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Madden '04 Empty Cupboard
Based partly on polls and partly on my own desires, I have decided to begin my Madden 2004 dynasty. I have always wanted to run an FOF empty cupboard dynasty, so I thought that I would try that tactic with the Cardinals.
The Cardinals stink. And they have stunk for a long time. I was born in 1976, but at the end of the season in December. Therefore, I have been alive for all football seasons 1977-2002. In my ENTIRE LIFE the Cardinals have had exactly THREE WINNING SEASONS. 1983 - 8-7-1 (As close as you can probably get to the line and yet still have a winning season) 1984 - 9-7 1998 - 9-7 Generations upon generations of draft picks have been selected by the Cardinals thinking that they will be the ones to turn around the team, or that the Cardinals are just a year or two away from greatness. Only to have their hopes dashed upon the hard Arizona ground. Somebody once told me that football is a pendulum, that every team has up years and down years, but the pendulum swings changing karma instantly. The Jaguars were blessed, and now cursed. The Cowboys, once ordained, are now ugly. The Rams, once scorned, are now elite. If so, then the pendulum in Arizona must have swung out so far that it achieved escape velocity, never to return. They have never even finished a season more than one game over .500 in my life! How can one franchise be so incompetant? Surely even a janutor could run the team better. As such, the Cardinals make the perfect team to try an empty cupboard strategy with. -Anxiety |
To: Steve Winter, Editor, PFW
From: Abe Sargent RE: Possible Financial Support Message originally from [email protected]: > which leads me to ask several questions of you: Ask away my friend > Where does the money come from? I have no intention of revealing my income sources > What is this vendetta against the Cardinals? No vendetta, just facts. Face it, this team has been at the bottom so long that it can barely claim to even have fans. It hemmorges talent faster than the Expos. The Cardinals have ugly uniforms, ugly players, an ugly stadium and an ugly future. > What is there to gain from such a venture? What is there to lose? > When will you make the offer? Ideally, within the month. I still need to secure additional finances from investers and philathropists. Truly, investing in the Cardinals should count as a charitable donation to a 401(c)3 organization. > Why reveal your plans to PFW prematurely? I have no problem with you circulating a rumor about mysterious buyers being interested in purchasing the Cardinals. I want the public to start having wistful thoughts about the possibility of new management. > I wish you luck. Of course you do. It'd make a great story.... Signing off, Anxiety |
ProFootball Weekly Rumors of the Week
We hear that some mysterious buyers might be interested in buying the Cardinals. Apparently, the possible investors are huge football fans and are targeted the Cardinals for purchase because of the Cardinals woeful history. But, the price for the Cardinals would be expensive. Current ownership is not ready to sell the team for market value, and only a significantly higher offer would warrant a sale. In these uncertain economic times, is purchasing a dead franchise for too much money in anybody's interest? |
Bill Bidwell: Alright, I have called this special meeting of the Board of Directors to order. We have received a bid offer for the Cardinals. Here to explain the offer is Abe Sargent.
Abe Sargent: Thanks you. Gentlemen, you have before you a document that tracks the balance sheets of the Cardinals for the past 25 years. As you probably know, the only time that the Cardinals made money was shortly after the move to Arizona. I have cross referenced the Cardinals' financial data with its football data. In the same span of time that attendance has dropped, fan support has decreased, player salaries have increased, our revenues have held relatively constant in real dollars. However when you account for inflation, and put all numbers in 1978 dollars, what you see is that our revenues have greatly decreased while expenses skyrocket. Simply put, the Cardinals is the football equivalent of throwing pearls before swine. I know that each of you must be a tremendous football fan to have had to endure years of failure both on the field and in the wallet. No one else would even be here except for fans of the game. What you have before you is our proposal to purchase the Cardinals. Since the Cardinals do not own their stadium, the value of the team is lessened. The latest NFL auditors have placed the value of the Cardinals at 374 million. This is an offer for 400 million even. Considering the economy, the value of the team, the poor fiscal outlook for future seasons, and the crumbling stadium, we think that this is a very generous offer. I ask that you seriously consider it. Bill Bidwell: Have no fears, we will. However, I must admit that since this team has been in my family for years, it has a special place in my heart and I do not wish to sell. Abe Sargent: I can certainly understand that. Are there any questions? Michael J. Bidwell, VP and General Cousel: Mr. Sargent.... Abe: Call me Abe. Mr. Sargent makes it sound like I have two titles and no name. Michael: Very well, Abe then. Do you plan on keeping the Cardinals in Arizona? Abe: I will not commit to leaving the Cardinals in Arizona. This team needs to be where fans will cherish it and attend football games. I want to sell out every game, and if I can do that in Arizona, great. If not, then I am comfortbale finding a place that meets our needs. Nancy J. Bidwell, VP: What about the logo? The Mascot? The uniforms or helmets? Abe: I would immediately redesign the uniforms and helmets. I might redesign the logo if I ultimately decide to keep the Cardinals mascot. However, I have no plans to do either as of right now. William J. Bidwell, Jr.: What about increasing your revenue? Anybody can say that they want to increase attendance and revenue. What plans do you have for accomplishing such a goal? Abe: I plan on winning. That will increase advertising as columinists and press create a buzz. Attendance will increase, thus increasing parking fees, concession sales, and so forth. My plan for increasing revenues is to win. Nicole Bidwell: What about the staff? Rod Graves? Coach McGinnis? Abe: No staff would have their job guaranteed beyond a one season observation hiatus that I would grant to all staff. Bill: I am still hesitant to sell to somene outside our family.. Abe: I want to express my understanding and sympathy of your decision. However, which would honor your father better - that you and your family own the Cardinals, or that the team succeed on the field? I imagine that your father, that indeed each of you, has a passion for the game. I intend to ignite our performance on the field. Bill: Thank you for your interesting offer. I would ask that you return home to Michigan now, so that we can peruse your information and make a decision. Abe: Of course. Thank you for your time. Please take my offer seriously. -Anxiety |
No Bid for Bidwell
John Clayton ESPN.com Earlier today an anonymous official high up in the Cardinals organization confirmed a rumor that a bid had been officially placed before the Cardinals Board of Directors. "It was a generous bid," our source stated. Forbes' last estimate as to the value of the Cardinals was 374 million. However, Bill Bidwell earlier today announced that he would never sell the team and that his father's legacy would continue to live on through the Bidwells. "My father created this football team. Our family and children are all about football. I could never leave the business and call myself a Bidwell," responded owner Bill Bidwell. The Arizona Cardinals have lost money in most recent years, yet despite this unsettling financial trend, the Bidwells are standing firm to their commitment to remain Cardinals. |
Abe Sargent picks up the receiver of an old vantage office phone and is seen dialing several numbers while pretending to read the number off a clipboard in his lap. A voice answers and can be heard talking to Abe through the receiver.
Voice on Phone: Hello? Abe Sargent: It's Abe again. The Bidwells shot down our offer. Voice: As expected. Abe: Of course. Now it is time to initiate our primary contingency plan. Voice: Have you discovered what the Bidwells want? What might be a good price for the franchise? Abe: It was easy. Listen to their public comments. You can read behind the lines and see what they truly value. Especially Bill the Senior. Voice: I hope that you are correct. Abe: I am confident that this plan will work. And it should cost less than we had initially hoped. Voice: Excellent. Fill me in on the financial matters later. Abe: I'll have someone fax them over tomorrow. For now, I'm off to bed. Voice: Have a pleasant slumber. Abe returns the phone to its resting place. He turns off the lamp light, creating darkness END SCENE |
Rumors of NFL Team Ownership Abound
John Clayton ESPN.com Maybe there is just something in the water. There have been few major owner changes in the past few years. A minority owner will take over the Raven next year. Dan Snyder picked up the Redskins a few years ago. But that has been pretty much it recently. This is despite record prosperty in our nation, record breaking numbers for NFL clubs, and the like. Now, however, when the financial climate has chilled, after Minnesota Viking owner Red McCombs has had a huge for sale sign over the team for several years, the fish bite. Within the past three weeks there have been no less than three teams in the rumor mill. Each has a different story. Tampa Bay - The Bucs, coming off a Super Bowl victory, are possibly in flux because owner Malcolm Glazer was approved by Major Lease Baseball for purchase of the LA Dodgers. NFL rules state that an NFL owner cannot own clubs in other sports in cities other then the one in which they own their NFL club. As such, this leads some to suspect that the Bucs may be available for purchase. Or relocation to LA. Minnesota - Red McCombs is reportedly in talks with an unknown agent for a financier for the Vikings. Minnesota was recently valued at 346 million. It is unknown what Red would actually sell the club for. However, considering that he has been actively looking for buyers for a while, one might imagine that the price would be lowered. Arizona - Lastly, the Cardinals received an official offer earlier this week from an unknown source that was labelled as "generous." Why anybody would be interested in the Cardinals, valued at 374 million, when the Vikings are available for less baffles this reporter. Since the Vikings have a better on-field product and a cheaper price tag, it seems the better buy. However, the Bidwells rejected the offer. It remains to be seen as to whether any of these rumors will amount to ownership changes, but you have to wonder at what exactly is going on. |
are you going to play the game some too?
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Excerpt from "Minnesota Sports Live!"
Dave Sharkly: The top story on our show tonight is the sotry of ownership changes with the Minnesota Vikings. Red McCombs has reportedly agreed to sell the team to an undisclosed buyer, pending league approval. Is this good or bad for the Vikings, Sean? Sean McCrimmon: Definately good. McCombs has been spining th wwheels of the team for the past few years, trying to keep things stable and cheap. Mice Tice as head coach is the best example of this behavior. He continued the old coaching guard plus he;s cheap and affordable. Any new owner can fire him with ease, or keep him as they see fit. Dave: So then, where is the good? That an owner won't spin the wheels? Sean: Right, a new owner could come in here and shake things up. Dave: Would you buy the Vikings if you could? Sean: Absolutely. There's no better team than the purple. Dave: On other news, University of Minnesota basketball team retruns from a hard season where...... |
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I am laying a foundation :) -Anxiety |
I think that I will be lurking....nice read so far.
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I think I see where this is going... keep it up!
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NFL Receives Information on Vikings' Deal
Steve Atwater NFL.com Earlier today the NFL received information regarding the sale of the Minnesota Vikings. The deal is estimated at 398 million dollars, which is around 50 million more than the worth of the team. However, sources indicate that there are a few unusual wrinkles in this deal that will take the league a bit longer to certify. Red McCombs, who purchased the Vikings seven years ago, was said to be ecstatic at the purchase price, which is over double what he initially paid for the team. Paul Tagliabue is supposed to spend the afternoon meeting with these unknown buyers and analyzing the unusual deal. More details will follow as they emerge. |
Press Conference, Sun Devil Stadium, 5:17 pm local time
Abe Sargent: Alright, you've been brought here today for a press conference regarding team ownership changes. I have been the unidentified source that tried to purchase the Cardinals and was just approved to purchase the Vikings a little over an hour ago. However, this deal is not like one you may normally be familiar with. I approached the Bidwells to purchase the Cardinals out of a sense of football loyalty. The Cardinals have been so lousy on the field for so long that I felt obligated to purchase it as opposed to any other team. However, Bill Bidwell was not interested in leaving behind the sport that his father loved. As such, it first appeared as though we were at an impasse. However, a solution loomed on the horizon for any who sought fit to look out that far. I recognized that the Bidwells were interested in football, but not necessarily the Cardinals. My purchase of the Vikings was approved for 398 million dollars. I then presented the Vikings and 75 million to the Cardinals ownership. Essentially, we swapped teams, and I gave the Bidwells enough cash to make it worth their while. Please recognize that the Cardinals are a more valuable franchise monetarily than the Vikings, so a straight up trade would be unfair to the Bidwells. Bill Senior gets a new team with a winning attitude. Essentially the Bidwells get a mulligan on the Cardinals funk. And the Cardinals get a new owner who will clean house in a most thorough manner. Welcome to Arizona. Welcome to the future. I'll take questions now. Sam Somerville, Arizona Sun: What are your plans for the Cardinals? Abe: I intend on changing the entire ethic of the team. We will play hard, and work hard, and bleed hard. You can also expect some personnel changes, but I cannot comment on that more fully at this time. As I just purchased my team, I need a chance to review the player and coaches before making decisions. Sarah Albertson, Channel 7 News: What about players? Are you going to cut or sign any players? Abe: This is the official new Arizona Cardinals Cardinal Rule for reporters - Do Not Ask Me a Question That Has Already Been Answered. Next time it happens, I'll ask Channel 7 to send a real reporter. I don't have time for footsie. To read back my comments, "You can also expect some personnel changes, but I cannot comment on that more fully at this time. As I just purchased my team, I need a chance to review the player and coaches before making decisions." Fred Sanders, Arizona Weekly: Where did you receive financial backing? Abe: Now that is a highly intelligent question, unlike its predecessor. Unfortunately, I am unable at this time to divulge my sources. I acquired my wealth prior to making an offer, and as such, I do not have to reveal my tax information as per NFL rules. Although it is certainly possible that my financial backers will not mind me revealing their identity later, I cannot even predict that that will ever be so. Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: When will you take over ownership duties? Abe: Tomorrow morning after all of the paperwork is completed. Red McCombs and Bill Bidwell, Sr will be having their own press conference from Minnesota at noon tomorrow local time. I intend to be a very visible owner. Imagine me more like Jerry Jones and less like Bill Bidwell. I have to leave you now. You will have ample time to ask more questions in the next few days. Our public relations coordinator is available at the rear of the room to schedule more intimite one on one interviews. Have a great evening! |
Like Jerry Jones but not as stupid, and hopefully less plastic surgery!
