Rod Graves doesn't seem to have a good feel for the draft, and perhaps doesn't trust his ability to gauge the league when it comes to deals. I would still prefer that the Cardinals replace Graves with someone who has a track record of success in the league, but Graves did build the current NFC Champion roster, so who am I to really complain?
In the first round, the Cardinals selected Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells. Of course, I predicted this on ESPN.com, but more importantly, I think this is good news for the franchise. I think that Wells should be motivated by his low draft position, and the possibility of a much larger second contract. I think that the Cardinals' exposure with Wells is relatively small, considering that his contract shouldn't be prohibitive should Wells underperform. I expect that Wells will enter the season at #2 on the depth chart, but should still get the bulk of the carries (like the way the Cards managed the Edgerrin James/Tim Hightower tandem last season). Hopefully, James will get his release from the Cards' roster this week, and be allowed to find other work.It's possible that the Cards should have traded out of this pick in order to garner multiple picks later in the draft, or perhaps a 1st round pick in 2010. But I don't trust Rod Graves to make a good deal with a team trading up, and I don't really like the prospects of Shonn Greene or LeSean McCoy to be an every-down back in the NFL. The Cardinals needed a starting-caliber running back, and got one with the 31st pick in the NFL draft. There were no compelling players to fit their other need at this position, and so I think they made the correct choice.
Beanie gives the Cards a physical running back with home-run ability. He will able to be physical across the line of scrimmage, and doesn't need wide holes to break through to reach his highest gear. The bust potential for Wells is relatively low, especially as the Cardinals manage the transition from a wide-open passing attack utilizing the abilities of Kurt Warner to more of a power-running offense after Warner's inevitable retirement.
In the second round, the Cardinals addressed their second primary need by adding defensive end/outside linebacker Cody Brown from the University of Connecticut. Last season Cody Brown notched 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss for the Huskies as well as eight pass deflections. Brown will begin his career as a situational pass rusher for the Redbirds while he adjusts to the NFL game and his new position as a 3-4 outside linebacker instead of the 4-3 defensive end he was in college. This pick is a good one because it infuses the Cardinals' outside linebacking corps with youth that had been absent since Calvin Pace departed. Starting OLBs Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor are on the downside of their careers, and 2008 free agent signee Travis LaBoy underperformed his first season before suffering a leg injury that limited him for much of the second half and playoff run.
The Cards had to have been sweating that Brown would remain on the board after similar prospects like Conor Barwin, David Veikune, and Paul Kruger went off the board in the middle of the second round. Brown was the last promising OLB prospect who could make an immediate impact, and the Cards should feel satisfied with his potential. Had Brown gone off the board, it's possible that the Cards would have added TE Richard Quinn from North Carolina, who would have been the blocking tight end the franchise has been looking for since Ken Whisenhut arrived in Arizona.
In the third round, the Cardinals drafted safety Rashad Johnson from the University of Alabama. Crimson Tide coach Mike Saban reportedly told Arizona scouts that Johnson is the smartest player he's ever coached. Johnson is on the small side at 5'11", 203 lbs, but he should find a role in the Cards' nickle and dime packages early in his career. The Cards love to play three safeties in nickel coverages (though whether this continues with the addition of Bryant McFadden in free agency and the departure of Clancy Pendergast remains to be seen), and this addition will allow the Cardinals to have a more "true" free safety on the field, freeing up Pro Bowl player Adrian Wilson to play closer to the line of scrimmage and free safety Antrel Rolle to be more instinctive in the intermediate zones.
What the addition of Johnson does most is create intense competition between 2008 holdovers Matt Ware and Aaron Francisco as well as free agent addition Keith Lewis (San Francisco). All three of these players are a liability in defensive packages, although each makes contributions on special teams units. Francisco was once believed to have a ton of promise, but the former undrafted free agent has had a hard time progressing after ending the 2007 season on injured reserve. Francisco likely makes the final roster because he is an excellent special teams player, but will possibly see his role in defensive packages reduced.
It's difficult to say whom the Cards might have liked had Johnson been off the board, but it's possible they would have drafted South Florida OLB Tyrone McKenzie, who was chosen two picks later by the New England Patriots. McKenzie would be an inside linebacker in the Cardinals' 3-4 defense, and would have provided an insurance policy behind franchise player Karlos Dansby and core middle linebacker Gerald Hayes.
In the fourth round, the Cardinals rolled the dice on St. Paul's cornerback Greg Toler. Toler was not invited to the NFL Combine, but impressed a lot of scouts during his on-campus workout. He has great speed, although not the other special abilities of another small-school cornerback on the Cards' roster, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie. Toler will have to compete for a place on a suddenly croweded defensive back depth chart, but should find an early role as a gunner on special teams units.
An interesting note on Toler is that there are a lot of questions about his ability to handle zone responsibilities. A feature of Clancy Pendergast's defense was three- or four-deep zone converages behind his inventive blitz schemes. The selection of Toler may mean that the Cardinals are going to move to more traditional Pittsburg defenses. The Steelers frequently use more cover-1 or -2 alignments in the secondary, leaving cornerbacks more alone in man-to-man coverage.
In the fifth round, the Cards acquired a mountain of a man in 6'8", 364 lbs offensive tackle Herman Johnson from LSU. That 364 lbs. number is probably charitable, but this is the biggest player the Cards have had on their roster since the departure of Leonard Davis. Johnson projects to offensive guard in the NFL and again suggests that the Cards are undergoing a slow transition in their offensive philosophy. Johnson is a powerful drive blocker who may struggle in his pass sets. When Johnson sees the field in a year or two, he's not going to be playing a lot of snaps in shotgun.
In the sixth round, the Arizona Cardinals selected defensive end/outside linebacker Will Davis. Davis effectively replaces 2009 draftee Chris Harrington, also drafted in the sixth round. Harrington was cut in training camp and signed to the Cardinals' practice squad before being signed by the Cincinnatti Bengals mid-season. Davis will be asked to cut some weight from his current 261 lbs and transition to the outside linebacker position. Davis will face a battle for a roster spot, but should find a place on the practice squad. It will be interesting to see whether the Cards try and hide him during the preseason to keep other teams from claiming the prospect.
In the seventh stanza, the Cards drafted a pair of players in tiny (5'8", 180 lbs) Pittsburgh running back LaRod Stephens-Howling and Cincinnatti Bearcat offensive guard Trevor Cantfield. Both players will likely face a steep climb to make the final roster. Stephens-Howling will be competing with 2009 free agent signee Jason Wright (Cleveland). Stephens-Howling's best chance to reach the NFL is as a gunner on special teams and a returner in the kicking game (a hole left with the departure of J.J. Arrington). He has good speed, but his size really limits his ability to play at this level. Cantfield could compete for the final offensive line roster spot, but more likely will land on the practice squad, where he'll bide his time before the departure of Elton Brown in 2010 free agency.
Overall, the Cardinals had a fairly solid draft. They've managed to keep their core group of players together through free agency, and now have added to the future transition of the franchise. It's imperative now that GM Rod Graves keep working to extend the contracts of Karlos Dansby and Adrian Wilson to free up space for the very large free agent class of 2010. This is very much a transitional group. I don't think that the Cardinals' competition in the NFC West has improved greatly through free agency or the draft, and barring injury the Cardinals should be in favorites to win the division again. Hopefully, they'll be able to win the division with a record closer to 11-5 than the 9-7 which which they finished 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment