Protect the Nest - The Arizona Cardinals

[djp73]

Speed A Primary Focus In Secondary
http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-...a-732786c875c8
Kyle Odegard azcardinals.com


Cardinals safety Tyvon Branch also played nickel cornerback against the Raiders on Friday.


General Manager Steve Keim loves to watch the Cardinals offense fly up and down the field and score touchdowns.

But every time he does, it’s a reminder of the cat-and-mouse game he’s constantly playing as the roster architect on defense.

“Guys like Bruce Arians are just thinking of ways to come up with an athletic mismatch,” Keim said. “Get David Johnson on this linebacker, or this safety.”

The Cardinals’ secondary has two of the best players in the NFL in cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Tyrann Mathieu, so it should always be above average. In order to be elite, the whole group needs to shine, and Keim believes he made the right moves to get there this offseason.

Keim allowed starting safety Rashad Johnson and starting cornerback Jerraud Powers to walk in free agency, while safety Tyvon Branch was signed to a two-year deal and cornerback Brandon Williams was drafted in the third round. Both newcomers seem likely to have a prominent role in 2016, bringing with them one major factor.

“A lot of speed,” Peterson said. “Both of those guys add a bigger athletic standpoint to the back-end for sure.”

It’s always risky letting veterans like Johnson and Powers leave because their high football IQ can save the defense on certain plays, but no amount of mental preparation can make a player run faster.

The Cardinals were innovators when they moved safety Deone Bucannon into an inside linebacker role, sacrificing size for speed. Now Keim hopes to add more athleticism at defensive back.

“The day and age of the 260-pound ‘Mike’ linebackers that go downhill and are two-down thumpers don’t exist anymore,” Keim said. “Today everything is so spread out, you have to have athletes.”

The Cardinals’ previous secondary played together for several years, and that chemistry was apparent on the field last year. There weren’t very many mix-ups, and if something was askew, Johnson often pointed it out quickly enough to fix it.

Mathieu said the talent level alone of the new defensive backs brings excitement, but the unit must come together.

“I think it’s going to help us out tremendously, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to have that chemistry,” Mathieu said. “We’ve got to click. We’ve got to learn how to play with each other. We’ll continue to work on that in camp and I think it will help us tremendously moving forward.”

Branch has many of Mathieu’s traits, in that he can play both the traditional safety role and line up at slot cornerback.

“I’ve been doing that my whole career, and I’m comfortable with it,” Branch said.

More than the speed and athleticsm, it’s that versatility which gets Keim excited. Mathieu is a rare breed who can bounce about assignments from one play to the next, and Keim believes Branch has similar tools.

Branch is a former standout in Oakland who suffered some injuries and watched his career plateau. Now healthy, Keim believes he’s the exact type of player the Cardinals need.

“When we talk to our scouts, we’re not looking for the big, physical safety,” Keim said. “We’re looking for the rangy guy who can cover in the slot, cover the three, play some nickel. Tyvon was the one guy out there that I really thought fit that mold.”

[djp73]

Stock Up, Stock Down Heading Into Preseason Week Two
http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/201...eason-week-two
By Blake Murphy @blakemurphy7 on Aug 14, 2016, 8:00a



Which Cardinals are trending up and which are trending down?

After a 31-10 loss to the Raiders (which might have as well been __ to __ considering the score has about as much meaning as a Skip Bayless take in preseason) we are officially back to Arizona Cardinals football.

There were a bunch of takeaways from last night's game, but rather than looking at winners and losers in the game specifically, let's take a look at which players have been trending up and trending down heading into the season at this point when you include their performances in the game from yesterday.

It should be noted that these rankings should have very little meaning on who makes the final roster as they are indeed biased based on what we are seeing on the field without access to the locker room, seeing the level of competition and the positions that will be needed to be filled.

With that let's take a look at some of the top performers so far.

STOCK TOO HIGH TO QUANTIFY:

-David Johnson

Choo choo! That's the sound of the David Johnson hype train taking off. Johnson was already projected to have a huge role and be a top fantasy football pick and there's been nothing but heaps of praise lumped on him from coaches (I mean, Hall of Fame potential?) but he's so far lived up to it. His quick 30-yard run versus Oakland is showing that the Cardinals have a very special player. If he stays healthy, he might truly deliver a special season, and hopefully career, as a Cardinal.