Great stuff so far!:D |
From an internal scouting document:
The Arizona Cardinals Roster, sorted by position and ability: QB Jeff Blake, 78 Ovr QB Josh McCown, 64 Ovr QB Preston Parsons, 48 Ovr HB Emmitt Smith, 81 Ovr HB Marcel Smith, 78 Ovr HB Damen Anderson, 62 Ovr HB Travis Prentice, 61 Ovr FB James Hodgins, 85 Ovr WR Bryant Johnson, 75 Ovr WR Anquan Boldin, 71 Ovr WR Kevin Kasper, 71 Ovr WR Jason McAddley, 70 Ovr WR Bryan Gilmore, 69 Ovr WR Larry Foster, 63 Ovr WR Marquise Walker, 61 Ovr TE Freddie Jones, 82 Ovr TE Steve Bush, 62 Ovr TE Mike Banks, 54 Ovr LT L.J. Shelton, 81 Ovr LT Kendrick Rogers, 56 Ovr LG Pete Kendall, 88 Ovr LG Cameron Spikes, 63 Ovr C Frank Garcia, 67 Ovr C Jason Starkey, 65 Ovr RG Leonard Davis, 95 Ovr RG Chris Dishman, 65 Ovr RT Anthony Clement, 77 Ovr RT Raleigh Roundtree, 63 Ovr LE Fred Wakefield, 70 Ovr LE Dennis Johnson, 66 Ovr RE Kyle Vanden Booch, 73, Ovr RE Calvin Pace, 72 Ovr DT Wendell Bryant, 76 Ovr DT Russell Davis, 71 Ovr DT Marcus Bell, 65 Ovr DT Barron Tanner, 64 Ovr DT Kenny King, 60 Ovr LOLB Raynoch Thompson, 75 Ovr LOLB #45, 68 Ovr MLB Ronald McKinnon, 80 Ovr MLB James Darling, 68 Ovr MLB Tony Gilbert, 58 Ovr ROLB LeVar Fisher, 73 Ovr ROLB LeVar Woods, 52 Ovr CB Duane Starks, 85 Ovr CB David Barrett, 73 Ovr CB Renaldo Hill, 67 Ovr CB Coby Rhinehart, 62 Ovr CB Robert Cromartie, 53 Ovr FS Darrell Jackson, 83 Ovr FS Michael Stone, 65 Ovr SS Adrian Wilson, 87 Ovr SS Justin Lucas, 66 Ovr K Bill Gramatica, 79 Ovr P Scott Player, 94 Ovr |
Abe Sargent: I don't believe that I ever truly appreciated how absolutely horrid the Arizona Cardinals are. That is why I have summoned you here this evening. It's time we had a chat about our problem. Coach, you wanted to say something?
Dave McGinnis: Thanks, sir... Abe: I told you to stop calling me that. Call me Abe. Dave: Yes sir, uh...Abe. Anyway, I wanted to say that these guys play their hearts out and their butts off. They may not have the talent, but football is about teamwork and emotion. These guys have the desire and drive. They have heart. Abe: Coach McGinnis, with all due respect, football is about ability and execution, not emotion. Mad, happy, crying, in love; I don't care, so long as you catch a ball and wrap up when you tackle. These guys cannot execute. Most of these receivers couldn't catch a cold in a rainstorm. These defensive linemen couldn't find the ball carrier if it was pitch dark with a spotlight on the guy. And these quarterbacks couldn't find due north with a compass and a flashlight. Let alone try to find downfield. And Rod, to be frank, I place a lot of blame for this situation on your shoulders. We have two good football players. A punter and a guard. And you cannot build a team around a guard and a punter. We've had contract snafus, extended holdouts, and we've exported talent like Cuban Cigars. Our drafts look anemic, and when we do strike gold we lose the player to injury, free agency, or poor coaching. Rod Graves, Vice President of Football Operations: Sir, I cannot take all of the blame... Abe: Rod there is enough blame here for everybody. From the waterboy to the previous owner, from the quarterbacks to the rookies, this entire organization has bought into the ideal of mediocrity. What have you folks done to build a better franchise? Drafting, negiotating, coaching and playing have all suffered under the previous regime. Now it changes. Everybody's job is up for review this year. The Bidwell exodus left the following positions open, four generic Vice Presidents and the General Counsel. It's time for some organization here. Rod, as of today you supervise only the scouting and contract negotiating staff. I will now supervise the head coach. Dave you are the direct supervisor of your coaches, but I will hire and fire them, with your advice of course. I will make the personnel decisions here regarding players. For too long the Cardinals have been rudderless. I am your rudder. One of the open VP positions will become an Administrative VP position who will supervise clerical staff and support staff. Another open position becomes the public relations VP. This means the Director position is no more, sorry Luis, but you will assume the role of VP in the interim, and that's a promotion, with a corresponding increase in pay. The third VP position will be the VP of Health, supervising the cooking, medical and training staff. I am cutting the fourth VP position. I will post the General Counsel opening and VP openings tonight. Interviews will begin after the season begins, except for cousel which we will hire immediately. This ship has just been tightened. Thanks for your time. |
I'm reading!
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Be kind to Emmitt please. Maybe you could find it in your heart to send him back to the 'Boys...
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Rod Graves gingerly knocks on Abe Sargent's open office door. Abe looks up, his face not registering anything at the sight of Graves.
Rod Graves: Do you have a minute? Abe Sargent: Sure thing, Rod, have a seat. How can I help you? Rod: Well, you have taken away so many of my job responsibilities. The coaches, trainers, medical staff all report to others. Only the scouting staff still reports to me. In addition, you have taken away personnel decisions. So all I am now is a glorified scouting director. Abe: Can I ask you a question, Rod? Rod: Sure... Abe: I took away 80% of your power and authority three days ago in front of everybody else. Why did you wait three days to come to me? Rod: Well, I wanted to be sure that I was about to do the right thing. Abe: If I am not going to be the de facto GM round here, then whoever is must have the assertiveness necessary. You have proved to me that you haven't. Rod: I have my resignation here. Rod hands Abe a white envelope Abe: Thanks you very much. I'd like your office cleaned and available in three days. Rod: Yes, sir. Abe: And Rod....? Rod: Yes? Abe: This was never about you, it's just business. Rod: Certainly. Rod Graves turns and walks out of the office |
The New Arizona Cardinals Organizational Chart:
Owner - Abe Sargent Reporting to Abe Sargent: General Counsel - Vacant Head Coach Dave McGinnis Director of Scouting - Vacant VP of Health - Vacant VP of Public Relations Luis Zendejas, Interim VP of Administration - Vacant Owner Abe Sargent also makes all personnel decisions regarding players. Reporting to Coach Dave McGinnis: All assistant coaches, position coaches, and assistants. Reporting to the Director of Scouting: All scouts. Reporting to the General Counsel Two paralegals Reporting to the VP of Health: All trainers, all medicial personnel including doctors, interns and nurses, team cook. Reporting to the VP of Public Relations: All community relations staff, sales and marketing staff, public relations staff, player relations and video director. Reporting to the VP of Administration: All equipment staff, groundkeeper, front office staff, information technology staff, accountants and administration assistants. |
Interview Script from 1080 AM, Sports Talk Phoenix
Matt Winslow: And we're back with Abe Sargent, the brand new owner of the Cardinals. Good to have you Abe. Abe Sargent: Good to be here Matt. I like the Arizona air. Matt: You've never lived in Arizona before, have you? Abe: My first time in Arizona, ever, was when we arrived to offer to buy the team from Bill Bidwell that first time. Matt: Gotta tell you that it's great to see Bidwell gone. That man was a curse on the franchise. I have no idea how the Vikings will respond to having him at the helm, but I doubt it will be good. I have heard that Rod Graves resigned as the football operations chief, correct? Abe: Correct. I have assumed all of his duties except I will hire a new Director of Scouting position to supervise the scouting staff. Matt: I'm a bit leary with a brand new owner with no football experience taking over the Cardinals GM role. Abe: The easy answer to that is to think of Bidwell. How could anybody do worse? Matt: A good point to ponder. What's next on the agenda? Abe: Arizona's players have bought into this culture of failure. I am about to correct that problem. Matt: How so? Abe: I am not at liberty to say right now, but trust me, it'll be huge. Maybe the biggest football story of the year. I'll keep you posted, don't worry. Matt: Alright, tantalizing tips fom the new owner of the Cardinals. Next up is Diamondbacks scout Carlos Mendez. We'll ask him just exactly how the D-backs have identified and grown such tremendous talent in such a short span of time.... |
Cardinals and Vikings Trade Good for Everybody
Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com When the new owner of the Arizona Cardinals, Abe Sargent, broke the news that his purchase of the Vikings was merely to gather collateral to trade for the Cardinals, many of us in the sports writing business wore a collective puzzled look. This is not the time of economy to purchase major sports franchises, especially to trade a decent on field team for a lousy one. The Cardinals may be the ultime fixer-upper, but this is football not real estate. However, in the past few days, we've begun to think that maybe this isn't such a bad deal for all sides. Red McCombs, the previous owner of the Vikings, sold the team for a tidy profit, more than doubling his initial investment. The Vikings traded an owner who viewed the team like a stock option or a CD for an owner who truly cares about the sport and grew up in it. Already, Bill Bidwell has taken steps to distance himself from his previous failed administration in Arizona. Bill Bidwell is able to excise himself from a cursed team. If he can bring sucess in Minnesota, then every element of the Cardinals will have changed, including the location and fans. Bidwell has a chance to start over. Abe Sargent was able to acquire the team he truly wanted from the beginning. His attempts to scour the team of its previous stench have already resulted in a massive reorganization of the team and the resignation of Vice President of Football Operations Rod Graves. Arizona staff and players know that a new owner has come to roost who can help them rise from the muck. Abe Sargent appears cut from the same cloth as the current reigning triumvirate of team owners that keep power for themselves and excerise bold moves - Jerry Jones, Al Davis, and Dan Snyder. The league needed another vivacious, charismatic and quirky owner. Especially in the land fo the sun. And lastly, Arizona fans have reason to hope for the first time in....well...ever. This looks to be a win-win situation for everybody. |
Press Conference from Sun Devil Stadium, 10:07 am local time
Abe Sargent: I have called you all here this morning to make a major announcement. I expect that it will take everybody by surprise. It may be the largest sports news item of the year, or at least the biggest football story. For my entire life, the Cardinals have had 25 seasons. During those 25 seasons, the Cardianls have had exactly three winning seasons where they were, at most, one game above .500. That is not a winning attitude. That is abject failure. This is failure that simply cannot be tolerated. An atmosphere of failure, of acquiescence has permeated the team. There is only one way to remove this disease from our team. When a limb becomes this infected, the doctor amputates, severing the limb from the body. As of today, right now, we are handing walking papers to every player in an Arizona uniform except for two. Emmitt Smith will remain our HB and Leonard Davis has been traded to the Detroit Lions for their first round draft pick next year. I know that this action may seem extreme, but this is a team that hasn't been within a gasp of a winning season in ages. This team has forgotton how to play football. I intend to bring in players who know how to win, who want to play football, who will go that extra mile necessary. We have lined up a large number of interviews and workouts today and the over the next week. No Cardinal, or rather, ex-Cardinal, will be elligible for the team. Any questions? Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: Whay would you cut rookies or free agent signings that had yet to play in a Cardinals uniform? Abe: Except for Emmitt, I was unsure about any plauer's desire for football. WHy would a player take $500,000 more to play for a bad team? Obviously the money. I don't want money grubbers, I want football players. Astra: But how does that apply to the rookies? Abe: Rookies have already given in to the concept of losing, based on my discussions with them and staff. Fred Sanders, Arizona Weekly: Why not trade more players than just Leonard Davis and recoup draft picks? Abe: This time of year, most teams are up against the salary cap. Most teams are not able to make large deals. Detroit was interested in our best player for their offensive line, and we made a deal with them. Sarah Albertson, Channel 7 News: Why do you feel that such a drastic measure was needed? Abe: Why do you feel the need to ask dumb questions? Sarah: There is no such thing as a dumb questions becau... Abe: Did they teach you that at journalism school? There certainly is such a thing as a dumb question - namely asking a question that has already been asked. I don't shy away from teh hard questions, justt the dumb ones. You've already been warned. Channel 7 news will need to send someone with intelligence if they want to get a reporter in this room again. Jason, Jamar, please escort Sarah out of the building. Now, where were we? Ah yes, questions... Sam Somerville, Arizona Sun: In addition to winners and players, what other qualities will you be looking for in your new team? Abe: We will be looking for several things. Experience. Hunger. Drive. We will also be making several high profile signings. Arizona fans have had to watch substandard teams play ball for far too long. This year they will be rewarded for their patience. I would like to announce the newest signings for our team at this point. Gentlemen, as I speak your name, would you come out? Wide Receiver Antonio Freeman! We wanted a name receiver. Antonio was one of the best receivers in the league, and we still believe that he can suceed at the highest levels of competetion. Kick/Punt Returner Desmond Howard! We expect to use Desmond, not just as a returner, but as a backup receiver. He has always been one of the top echelon of returners ever in the game. Kicker Gary Anderson - The league's highest point scorer of all time joins us as a Cardinal. Cornerback Eric Davis - One of the most eilite corners of all time will bring a veteran experience in our secondary along with.... Cornerback Deion Sanders!!! Hey Deion. Joining our team is of the greatest football players ever! Deion Sanders will be lining up for the Cardianls in the fall. We will also be looking for other big name veteran talent. This afternoon we have Leon Searcy, Richmond Webb, Qadry Ismail, and Chester McGlockton coming in for workouts and physicals. If they pass, each will be signed to a contract today. Folks, it's the beginning of a brand new Cardinals team. Welcome aboard!!! |
If I had the money, I'd give Anxiety the money to buy a team, just to see him talk to the press this way. Funny suff!
