cleats on. Whoever fills that other corner position will be tested early and often. We have the ammunition to fill some holes on the roster, holding the #14 and #17 picks in the 1st round, #17, #18, and #23 in the 2nd round, along with a 3rd and a 5th rounder. None of these picks will likely yield a gamebreaker like Bush, but you never know. We lucked out by getting Hawk late in the first round last year, so we could always strike gold again. Our initial draft prospectus was very encouraging. There is plenty of talent to be had in the 2007 draft, though few of these players will fall to us midway through the first round: 1. Leon Hall, CB, Michigan (54/84) 2. Samson Satele, G, Hawaii (39/94) 3. Jeff Samardzija, WR, Notre Dame (40/80) 4. Joe Thomas, T, Wisconsin (33/78) 5. Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State, (56/81) 6. Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio State (44/72) 7. Rufus Alexander, OLB, Oklahoma (53/77) 8. Daymeion Hughes, CB, California (41/76) 9. Michael Bush, RB, Louisville (61/63) 10. Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State (41/70) We have three cornerbacks listed on our top-10. Hall is at the top of the list, and for good reason. The kid has 4.3 speed in the 40 and you can stick him out on an island without worrying about him getting burned. He's exactly the kind of player we could pair up with Rolle to shut down opposing receivers. Hall will definitely go top-5, so we'd have to give up a lot to move up and draft him. I also love this Satele guy. He's maxed out in just about every category for offensive linemen. He's got great footwork and strength, and the man just knows how to make a block. If you get a mammoth guy like this on your team, those small gaps to run through suddenly part like the Red Sea. The most NFL-ready rookie of the bunch is RB Michael Bush. He could easily go #1 overall, but we obviously have no interest in him since we have the "real" Bush. With so many draft picks to play with, we can entertain a lot of offers to move up. The question is do we want one or two elite kids, or a good amount of solid rookies? It's a good dilemma to face, isn't it?
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05-12-2006, 06:52 AM
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#24 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Filling the holes
NFL -- 2007 Free Agent Period
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Last year, we flew in under the radar during the free agent signing period. We passed on some of the marquee players to save money for a rainy day. We were $27 million under the cap this time around, but needed about $6.5 million of that to cover our draft salaries. Mark Cuban may be one of the richest owners in the league, but even he has his spending limits (I think). We gained nearly 40% in revenue from last year, but we still wound up losing $18 million last year. Why? We paid $42 million in player bonuses. We had to make a concerted effort to curb our spending on bonus money. Plain and simple. One of the first big-name free agents to get signed was former Cardinal LT Leonard Davis. He got a $63.6 million deal to re-sign with the 49ers. What I wouldn't give to have Davis back on our roster... we could've franchised him for $5.1 million and had one of the top tackles in the league. Then again, if we didn't trade him (and David Macklin, David Hodgins, and a 2nd round pick), we wouldn't have gotten San Fran's #1 pick - Reggie Bush. So I really can't complain. We spent the early stages of free agency re-signing ILB Ben Taylor (3 yrs/$3.65 mil), DT Michael Myers (2 yrs/$2.11 mil), S Ronnie Heard (2 yrs/$2.05 mil), and C Justin Hartwig (1 yr/$730k). Looking to sign a star tight end, Mr. Cuban flew in Jason Witten and Jeremy Shockey on separate occasions. I was most impressed with Witten, but Tennessee wound up signing him for 6 years, $41.6 million. Cuban really like Shockey and his flamboyant attitude, but the Giants kept him in New York to the tune of $26.1 million over six years. So instead of signing a big-name free agent, we tried to get some value by signing second-tier starters and backups. It's not sexy, but it should get the job done.