STOCK UP:

-D.J. Humphries

Perhaps no player has managed to improve their stock more from last season to where they are now. Humphries went from being labeled "Kneedeep" (as many fans held against him) to looking hopelessly lost and giving up hit after hit in preseason to being inactive all last year to now being the starter and holding his own at the Right Tackle spot.

It's not a guarantee that he'll be the unquestioned starter a la a Veldheer/Iupati but he's been proving himself more and more each day with a new mentality, a far cry from where many fans were declaring "bust" last year.

I know we've had Levi Brown as a burden but perhaps it's about time that we start seeing that Humphries has changed, and his play on the field versus the likes of Mack and Irvin (even with a little help from David Johnson) is showing it. He's still only 22 years old, which is incredible to think about.

-Troy Niklas

Speaking of young players, it's weird to think that Troy Niklas is only 23 years old. He's really improved his game not only as a blocker (made a fantastic block downfield in space vs. the Raiders last night) but also as a receiver. There still seems to be room to indicate that being healthy this season has made a big difference, and Arians has heaped praise on him and said he's pushing for starting time. Considering the talent level and fit in Bruce's offense of Gresham and Fells ahead of him, that's high praise indeed.

-Jaxon Shipley

Shipley kept making plays last camp and preseason, and it seems he's done nothing but this year again as well, with a few nice catches and runs afterward from Matt Barkley in a game which he played despite hurting himself earlier in the week during camp. It's gonna be an interesting push for the final roster as Wide Receiver is the deepest position Arizona has, but he's making himself impossible to ignore.

-Cariel Brooks

With the Cornerback position somewhat up in the air, and with how coaches have raved about Brooks this offseason, he might be a lock on the roster at this point. Brooks has excellent awareness and has shown instinctual play in zone coverage in camp and this preseason, especially last night as he sniffed out a screen and allowed Chris Clemons to force a fumble.

Despite not having the physical measurables of Williams or Bethel, Brooks seems to be in the right place at the right time. He should see his time increase as he keeps making plays.

-Andre Ellington

A few seasons ago, #FreeEllington was a trending hashtag on Twitter, as Cardinals fans wanted to see more of Andre Ellington's potential and less snaps or carries from Rashard Mendenhall.

Oh how times have changed.

Yet Ellington, now healthy and the 3rd back, seems to be as explosive as ever and is back to making plays day in and day out as a runner, receiver and even is getting a chance as a kick returner. He's shown rare explosion for sure...but is this just who he's going to be until he inevitably gets hurt?

Maybe it is. But for now, as the third back, if he can stay healthy in that position, it seems like he might be ready for a truly turnaround, breakout season. Just not in the way or role that many expected.

STOCK DOWN:

-Brittan Golden

Golden's been a bubble guy who made the roster (and a great block in the Seattle game last year) the last two years. However, he's really done nothing to help his case in comparison to the talk coaches have been giving Jaxon Shipley and Chris Hubert, or with Jaron Brown seeming to have stepped up and elevated his play in the offseason. He's also now competing with Andre Ellington as a kick returner, meaning that his spot on the roster is more in doubt. Or maybe we're all reading it wrong and he's doing fine. But fine might not be good enough to make this final 53.

-Matt Barkley

I was tempted to have a middling category for Barkley, but his play just hasn't been holding up in preseason despite a few great throws from last night. He

-Drew Stanton

You never like to see your backup struggle some, but Stanton didn't play well in the game. He's still miles ahead of Barkley but it goes without saying that fans would prefer to see him slinging it and playing well. Let me say this: there's no such thing as a great backup QB, because great backups are future starters.