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I wonder what the record is for the most posts in a dynasty without actually playing the game? :D
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I was wondering the same thing. |
Go Emmitt! (Damn traitor that he is... :mad: )
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Cardinals Release Entire Team
Steve Stowers Arizona Sun, Sports Editor In a startling move, new owner Abe Sargent released almost every player of the Arizona Cardinals. It was a move he termed the "sports story of the year." He may be right. Never has an owner cleaned house so quickly and thoroughly. Every player was given walking papers save offensive guard Leonard Davis, who was traded to the Detroit Lions for their 1st round pick next year and Emmitt Smith, who will remain the starting HB in the Fall. The reverberations of this move might be heard for years to come around the NFL. However, we know one thing for certain - this owner wants to sever all ties with the past of Arizona, a past that includes way too many loses. In the short term, he has announced the signings of severl older free agents who have impressive resumes and the drive to keep playing. Suiting up for the Cardinals this fall will be Emmitt Smith, Deoin Sanders, Eric Davis, Gary Anderson, Antonio Freeman, Qadry Ismail, Leon Searcy, Richmond Webb, Chester McGlockton, Chidi Ahanotu and Bryan Cox. So at least football fans will recognize the players. But truly, Abe Sargent has decided to rebuild this team like an expansion team - starting with nothing. Considering all of the patches and rebuilding years this team has had, maybe its about time someone had a plan. But what a painful plan this is. The Cardinals are forever changed. So is football. |
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Dude, I'm not even a Cowpies fan, and I can tell you Emmitt was the betrayed, not the betrayer. All he did was shoulder the load for a couple of Super Bowls and become the all-time leading rusher in history, and, basically, Jerry Jones patted him on the head and offered him a nice cozy spot on the bench and a pathetic contract. You can't blame a modern legend for refusing to be the backup for Troy Hambrick. :rolleyes: |
Selected Posts from a Front Office Football Central Forum Post entited "Cardinals cut Everybody!!!"
Marmel: About time someone scoured out the infection in the Cardinals and replaced it with clean bandages. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Airhog: Whoa! I haven't seen turnover this bad since I opened that spoiled egg for breakfast two years ago. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fritz: Now they just need to change their name, city, and coach. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JeeberD: Emmitt Smith will have to bear the load. Go Emmitt!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Galt: Remember that Abe didn't cut everybody, just most of the players. When a limb becomed infected bady, you cut it off. But the rest of the body remains healthy. It's the same concept here, the players were amputated, but the staff remains. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Godzilla Blitz: Maybe Abe Sargent has played FOF or writes here, because he must have gotten the idea for an Empty Cupboard from somewhere! ;) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bee: That's funny, a real life FOF player/owner. Wonder if he'll avoid using the franchise tag because its too cheesy? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kodos: I herby move that Skydog make Abe Sargent an honorary member of FOFC! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skydog: I have created an account for Abe Sargent and given him the title of "The Official FOF Player/Cardinals Owner." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- tucker342: With a guy this random running the Cardinals, I wonder if he'd want us FOFC guys to work for him? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anxiety: I have sent off my real life resume to him. I figure that he might actually want one or two of us for his real life Empty Cupboard Scenario. After all, we have more experience than anyone else!!!!!! |
Not one colossal trout reference in that entire exchange... hardly realistic.
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ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS RELEASE
Cardinals Seek Resumes The Arizona Cardinals, an Equal Opportunity Employer, are looking for individuals with the drive, energy, and ability to take on new administrative roles with an exciting new employer. Several VP positions are open, including: VP of Administration - Must have administrative experience, accouting experience a plus. General Counsel - Must have a law degree, negotiating experience a plus. VP of Health - Must have trainer or medical experience, working with football players a plus. VP of Public Relations - Must have public relations training and experience, sports relations a plus. Director of Scouting - Must have scouting experience, football experience required. Post any and all resumes to this thread. The Arizona Cardinals are entering a new and exciting era, and you can be a part of the team!!! Sincerely, Abe Sargent, Team Owner and President |
I submit the following as evidence of my qualifications for VP of Administration:
http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...&threadid=9261 http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...threadid=12990 I expect to be paid handsomely for sitting on my ass and making sarcastic coments all day long. |
I don't have a law degree, but can BS with the best of them. Can I be General Counsel?
Kevin |
Oh, and if it helps, I can stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
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From the Arizona Cardinals Web Page
Your new Arizona Cardinals!!! QB Jamie Martin, 69 Ovr, 3.06 mill/2 years Danny Wuerffel, 67 Ovr, 2.99 m/2 years Jim Druckenmiller, 59 Ovr, 790k HB Emmitt Smith, 81 Ovr, 8.03 mill/2 years Terry Kirby, 69 Ovr, 1.89 m/2 years Terrell Flecher, 63 Ovr, 1.50 m/2 years Delvin Joyce, 57 Ovr, 450k FB Larry Centers, 88 Ovr, 1.9 mill/2 years WR Antonio Freeman, 76 Ovr, 2.24 mill Qadry Ismail, 73 Ovr, 1.68 mill Scottie Montgomery, 66 Ovr, 950k Desmond Howard, 64 Ovr, 1.91 m/2 years Mac Cody, 54 Ovr, 680k TE Pete Mitchell, 73 Ovr, 830k Damon Jones, 59 Ovr, 1.32 m/2 years Mike Lucky, 57 Ovr, 680k LT Richmond Webb, 77 Ovr, 3.74 m/2 years Jeremy McKinney, 59 Ovr, 1.28 mill/2 years LG Wally Williams, 80 Ovr, 3.99 mill/3 years C Bubba Miller, 72 Ovr, 1.94 m/2 years John Romero, 64 Ovr, 870k Zack Quaccia, 58 Ovr, 570k RG Leon Searcy, 77 Ovr, 1.18 mill Kipp Vickers, 64 Ovr, 830k Kerlin Blaise, 59 Ovr, 720k RT Earl Dotson, 71 Ovr, 2.42 mill/2 years Waverly Jackson, 69 Ovr, 1.05 mill LE Chidi Ahanotu, 73 Ovr, 2.55 mill/2 years Stalin Colinet, 58 Ovr, 700k RE Kendrick Office, 68 Ovr, 1.88 mill/2 years Grant Irons, 61 Ovr, 870k DT Steve Martin, 81 Ovr, 2.2 mill Chester McGlockton, 78 Ovr, 1.74 mill James Lee, 56 Ovr, 570k Nate Hobgood-Chitt, 49 Ovr, 680k LOLB Canute Curtis, 70 Ovr, 2.42 m/2 years O.J. Brigance, 58 Ovr, 810k MLB Bryan Cox, 77 Ovr, 3.74 mill/2 years Tony Gilbert, 58 Ovr, 620k ROLB John Thierry, 72 Ovr, 2.64 m/2 years Corey Moore, 59 Ovr, 640k D.D. Lewis, 55 Ovr, 550k CB Todd Lyght, 83 Ovr, 8 mill/3 years Deion Sanders, 78 Ovr, 2 mill Eric Davis, 68 Ovr, 900k Emmanuel McDaniel, 64 Ovr, 800k Ray Green, 59 Ovr, 550k Davis Sanchez, 58 Ovr, 550k FS Marcus Robertson, 81 Ovr, 2.93 mill/2 years Kevin L. Williams, 58 Ovr, 720k SS Blaine Bishop, 78 Ovr, 2.46 mill/2 years Anthony Dorsett, 69 Ovr, 950k K Gary Anderson, 83 Ovr, 990k P Matt Turk, 81 Ovr, 830k |
Nice to see you bring Larry Centers back. At least there will be one player there that the fans will know well...
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Press Conference from Sun Devil Stadium, 12:09 pm
Abe Sargent: You should have had time to pickup and review a copy of the new team roster. Today is mainly reserved for questions, and I have no real statement to begin us with. I assume that there are a lot of questions out there.... Sandy Alderman, Channel 7 News: Who will be your starting quarterback this season? Abe: Let me start off by thanking you, Sandy, for coming today to represent Channel 7 News. Your intelligence is in another time zone compared to the last person your station sent. To answer your question, we will head into Training Camp with Danny Wuerffel as our starter because he has the most starting experience, but all of our positions are very open. There are no given starters heading into camp. Sam Somerville, Arizona Sun: Do you have reservations about the new player's cohesion? How will they come together as a group? Abe: They will have all of training camp together. That's as much time as any rookie or new free agent acquisition has, so I don't see much of an issue here. Sam: But they are creating a new team dynamic, instead of being grafted onto an existing one. Abe: True. And with most teams, that would be an issue. But do you really want the old Cardinals to stick around despite all new faces? I sure don't. Fred Sanders, Arizona Weekly: How many of these players will be lasting beyond this year? Abe: However many are good enough to. Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: I've noticed that you have very few rookies. How do you expect to build a team for the future without the potential for growth? Abe: That's a very astute question, Astra. The simple answer is that we don't, not this year. There simply were not many good unsigned rookies around. I promise you that next year you'll see a lot of youth. Harvey Weistein, Channel 4 Sports: Will Deion Sanders be a headache? Abe: All of our guys are here to play. None will become a distraction, that I promise. If they do, you can be assured that I will end the distraction. Shalonda Harlest, Sports Illustrated: Was the bringing in of major players with old and illustrious careers an attempt to sell more tickets with a bad team? Abe: It was a chance to sell more tickets, sure. I'll admit that happily. But we may not be as bad as some pundits think. Besides, Arizona fans deserve to see Hall of Fame players in Cardinals uniforms in their lifetime. Jamar Jenkins, Freelance Sportswriter: You graduated from West Virginia University. What are your plans for fellow ex-Mountaineer Canute Curtis? Abe: We'll work him hard. He may very well start for us, but that remains to be seen in camp. Shalonda: Akthough most of these players have one year contracts, I see that several have two or three year contracts. What does that mean for your long term plans for this franchise? Abe: All players with muliple-year contracts can be the backbone and foundation of a team. For example, FB Larry Centers signed a two year deal with us. Larry is a great FB, so we wanted to lock him down for two years. Even if they are moved down a depth chart, they still represented great value. Alright folks, that's all the time I have. Keep asking those good meaty questions. |
Quote:
Centers is an amazingly good FB and we are glad to have him on our team. He suffered for so long on the bad teams, and he proved to us in our interview that he had fire and passion - qualities all too often missing in ex-Cardinals. I am truly surprised that Centers was still available in free agency, and he may be our most talented player. -Anxiety |
What is your estimated cap penalty for the 2004 season?
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Quote:
I am right up against the cap. You'll note that I have no high priced agents and such. My accountants gave me a balance sheet somewhere, but I can't find it as my desk is cluttered. Been on the job for a couple of weeks and already my desk is a mess. There's a lot of paperwork to being an owner. I hope that we don't need mid-season help in an area. -Anxiety |
Quote:
This isn't an NFL Franchise. It's an Arizona retirement home!!!! That's the only way they would come to Arizona is to retire! :D |
Abe Sargent: Coach, how are the fellas?
