NFC West

[BINGO]

Arizona Cardinals training camp preview: Quarterbacks

 

[MHSL82]

2013-14 Opponents

Hmm... it looks like we play Arizona, St. Louis, and Seattle twice next year, too. What's with these schedule makers anyway? :confused2:

Just kidding, I am aware of the division arrangement.

 

[BINGO]

Not trying to , but I think we need some closure:

Sunday Talk: Why Did Brother Peyton Choose Denver? | GiantsFootballBlog.com

 

[MHSL82]

Not trying to , but I think we need some closure:

Sunday Talk: Why Did Brother Peyton Choose Denver? | GiantsFootballBlog.com

The theories run abundant. To go with the regulars (comp with brother, say over the offense, etc.), there's also "that he's a dad now" and:

NFL videos recently had a league doctor discuss what signs to watch for in training camp to see if Peyton was back to his old self. At the end of the discussion, he said the reason Peyton chose Denver is because of the mile-high altitude which will help him amass a lot of red blood cells, needed to aide in his nerve regeneration and arm strength.

An interesting interview and one worth googling for.

I guess that's better than winning a SB. :smh:

 

[Bemular]

Not trying to , but I think we need some closure:

Sunday Talk: Why Did Brother Peyton Choose Denver? | GiantsFootballBlog.com

You're not going to get closure, especially not with a blog like that - wtf was that? Honestly, Bingo, this story doesn't just have wheels, it has wings - it will surface over and over again throughout the season - book it!

 

[BINGO]

You're not going to get closure, especially not with a blog like that - wtf was that? Honestly, Bingo, this story doesn't just have wheels, it has wings - it will surface over and over again throughout the season - book it!

True!

 

[BINGO]

Getting Beanie, Ryan healthy
1:55PM ET
Arizona Cardinals

Both of the Arizona Cardinals' primary running backs for 2012, Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, are working their way back from significant injuries. Wells had offseason knee surgery, while Williams missed all of last season due to his own knee injury. If all goes well, they'll be tag-teaming in the backfield in Week 1, but Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic noted Tuesday that the Cards have differing concerns about each of their respective rehabs.

"Still, there is a feeling around Cardinals headquarters that Wells needs to be pushed," said Somers. "That's not unusual for a player, or any other human for that matter. But it wasn't a coincidence that on the final day of offseason workouts, [coach Ken] Whisenhunt commented that Wells should be ready for camp because other backs had looked good.

"He didn't name anyone, but it was clear Whisenhunt was talking about Williams. No other player has spent more time at the team's facility in 2012 than Williams, and by the end of off-season workouts, he was participating in 11-on-11 drills.

"Fair or not, the perception lingers around the Cardinals facility that Williams will have to be restrained from practicing too much and that Wells will have to be prodded a bit."

The Cardinals don't have an obvious answer at running back if both are unable to handle a workload in Week 1, so they will need to keep Wells motivated and Williams restrained in order to have them both in the backfield when the season begins.

- Tom Carpenter​

 

[BINGO]

Kolb's health key to success
1:30PM ET
Kevin Kolb | Cardinals

The competition between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton for the starting quarterback job begins in earnest only a handful of days from now when the Arizona Cardinals begin their training camp. Arizona Republic beat writer Kent Somers gives the pre-camp edge to Kolb, and he has an interesting take on the main thing Kolb needs to overcome in order to succeed this season.

"In my opinion, I think the biggest concern regarding Kolb is his health," Somers said. "The foot injury that caused him to miss four games was freakish. The concussion that caused him to miss most of the final month of 2011 has to worry coaches and the front office. Kolb said he didn't feel normal until about a month after the season. That means it took a total of at least seven weeks to recover fully. He also suffered a concussion in 2010 while with the Eagles."

Another factor that affected him greatly last year was not having an offseason to learn the Cardinals' offense due to the lockout. Now, he has had a full year in the system and an offseason to prepare. In the end, though, all signs point to this battle coming down to whether he or Skelton has a better preseason.

- Tom Carpenter​

 

[BINGO]

Burwell: 5 burning questions about the Rams

 

[BINGO]

Kiper's Summer Audits: NFC West
After draft, Arizona QBs running out of excuses
Originally Published: July 18, 2012
By Mel Kiper Jr. | ESPN Insider

Michael Floyd should give Arizona quarterbacks another vertical threat on the outside.