Stanton isn't one of those guys. What he is, however, is a decent enough stopgap and backup quarterback for the next two years if Palmer gets hurt. It'll be interesting if his accuracy declines further, however, and he's forced to see time. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

-Donald Butler

Butler has done very little except let interceptions slip through his hands and miss angles on tackling so far in camp and preseason. The film isn't going to be very pretty and it's tough to see him make the roster, even as an experienced veteran

-Gerald Christian

Christian has a lot against him, let's be fair. He's a smaller tight end going up against a roster with Fells, Gresham, Niklas, Momah and even Stepfan Taylor from time to time as Tight Ends. But he's done little to help himself and it's tough to rectify keeping him on the practice squad another year vs. trying to find a player who fits Arians' style better. Mr Irrelevant has been that in camp, despite hard work, the NFL is a league of "have's" and "have-not's" and that's a difficult truth for the thousands who don't, but that's how it is. The league is unforgiving.

And finally there is...

-Justin Bethel

The curious case of Justin Bethel. Is he more than a special teams ace? So far, we can't tell as he still hasn't played. Arians saying that Bethel's play was a matter of "pain tolerance" is either good or bad, depending on what Arians' view on his ability to practice is. But the fact remains that Bethel has missed the whole offseason and, injured or not, that only hurts him in Arians' eyes.

You could say that's why he's given the starting job to Brandon Williams but that wouldn't be quite accurate. Williams has EARNED the job with his play thus far. Could he lose it or Bethel retake it? Certainly. But he'll have to hit the field to show that. Maybe we'll get to see after the Chargers game this next week if Bethel can quickly ascertain himself as the second best corner on the field, similar to how Bobby Massie did after his two-game suspension.

Until then, time will tell whether the money the Cardinals invested in Bethel will pay off.

Any thoughts? Agree or Disagree? Sound off in the comments!

[LopaKa]

Nice team choice djp. I'll be following for sure, I can't wait for madden!!!

[djp73]

Quote: Originally Posted by LopaKa

Nice team choice djp. I'll be following for sure, I can't wait for madden!!!

really excited about using this team with some of the new/old features we're getting/getting back.

always good to have you along for the ride

[djp73]

Cardinals Struggle In San Diego
http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-...f-5988d280be57
Posted Aug 19, 2016 Darren Urban azcardinals.com



Quarterback Drew Stanton tries to escape the pass rush of Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram during Friday night's 19-3 preseason loss in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO – Bruce Arians didn’t want to really talk about his health Friday night.
“I’m fine,” said the Cardinals coach, who had to go to the hospital earlier in the week with a colon problem. “Just pissed.”

What wasn’t fine was Arians’ offense, which struggled immensely during a 19-3 loss to the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. After a preseason opener in which the first-team offense provided a scoring drive and a couple of big plays, none were found after a week of practices in California.

Adding to the rough night was the news linebacker Alex Okafor tore a biceps tendon in practice Tuesday night. He must decide if he will have season-ending surgery or try to play with it.

That at least happened earlier in the week. Arians said he didn’t think there were any injuries Friday.

“That’s about the only good news,” Arians said.

Arians was irritated but not panicked. Arians waved away the idea that there was reason to worry long term.

“We’ll go back to work,” Arians said. “That’s why you play the preseason. These don’t count other than you find out a lot about yourself.”

Quarterback Carson Palmer’s night lasted 11 plays and eight passes. Four were complete, one was nearly intercepted and another was intercepted – a quick screen sniffed out by blitzing cornerback Brandon Flowers, who was only a few feet away from Palmer as he grabbed the ball behind the line of scrimmage and raced 25 yards for a touchdown.

It was a great play by Flowers – Palmer audibled out of a running play after correctly diagnosing the blitz – but the pass could have been executed better, both Arians and Palmer acknowledged.

The Cardinals couldn’t run either, gaining just 18 yards on 10 combined carries from David Johnson, Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington.

“Every part of you says it’s the preseason because it is the preseason,” Palmer said. “We have to continue to work. You don’t let it frustrate you. You look at the areas that are good with the areas that are bad, evaluate them, and move forward.”

Backup Drew Stanton also struggled, for a second straight week overthrowing a receiver into the waiting arms of a centerfield-playing safety for an easy interception. Stanton finished only 2-of-7 for 32 yards. The Cardinals didn’t score until Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and even that came after Catanzaro missed a 48-yard try earlier in the game.