Dave McGinnis: They look fine. You asked me to bring you the traing camp report? Abe: Sure did. Let's see the report. Dave McGinnis: Here ya go! Report on Training Camp Improvements QB Jamie Martin - We focused heavily on Jamie Martin. He improved his throwing accuracy by 3% after a lot of precision passing drills. QB Danny Wuerffel - Despite heavy attention in pocket presence drills, Danny failed to gain any skills. OLB Canute Curtis - After heavy work in the Chase and Tackle drills, Canute showed the greatest improvement of any player with an increase in his Awareness of 4%. CB Eric Davis - An increased focus on his ball swatting skills gained Eric a 25 increase in Acceleration. K Gary Anderson - Gary spent the camp working on his kicking skills. His kicking accuracy increased by 3%. P Matt Turk - Matt spent a lot of energy working the coffin corner kicks all camp. His kicking accuracy increased 2%. FB Larry Centers - Larry was our focus in the ground attack drills as a ball carrier. His Agility increased 3%. WR Antonio Freeman - Although Freeman was our focus in cathing drills, he failed to increase his abilities. LG Leon Searcy - In the trench fighting drills, Loen Searcy worked really hard but failed to increase his abilities. That sums the players that we focused on this traininc camp. - Coach Dave McGinnis |
ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS RELEASE
Cardinals Unveil New Home Uniforms One of the first initiaves of the new owner, Abe Sargent, was completed today as the Cardinals unveiled the new home uniforms. Modeled by Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Qadry Ismail, the new uniforms sport a modern look to go with the new era of the Cardinals. Owner Abe Sargent has promised a seperation with the history of the past with this franchise, and new uniforms are the next step. The new home uniform features the new red of the Cardinals used on all marketing and official products. The new red is darker. The old red was quite bright, often blindingly so in the Arizona sun. The new uniforms also have one of the latest trends in uniform design, a white stripe across the shoulders from neck to mid-arm that seperates the front and back sections of the jersey. The new numbers are an old style look, and black and grey trims have been added in several areas to highlight the new uniform. Many players and fans have already complemented the new look. Defensive Back Deion Sanders said that, "This new uniform makes me look even better than before." And an old school Cardinal in Fullback Larry Centers agrees, "This new home uniform is only the most recent symbol of change with the Cardinals." The Cardinals are expected to debut new away uniforms during the preseason. These uniforms will be in line with the new style, and will also feature the trim and highlights, along with the new Cardinal red. |
The Cardinals hire Celeval as new General Counsel. The other positions will be filled closer to the season opener.
-Anxiety |
Sweet! I'll do my best to make sure we're not sued.
Oh, uh, I do get my own personal box, right? |
To: [email protected]
From: Abe Sargent Re: Preseason Ticket prices were lowered across the board by three dollars, except for boxes which were lowered by $300 dollars. I decided not to get involved in the preseason playing at all. I let Coach McGinnis and his staff make all of the calls, substitutions and so forth. We finished the preseason 1-3. Of course, pre-season doesn't mean much of anything, but I think that we began to make progress towards the end of the preseason as the team came together for a win against Chicago in the third week. We had several people get better as the preseason went on, but not too many because our team is old, not young. According to Coach McGinnis, they are: C John Romero, +1 Overall RE Grant Irons, +2 Overall DT James Lee, +2 Overall MLB Tony GIlbert, +2 Overall As you can see, there's not been a lot of imporvement in skills during this preseason. However, considering that our team had a lot of team to get to know each other, I think it was still highly valuable. -Abe Sargent |
To: [email protected]
From: Abe Sargent Re: New Hires After some conversations, I have come to an agreement with Mike Ackerley to be our new Director of Scouting. Mike was currently the Director of College Scouting at Tennessee but here he willl also control professional scouting as well. With an suitable increase in remuneration as well. Mike has been with Tennessee for three years as their head College scout, was with the Rams for a season as their Director of Pro Scouting, and spent 8 years with Tampa as their West Coast College Scout. Mike was a perfect candidate. He's been both College and Pro top dogs, he has worked with some of the best franchises out there and been very powerful. The Titans and Bucs have both built Super Bowl teams with the draft under his guidance. And the Rams did very well with free agent acquisitions under his watch as well. All other positions will remain open for the present time. They are not essential and I want to make sure that our search is thorough. -Abe Sargent |
The following conversation was held after the Cardinals opening week loss to the Detroit Lions, 17-13.
Abe Sargent: Coach, have a seat. I though we had discussed starting Jamie Martin, not Danny Wuerffel. Jamie outplayed Danny in the preseason and in camp as well. Dave McGinnis: We had, but my gut said go with Danny. Abe: My gut says go with Jamie. And I'm the owner. Jamie will start next week and he will continue to do so throughout the year unless something happens to cause us to reevaluate the situation, understood? Dave: Yessir. Abe: I would have liked to win my first game, but it was close. I have a feeling that not too many more are going to be. Dave: This team has a lot of fire. Abe: Are you positive on everybody? Dave: Why go through life being so negative? All it gets you is wrinkles. Abe: But you have a lot of wrinkles. Dave: Those aren't wrinkles, they're love lines. Abe: I don't even want to know..... Anyways, I am coaching the team next week, taking her out fo a spin. Any suggestions? Dave: Buckle your seat belt. Abe: Thanks Dave. Have a good one. |
"Hey Dad, how ya doin'? We hosted the Seahawks in our home opening debut this week."
"Yep, like I said. I coached the team this week." "Well, we lost. Pretty badly. The Seahawks scored 52, we scored 10. It was close in the second quarter when we were down 17-10 but then they broke the game open. They returned two fumbles for touchdowns and returned two punts for TDs as well. Nothing we can do when we spot the opposing team 28 points." "Yeah, Qadry Ismail, one of my two starting receivers had over 150 yards receiving. That was probably our highlight of the day." "On yeah, WR Scottie Montgomery has a broken ankle. He's supposed to be out for 8 weeks. He was deep on our depth chart, though. Not much of an impact on us." "No, I don't think I'll pick up anybody else for now." "Huh?" "It's called Injured Reserve, but it doesn't work the way you think it does. We lose the player for the season if we toss them on IR." "No, I'm not going to touch concession prices, parking fees, and so forth. I lowered ticket prices a bit before hte season began. I'll take a look at the stuff later, when I have time." "Nope, not much left." "Alright, have a good one." "Bye-bye" |
To: [email protected]
From: Abe Sargent Re: Week 3's Victory Coach MicGinnis really proved himself this past week with our victory over the Packers in Green Bay. We stole that game, the Packers were looking past us to next week. Never have the numbers 38-24 held such meaning for me. Injuries to the team are minor. Coach McGinnis has won himself another start or two, then we'll take another look at the situation and make some decisions. However, I intend to coach the next game to get my feet wet. -Abe Sargent |
Cardinals Suffer Major Week 4 Loss
Stephen Hernandez Sports Editor Arizona Sun The 1-3 Cardinals were devastated in St. Louis yesterday. The Rams piled a season high 66 points against the Cardinals while the team in red managed only 10 points. This loss is the most lopsided in the first four weeks of the season. The Cardinals play was weak all day. Gary Anderson missed a 47 yard FG, Jamie Martin tossed two picks, and the offense fumbled twice. Meanwhile, the defense couldn't stop the Rams. St. Louis only punted twice in the game, scoring on almost every possession. And there is no real highlight for the Cardinals at this point. However, you've got to hope that the team will gel together quickly soon. It's not like Arizona fans went into this season with high hopes, and we have won a game already. But you have to hope for more than what was showed yesterday. You just have to hope. Coach Dave McGinnis is supposed to call the game next week. We'll see how he does. |
Post-Game Press Conference, Week 5, from Sun Devil Stadium
Abe Sargent: Well folks, we are sitting at 2-3 after five games and we are alreaady doing better than most pundits thought. Our shutout today of the Dallas Cowboys has got to show something important about football. Fred Sanders, Arizona Weekly: Abe, you defeated an 0-5 Cowboys today, what does that say about Arizona? Abe: It says that we are better than Dallas. We also beat the Packers in Green Bay, both quality wins. Sam Somerville, Arizona Sun: Who is calling the game next week? Abe: I'm on the rotation for next week, of course. Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: Are you concerned that both of your loses were blowouts while McGinnis is 2-1 with the squad? Abe: I don't believe that we have a sufficently large sample size to start drawing conclusions, Astra. Jamar Jenkins, Freelance Sportswriter: Do you have any intention to place Scottie Montgomery on IR or to sign another receiver. Abe: No plans at this time. Scottie should be back in 6 weeks or so. If that estimate changes, then I will, of course, reassess the situation. Shalonda Harlest, Sports Illustrated: Both of your wins were on the road. What does that tell you? Abe: It tells me nothing more and nothing less than two of the four away games we've played have been victories. We've only played one home game so far, and I think that's a bit too small a number to start drawing assumptions from. Harvey Weistein, Channel 4 Sports: What does the tendancy for Jamie Martin to throw picks in away games coached by yourself say? Abe: Okay folks, let's get one basic thing straight. Sabermetrics has no place in football. I'm trained in stats folks, so listen to this. You cannot draw statistically valid conclusions from only 16 games. In Baseball, you play enough games that observable patterns emerge. Not so in football. Everything here is an anomaly. Ever wonder why football seems rife with so many one-year wonders? Basketball and baseball have so many less, after all. It's because you can easily hit a hot spot for a majority of a 16 game season. It's much harder to sustain a streak for 80, 100, 120 games. And sitting after the fifth game of the season, you can't even make small assumptions, conclusions or extrapolations. It's just five games, folks. Just five games. I have to go, you guys have fun now.... |
Wuerffel..........
Wuerffel.......... Wuerffel.......... And the chant has begun. |
Conversation with the dog:
"Hy buddy. We hosted the Ravens in week 6. Deion Sanders picks off their first possession. ISmail drops a 3rd and 8 that would have been 10 yards for a first down and Anderson misses a 49 yarder. Deion picks off another Ravens balls and returns it 40 yards to the 12. First down Ismail drops a 9 yard curl. Second down Emmitt drops a 3 yard hitch when he was wide open. Third and ten and ball is tipped and intercepted by Peter Boulware who runs it back for a TD (how come Deion gets tackled but not Boulware?) 7-0 Ravens when it should be 10-0 Cardinals if not for dropped passes by my receivers. 3rd and 15 on our next possession after a sack and a run for nothing and I roll right under pressure from the Ravens defense. Jamie Martin fires a pass to Antonio - complete! 31 yards! Two runs by Smith and we're in FG range! Then Martin is sacked after a run is brought down behind the line bringing up another 3rd and 15 on the 34. Martin overthrows Ismail for a 18 yard completion that may have gotten knocked down by a D-Back anyways. To FG or not to FG? Obviously, we punt. I suck at kicking FGs. Touchback. End of first Quarter, 7-0 Ravens. CB Blitz hits the Ravens QB and forces him to throw away on third down. We get the ball back. Ismail catches a crucial 3rd down completion on a rollout after pressure came up the middle. On the next play, I make a bad read and toss the ball to what appeared to be an open Damon Jones in the endzone only to have the safety grab the ball and pick it off. The saftety was next to a receiver ina crossing route, so I thought he was man'd up, not in zone. I read the defense wrong and suffered for it. Score is still 7-0. We force the Ravens to punt after their second consecutive three and out. I run it up the middle with Centers on a 3rd and 1. Freeman drops a 10 yard pass completion on a curl route the next play. Then Damon Jones (my #2 TE) nabs a streak up the middle for 17 yards and gives us 1st down at the 2. 1st and goal from the 2 should be a TD every time. Emmitt up the gut, good blocking, TD!!!! 7-7. The Ravens answer with a 13 play drive and their first offensive score of the game to go up 14-7 with 1:26 left in the half. We get a 1st down and call TO after Smith plunges it up the middle on 3rd and 2 after also cathing the first down pass for 8 yards and out of bounds. Two incompletetions bring up 3rd and 10. I have Pete Mitchell wide open three yards short of the 1st but easy to run after the catch but Martin overthrows Mitchell. Baltimore break a good run for 20 yards or so then play pass ball until they get in FG range at the half. Stover kicks a 47 FG as time expires. Half time, 17-7 Baltimore. We hold Baltimore who punts with a Touchback. Centers drops a 3rd and 4 pass for 5 yards and we go three and out. Jamal Lewis breaks a 66 yard run for a TD on the first play. Ravens 24-7. We kick an Anderson FG after 3 first downs to cut the score to 24-10 in the middle of the third quarter. But that's the last score of the game. Emmitt fumbles. So does the Ravens. They miss a FG. Game ends 24-10." |
Interview with Quarterbacks Weekly, 1090 AM
Dave Attel: And we welcome owner of the Cardinals Abe Sargent via phone. Welcome to the program. Abe Sargent: Thanks Dave, nice to be on the show. Dave: So tell us about the loss to the Ravens last week. Martin threw two picks. Do you bench him? Abe: Jamie is 2-3 with a brand new team. Danny Wuerffel is 0-1 with a new team. Martin was sharp last week. He threw one pick. But he was rolling around the pocket, making good reads, it was pretty good. Dave: He had a really low completion percentage. Abe: Because so many of his teammates dropped passes. He overthrew Pete Mitchell and Qadry Ismail on two third downs. That was not good. But Freeman, Ismail, Jones, Smith and Centers all dropped crucial Martin passes. He was finding open receivers, they just weren't making plays. Dave: So what do you think the solution is? Abe: Players. We need better players. Right now, we lack guys who can make the curcial catch, and what does Jamie look for when they don't? Dave: Jamie Martin does spread the ball out pretty well. Abe: Sure does. Emmitt Smith, Larry Centers and Delvin Joyce all caught balls from the backfield. Damon Jones and Pete Mitchell both caught passes as tight ends. Antonio Freeman, Qadry Ismail and Mac Cody all caught balls out of receiver positions. Considering our team and its lack of quality depth, that's pretty good I think. Dave: How long does Martin start? Abe: As long as he plays games, doesn't get injured, an ddoesn't play so stupidly that no one would want to start him. Dave: That's a pretty faithul answer. You have a lot of faith in Jamie. Abe: I have more faith in Jamie than in Danny or Jim to get things done. In coachspeak, "Jamie is the player that's most likely to help us win ballgames right now." Dave: That's very clever. Thanks a bunch for joining us from your office, I know you must be very busy. Abe: Anytime |
Cardinals Cannot Fly
Steven Hernandez Sports Editor Arizona Sun New Cardinals owner Abe Sargent must be depressed with the way that the Cardinals played Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals lost 28-10 after Coach McGinnis made a poor call in the fourth quarter going for it on 4th and 8 while down by eleven with 7:12 on the clock. The 49ers stopped the Cardinals and scored on the ensuing drive. The controversy did not stop there as center Bubba Miller was injured on a special teams play after an illegal blobk in the back, which apperently, the officials did not see. Bubba Miller has been placed on injured reserve for the season. Apparently the team did not improve after its bye week last week. |
Various posts from a Fan's Chatroom:
"We host the 2-5 Bengals. Good luck to us. "Bengals start with the ball on their own 28. Their first play from scrimmage is a 19 yard run up off tackle with Dillon. After a lot more running and just one pass play, they score a TD on a Dillon 5 yard sweep right." "Curtis looks ill" "7-0 and we haven't even gotten the ball yet. Might be a long day. " "Martin tosses a pick on the first passing down, 2nd and 12. He lost the LB in the defense and tossed the ball right to him. Ick." "Bengals score a second rushing TD to go up 14-0 with 3:24 left in the first." "He's going, going, going...." "On the kickoff, Delvin Joyce runs it back to the Bengals' 26. Excellent starting field position for our offense." "I'd call a run here" "Smith gets a yard." "Martin is sacked for a loss of 7, and we are facing 3rd and 16." "Pass to Freeman but he is double covered. Ismail is in tight man coverage but it's forced into his hands. The D-Back knocks him hard and he can't hold on. Another crucial 3rd down drop that would have been a conversion." "Anderson tries the FG for 50 yards. And Anderson just makes it!!!" "14-3 Bengals." "The Bengals ensuing drive to start the second quarter is ended when Deion picks off Kitna after Kitna was hit as he threw." "Our chance for momentum is here. But we'll need some first downs." "Four consecutive runs brings up 2nd and 8 from the 19. I run a pass pattern out of the Singleback Big. Martin sees TE Pete Mitchell in one-on-one with a LB and launches it over the LB into Mitchell's hands. He stumbles across the goalline. TOUCHDOWN!!!!" "14-10." "Then we force the Bengals to go three and out! Momentum baby!" "After a first down, Martin gears back and tosses a simple pass to Ismail on a 7 yard curl. Ismail is hit, the ball is popped up into the air, and the defense comes down with it." "The Bengals ruin our momentum." "On a crucial 3rd and 6, Sanders allows himself to be caught way out of position and Warrick catches the ball and runs it to the 1 where Sanders tackles him." "A run later the Bengals score. 21-10." "We go three and out and punt after the Two Minute Warning blows for the half. " "Bengals spread the field, Warrick breaks a Deion tackle and scores a TD. We have to start doubling Warrick." "28-10 Bengals." "In the second half, Freeman catches on fire grabbing three first down conversions on our way to a FG in the third quarter. 28-13 Bengals, with the only score in the quarter being our FG." "Another heavy defensive quarter results in the final score being 28-16 Bengals." "We are now at 2-6." "Fun season though." |
Radio Excerpt
...and the Arizona Cardinals lose again today, this time in Pittsburgh as the Steelers defeat the Cardinals 27-10. The Cardinals just can't seem to catch a break, and a team that was once 2-3 is now 2-7 and in a tailspin. In other news... |
Coach Dave McGinnis to his friends over a beer
"We play at the 6-3 Browns. Arizona begins with the ball. On third and 6 Martin scrambles for 5 second or so before hitting Freeman as he returns to the QB. Freeman is hit and fumbles the ball. We challenge. The call stands, and the Browns have the ball at my 30. The Browns score a rushing TD 6 plays later after being helped by a 15 yard facemask penalty on the defense. 7-0 barely into the game. On our first play of the second possession, Martin hits Larry Centers for a 9 yard completetion but he gets 16 yards after the catch and breaks two tackles doing it. We start pounding it. Smith. Centers. Smith. Martin. Smith. Arizona sets up an ACE Streaks play out of the Singleback formation. We get single coverage on Pete Mitchell 20 yards downfield and Martin tosses it. The Cleveland back makes a good move and picks off the ball. We force Cleveland to go three and out and start again. Smith. Dump to Smith. Centers. 1st Down. Smith. Incomplete. Ismail drops pass. Punt. Ball Bounces out at the 6. Cleveland has 94 yards to go. We hold them to three and out again. We also go three and out and punt back. End of first quarter. After Cleveland gets a pair of conversions, our secondary strips the ball and recovers. We get the ball on our 38. But wait, the Browns challenge!!! And they win. Browns run, run, run more, then pass for the TD as Deion Sanders gambles on a pick and misses. 14-0 Cleveland with 7:01 in the half. We convert on 3rd and 12 with a pass over the middle to TE Damon Jones. 9 yard pass to Freeman on a Play Action, then a Smith run up the gut and we get conversion #2 for this drive. Dump off to Smith when the rush is on but he runs it for 8 yards after the catch. Smith off tackle for conversion #3. Incomplete pass as 3rd WR Cody drops the ball. We open our bag of tricks and run a HB toss - Emmitt Smith to Freeman. Pass is poor and defense breaks it up. 3rd and 10. We run a TE Streak off the Singleback formation and flip sides. Mitchell gets 1:1 coverage and Martin hits him for 12 yards and the 1st down Conversion #4. Smith run off a 4 WR set. Centers drops a pass for the first. 3rd and 8. Ismail catches a 10 yard curl out of the Singleback Big Formation. Conversion #5. Two Minute Warning. Smith end run on weak side. Centers up middle. 3rd and 6 on the 9. Pro Form formation switched, pump and go. 3rd down halfback Delvin Joyce is unmarked. Martin hits him four yards downfield and he runs it in. Touchdown!!! 16 plays and 70 yards. 14-7 Browns with 0:38 to go in the half. Kickoff is out of bounds. Three pass plays later Cleveland is in the endzone. 21-7 Browns. 0:16 left. With three seconds left in the half, Martin launches up a deep ball with a prayer. Cleveland picks it off, returns it for 20 yards, then fumbles. Ismail recovers the fumble. Cleveland gets the ball to start the second half. Sanders is beaten by Kevin Johnson on the second play from Scrimmage of the half and its a TD. 28-7 Browns. After two conversions, we turn it over on downs when Martin's pass is off target while he scrambled away from the defense. Cleveland ball on the 37. Cleveland moves the ball but ultimately punts. We go three and out after a sack of 7 yards. Poor punt from the endzone gives the Browns the ball with good position. Browns score TD through air on first play of fourth quarter. Deion was injured and left but short return shortly. Great. We move down the field quickly but Martin tosses a pick which was really a good read to an open receiver but a defensive player made a tremedous flying leap to grab out of the air. Cleveland marches down field and look unstoppable. Until we stop them on the 1 yardline and they get a field goal. 38-7 Cleveland. The game ends with Cleveland up 45-7." |
Interviews locals gave to Channel 7 News
".....I mean, really, is losing to the Rams that much of a surprise? 34-13 here at Sun Devil. Heard Desmond is out for 3 weeks and Marcus Robinson is questionable. Yeah, they suck. Same ol' Cardinals. But there's a lot of hope for next year...." "Ticket prices are down and we get to see some of the biggest names in football play. We may not win much, but its still enjoyable." "I don't care who the owner is, these are the same Cardinals." "Dave McGinnis is simply not the kind of coach that owner Abe Sargent needs." "They should try and build for the future next year. We've always had next year wistfully, but now, we have greater reason to hope." "I ain't ever gone to no Cardinals games, and I don't expect to do so now." "We've torn off the bandage, so there's a little blood. But Abe Sargent wants to heal this team." "Emmitt Smith is the man. So is Deion. We need more like 'em." |
Phone Call in Abe Sargent's Office
"Coach McGinnis? Hello. I have some news for you. First of all, I have signed WR R. Jay Soward for our team to help us in the return game and receiving. Why? Well, since Desmond Howard is out for a few weeks, and Scottie is questionable, I decided to sign some help for you. R. Jay is signed for the rest of the year, and that's it. I don't think that we'll have any behavorial troubles with him. He knows that he needs to prove himself if he wants anyone to sign him for a larger contract. Oh yeah, the bigger news. I am turning over the reigns for the remainder of the season to you to coach as you see fit. No interference. Your welcome. Good luck. And may God have mercy on your soul." |
Oh where for art thou Danny?
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Poster on a dorm wall at Arizona State:
Cardinals Schedule..... Week 13 at Bears L 15-14 Week 14 at 49ers L 34-16 Week 15 PANTHERS W 26-24 Week 16 at Seahawks L 56-6 Week 17 VIKINGS W 24-6 |
Playoffs:
Dolphins at Steelers 16-24 49ers at Vikings 17-27 Patriots at Bills 26-34 Packers at Giants 3-17 Bills at Raiders 7-50 Giants at Seahawks 17-31 Steelers at Jaguars 14-27 Vikings at Buccaneers 17-41 AFC Championship: Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders NFC Championship: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks Raiders over Jags 24-14 Seahawks over Bucs 34-7 Your Super Bowl Matchup: AFC Champs Oakland versus NFC Champs Seattle Raiders 19 Seattle 10 Oakland Raiders are your Super Bowl Champs. |
Awards:
Pro Bowl NFC Fullback #2 Larry Centers. That's it |
Cardinals Balance Sheet:
Income: Tickets - 22.4 mill Concessions - 2.5 mill Parking - 1.1 mill Merchandise - 2.2 mill NFL Shared Revenue - 62.2 mill Total Income - 90.4 million Expenses: Player Salaries - 57.2 mill Staff Salaries - 2.7 mill Stadium Maintenance - 16.1 mill Total Expenses - 76 mill 2003 Net Income - 14.4 million |
Stats:
QB Jamie Martin tossed 23 picks and 12 TDs. And 2900 yards. WR Freeman and Ismail both had over 1000 yards receiving. DT Chester McGlockton with 8 sacks, DE Chidi Ahanotu with 7. CB Deion with 5 picks, CB Lyght with 4. Other stats are poor for the year with our holdover team. Next year, we care again. |
Are you going to import draft classes from NCAA?
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Quote:
Nope. Quote:
Danny Wuerffel is not an answer. When you see Jamie's stats at the end of the season (almost 3k yards, 1:2 TD:Int ratio) you realize that Wuerffel is not a solution. Wuerffel has a lot of starting experience and he is almost at where Jamie currently is with Jamie only having like 3 or 4 games of strating experience prior to this year. -Anxiety |
Closing Press Conference, 2003 NFL Year, Sun Devil Stadium
Abe Sargent: Today's press conference is mainly a Q&A time for you guys, so I'll open up the floor for questions. Shalonda Harlest, Sports Illustrated: What was your best memory this past year? Abe: Buying a football team. Shalonda: On the field? Abe: Larry Centers going to the Pro Bowl. Harvey Weistein, Channel 4 Sports: Why didn't you start other players as the season went along? Abe: Why? For development? We have nobody to develop. We started our best players, including Jamie Martin. There was never any sense in benching anybody. Remember, regular football logic did not apply to this season. Fred Sanders, Arizona Weekly: What did this season teach you? Abe: A lot about running a ball club. I learned a lot of valuable skills that will be useful as we head into the post-season and beyond. Jamar Jenkins, Freelance Sportswriter: A team with all new players went 4-12. What are your goals for next season? Abe: Good question. We'll have a lot of turnover after this season. Remember that we will have a lot of dead cap room for next season. And you won't see much high profile action during the off season for us as a result. With a large young corps coming in and a lot of our current players leaving, this team will have just as much inexperience working together as a team. As such, 4 wins next year may also be reasonable. Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: What are you looking for in the draft? Abe: Way too early to tell, but our number one off-season goal is to acquire a franchise quarterback using whatever methods are available to us. Astra: Any ideas who? Abe: None. Maybe through trade, maybe free agency, maybe draft. Sam Somerville, Arizona Sun: Will Emmitt Smith be the feature back nextyear despite only getting 539 yards rushing this year getting only 2.29 yards per carry? Abe: Remember that Smith's stats were hampered by our lack of an offensive line. We may also acquire a major running back through some method or another. Other than maybe Larry Centers, no player on our roster is guaranteed to start next year. And most of our free agents will be allowed to leave with our thanks for a fun year. Sandy Alderman, Channel 7 News: Will Coach McGinnis remain on the team? Abe: Sandy, everybody is up for review. Nesmit McCall, 1080 AM Sports Talk Radio: Do you intend to restructure the office any? Abe: Not right now, but we may look at that in the future. Elizabeth Satterly, Flagstaff Daily Mail: You've tried to sever ties with the old Cardinals by firing all of the players, letting Rod Graves go, changing the uniforms, and lowering ticket prices. Are you going to look at changing the logo or mascot as well? Abe: I have yet to start doing research in that area yet, but it is a distinct possibility that the Cardinals will be no more, instead replaced by a better mascot and logo. If we keep the Cardinals mascot, we'll probably modernize the logo. Sy Rosenberg, The Sporting News: What is the liklihood of the Cardinals leaving Arizona altogether? Abe: No one wants to leave Arizona. We need to get a stadium deal done, that's true, and it's a bit contentious. But no one here wants to up and go. Alright folks, that's it for today, have a good one! |
Quote:
Heh, doesn't mean that the fans don't want to see Wiffle on the field, throwing the ball like only he can. I've always had a soft spot for the guy is all. |
Dave McGinnis Fired
Rod Sewell Associated Press In a move that surprised hardly nobody, Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dave McGinnis was fired from his position. The Cardinals were purchased late last summer by Abe Sargent. Dave McGinnis was in the last year of his contract, and would have been entering a lame duck year. In his three seasons with the Cardinals, Dave has coached records of 7-9, 5-11, an now 4-12. It's highly common when an owner takes over that he put his own people in charge. Holdover coaches and general managers are often let go. Vice President of Football Operations Rod Graves resigned a little over a week after Abe purchased the team in late summer. Abe Sargent has stated that his interview process will be very open, "I have no clue who to hire, so I'll want to intervew a lot of candidates." Changing coaches is merely the most recent attempt by the new management to sever all ties to a woefull Cardinals history. In July, the owner fired all players except one, and brought in a brand new slate of players. |
Press Conference from Sun Devils Stadium, 4:09 pm
Abe Sargent: I have interviewed eight candidates for the head coach position of the Cardinals and I am pleased to introduce our new Head Coach - Monte Kiffin! I have here a signed contract for 3 years and 4.06 million for Monte, who has been one of the most well known assistant coaches for ages around the league. Our next coach is Defensive Coordinator Pepper Johnson. Pepper has been the Linebacker Coach for the Patriots for the Belichick era. He will get his chance to shine for us here. We signed him for 630k annually for two years. Our last coach is Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis. Charlie joins us from several years as the Patriots Offensive Coordinator, and was the Offensive Coordinator for the Jets before that. He signed a 2 year, 800k annually contract with us. You can ask questions of any of us. Sy Rosenberg, The Sporting News: This question is for Monte. Why leave behind a Super Bowl winning organization for the uncertainty of the Cardinals? Monte Kiffin: I'm 64 years old and I've never been a head coach in the NFL. Before I die, I'd like to know what kind of head coach I'd make. Astra Horvaling, ESPN Correspondant: This is for Charlie. Charlie, the Patriots choose not to renew your contract after winning a Super Bowl with them. What was is about Arizona that brought you here, and why did the Patriots let you go? Charlie Weis: The Patriots were looking to head in other directions. As for Arizona, I wanted to continue as an Offensive Coordinator, and Abe Sargent was willing to offer me the big chair. He wanted a keen offensive mind to go along with Monte. Jamar Jenkins, Freelance Sportswriter: This question is for Pepper. You were ony a coach for three years. Two as linebacker coach and one as inside linebacker assisant coach. Now you've been announced as the Defensive Coordinator of the Cardinals. What do you think of the meteoric rise through the coaching ranks? Pepper Johnson: I never thought that I'd be this far this fast, you know? I knew I could do it, but when Abe Sargent contacted me to ask for an interview, I didn't know what to think. I mean, there is this league-wide rule to interview minority candidates, so I was wondering if my candicacy was a token... Abe: It wasn't. All of our defensive coordinator candidates happened to be black. Pepper: Yeah, I saw that Abe was interested in me and my credentials, which got me really pumped. And here I am. Jamar: And what now? Pepper: Now I prove that the trust Abe placed in me was worth it. Harvey Weistein, Channel 4 Sports: This question is for Abe Sargent. You have hired both of your coordinator positions from the Patriots. Was there any plan to raid a team? Abe: There wasn't any plan, no. But the Patriots are known across the league as possibly the most well-coached team out there. As such, it's no stretch to hire their ex-Offensive Coordinator and promote one of their posiiton coaches. Shalonda Harlest, Sports Illustrated: Also for Abe, you must have had a lot of coaches interested in this position because the coaching carosel seems to rehire a lot of head coaches every year, and you were looking for a new face. Why Monte? Abe: That's true, the people we interviewed were very excitied. If being a Head Coach in the NFL is your dream job, then it must disappoint to realize that there are only 32 dream jobs available in the world. And when half of all coaching vacanies hire a previous head coach, you realize just how hard it is to break into the team. So we had a lot of good candidates interview. I chose Monte Kiffin despite the age factor. Other owners shy away from head coaches that are older because they fear the head coach retiring. But if any coordinator in the league, anywhere, has the pedigree and resume of Monte Kiffin, well, then I don't know that person. Monte was simply our best choice, despite his age. In fact, I like him because of his age. He had more coaching experience than any other candidate. Nesmit McCall, 1080 AM Sports Talk Radio: This is for Monte. What are your top priorities during the off-season? Monte: I'll take the players that Abe gets for us and coach 'em up. This is a team in transition. We need to stabilize the players and fashion them into a team. That is our highest goal. Elizabeth Satterly, Flagstaff Daily Mail: How about a logo or mascot change? Abe: I assume that question is for me? Well, we are looking at new mascot names right now, actually. A list of names has been compiled and we are shortening it. Sam Somerville, Arizona Sun: This is for Pepper. How do you translate 13 years of playing linebacker into coaching? Pepper: I learned how to play, and I played. I simply teach my players how to play, and they play. Coaching is much simpler than many folks realize. You know, then you teach, then they do. Monte: A causal chain of events. Pepper: Yeah. Sandy Alderman, Channel 7 News: Who will call the offensive and defensive plays? Monte: Charlie and Pepper both call the plays when I call plays, except I can and will override them both or make "suggestions." Like last year, Abe Sargent may also insert himself into the playcalling for a game here and there. Abe: We're going to start like last year on a rotational basis with Monte and me. Alright folks, thanks for your questions, and welcome agains to our three new coaches. |
To: Abe Sargent
From: Admin Re: Retired Players As expected, many of our players retired after this season. They include: K Gary Anderson FB Larry Centers CB Todd Lyght CB Deion Sanders HB Emmitt Smith CB Eric Davis HB Terry Kirby RG Kipp Vickers WR/KR Desmond Howard CB Emmanuel McDaniel HB Terrell Fletcher RT Earl Dotson LOLB O.J. Brigance -Admin |
Emmitt :(
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Large Number of High Profile Retirements
John Clayton ESPN.com As the NFL continues to pass on the torch from age and experience to youth and energy, this season's retirement list boasts what may be the highest profile list of retirees ever for one year. Need NFL records? How about Shannon Sharpe, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith or Gary Anderson? Each of these players leads the NFL all time in important categories. Anderson is the all time points leader, Smith the leading rusher, Sharpe the leading catcher for tight ends, and Rice has, well, just about every possible receiving record. In five years, we may see each of these players in the Hall of Fame. And how about Deion Sanders? Won't he be a virtual automatic Hall of Fame player as well? A player with as many dominating performances would probably also have a good chance for Canton. Rod Woodson? As good a player in the secondary as you would want. A man wise enough to extend his career by switching positions. Is there a possible shrine for Rod in the Hall as well? Rich Gannon, two years removed from an MVP season has also retired. And although there probably won't be a spot for the man in the Hall of Fame, the league has still lost another element. For another cornerback, Aeneas Williams is also calling it quits. Aeneas has suffered for a long time on a poor team. Will that overcome his absolutely dominating performances as a corner when it comes time to vote for Canton? Sean Landeta has been one of the best punters of all time. Kickers never get the credibility they deserve. Will Landeta wbe looked over because he graduated with so many big names? How about Tim Brown? Often overshadowed by newcomer Jerry Rice, now that Timmy B. has a Super Bowl ring, will Canton ecome his home? Few receivers have been as consistent over their career as he has. Bill Romanowski's exodus will leave a hole in the personality department of the NFL. Like Shannon Sharpe, his on the field and locker room presense were amazing, but his career has been highlighted all too often by incidents of a less pleasant nature. Morten Anderson, the other Anderson, is number two all time in points scored in the NFL. Will either Anderson be the most recent kickers to enter the Hall of Fame? And will Morten be remembered or lost behind the more well known Gary? Bruce Smith was a fixture in four Super Bowl teams with the Bills. The last star of that dynasty, will he join teammate Jim Kelly in the Hall of Fame? Vinny Testaverde. Ed McCaffrey. Roman Phifer. Larry Centers. William Henderson. Chris Chandler. Doug Flutie. Sam Gash. Desmond Howard. So many people have left a wide rift of talent in the sport. Oh yes, the youth movement continues. But our sky has lost a lot of stars this year. |
Memo From Mike Ackerly
According to our reports, the following players became better or worse during the season: QB Jamie Martin, +1% overall Danny Wuerffel, -2% overall Jim Druckenmiller, -5% overall WR Antonio Freeman, +1% overall Qadry Ismail, +1% overall Scottie Montgomery, -7% overall Mac Cody, -2% overall TE Pete Mitchell, -3% overall Damon Jones, -4% overall Mike Lucky, -4% LT Richmond Webb, +1% Jeremy McK9inney, +1% LG Wally Williams, -1 C Bubba Miller, -3 John Romero, +2 RT Waverly Jackson, +2 LE Chidi Ahanotu, +2 Stalin Colinet, -5 RE Kendrick Office, +5 Grant Irons, +2 DT Chester McGlockton, +2 James Lee, +5 Nate Hobgood-Chitt, -7 LOLB Canute Curtis, +4 MLB Bryan Cox, +2 Tony Gilbert, +5 ROLB John Thierry, +3 Corey Moore, +4 D.D. Lewis, +6 CB Ray Green, +4 Davis Sanchez, -6 FS Marcus Robertson, +2 Kevin Williams, -4 SS Blaine Bishop, +3 Anthony Dorsett, +3 P Matt Turk, +2 |
The phone rings. Abe Sargent sets down his book, moves over to the right side of the couch, and picks it up.