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-13-2006 at 04:45 AM. |
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05-12-2006, 08:00 AM
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#25 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Reloading
2007 -- NFL DRAFT
From the journal of GM Sam Adams To the surprise of many, the Saints used the #1 overall choice on RB Michael Bush out of Louisville. Many assumed New Orleans would pick up Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, but apparently signability was a factor. San Francisco then drafted WR Jeff Samardzija at #2. We decided we had to make a move up on the board to snatch the best offensive lineman in the draft. ARIZONA GETS: Raiders #3 overall pick OAKLAND GETS: Cardinals #17 overall pick Cardinals 2008 1st round pick OLB Karlos Dansby We used the Raiders #3 pick on Samson Satele, who should start right away on a suddenly-improved offensive line. Sure we gave up two first rounders to get him, but a lineman like Satele doesn't come along every day. But the guy we *really* wanted out there, CB Leon Hall, was still on the board so we made a move for the #4 choice as well. ARIZONA GETS: Jets #4 overall pick Jets 2nd round pick (4) NEW JERSEY GETS: DT Dwan Edwards Cardinals #14 overall pick Cardinals 2nd round pick (23) Cardinals 2008 3rd round pick So with the #4 choice, we snatched up Hall, the #1 player on our board. Amazingly, Quinn, who the so-called experts had pegged as a possible #1 overall choice slid all the way to the 2nd round to -- guess who -- the Saints. New Orleans passed on him in the 1st round because he was rumored to be asking for too much money, so the Saints got him at a much-reduced rate in the 2nd round. Gotta love it. The two players we were hoping would fall to us in the 2nd round -- FS LaRon Landry and OT Jamie Kerner -- were both scooped up just in front of us. In hindsight, I regret not trying to move up to grab either player, but those are the breaks. Instead we drafted OT T.J. Frederickson with the first of our 3 2nd round choices, followed by safeties Zach Catanese and Michael Griffin. Amateur Draft Report: Rnd 1 (3) - Samson Satele, G, Hawaii Rnd 1 (4) - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan Rnd 2 (4) - T.J. Fredrickson, T, Indiana Rnd 2 (17) - Zach Catanese, S, Arizona State Rnd 2 (18) - Michael Griffin, S, Texas Rnd 3 (17) - Brandon Hancock, FB, USC Rnd 5 (17) - Ded Harrington, ILB, Missouri Draft Review: A-
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05-13-2006, 05:30 AM
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#26 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Roster report
2007 -- NFL Training Camp
From the journal of GM Sam Adams It's a part of the business you don't hear a whole lot about. When rookies hold out of camp, the team (read: me, the GM) hears it from the agent, the media, the coaching staff, and the owner. It's not a fun position to be in. Last year, when Reggie Bush skipped mini-camp, I really got the treatment. Trust me, when the phone is ringing off the hook and the in-box is flooded with e-mails, it makes you second guess your line of work. Luckily this year, our only two rookie holdouts were OG Samson Satele and FS Michael Griffin. We got them both under contract in time for training camp in Flagstaff, giving Denny Green and his coaching staff the entire roster to work with. My work wasn't done (it never is). We traded OT Jon Stinchcomb and a 5th round choice to Detroit for a 2nd rounder. We also traded ILB Ben Taylor and our 2009 2nd and 5th round picks to Minnesota for their 2009 1st round choice. Both trades were made to push our younger guys up the depth chart to give them some more playing time. With the offseason complete, it's time to look at the 2007 roster: Code:
We still weren't able to significantly upgrade on the defensive line or at tight end. But other than that, I'm very happy with this year's roster. Our line is much bigger and better with the addition of Satele, which should buy some more time for Matt Leinart in the pocket. We have to protect him and Reggie Bush at all costs. At some point, we'll have to consider breaking up our wide receiver combo of Fitzgerald and Bolden. I just don't see any way that we can keep two elite receivers under the salary cap, especially when they're entering the prime of their career. We can franchise one of those guys, but the other is still going to command a salary of about $10 million. Eventually, I'm going to have to pick one or the other. It's like asking a mom which child she wants to keep. Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but it's pretty close.
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05-13-2006, 10:00 AM
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#27 |
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Canada
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That's a tough choice. I would go with Bolden.
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05-14-2006, 06:19 AM
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#28 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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2007 Season
2007 -- NFL Season
From the journal of GM Sam Adams My biggest fear was that we'd take a step backwards in '07. Expectations were high following our surprising 8-8 campaign in '06. I know Coach Green had his concerns about certain players taking things for granted, as if a playoff bid would just be handed to us. Code:
We went into our season finale against the Seahawks in a must-win situation. The winner would go to the NFC Wildcard, the loser goes home. We had it all wrapped up... a 25-20 lead in the 4th quarter. Then, with :18 on the clock, Matt Hasselbeck found Fred Jeffries in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass and the win. 26-25. Seattle goes to the postseason. We go home. It absolutely ripped our hearts out. Of course, we probably wouldn't have been in that situation to begin with had Reggie Bush not gone down in week 4 against Tampa. He was sidelined for 7 weeks with an ankle injury, and we never got back on track. He tallied 626 total yards in 6 games played. Matt Leinart followed up his freshman campaign with an impressive sophomore season in the NFL, cutting his interceptions in half and compiling a 94.6 quarterback rating, fifth-best in the league. Leinart was still sacked 42 times and we'll have to cut down that number. Part of it is our offensive line... but Leinart also has a tendency to hang on to the football a bit long. We'll have to work on that. With Anquan Boldin hampered by injuries, Larry Fitzgerald had a breakout year, leading the NFL with 112 receptions and 1655 yards, both franchise records. Heading into the season, if I had to decide who to keep, I'd probably lean toward Boldin. Maybe not anymore. Fitgerald is almost three years younger and showed he can be a dominant receiver given the opportunity. Defensively, rookie Leon Hall emerged as a shutdown cornerback. He picked off 4 passes, returning one for a touchdown, as opposing quarterbacks were forced to pick their poison: on the right side, Hall... on the left, Antrel Rolle. All in all, a disappointing season plagued by injuries and missed opportunities. We should have all the motivation in the world next season.
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05-15-2006, 06:02 AM
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#29 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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A step away
2008 -- NFL Offseason
From the journal of GM Sam Adams After back-to-back 8-8 seasons, it's clear that we're just a step away from making a run in the postseason. I'd say our biggest weaknesses are our offensive and defensive lines. Other than that, I'm very happy with the way our roster is shaping up. We return most of the key pieces from last year's squad. All-League First Team guard Reggie Wells has been given our franchise designation, buying us at least one more season and keeping the possibility open of a contract extension. Center Alex Stepanovich is an unrestricted free agent and should get plenty of money on the open market... probably well out of our price range. Other than that, we're in real good shape. Next year is when it's going to get dicey. We have about a dozen current starters who will be eligible for free agency after this season. I should be able to re-sign about half those players through extensions, but that still leaves half a dozen headed for free agency. Among the highest priorities are (with their contract extension demand): WR Anquan Boldin (5 yrs, $41.8 million) WR Larry Fitzgerald (4 yrs, $34.9 million) K Neil Rackers (3 yrs, $7.8 million) DE Bertrand Berry (3 yrs, $16.3 million) They've still got a year left under contract, but it's never too early to start looking ahead. In the meantime, it's time to look at what positions to fill for '08. I'd like to get an elite offensive tackle to protect Matt Leinart's blind side... either via free agency or draft. I also want a quality tight end for Leinart to throw to, in which case Fitzgerald or Boldin may become expendable. I locked up ten players to contract extensions. The big one was kicker Neil Rackers, who inked a 3 year, $7.76 million deal. His $3 mil salary in the third year of the contract is a bit high for a kicker, but I figure he may win us a couple games every year, so it's money well spent. Sizing up this year's draft class, there's some talent to be had, but nowhere near as top-heavy as the '07 class. 1. Dan Connor, OLB, Penn State (42/82) 2. Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (48/85) 3. Kirk Elder, G, Texas A&M (43/74) 4. Lawrence Jackson, DE (35/66) 5. Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M (38/64) 6. Xavier Adibi, OLB, Virginia Tech (29/70) 7. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma (43/57) 8. Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State (31/64) 9. Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State (28/76) 10 Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC (26/63) Olsen is the stud of this year's class, but you never know where a tight end will get drafted. If he somehow fell to us at #13, we'd have to jump on him. Nobody else really stands out... plenty of quality NFL players here, but few superstars. We got a trade offer before the start of the free agency period from New York, and we accepted without any haggling... ARIZONA GETS: DE Adam Davison Giants 4th round pick NEW YORK GETS: T Sean Locklear Sean started every game for us over the last two years, so it's tough to see him go. But I still think we can do a lot better at tackle. Who knows, we could always find a diamond in the rough with that 4th round choice?