Every summer, with the NFL draft and free agency in the rearview mirror, I take a look at each team. What did it accomplish in terms of added personnel? How did its draft fill holes? What voids remain? Let's jump around the league, addressing three things for each team:

• Help added: What the team has done this offseason to improve its prospects. Given my greatest area of expertise, I put a particular emphasis on the draft.
• Questions that remain: A look at what voids must be filled.
• Next year's help now: With an eye toward next year's draft class, which player from 2013 could seemingly help the team in 2012? This is meant to be hypothetical, a quick look at prospects to keep an eye on.

Here is the version for the NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals

Help added: Last year, Larry Fitzgerald led Cardinals pass-catchers with 153 targets. Trailing him, in a distant tie for second were Early Doucet and Andre Roberts, a pair of good but not great younger receivers. Each was targeted only 98 times. In the same way the Atlanta Falcons decided they needed a potentially elite, high-ceiling pass-catcher to take some pressure off Roddy White (trading up for and then drafting Julio Jones in 2011), the Cardinals did the same in 2012. The draft addition of Michael Floyd, who plays at almost the identical height and weight of Fitzgerald, gives the Arizona passing game another major weapon. When he's playing at about 220 pounds or under, Floyd can't really be slowed by most corners, gets to where he needs to, uses his strong hands to snatch balls away from his body and has the quickness to separate. The combination of he and Fitzgerald should mean few excuses for Arizona quarterbacks, at least in terms of options in the passing game. And for Roberts, a player I really liked coming out of The Citadel, and Doucet, it could mean some good matchups in the slot.

Where Cardinals passers have had excuses is in terms of pass protection. While it wasn't quite as bad as some have said, it certainly wasn't a strength. In the NFC West, every team the Cardinals face will have ways to get to the QB. The addition of guard Adam Snyder isn't terribly significant, but I did like the addition of Bobby Massie in the draft. A player with his skill-set is a steal in Round 3, and I think he could get first-team time this season. Cornerback Justin Bethel is an interesting sleeper for them late. Elsewhere, the Cardinals are largely intact, which could be either a good thing ("They're growing") or bad ("They were bad") based on what you saw last year. For me, it all goes to the next note …

Questions that remain: John Skelton sort of out-Tebowed Tim Tebow last year. Very quietly, he came on after Kevin Kolb got hurt and managed to go 5-2 as a starter, albeit with passing statistics reminiscent of Tebow. Put it this way: Skelton won some games, but he was still just 26th in Total QBR and didn't quite complete 55 percent of his passes. The problem for Arizona is he was actually an upgrade over Kolb. Now, it's probably unfair to say Kolb has been a disappointment. Nine total games just isn't enough to tell us much, and given the abbreviated preparations of last season, it made the situation even tougher. But 2012 is significant. Arizona used the draft to make sure Kolb has weapons, and if this offense can be better, I think the defense will take a step forward too.

Next year's help now: David Amerson, CB, NC State
They have Patrick Peterson, but the secondary is dicey elsewhere, and Amerson is the best corner in college football.



San Francisco 49ers

Help added: If we're assuming the 49ers are comfortable with their situation at quarterback -- and despite a reported flirtation with Peyton Manning, Jim Harbaugh has been pretty clear about the fact that he is -- then the 49ers offseason could best be described as a process of simply mending what appeared to be the last few personnel question marks on the team. In free agency, the additions of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss were supposed to deepen the wide receiver corps, and the Niners went WR with their first pick in the draft, grabbing A.J. Jenkins out of Illinois in Round 1. I didn't think the team was dying for a big-play option in the backfield, with the emerging Kendall Hunter around, but they couldn't have done better than LaMichael James. They also added draft pieces at guard (Joe Looney) and safety (Trent Robinson) who could stick. They needed a little help at cornerback and Carlos Rogers came over from Washington. This was one of the better rosters in terms of overall talent when the season ended, and they might be even a little better to begin 2012. But that depends on how you feel about Smith.

Questions that remain: Last season, Smith's greatest strength wasn't the great throws he made, it was the bad throws he didn't make. Not once last season did he throw more than one INT in a game, but he also threw just 17 TD passes, not an absurdly low total, but look at the list and you'll note most everyone below him didn't even play a full season. Of course, the only QB who threw more than 400 passes with six or fewer INTs was Aaron Rodgers. (Rodgers threw 28 more TD passes.) I think the 49ers can win with Smith, but last year they also had an incredible turnover differential that won't be sustainable. The roster is largely intact, but the team has, in essence, created a "no excuses" personnel grouping on offense. They're saying, if you can't produce more with this, then we'll know you aren't the answer. Smith will have to do more, whether that turns into more production or more mistakes is the question.