Abe Sargent: (To phone) Talk to me. (Through the phone can be heard the voice of Mike Ackerly, Director of Scouting) Mike Ackerly: We may have a problem. Abe: What would that be? Mike: I just heard that Marcus Robertson is holding out for a better contract. Abe: You cannot be serious. Mike: I am. Abe: How did you hear this? I want to know how good the information is. Mike: I have a note that was handed to one of our staff. The note says, "I'm holding out for a better contract. Love, Marcus." Abe: Succinct. Mike: Indeed. Abe: Alright, get our General Counsel Celeval on the phone. We will need to do a little analysis early. Mike: Consider it done. |
Accounting Memo:
We have 20.65 million is cap penalties from last year. Our current salries are at 39.86 million. That leaves us with 42.64 million in cap room. |
Conversation with Mike Ackerly
"After a grueling session, we have decided to sign Marcus to a brand new contract. 3 years for a total of 5.75 mill and 1 mill signing bonus. "Now, I'd like an assessment of our positions, please. 'This is our position memo? Excellent. Memo About Current Status Quarterback - We have both Jamie Martin and Danny Wuerffel on the roster for this year. Both make a good amount of money. We could save a lot against the cap by waiving one or the other or both. Recommendation - Keep Jamie, release Danny, find two quarterbacks. Running Backs - A slew of retirements have decimated our running back situation. We have no running backs on our roster, and only halfback Delvin Joyce is available as a free agent. Joyce was never a great player. Recommendation - Find abrand new slate of halfbacks and fullbacks. Receivers - We have no receivers on the roster for this year, although practically all are available as free agents. Freeman and Ismail each had 1000 yard seasons last year. It might be worth it to keep one or both around for this year. Recommendation - Try to sign Ismail and Freeman. Tight Ends - Only Damon Jones is on the roster, and he is costing us 1.5 million total. A cheaper backup would be nice. Recommendation - Release Damon and find three new Tight Ends. Offensive Tackle - Richmond Webb is older but very good. We have both Webb and Jeremy McKinney for the roster this year. Waverly Jackson is acceptable on the right side, but a better player would be nice. Recommendation - Resign Jackson if cheap enough, find a permanent RT and backup. Guard - Wally Williams is currently on our roster and has starting level ability. Leon Searcy acquitted himself well last year and is a free agent. Both are acceptable starters but not impressive. Recommendation - Resign Searcy, find good future projects or backups. Center - Bubba Miller was injured and lost a step. Although he is on our roster, the almost 2 million he is due to recieve is not worth his effort on the field. Recommendation - Release Bubba and find all new centers. Defensive End - Chidi Ahanotu and Kendrick Office, both starters from last year, are on our roster. Although neither will knock you over, both are acceptable. Recommendation - Find future starters or backups. Defensive Tackle - No players are currently under contract. Steve Martin is good enough to start in this league. McGlockton overachieved last year and may be worth bringing back as well. D Line needs youth, though. Recommendation - Resign Martin, maybe McGlockton, find young players Linebackers - LOLB Canute Curtis is arguably our best backer and under contract. Bryan Cox is also under contract and arguably our best backer. John Thierry is a good solid ROLB and under contarct as well. Recommendation - Find backups and future starters. Cornerback - With deficiencies created by retirement, corner is critical becuase there are no players under contract. Brand new corners need to be found, and found now. Recommendation - Find a load of corners including two starters. Safeties - With Marcus Robertson under contract for three years, that position can be considered set. Blaine Bishop is also under contract and is a good player. Recommendation - Find backups, maybe future starter at SS. Kickers - We need a kicker to replace Gary Anderson. Matt Turk is good and we should resign him. Recommendation - Resign Turk, find starting caliber kicker. |
ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS RELEASE
Five players resigned. Five of Arizona's free agents were resigned today after a week of deliberation with agents from all five players. The players were signed simultaneously in order to make sure that enough cap room was available to fill the roster. These five players all excelled on the field last year after being picked off the proverbial free agency scrapheap. These five players will continue as Cardinals. "We needed some experience and continuity on the team and I'm proud to sign each of their names to paper," beamed Abe Sargent, the team owner. The returning players and their contract numbers are: Punter Matt Turk, 3 years, total of 2.8 million inc. 250k signing bonus. Wide Receiver Antonio Freeman, 3 years total of 7.75 million inc. 990k signing bonus. Wide Receiver Qadry Ismail, 2 years for 3.2 million inc. 800k signing bonus. Offensive Guard Leon Searcy, 3 years, 3.5 million inc 570k bonus. Defensive Tackle Steve Martin, 4 years, 8.1 million inc 1.20 bonus |
ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS RELEASE
Cardinals Hire Ketchman Today the Arizona Cardinals announced the hiring of Vic Ketchman as the new Vice President of Public Relations. Vic has been with the Jacksonville Jaguars since their inception, providing Internet and radio analysis of the team. Before that he was a beat reporter with the Steelers. In addition to his duties as the new VP of Public Relations, Vic Ketchman will also have a voice in the war room. "His views in 'Ask Vic' are standard reading material for GM wannabes across the league," owner Abe Sargent was quoted as saying. Vic Ketchman has been hired just as the Jaguars prepare for scouting the NFL Combine. |
The War Room, Pre-Combine Strategy Meeting
Abe Sargent: So then, we are agreed that the positions of greatest need are quarterback followed by corner followed by halfback? Mike Ackerly: Agreed. Although, personally, I'd order them corner, halfback, quarterback, 1, 2, 3. Monte Kiffin: You said we have the staff to scout out 15 rookies initially? Mike: Yes. Then we can get the stats from the Combine and scout out either 15 more rookies or further investigate some of the previous rookies we looked at. Then we can do that one more round. So, basically, we can scout 45 rookies once, 15 rookies three times, and anything in between. Abe: And we'll know what scores players get only after we scout out the first 15. Mike: Right. Vic Ketchman: Since we hold the second and third overall picks, we can look at getting two high impact guys right from the start. Problem is, Carolina picks before us. Monte: Which means that we can pick the top three players in the draft and get two of them. Abe: It also means that a QB may be gone. Vic: Exactly. And Mike, how many first round caliber quarterbacks are there in this year's draft? Mike: One. Maybe two. Monte: So we may not get a QB. Abe: Should we try and trade the 3rd overall for a QB? Vic: Rams let Bulger go into free agency. We could sign him. Mike: I prefer that we pick a QB instead of sign one off free agency. Monte: Why? To go through painful periods of growth? To get an unproven commodity? To pay just as much off a 2nd overall pick contract as a free agent? Abe: Good points Monte. Mike: But Bulger, or another free agency QB should be our backup plan. What if Bulger signs for less money to go to a winner? What if another team outbids us for his services? I say take what you can get and be satisfied with it. Vic: So Bulger is our backup plan in case either the Panthers draft a QB, which would be Phil Nelson, or in case we don't like Phil after scouting him? Mike: Exactly. Monte: Fair enough. So the first person we scout is Phil? Mike: Absolutely. Probably want to scout out Lyle Wallace too. Currently has a 1-2 draft grade, so he could go in eiher round, probably one, but you never know. Abe: Ok, so we are scouting the two QBs. I want us to scout Mr. Shawn Johnson, the undisputed best halfback in the draft this year according to the hype. Vic: Seems like a good idea. What abut corner? Doug Bronson? Mike: He's supposedly the best of the bunch. Abe: Okay, Doug then. That's four players at the top of the list to scout out. Do we want to scout out any others for our top two picks? Mike: I can think of three more players at the top of the draft that fit into our needs, DEs Lorenzo Nelson and Neal Freeburg, and WR Dave Wiley. Monte: Not pressing needs, although I'd like as many good receivers as I can get. Abe: Agreed, let's look for depth. Vic, what were you saying about that corner? Vic: CB Tamarick Grant out of UCLA. Guy is an amazing returner and could be a good late round pickup. Mike: He has a late round grade 4th - 7th. Doesn't seem to have any deficiencies heading into the combine. Abe: Great, let's scout him out then. Monte: Probably want to scout some more runningbacks. Mike: Looking at running backs, I like Josh Elliott. Looks to go 3rd-4th. Has good skills. Also like Jayson Justice and Carlton Sherry. Both have second round grades and similar stats. Abe: Which do you like best of Jayson and Carlton? Mike: Hmmm... Carlton. Abe: Then scout out Carlton plus Josh. Can't focus too much on the same round. Any deep players you guys like? Monte: Who was that Tight End we saw play in the Tangerine Bowl? Mike: Herman Miller, from California. Monte: Yeah, that's him. I liked him. Mike: Has a 3rd-4th grade. Best hands of any Tight End in the draft. Vic: Definitely should scout him then. Abe: After looking over your reports last week, I liked Offensive Tackler Mike Myers from Baylor. Mike: The guy with the really good technical skills? Abe: Yep Mike: He's graded at a 4th-7th, so it's a nice place to scout. Monte: How many do we have set so far? Vic: Nine by my count. Monte: How about more corners? Mike: Okay, for depth I like Mark Wyun from Wake Forest. Graded in 4th-7th but with good skills. For an earlier and more likely impactful selection, how about Jabari Newberry from Florida State? 1st or 2nd round pick with great skills. Abe: Scout 'em both. Vic: That's 11. How many halfbacks? Three right? Monte: Right. Vic: Fullback? Mike: Most of the Fullbacks in this year's draft have serious deficiencies at one of the four major skill areas for a fullback. The only one who doesn't also doesn't excel in any area. How about Center? We need a starting one. Dedric Arrington from Virginia has a 1-2 grade and appears to tbe the best center in the draft. Abe: That's good thinking. Let's revisit WR Dave Wiley at the top spot. Vic: Scout him out as a backup plan? Abe: Exactly. Monte: D-Line? Mike: RE Terrell Moore from Colorado State with a grade of 1st-2nd. Abe: Deal. One more. Go with your other 2nd round back? Mike: Jayson? Okay then, that's our first fifteen. Abe: We'll meet at the combine to discover what we've learned and who to look at next. |
Combine Meeting #1
Abe Sargent: He ran a 4.29? You have got to be kidding.
Mike: Not at all. Abe: Wow. Everybody see the grin on my face? Monte: Who ran that? Abe: Oh sorry, gotta catch you guys up. Shawn Johnson, the supposedly best running back in the draft registered a 4.29 in the 40. Vic: Now that's special. Mike: Ready for this? Seven players were faster here at the combine. We'll look into that in a bit though. Shawn Johnson also had 23 bench reps, the second highest total for a halfback. Fifth best Shuttle time. Monte: I want him. Abe: We'll continue to scout him out. I want to find possible flaws, but he definately lies at the top of our draft board now. Vic: Uh oh, what happened with Phil? Abe: Fumbles a lot. We'll keep scouting him, though. Nothing really impressive about his physical stats, though. Lyle Wallace may have done just as well today. Monte: I was at the QB throwing. Lyle showed really nice touch. Mike: Carlton and Jayson, our two halfback prospects graded in the second round, had similar days. Abe: Carlton had a 38" vertical though. That was a nice bonus. Vic: Josh Elliott? Mike: Nothing really special about him. Monte: What about our first round receiver, consensus top receiver Dave Wiley? Abe: 4.38 speed, par for the course. 40" vertical, nice. Let me see, above average interview. Seems like the real deal. Vic: How about Monte's Tight End, Miller? Mike: Slow with a 4.84 time. Also had a bad interview. Not that bright and TEs need smarts more than many offensive players. Abe: Mike Myers was our last offensive player, right? Mike: Nope, we have Dedric too. Mike is weaker than I thought - 25 bench reps for an O-Lineman. And a bad interview to boot. Dedric is even weaker with only 22 reps. Above average interview to make up for it, though. Monte: What about that end? Abe: I went to see Terrell. Nothing of any note there. Vic: And we had four corners. Mike: Doug is the highly touted one. 4.34 40 time. 38" vertical. 14 reps, good for a corner. Tamarick was Vic's late round special teams guy. Slow for a special teams man - 4.68 in the 40. 36" vertical, average interview and nothing really there. Jabari Newberry may have been the best review of the four. 4.38 40 time. 41" vertical and an aboe average interview plus he really wrapped up people well in tackle drills. 18 bench reps makes him the strongest corner in the draft. The next highest score was 14, which Bronson had. So, while Jabari came out mice, Mark Wynn, not Wyun, didn't. 4.56 speed is a bit slow. Combined with a below average interview - ick. Abe: Who do we want to continue to scout? Mike: In corners, we've got to keep looking at Jabari and Doug. Abe: And Shawn Johnson. Monte: The two quarterbacks? Abe: Yep. Let's go with Dedric. Mike: That it? Alright, here are some suggestions based on today's information. I prepared a printout: Balanced Quarterback Rashard Cenci, Miami (Fl), 4th-7th round, Good Pass Strength, Great Pass Accuracy, 4.82 40, 6'1", Great interview Balanced HB Ronnie Walker, Middle Tennessee State, 3rd-4th round, Good Run Power, Below Average Hands, 5'11", 4.28 40, above average interview Balanced WR Jerry Harper, Clemson, 3rd, Above Average Hands, Amazing Kick Return, 6'1", 4.28 speed, Average interview Balanced WR Jeff Young, N.C. State, 2nd, Good Hands, Above Average Kick Return, 6'1", 4.31 40, Below Average interview Balanced LG Jamie Bryant, Oklahoma, 6'2", 2nd-3rd, Average Run Blocking, Above Average Pass Blocking, 35 reps (highest at the combine), Great interview Run Blocking C Cris Forrest, Florida State, 6'6", 4th-7th, Good Run Blocking, Average Pass Blocking, 32 reps (best for a center), great interview Pass Rushing RE Brad Moss, Boston College, 6'2", 2nd-3rd, average tackling, 4.58 40 (best for any DE), 3.92 shuttle run (2nd best for any DE), average interview Balanced DT Taj Lankford, Ohio State, 6'7", 4th-7th, good tckling, 4.9 40, 4.2 shuttle, above average interview Balanced CB Chuck Carter, Ole Miss, 6'0", 4th-7th, average tackling, below average hands, 4.32 40, 38" vertical, average interview. Abe: You've listed nine players here? Mike: Yep, sure have. Vic: We have nine spots left, right? Mike: Yep, I had my computer print out our top 9 by position. Monte: I like it. A good, rounded mix. Abe: Alright - let's do it. |
Combine Meeting #2
Abe: So what did we learn? Mike: Name me a position. Vic: Quarterback. Mike: Lyle proved he was good scrambler. Phil has great huddle presence in teh huddle. A true leader. Rashard reads defenses very well and does checkdowns much better than most rookie qbs. Monte: Interesting. Mike: Halfback we looked at Shawn some more and Ronnie. Shawn showed amazing shifty moves. Didn't learn much about Ronnie. Abe; Receiver? Mike: Jeff Young proved his speed. Jerry Harper is a straight line runner, not much of a guy who jukes around and the like. Abe: Interesting. We want a guy like that returning kicks? Vic: As opposed to a guy who runs a 4.86, sure. Abe: Fair enough. Monte: The trenches? Mike: Guard Bryant needs to work on some blocking skills. Dedric takes good angles but will need to work on power. Vic: Which we already knew... Mike: Right. C Cris Forrest was recommended as a great leader and role model. RE Brad Moss is a finesse type end. And DT Taj seems as likely to injure as a rock. Abe: Descriptive. That's why I like you as a Director of Scouting. Mike: Thanks. As for corners, Chuck Carter lets mistakes eat at him and can't let them go. Doug seems very comitted to the job and works diligently to improve. He also planted and drove very well. And Jabari diagnoses reads well. Abe: Excellent, thanks. Who to scout for the last group? Monte: The three quarterbacks. Mike: Fair Enough. And Shawn Johnson and Doug Bronson I presume? Vic: Ronnie, since we didn't get much last time. Jerry and Jeff as well, probably. Mike: Cris was good, I'd like to get more on him and Moss and Lankford. Abe: Mike, you can pick the last five for us. Thanks. We'll welcome your final report tomorrow. |
Final Scouting Report:
QB Lyle Wallace - Not rattled by pressure, Plummer-esque speed QB Phil Nelson - Fit right in as a third string QB for now. QB Rashard Cenci - Tough and durable, Mobile in pocket HB Shawn Johnson - Makes defenders miss, protects ball well HB Ronnie Walker - Good agility, two sport athelete who ran track FB Tiki Mann - Doesn't have great field vision WR Jeff Young - Straight Line Runner, Solid with room for growth WR Jerry Harper - Productive downfield, Bobbles too much. TE Cornell Carter - Does not have natural hands C Cris Forrest - Engages with force RE Brad Moss - Marginal in run defense. DT Taj Lankford - Marginal speed, Lacks proper arm technique CB Chuck Carter - Good Timing, Healthy CB Doug Bronson - Jumps perfectly CB Jabari Newberry - Abilites to compete with top receivers - Mike Ackerly |
Chris Berman: And we are back. Who is Carolina lookin at for their top overall pick here?
