That's probably not the most accurate title for this post, but it's catchy as hell, so I'll go with it. By now you probably know that Arizona gave up a starting Pro Bowl corner, a 2nd round pick in next year's draft, and $20 million in guaranteed money to put Kevin Kolb in a Cardinals uniform this season. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, given how any sports pundit with access to a computer has written about it these last 4 months. The question is, did Arizona pay too much for an unproven product?
Let me first say that anyone they brought in would've been an improvement over last year's quarterbacking debacle. Hell, Jim Abbott could have at least gotten a start or two. But all summer I've had my doubts about Kolb, especially given the cost to acquire him. My choice was Carson Palmer,since he is a talented, proven veteran who probably wouldn't have cost as much, and could bridge the gap until John Skelton is ready to take over in a year or two. But, since Bengals owner Mike Brown has no interest in improving his team in any way, the idea of Carson Palmer coming to Glendale was just a pipe dream.
Which brings us to Kolb. As I said, I was against it from the get-go, if for no other reason than he is unproven, and I think John Skelton can be a solid quarterback. But it wasn't until I wrote the previous sentence that it occurred me how hypocritical my thinking is. Skelton doesn't even have the resume that Kevin Kolb does, but a lot of us have talked about how good he will be. Did I miss something? If we can see Skelton in 4 games and predict his future, how can we be so unsure of Kolb after 7 games? What I'm trying to say is, this is a total crapshoot. Kolb will be one of three things: a superstar, a solid QB, or a turd. After stepping off the ledge and drinking some red Kool-Aid, I honestly believe he can be a solid QB, especially in the NFC West. And if he doesn't pan out? Then John Skelton gets a chance to be the perennial Pro Bowler we all know he can be.
Now, as for the farm Arizona had to mortgage to get Kolb to the desert, I'm looking at it a couple different ways. As Mike Sando so perfectly noted in his blog earlier today, the price of the deal is "highly overrated. If the Cardinals are right on Kolb, the price won't matter. If they're wrong, the damage done will far outweigh a 185-pound cornerback and the draft pick Arizona included with the deal." I tend to agree with this assessment. The team needed a signal caller, and they went and got one. To be honest, DRC didn't look very good last year, but neither did the defense in general. All told, I guess I can live with this trade, especially if the team wins the West.
My bigger concern in this matter is the rest of free agency. While the Cards have made a couple solid pickups already, there are a couple holes to fill and a couple linemen to re-sign. I like the Daryn Colledge and Jeff King signings, but if the team doesn't bring back Deuce Lutui and Lyle Sendlein, they haven't gained a single thing. Also, regarding the hole left by DRC's departure, I'd be happy with Antonio Cromartie or Nate Clements. Unfortunately, I don't think the team is looking that route. While Patrick Peterson has stud written all over him, he has a steep learning curve ahead of him. And Greg Toler makes me nervous as a starting corner. A good FA pickup fills the roster here well.
As for WR, there is a less pressing need there. Since Steve Breaston isn't coming back, we are looking at Andre Roberts as a number 2 WR, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's still a bit early for him. I'd like to see Malcolm Floyd or James Jones come in, but I'm guessing the front office will find a serviceable veteran to bring in at a reasonable price. Given a probable commitment to the ground game this year, I don't really see the need to overpay for a number 2 WR, when there are some good options on the roster already.
As for my opinion of it all, I think the Kolb trade will work, especially if the Cards pick up another CB in free agency. We have no choice at this point but to think it will.
Thoughts?
Showing posts with label Birdgang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birdgang. Show all posts
July 28, 2011
May 23, 2011
No, I Didn't Lose A Bet (or "How I Became An Arizona Cardinals Fan")
People who know me know I am a huge fan of the Arizona Cardinals, possibly even moreso than I am a fan of the Kentucky Wildcats. It’s debatable, at best. Given that I live in southeast Kentucky, which is a 1,884 mile hop-skip-and-jump from Glendale, Arizona, a lot of these same people have asked me why I chose to root for the Cardinals.
It started in the summer of 2006. I had been following the NFL for about 14 years, and had never declared allegiance to a team. The “local” team is the Bengals, since Cincinnati is about 2 hours north of us; Nashville and Indianapolis are both within 3 hours. There was a brief period from 1999-2003 where I followed the Cleveland Browns, since the quarterback was Tim Couch, of UK fame. It wasn't so much being a huge fan of the team as it was being a huge fan of Couch. The downside to this, besides being a Browns fan, was watching the team shit all over everything Tim Couch did. He had no offensive line, only one good receiver, and a mediocre (at best) running back. Despite all this, he still managed to get them to the playoffs in 2002, breaking his leg in the process and being replaced by Kelly Holcomb.
So, Cleveland was out, and I needed a new team. I had one stipulation for myself: no good teams. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be considered a bandwagon fan, especially given the overwhelming presence of Red Sox caps after the 2004 World Series. I called a friend to help me, and we made a list of all 32 teams, immediately crossing off all the good ones. Just for good measure, I also eliminated the Bengals and Titans. After this, the Eagles and Dolphins went, since I had other friends who followed them. We eventually narrowed the list to four teams (two from each conference): the Saints, Chiefs, Jaguars, and Cardinals.
The Saints were scratched off the board first, if for no other reason than the hideous logo and color scheme. Granted, I did feel a bit guilty about that, since this was just months after Hurricane Katrina. Next to go were the Jaguars, because they don’t have any fans at all, and I didn’t want to be the first. That left the Chiefs and Cardinals. A buddy of mine from Oklahoma was a big Chiefs fan, and I’ll admit there are few scenes as pretty as Arrowhead Stadium on a sunny afternoon, when the entire crowd is wearing that brilliant red. But that still didn’t do it for me. Wanna know what did? Matt Leinart.
Yeah, that guy. And I’m wincing as I write this. But Matt Leinart is the main reason I’m a Cardinals fan. Here was my logic: the guy was All-everything in college, had the skills and the pedigree, and a long-sucky franchise drafted him to be their man for the next several years. I was thinking I could get in on the ground floor, watch him make Arizona a winning team, and not have to worry about being a bandwagon-jumper. Now, I wasn’t a big fan of Leinart in college, but I really enjoyed watching him play, and I honestly thought he could win at the next level. But more than anything? We are both left-handed. Yes, my allegiance comes from the fact that I write with the same hand as a guy whose NFL career is best known for pictures involving a hot tub, a beer funnel, and several gorgeous women.
While Leinart was the tipping point for my decision, the new stadium had a lot to do with it as well. I was familiar with how miserable Sun Devil Stadium was for the team, and thought indoor facilities would make a difference. Thankfully, I was right. As a throwaway point, my favorite NBA team of all-time is the ‘92-93 Suns, so I figured what the hell, let’s go with Phoenix again. It also helps that I have hated the Cowboys since the early ‘90s.
Looking back, I don’t regret my decision a bit. That first season was a bit rough, as it included an 8-game losing streak, as well as Dennis Green’s infamous meltdown after the team blew a 20-point lead to the Bears on Monday Night Football. Next year was the first for Ken Whishenhunt, and it was readily apparent that the mindset in the desert was changing. As for Matt Leinart, I hate how things turned out, and I even resented Kurt Warner for a short period of time. Thankfully, I only gave about $40 for my Leinart jersey on eBay in 2007.
There are also some other things to be proud of, first and foremost Pat Tillman. While the circumstances around his death are cloudy at best, it takes guts and principles to do what he did, and I almost feel guilty that I wasn’t a fan of the team when he made his decision. Hell, I feel guilty just using his patriotism as a reason to be proud. On a much less meaningful note, the Cardinals are also technically the oldest team in football. And aside from Leinart's shenanigans, no negative behavior is associated with the team. On the contrary, Larry Fitzgerald is one of the finest citizens the league has. Kurt Warner's philanthropy also speaks for itself. Even Darnell Dockett gets in on the action. I'm sure every team has a few upstanding guys, it's just nice to not have any dumbasses on mine getting arrested.
It sucks that I’m 1,900 miles away from my team, but I’ve been able to see them play every couple years. They won in Cincinnati in ’07, when Antrell Rolle had 2 interception returns for a touchdown, and would’ve had a 3rd had it not been for a penalty on the return. In ’09, they lost in Tennessee, when Vince Young led the Titans on a 99-yard drive in the final two minutes, hitting Kenny Britt in the endzone for the winning touchdown. The team plays in Cincinnati again this season, but the game is on Christmas Eve, so unless I convince my family that football is more meaningful than holiday traditions (it is on certain levels, but that’s a different post), then I will be watching that one on TV.
I guess I got lucky. I picked a crappy team to root for, and they made the Super Bowl 3 seasons later. The Cardinals are just good enough to enjoy rooting for, and just bad enough to make each season a roller-coaster ride, and isn’t that suspense one of the best parts of being a fan?