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05-16-2006, 07:13 AM
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#30 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Playing it safe
NFL -- 2008 Free Agent Period
From the journal of GM Sam Adams We may have finally found our sure-handed tight end to diversify our offense. We took a flyer on TE L.J. Smith from the Eagles. He played in just 4 games last season for Philadelphia, but had a 71 reception, 821 yard campaign in 2006. We can only hope this is the Smith we're getting. He didn't come cheap, though. We traded All-Pro guard Reggie Wells and a 4th round pick to Philly for Smith, FS LaRon Landry, and a 2010 2nd round pick. You may remember Landry from last year's draft... the Eagles snatched him just before us at the end of the first round. We hit the free agent market looking for veteran leadership for this team. Warrick Dunn signed a 2-year deal with us, and should be an excellent mentor for Reggie Bush in the backfield. Drew Bennett also inked a 2-year tender and will back up Fitzgerald at wideout. Our O-line will have its hands full this season... the Seahawks signed Tampa Bucs defensive end Simeon Rice (formerly of Arizona) to a 3-year, $36 million deal. The Seahawks gave up way too much to get him, but he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC West. Once again, we played it safe this offseason. We're not opening the wallet to sign big name free agents (which would explain our lack of attendance). My job isn't to put butts in the seats... it's to put the best possible team on the field. If I do that, then the fans should follow.
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05-18-2006, 07:11 AM
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#31 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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2008 -- NFL Draft
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Louisville QB Brian Brohm went #1 to the St. Louis Rams. It's scary to see how quickly a team can fall from playoff contender to #1 in the draft in this league. Once the Rams lost Marc Bulger to free agency, they went downhill... so drafting a QB with the top pick may not have been a bad idea. Meanwhile, this was a draft loaded with top-flight defensive ends. Laurence Jackson (USC), Jarvis Moss (Florida), and Quentin Groves (Auburn) went 4-through-6 in the 1st round. I seriously considered trading up to get Groves at #6, but Jacksonville was asking for more than we were willing to give up. When our pick rolled around at #13, we had a few guys in mind. TE Greg Olsen, DE Chris Ellis, and C Mike Pollak. The Steelers called, wanting to move up and draft Ellis, and we accepted, figuring at least one of those other two players would still be available at #18. ARIZONA GETS: Steelers #18 overall pick Steelers 2009 2nd round pick PITTSBURGH GETS: Cardinals #13 overall pick Cardinals 2009 3rd round pick FS Ronnie Heard Sure enough, both Pollak and Olsen were still on the board. Looking for a guy we could immediately plug into the starting lineup, we drafted Pollak #18 overall. Then came our pick at #23. Olsen was still available, but so were some other guys. I decided to roll the dice and hope Olsen would fall to the second round, and drafted DT Alan Branch instead. Not long after came the draft day shocker. INDIANAPOLIS GETS WR CHAD JOHNSON CINCINNATI GETS #26 OVERALL PICK Johnson is coming off his second straight year as a first-team WR. This was a steal for the Colts, who still get Johnson at a very reasonable $3.65 and $4.1 million over the last 2 years of his current contract. Hell, if I knew the guy would've come that cheap, I would've offered the Bengals our #23 pick. Oh well. Our gamble on waiting for Olsen in the 2nd round backfired. The Kansas City Chiefs, anticipating the loss of Tony Gonzalez to free agency next year, stole Olsen with the #30 pick. We took our chances and paid the price. We figured we'd do no worse than Joe Newton (our second-best rated TE), but Minnesota plucked him at #35, just before us in round two. Luckily we have LJ Smith as our starting TE and can afford to wait another year or so to try draft another one. We were left scrambling with our second round pick and decided to go with the best player on the board, Tennessee CB Roshaun Fellows. We were hoping a solid offensive guard would fall to us with our 2 picks later in the second round, but when we saw John Hafferty and Will Arnold go back-to-back, it put a scare into us. So we offered up one of our 2nd rounders and our 4th rounder to Chicago to move up, and get Ofa Mohetau of Texas Tech. We picked another lineman, USC tackle Sam Baker, with the #54 overall pick. Amateur Draft Report: Rnd 1 (18) - Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State Rnd 1 (23) - Alan Branch, DT, Michigan Rnd 2 (4) - Roshaun Fellows, CB, Tennessee Rnd 2 (12) - Ofa Mohetau, G, Texas Tech Rnd 2 (22) - Sam Baker, T, Southern California Rnd 3 (9) - Chad Meier, T, Marshall Draft Review: B+