Mel: Well, Chris, you never know. Carolina has been silent about their top choice. Delhomme is a decent enough quarterback, but they may go for Phil Nelson here. They could also use Ofensive Tackler help and cornerback help. So one of the many top tackles in this year's draft could go here, or a corner, which you'd have to think is Doug Bronson. Jimmy: I really like Shawn Johnson. That kid can play football. Mel: He's the top choice of the Cardinals, so if Carolina passes on Shawn, then Arizona gets a certified stud. Chris: And the Commissioner steps up to the podium The first pick of the 2004 draft is coming up. Paul Tags: With the first overall selection in the 2004 draft, the Carolina Panthers select Wide Receiver from Nebraska Leslie McPherson. The Cardinals are on the clock. Chris: Wow. Mel: Leslie was believed by many to be the second best receiver in this draft. He did have a good combine, but apparently, much better than we thought. Jimmy: Does Carolina need receiver? Chris: They have Smith and Muhammad, both older guys. Mel: But this pick is so odd. This was a bad selection. Leslie was moving up draft boards, but probably would have been available around 8 or 10. Chris: The Cardinals are up next. They have the #2 selection from their 4-12 record and the #3 selection with a trade to Detroit. Picks #2 and #3 overall, and they weren't even considering McPherson, so they essentially get their top two choices of all rookies. Jimmy: They should be able to pick up some impact players here. Chris: Now Arizona doesn't have to draft eithr player for a half hour. They have fifteen minutes for each pick, but if they pass on their first pick, they'll still be on the clock for their second. Mel: True, but this was a dream scenario for the Cardinals, and I should think that they are ready to pounce. Jimmy: They'll go for Shawn Johnson? Mel: I think they will. Chris: Doug Bronson, a corner, or Phil Nelson, a quarterback. Mel: During the combine, they believe that they unearthed other really good quarterbacks, but few good corners. I think they'll go with Doug Bronson here. Jimmy: Quarterback is a seductive position, however. Chris: Here comes Tags Tags: With the second overall selection in the 2004 draft, the Cardinals select Running Back from Florida State, Shawn Johnson. With the third overall selection in the 2004 draft, the Cardinals select Defensive Back from Mississippi State, Doug Bronson. The Cowboys are on the clock. Jimmy: Hit on both players. Chris: It's always easist to predict the top of the draft. Mel? Mel: Shawn Johnson is one of the best backs we've seen come out in a while, and Arizona is lucky to have gotten him. Doug Bronson seems to have everything taken care of. Let's look a little more deeply into each player with a videon montage.... |
Kiper didn't say "Upside Potential" enough :(
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Chris And welcome back to the all-receiver draft....
Jimmy: I've never seen so many receivers go so early! Chris: We had 14 receivers go in the first round when it was offensive tackle depth that was supposed to prevail Mel: Big story on the quarterbacks. Phil Nelson didn't get picked until 18, Lyle Wallace at pick 28. Jimmy: So who has fallen into the second round? Mel: Well, because of the large number of receivers selected, three offensive tackles with first round grades are still available. We also have Fullback Tiki Mann and SS Jordan - both with first round grades. Chris: Who does Arizona need? Jimmy: Doesn't Arizona need just about every position? Mel: They could use it, so they may go with a best available approach. Of they may stick with their plan. They need starting center, fullback, tight end, defensive tackle, and cornerback. Maybe a starting quarterback. That's a lot of need. Jimmy: They're not going to go with Tiki Mann are they? Mel: It's the only position where the players who have fallen match the Cardinals need, but no, I don't think that they'll take Mann. Chris: Here comes the assistant commissioner Asst. Commish: With the 34th overall selection of the 2004 draft, the Cardinals select the tackle from the University of Southern California Jon Johnson. Chris: There you go. Mel: They chose to go with best available here, which was a good pickup. Jon can start for them right away. He has great blocking skills, both pass and run. Not the strongest tackle ever, but he is bright and reads plays well. Jimmy: You get a good RB, now you need a good line to run behind. Mel: I'm surprised. They didn't scout Johnson at the combine, so it's sort of a surprise pick, but he's a good player. |
Chris Berman: Let's recap the Cardinals draft, shall we?
Mel: The Cardinals had those twin picks at the top of the draft. With them, they picked up HB Shawn Johnson and CB Doug Bronson, both projected starters. In the second they went with best available and snatched up Jon Johnson who fell only because receiver was such a feeding frenzy. In the third they pulled the trigger on Dedric Arrington, the center out of Virginia. 4th round was another best available selection with Defensive Tackle Reggie Fryar from Eastern Kentucky. Reggie also wasn't even scouted by the Cardinals at the combine. The 5th round saw corner Chuck Carter get his name called. 6th was Tight End Herman Miller and Center Cris Forrest rounded out the draft in round 7. Chris: So how would you say the Cardinals did? Mel: B+/A- They were definately one of the better teams to make out this weekend. They got some quality players, some immediate starters, but they failed to address their need ast quarterback. Unless they feel that Jamie Martin can actually start in this league, they have to go to free agency looking for a quarterback. However, they made some good picks in the middle rounds where quality was still on the board. Chris: Thanks Mel, now how about the Lions? Mel: Their first rounder, of course, went to Arizona. But in the second round..... |
Quote:
True. True. -Anxiety |
From the Cardinals Website:
Meet the new Cardinals in draft order: 1st - HB Shawn Johnson, Florida State, 16.75 mill for 4 years inc 3 million bonus. 1st - CB Doug Bronson, Mississippi State, 8.5 million for 4 years inc 1.6 million bonus 2nd - RT Jon Johnson, USC, 3.5 mill for 3 years inc 570k bonus 3rd - C Dedric Arrington, Virginia, 1.75 million for 3 years inc 250k bonus 4th - DT Reggie Fryar, Eastern Kentucky, 1.85 million for 3 years inc 300k bonus 5th - CB Chuck Carter, Ole Miss, 1.10 mill for 3 years inc 160k bonus 6th - TE Herman Miller, California, 730k for 3 years inc 60k bonus 7th - C Cris Forrest, Florida State, 730k for 3 years inc 60k bonus |
Excerpt from Rookie 2004 Draft Review from Football.com
...so that's why we wait to rate the draft until a month or so later. We want to get a chance to see the rookies in pads action during mini-camps. So, let's begin. Arizona - Halfback Shawn Johnson is the exact player Arizona needed after putting up less than 800 total yards in rushing all last year. They ranked 32nd in the league and Shawn appears to be the answer. Corner Doug Bronson also has looked pretty good in drills. He's still a bit young, but Doug appears to have all of the upside that a player needs. Jon Johnson, their Offensive Tackle, also looks to start long term at the position. If he can work on his run blocking, this guy will be great. Center Dedric Arrington is also the likely starter for the Cardinals for the next few years. But, after those four starters through the first three rounds, Arizona merely appears to have unearthed nothing more than backups through the other rounds, at least for now. Maybe DT Fryar or somebody will be starting caliber after a few years of growth. The problem is that Arizona leaves the draft with a lot of holes. Quarterback, kicker, corner, fullback, tight end, receiver, and halfback. They didn't fill that crucial franchise quarterback role, which is pretty vital. But Jamie wasn't as bad of a quarterback as some people thought. He only had five starts before last season. And in his first season as a starter he threw almost 3000 yards and had two receivers with 1000 seasons. With a poor offensive line, an anemic rushing game, and poor tight end play, is it any wonder that Martin did so poorly? So, if no franchise quarterback comes from free agency, it's not as big of a loss a some people think. The Cardinals did not fill a lot of their holes, but they had so many from last year's infamous roster purge that you can't blame them. They did well enough. B+ |
Free Agnecy Prep Memo
We need the following positions: 1 QB 2 or 3 HB 1 or 2 FB 1 TE 3 or 4 WR 1 or 2 OG 2 DE 2 DT 1 LOLB 1 MLB 1 ROLB 3 or 4 CB 1 FS 1 SS 1 K Total of 18-20 players. 28.56 in cap room, although we can make some moves to clear up a bit if we need to. -Mike Ackerly |
Free Agency Diary:
Day 1: On the first day of Free Agency we contact our top three players: QB Marc Bulger FB James Hodgins TE Cam Cleeland We offer contracts to each and have just enough time to offer a contract to CB Ike Charlton. Day 2: Our bids for Bulger and Cleeland are outbid by others. We jack up our bids on both. We also make offers to some of our priorities: Rookie Free Agent K Dexter Krause WR/KR Michael Lewis DT Monsanto Pope Day 3: We get work that Marc Bulger, Cam Cleeland, Ike Charlton and Monsanto Pope have agreed to our deals and signed with us. We make an offer to CB Terry Fair. Day 4: James Hodgins and Dexter Krause signed with us. We make an offer to RB Terrell Davis and rookie MLB Colby Solomon. Day 5: Terry Fair and Michael Lewis agree to our contracts and sign. We make three offers to rookie free agents: SS William Kinney FS Drew Copeland ROLB Darnay Hill Day 6: No action, we've made all of the offers we intend to. Day 7: Kinney, Copeland, Davis and Solomon sign. Day 8: Hill signs and is our last signing during the auction period. -Mike Ackerly |
Top Sheet off a Discarded Pad of Paper in Abe Sargent's Handwriting:
Roster Moves: Release C Bubba Miller Sign rookie free agents: LOLB Eddie Shakur DT Sean Nelson RE Dre Fisk LE Joey Williams Sign experienced free agents: CB Tyrone Carter HB Doug Chapman WR Dedric Ward WR Andre King LG Floyd Wedderburn RG Victor Allotey RT John St. Claire |
Youth Movement in Arizona
John Clayton ESPN.com After last year's retirment home status of the team, this year a young, vibrant club is expected to play on the field. Gone are savvy vets like Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders and Larry Centers. Although a few old men remain - Tackle Richmond Webb, HB Terrell Davis was recently signed, CB Terry Fair was also signed, and MLB Bryan Cox, the trend is definately youth, youthm and more youth. Arizona had eight draft picks and four appear to be starting. All eight made the roster. Also making the roster were nine undrafted rookie free agents, the largest number this year by far, and the largest ever for an Cardinals team. 17 rookies are on the team in all, the largest in the league. Owner Abe Sargent promised a significant youth movement this year and he delivered. However, this team is still largely old. Or young. There are very few players in between. In their prime. When asked what his expectations were for this year he claimed, "To compete." New Head Coach Monte Kiffin echoed his comments, "We have to play hard every week, every down. If we lose, fine, but we have to play hard and play with heart." The young Cardinals will determine this season's fortunes. They will decide whether the team will compete or not. |
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