It started in the summer of 2006. I had been following the NFL for about 14 years, and had never declared allegiance to a team. The “local” team is the Bengals, since Cincinnati is about 2 hours north of us; Nashville and Indianapolis are both within 3 hours. There was a brief period from 1999-2003 where I followed the Cleveland Browns, since the quarterback was Tim Couch, of UK fame. It wasn't so much being a huge fan of the team as it was being a huge fan of Couch. The downside to this, besides being a Browns fan, was watching the team shit all over everything Tim Couch did. He had no offensive line, only one good receiver, and a mediocre (at best) running back. Despite all this, he still managed to get them to the playoffs in 2002, breaking his leg in the process and being replaced by Kelly Holcomb.
So, Cleveland was out, and I needed a new team. I had one stipulation for myself: no good teams. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be considered a bandwagon fan, especially given the overwhelming presence of Red Sox caps after the 2004 World Series. I called a friend to help me, and we made a list of all 32 teams, immediately crossing off all the good ones. Just for good measure, I also eliminated the Bengals and Titans. After this, the Eagles and Dolphins went, since I had other friends who followed them. We eventually narrowed the list to four teams (two from each conference): the Saints, Chiefs, Jaguars, and Cardinals.
The Saints were scratched off the board first, if for no other reason than the hideous logo and color scheme. Granted, I did feel a bit guilty about that, since this was just months after Hurricane Katrina. Next to go were the Jaguars, because they don’t have any fans at all, and I didn’t want to be the first. That left the Chiefs and Cardinals. A buddy of mine from Oklahoma was a big Chiefs fan, and I’ll admit there are few scenes as pretty as Arrowhead Stadium on a sunny afternoon, when the entire crowd is wearing that brilliant red. But that still didn’t do it for me. Wanna know what did? Matt Leinart.
Yeah, that guy. And I’m wincing as I write this. But Matt Leinart is the main reason I’m a Cardinals fan. Here was my logic: the guy was All-everything in college, had the skills and the pedigree, and a long-sucky franchise drafted him to be their man for the next several years. I was thinking I could get in on the ground floor, watch him make Arizona a winning team, and not have to worry about being a bandwagon-jumper. Now, I wasn’t a big fan of Leinart in college, but I really enjoyed watching him play, and I honestly thought he could win at the next level. But more than anything? We are both left-handed. Yes, my allegiance comes from the fact that I write with the same hand as a guy whose NFL career is best known for pictures involving a hot tub, a beer funnel, and several gorgeous women.
While Leinart was the tipping point for my decision, the new stadium had a lot to do with it as well. I was familiar with how miserable Sun Devil Stadium was for the team, and thought indoor facilities would make a difference. Thankfully, I was right. As a throwaway point, my favorite NBA team of all-time is the ‘92-93 Suns, so I figured what the hell, let’s go with Phoenix again. It also helps that I have hated the Cowboys since the early ‘90s.
Looking back, I don’t regret my decision a bit. That first season was a bit rough, as it included an 8-game losing streak, as well as Dennis Green’s infamous meltdown after the team blew a 20-point lead to the Bears on Monday Night Football. Next year was the first for Ken Whishenhunt, and it was readily apparent that the mindset in the desert was changing. As for Matt Leinart, I hate how things turned out, and I even resented Kurt Warner for a short period of time. Thankfully, I only gave about $40 for my Leinart jersey on eBay in 2007.
There are also some other things to be proud of, first and foremost Pat Tillman. While the circumstances around his death are cloudy at best, it takes guts and principles to do what he did, and I almost feel guilty that I wasn’t a fan of the team when he made his decision. Hell, I feel guilty just using his patriotism as a reason to be proud. On a much less meaningful note, the Cardinals are also technically the oldest team in football. And aside from Leinart's shenanigans, no negative behavior is associated with the team. On the contrary, Larry Fitzgerald is one of the finest citizens the league has. Kurt Warner's philanthropy also speaks for itself. Even Darnell Dockett gets in on the action. I'm sure every team has a few upstanding guys, it's just nice to not have any dumbasses on mine getting arrested.
It sucks that I’m 1,900 miles away from my team, but I’ve been able to see them play every couple years. They won in Cincinnati in ’07, when Antrell Rolle had 2 interception returns for a touchdown, and would’ve had a 3rd had it not been for a penalty on the return. In ’09, they lost in Tennessee, when Vince Young led the Titans on a 99-yard drive in the final two minutes, hitting Kenny Britt in the endzone for the winning touchdown. The team plays in Cincinnati again this season, but the game is on Christmas Eve, so unless I convince my family that football is more meaningful than holiday traditions (it is on certain levels, but that’s a different post), then I will be watching that one on TV.
I guess I got lucky. I picked a crappy team to root for, and they made the Super Bowl 3 seasons later. The Cardinals are just good enough to enjoy rooting for, and just bad enough to make each season a roller-coaster ride, and isn’t that suspense one of the best parts of being a fan?
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