One other question I have is how good Justin Smith can be. He was so good in 2011 that I felt he set the tone for the whole defense. He's probably the premier 3-4 DE in the NFL. That said, he'll be 33 in September, and you wonder how durable he can be. The 49ers aren't the same up front without him, but I think they need to consider how to preserve Smith, and what they look like when he's not on the field.

Next year's help now: Bennie Logan, DT/DE LSU
A possible heir to Smith, Logan could be dynamic as an inside rusher in a 3-4.

 

[BINGO]

Seattle Seahawks

Help added: There's been a notable velocity with which Pete Carroll and John Schneider have remade the Seahawks roster over the last 24 months. This year, I think it'll finally be time to really judge these guys on something more than growth. This is a team that, on paper, can be a winner if it can find some points and keep healthy in key spots. In terms of additions, it starts with Matt Flynn at quarterback. While Tarvaris Jackson is still around, and Russell Wilson deserves to be in the picture as a young player competing for the spot, Flynn has to be the starter in Week 1.

With Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin, Seattle has an above average tandem in the passing game, with the chance to be better. People should remember that Rice is still just 25, with a history of nicks that have limited him. So while I think it should be Flynn, "not enough weapons" can't be an excuse for anyone. I think we're all pretty interested to see how much of a pass rush Carroll can create with the addition of Bruce Irvin. I know evaluators that saw the lightning rod out of West Virginia as the best pure pass-rusher in the draft (which is partly a reflection of the class), and Seattle had to have taken Irvin with a specific role in mind. Carroll can use him as a Leo linebacker, with Chris Clemons as a possible model. Barrett Ruud provides some experience at linebacker and Jason Jones filled a hole at D-tackle. But the key is the rush, because consistent pressure could make an already good secondary look spectacular. It starts up front, and Irvin is the key for me.

Questions that remain: It's hard to blame the front office for erratic play from the offensive line. They've drafted with a purpose, grabbing Max Unger, Russell Okung, James Carpenter and John Moffitt relatively early in recent years. But health has been a major issue. I think the defense should keep the Seahawks in every game. But they simply have to get some continuity on the offensive line if they want the points to pile up. It's really not for lack of talent -- the guys in the trenches just need to stay healthy enough to improve as a unit.

Next year's help now: C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
Seattle can get the linebacker it hoped Aaron Curry would be. It's hard to miss with the best defender on Nick Saban's team.



St. Louis Rams

Help added:[/B] The Rams have some notable high draft picks on the roster, with the likes of Sam Bradford, Chris Long, the disappointing Jason Smith and even Robert Quinn. This year, in dropping the No. 2 pick to the Redskins for a massive haul of current and future draft picks, they added what I consider a lot of keepers, some with major upside, with an emphasis on creating more depth in the roster. This is something rivals like San Francisco and Seattle have done in recent years. D-tackle Michael Brockers will need some development time, but he has a lot of talent and could be a very good player later in 2012 and into the next few seasons. Wide receiver Brian Quick is another high-upside player that I think needs more development than the Rams might want, but at least he's another target in a weapon-deficient passing game. Isaiah Pead provides explosiveness in the run game, a very good complement to Steven Jackson, and Trumaine Johnson could either hang on at corner or convert to safety. Even wideout Chris Givens is a keeper and could help early. The wildcard will be Janoris Jenkins. If he can focus on football, this is a Pro Bowl talent. On instincts alone he can be very good; if off-the-field issues don't get in the way, he's a potential star.

The Rams had a draft where they got few guarantees, but it's hard to see them not getting some players, and for a team that really needed to upgrade overall talent, you could do a lot worse. Also, keep an eye on Kendall Langford, a sneaky good pickup at defensive tackle.

Questions that remain: The concern for me isn't Bradford as a talent -- I've seen nothing that says he doesn't have the ability of a No. 1 pick -- it's whether he can continue to adapt. This will be his third offense in three years in the league, and for the third straight year, he has a below league-average cast of pass-catching talent to work with. The return of Danny Amendola is a good thing, but we're not talking about Wes Welker here. Last year, poor offensive line play was a problem, and I thought Bradford was often out of rhythm, and didn't deal well with the pressure, particularly when it was in his face. Hopefully, Scott Wells helps this group, and Rodger Saffold can progress and show some of the promise he held as a rookie. Mostly, I just hope the staff can work to Bradford's strengths. Last year was a disaster, an offense that was out of the range of the talent trying to execute it.