Although the Chargers did not play starting quarterback Philip Rivers, the Cardinals (0-2) did get good work out of their defensive starters.

The Chargers did score 10 when the first-team defense was playing, but seven came on the interception return and the other field goal came after a 61-yard return of Stanton’s pick to the Arizona 9-yard line.

“We were a physical defense but that (performance) is not the standard,” money linebacker Deone Bucannon said. “We want to win games at the end of the day. There are some things we need to fix. This is just the second preseason game. We’ll get it right.”

All along, Arians wanted the Cardinals to be tested with a week out of the ordinary. Between Arians’ illness and the intrasquad practices, it was definitely different – and then came a flat showing Friday.

“A veteran team should show up,” Arians said. “I didn’t like the way we started the game and that set the tone the whole game.”

[djp73]

Still debating waiting for week one rosters or diving in.
Thoughts?

[djp73]

Cardinals Dangerous On Both Sides Of Ball
http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-...5-00c236bad92c
Posted 18 hours ago Kyle Odegardazcardinals.comEmail @Kyle_Odegard



Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (left) and cornerback Patrick Peterson are stars on offense and defense, respectively.

In one big wave, defensive reinforcements rolled back onto the Cardinals practice field this week.

Three possible starters – safety Tyrann Mathieu, defensive tackle Frostee Rucker and cornerback Justin Bethel – made their training camp debuts on Sunday, and first-round pickRobert Nkemdiche followed on Monday.

The Cardinals’ explosive offense grabbed most of the headlines last season, finishing first in total offense and second in scoring as quarterback Carson Palmer turned out near-MVP-level production, and is expected to be among the league’s best once again.

But now that Mathieu is back, it’s clear the defense has no shortage of potential stars. He joins cornerback Patrick Peterson, defensive tackle Calais Campbell, money linebacker Deone Bucannon and outside linebackerChandler Jones as the cornerstones of a group looking to improve on last year’s seventh-best scoring defense.

The Seahawks were the only team to finish in the top-5 in points scored and points allowed a season ago, and it’s rare for a team to be balanced enough to be dominant in both areas.

Wouldn’t that be something, if the Cardinals pulled it off in 2016?

“Hell, yeah,” linebacker Kevin Minter said. “Is water wet?”

It seems like a lofty but realistic goal. The offense returns every skill player which gained a yard from last year’s record-breaking unit and is littered with playmakers. As long as Palmer is something close to what he was a season ago, the offense should be high-flying again.

The defense’ biggest weakness was its pass-rush, and while leading sack man Dwight Freeney was allowed to walk in free agency, the additions of Nkemdiche and Jones along with the progression of outside linebacker Markus Golden seems to have fortified that issue.

Mathieu was a monster last year, and one question mark will be his effectiveness early as he returns from a torn ACL. If Mathieu gets back to superstar status, the Cardinals have to feel confident about both sides of the ball in 2016.

“It’s a well-built roster,” Palmer said. “It’s a great staff with the right coaches for the players we have and the type of scheme we run. The players fit the scheme very well on both sides of the ball.”

Coach Bruce Arians knows he has a talented roster, but is less interested in the minutia and more in the big picture.

“I really don’t put a lot of stock in stats,” Arians said. “If you win 14, 15 games, you’re going to (look good statistically). That’s the only stat I care about.”

In the NFL, though, there are different ways to get to that mark. The Broncos had an unenviable quarterback situation a season ago, but rode an unbelievable defense to the title. The Saints, Colts and Patriots have used dominant offenses to win Super Bowls.

The Cardinals offense feels like it has the tools to lead the team to the promised land in 2016. So does the defense.

“Most teams are one-sided,” Minter said. “With us being so stout on both sides, it’s a little surreal. It’s almost like a created team (on a video game). We’ll see how it goes, though. It’s still any given Sunday. It’s still the NFL, and those other teams, they’ve got players, too. Regardless of what we’ve got, we’ve still got to show up every week.”

[djp73]

decided NOT to wait on rosters

everything from here on out is played and written by me

#protectthenest ya'll