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-18-2006 at 07:24 AM. |
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05-20-2006, 06:10 AM
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#32 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Practice makes perfect
2008 -- NFL Training Camp
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Before training camp, my #1 priority was to upgrade our offensive line. One way or another, we were going to get some bodies to hold off the blitzes defensive coordinators have been throwing at us. It started with a 5-player trade with Indianapolis: ARIZONA GETS: G Ryan Lilja C Jeff Saturday INDIANAPOLIS GETS: S Adrian Wilson G Steve Edwards C Melvin Folwer Cardinals 2010 5th round pick I hated to pull the trigger on that one. Wilson was a 1st Team All-Pro for us a year ago, and Edwards and Fowler are serviceable linemen. But we still managed to upgrade significantly at guard and center, though Saturday will be a free agent at the end of the season and will likely be with us for only this one season. San Diego contacted us just about the same time, inquiring about ILB Kawika Mitchell. That guy was a machine for us last year, but the Chargers offer was just too good to pass up... a 1st round pick, straight-up. We jumped at the opportunity, setting up our boldest trade yet. When the Chiefs drafted tight end Greg Olsen just before us in this year's draft, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I seriously think the kid could be the next Tony Gonzalez. Obviously, so did the Chiefs, otherwise they wouldn't have used a late 1st round pick on him. Still, I had to see if I could somehow pry Olsen from KC's hands. That's when it happened: ARIZONA GETS: TE Greg Olsen (R) ILB Tommy Polley KANSAS CITY GETS: WR Anquan Boldin TE Shad Meier The Chiefs were looking for a bona fide stud at wideout and were very interested in our man Bolden. I knew this choice would have to be made sooner or later... we couldn't possibly hope to keep both Bolden and Larry Fitzgerald. The way I saw it, we were killing two birds with one stone. We were parting ways with Bolden, and we were diversifying our offensive with a dynamic tight end. Plus, we got Polley at linebacker to replace the departed Mitchell. Of course, by trading for Olsen at tight end, that meant we could find a new home for LJ Smith. He didn't even get to suit up for us and I considered letting Olsen play behind Smith for at least one year, but I decided it may just be best to throw Olsen right into the mix. ARIZONA GETS: P Steve Weatherford CB Heath Janikowski Vikings 2011 4th round pick MINNESOTA GETS: TE L.J. Smith We didn't get much for Smith, but we got enough. Weatherford filled an immediate need at punter. Janikowski was essentially a throw-away player to help get the Viks under the cap. After all that, we were ready for training camp. Code:
A quick look reveals that we are much improved on the offensive line. Football is won in the trenches, so having a beefy line certainly helps. Unfortunately, we're not as skilled on the defensive line. The D-Line is average at best and needs some serious TLC. Our best lineman, Bertrand Berry, is a free agent at the end of the season and I have no intentions of re-signing him. Don't get me wrong, he's a good rushing end... he set our single-season sack record with 18.0 back in 2005, but his numbers have been in decline ever since. Plus, he's asking for a $7 million bonus in his extension. I'd rather put that money toward a stud DE if we can find one in '09. We dealt with the Bolden-Fitzgerald quandry this season... now there's another one on the horizon. Antrel Rolle will be a free agent at the end of the '09 season and he'll command a salary of about $10 mil per year. With Leon Hall already establishing himself as one of the premiere corners in the league, it would seem silly to commit so much to one position, especially when we have to upgrade our defensive line. Bottom line, I'm going to have to consider shopping Rolle around this season and next. Maybe we can get draft picks or a defensive end in return.