Next year's help now: Levine Toilolo, TE, Stanford
Lance Kendricks is a good player, but Bradford would love the option of a 6-foot-8 matchup nightmare.

 

[deep9er]

Kiper's Summer Audits: NFC West
After draft, Arizona QBs running out of excuses
Originally Published: July 18, 2012
By Mel Kiper Jr. | ESPN Insider

Michael Floyd should give Arizona quarterbacks another vertical threat on the outside.

Every summer, with the NFL draft and free agency in the rearview mirror, I take a look at each team. What did it accomplish in terms of added personnel? How did its draft fill holes? What voids remain? Let's jump around the league, addressing three things for each team:

• Help added: What the team has done this offseason to improve its prospects. Given my greatest area of expertise, I put a particular emphasis on the draft.
• Questions that remain: A look at what voids must be filled.
• Next year's help now: With an eye toward next year's draft class, which player from 2013 could seemingly help the team in 2012? This is meant to be hypothetical, a quick look at prospects to keep an eye on.

Here is the version for the NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals

Help added: Last year, Larry Fitzgerald led Cardinals pass-catchers with 153 targets. Trailing him, in a distant tie for second were Early Doucet and Andre Roberts, a pair of good but not great younger receivers. Each was targeted only 98 times. In the same way the Atlanta Falcons decided they needed a potentially elite, high-ceiling pass-catcher to take some pressure off Roddy White (trading up for and then drafting Julio Jones in 2011), the Cardinals did the same in 2012. The draft addition of Michael Floyd, who plays at almost the identical height and weight of Fitzgerald, gives the Arizona passing game another major weapon. When he's playing at about 220 pounds or under, Floyd can't really be slowed by most corners, gets to where he needs to, uses his strong hands to snatch balls away from his body and has the quickness to separate. The combination of he and Fitzgerald should mean few excuses for Arizona quarterbacks, at least in terms of options in the passing game. And for Roberts, a player I really liked coming out of The Citadel, and Doucet, it could mean some good matchups in the slot.

Where Cardinals passers have had excuses is in terms of pass protection. While it wasn't quite as bad as some have said, it certainly wasn't a strength. In the NFC West, every team the Cardinals face will have ways to get to the QB. The addition of guard Adam Snyder isn't terribly significant, but I did like the addition of Bobby Massie in the draft. A player with his skill-set is a steal in Round 3, and I think he could get first-team time this season. Cornerback Justin Bethel is an interesting sleeper for them late. Elsewhere, the Cardinals are largely intact, which could be either a good thing ("They're growing") or bad ("They were bad") based on what you saw last year. For me, it all goes to the next note …

Questions that remain: John Skelton sort of out-Tebowed Tim Tebow last year. Very quietly, he came on after Kevin Kolb got hurt and managed to go 5-2 as a starter, albeit with passing statistics reminiscent of Tebow. Put it this way: Skelton won some games, but he was still just 26th in Total QBR and didn't quite complete 55 percent of his passes. The problem for Arizona is he was actually an upgrade over Kolb. Now, it's probably unfair to say Kolb has been a disappointment. Nine total games just isn't enough to tell us much, and given the abbreviated preparations of last season, it made the situation even tougher. But 2012 is significant. Arizona used the draft to make sure Kolb has weapons, and if this offense can be better, I think the defense will take a step forward too.

Next year's help now: David Amerson, CB, NC State
They have Patrick Peterson, but the secondary is dicey elsewhere, and Amerson is the best corner in college football.



San Francisco 49ers

Help added: If we're assuming the 49ers are comfortable with their situation at quarterback -- and despite a reported flirtation with Peyton Manning, Jim Harbaugh has been pretty clear about the fact that he is -- then the 49ers offseason could best be described as a process of simply mending what appeared to be the last few personnel question marks on the team. In free agency, the additions of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss were supposed to deepen the wide receiver corps, and the Niners went WR with their first pick in the draft, grabbing A.J. Jenkins out of Illinois in Round 1. I didn't think the team was dying for a big-play option in the backfield, with the emerging Kendall Hunter around, but they couldn't have done better than LaMichael James. They also added draft pieces at guard (Joe Looney) and safety (Trent Robinson) who could stick. They needed a little help at cornerback and Carlos Rogers came over from Washington. This was one of the better rosters in terms of overall talent when the season ended, and they might be even a little better to begin 2012. But that depends on how you feel about Smith.