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05-22-2006, 06:42 AM
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#33 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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Breakout year?
2008 -- NFL Season
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Without Anquan Boldin on the team, I was real interested to see how Matt Leinart would develop. Leinart was a little bit spoiled having two All-Pro receivers to throw to. Now he would only have one. I was also concerned about how well we would protect the quarterback. Every year, Leinart's been among the league leaders in sacks. If he wants to play in this league past the age of 30, we're going to have to cut those sacks down. We've always had the talent and the potential. But we couldn't afford yet another 8-8 season. It was time to fulfill our promise. Code:
We earned the nickname "Cardiac Cards" this year, and for good reason. Half of our games were decided either in the last 1:30 of regulation or in overtime. We were fortunate enough to come out on top in five of those eight nailbiters: Week 1: 20-17 win over San Francisco 4Q: 01:09 ARI - Reggie Bush 50 pass from Matt Leinart Week 3: 23-20 (OT) win over Atlanta 4Q: 01:04 ARI - Deion Branch 20 pass from Matt Leinart OT: 10:22 ARI - Neil Rackers 29 field goal Week 7: 41-38 win over Seattle 4Q: 01:06 ARI - Larry Fitzgerald 5 pass from Matt Leinart Week 14: 29-28 win over New England 4Q: 00:53 ARI - Reggie Bush 4 pass from Matt Leinart Week 17: 27-23 win over St. Louis 4Q: 01:00 ARI - Reggie Bush 8 run Despite sporting the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL, however, we missed out on the playoffs for a second year in a row. Our 9-7 record was good enough for a 3-way tie for first in the NFC West, but we lost a tie-breaker to the 49ers. Reggie Bush returned to form after playing in just 6 games for us in '07. He beat out Buffalo's Willis McGahee by 32 yards for the NFL rushing title with 1494 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was also one of our most prolific receivers, hauling in 52 catches for 582 yards and 5 touchdowns. Including a punt return for a touchdown, Bush set a new team record for touchdowns in a season with 20. Matt Leinart established new Cardinals franchise marks for quarterback rating (99.8) and touchdown passes (30) while surpassing the 4,000 yard mark for the first time in his career. We had 3 All-NFL First-Team players (RB Reggie Bush, FB Brandon Hancock, CB Antrel Rolle), though all of those guys would trade those honors for a playoff berth in a heartbeat.
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-23-2006 at 06:06 AM. |
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05-23-2006, 07:16 AM
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#34 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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2009 -- NFL Offseason
From the journal of GM Sam Adams Slowly but surely, we've kept moving forward. But just because you're moving forward doesn't mean you can't make some changes along the way. I decided to part ways with our offensive coordinator, Winfred Hwang, despite the fact that our offense was near the top of the league last season. The fact is, with the talent we have on offense, we should be scoring even more points and doing it on a much more consistent basis. In his place comes old school OC Ernie Addison. Despite his age (69 years old) he's always been a favorite of young players. He should fit right in leading our young offense. I didn't extend Denny Green's contract as our head coach, but I didn't fire him either. He's entering the last year of his contract, and we'll evaluate his situation after this season. In other words, it's time for him to show us why we hired him in the first place. With all of the coaching housekeeping taken care of, it was time to sit down with our star wideout, Larry Fitzgerald. We put the franchise tag on him, which puts his salary at about $7.5 million for the upcoming season. We'd still like to work out a longterm deal, but this one-year deal will have to do for now. Looking ahead to the draft, there's plenty of talent ready to join the pro ranks. Our preliminary top 10 goes something like this: 1. Philip Merling, DE (63/96) 2. Lydon Murtha, T (28/83) 3. Michael Oher, G (44/92) 4. Jeff Owens, DT (45/77) 5. Jamaal Charles, RB (51/72) 6. Roy Miller, DT (32/76) 7. Patrick Chung, S (43/83) 8. Brian Orakpo, DE (41/68) 9. Marlon Favorite, DT (43/70) 10. Rudy Carpenter, QB (24/70) Our staff is positively giddy about the prospect of drafting Merlin or Murtha with the #2 overall pick, which we got in a trade last year from the Vikings. Either guy would fill an immediate need for us on the offensive or defnesive line. Since we also hold the #16 and #23 overall picks, we may be able to move up and get another high first rounder to get not one, but both players. Stay tuned...
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website Last edited by Jake Plummer : 05-24-2006 at 04:11 AM. |
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05-24-2006, 07:25 AM
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#35 |
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n00b
Join Date: May 2006
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High marks from Kiper?
2009 -- NFL Draft
From the journal of GM Sam Adams We didn't make any significant signings during the free agent period, instead focusing almost solely on the draft. That didn't stop us from making some moves, though. Our backup quarterback, Vince Young, was the hot commodity. Everyone felt he was the next Bret Favre... a talented quarterback who was just waiting for a chance to shine as a starter. Tampa Bay, desperately needing a starting QB, ponied up its #5 overall pick for Young along with our 2nd and 4th round picks. Then, figuring we'd get a stud defensive end in the draft, we traded Marquise Hill along with a 4th and 6th rounder for Oakland's high choices in the 2nd, 4th, and 5th rounds. We were now ready to restock our team through the draft. Holding the #2, #16, and #23 overall picks in this year's draft, we had plenty of flexibility. This time I was bound and determined to overhaul our offensive and defensive lines. First, we traded our #2 overall pick to the Redskins for their #7 pick and a 2010 first rounder. They were high up on stud guard Michael Oher, so they got their man in that spot. I still wanted to make sure we got our guy, DE Phillip Merling, so we struck a deal with the Rams, trading them our #5 pick (from Tampa) and our #23 pick to move up two spots. It was costly, but we got Merling. Then we used Washington's #7 choice on Lydon Murtha, who should instantly become the bookend o-lineman we've been waiting for. After the top-10 picks were made, I was anxious to get back in the fray. DT Roy Miller was on the board. We offered up OT Qasim Mitchell and a 2nd round pick for the #11 choice, and the Pittsburgh Steelers accepted. We quickly jumped on Miller. We had a decision to make at #16. We had already drafted a defensive end and offensive tackle, but two more studs were still out there: DE Steve Davis and OT Alex Boone. We decided to go with Davis, and later traded OT Kevin Sampson and a 2010 second rounder for New Jersey's #22 overall choice, which we used on Boone. Rnd 1 (3) - Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson Rnd 1 (7) - Lydon Murtha, T, Nebraska Rnd 1 (11) - Roy Miller, DT, Texas Rnd 1 (16) - Steve Davis, DE, Minnesota Rnd 1 (22) - Alex Boone, T, Ohio State Rnd 2 (15) - Freddie Fairchild, OLB, Arkansas Rnd 5 (1) - Rudy Carpenter, QB, Arizona State Rnd 7 (16) - Perry Hernandez, CB, Ohio State Draft Review: A+ I felt this was our strongest draft yet and the experts agreed. ESPN's Mel Kiper graded us at A+, which I'll take with a grain of salt, since he's right half the time, and wrong the rest of the time. Still, we were able to get the players we wanted without taking any big risks.
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Arizona Cardinals FOF Website |
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06-01-2006, 09:53 AM
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#36 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oakdale, New York
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I hate it when people refer to the Jets as New Jersey. Please fix that.
 You are working that phone on overtime it appears. Interesting fictional dynasty. Keep up the good work.
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VNFL Chargers VNFL AFC President NAFL Super Bowl Champions 2005 New York Jets |
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