Questions that remain: Last season, Smith's greatest strength wasn't the great throws he made, it was the bad throws he didn't make. Not once last season did he throw more than one INT in a game, but he also threw just 17 TD passes, not an absurdly low total, but look at the list and you'll note most everyone below him didn't even play a full season. Of course, the only QB who threw more than 400 passes with six or fewer INTs was Aaron Rodgers. (Rodgers threw 28 more TD passes.) I think the 49ers can win with Smith, but last year they also had an incredible turnover differential that won't be sustainable. The roster is largely intact, but the team has, in essence, created a "no excuses" personnel grouping on offense. They're saying, if you can't produce more with this, then we'll know you aren't the answer. Smith will have to do more, whether that turns into more production or more mistakes is the question.

One other question I have is how good Justin Smith can be. He was so good in 2011 that I felt he set the tone for the whole defense. He's probably the premier 3-4 DE in the NFL. That said, he'll be 33 in September, and you wonder how durable he can be. The 49ers aren't the same up front without him, but I think they need to consider how to preserve Smith, and what they look like when he's not on the field.

Next year's help now: Bennie Logan, DT/DE LSU
A possible heir to Smith, Logan could be dynamic as an inside rusher in a 3-4.

yep, with Sop and RJF going free agency, our next draft could very well add a round 1 DT/DE? we shouldn't draft one "no matter what", but it'll be a high consideration.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

I felt DT was a position we should have addressed this year, given an imminent need and a good class. Hopefully that was more an indication of the FO's view on our former UDFAs.

 

[deep9er]

I felt DT was a position we should have addressed this year, given an imminent need and a good class. Hopefully that was more an indication of the FO's view on our former UDFAs.

just out of curiosity, were you thinking anywhere in the draft? up high? mid?

i'd guess high but i'll let you answer.....

 

[Crimsoncrew]

just out of curiosity, were you thinking anywhere in the draft? up high? mid?

i'd guess high but i'll let you answer.....

I was thinking somewhere in the first three rounds. I'm no draft expert by any means, and this year I was off the game even by my standards, but there were a few guys I thought looked promising in the first. Turns out a lot of those guys went in the second half of the second (on that note, I'm very curious to see what happens with Devon Still, the guy just plummeted down the board after I saw him mentioned in the top half of the first round), so maybe the value just wasn't there. In the first few rounds, there weren't many DL taken after our picks. Brandon Thompson went one spot after our pick in the third - obvoiusly we traded out - but that's the only 3-4 DL type that went with ten or fifteen picks of our selection in the first three rounds.

Later on, Jared Crick would have been very interesting in the 4th. I tended to agree with the positional decisions later in the draft, so no major complaints per se. I just hope that some of our young guys are developing and will be able to rotate in a bit.

 

[mem49er]

They needed a little help at cornerback and Carlos Rogers came over from Washington.

Did thia bug anyone else?

 

[deep9er]

I was thinking somewhere in the first three rounds. I'm no draft expert by any means, and this year I was off the game even by my standards, but there were a few guys I thought looked promising in the first. Turns out a lot of those guys went in the second half of the second (on that note, I'm very curious to see what happens with Devon Still, the guy just plummeted down the board after I saw him mentioned in the top half of the first round), so maybe the value just wasn't there. In the first few rounds, there weren't many DL taken after our picks. Brandon Thompson went one spot after our pick in the third - obvoiusly we traded out - but that's the only 3-4 DL type that went with ten or fifteen picks of our selection in the first three rounds.

Later on, Jared Crick would have been very interesting in the 4th. I tended to agree with the positional decisions later in the draft, so no major complaints per se. I just hope that some of our young guys are developing and will be able to rotate in a bit.

ok, mahalo.

i seem to recall you mentioning this prior to the draft.

 

[deep9er]

Did thia bug anyone else?

it didn't me, what did i miss?

 

[mem49er]

it didn't me, what did i miss?

The article is about this offseason, no? We brought Rogers over last year (though we did re-sign him). Doesn't seem relevant to me.

 

[deep9er]

The article is about this offseason, no? We brought Rogers over last year (though we did re-sign him). Doesn't seem relevant to me.

but wasn't he a free agent and thus able to leave?