Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers (yuck!) and both teams’ fans. For all your Super Bowl coverage head on over to our sister sites Nice Pick, Cowher and Raising Zona.
My post-NFL Conference Championship weekend thoughts…
Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald. If you’ve watched this guy play this playoffs, then you know that he has been the driving force behind the Cardinals’ improbable Super Bowl run. He’s making a strong case for the Chiefs drafting Michael Crabtree, who I see as being the next Fitzgerald. The big game is in two weeks, which should give Anquan Boldin enough to to get back to full strength. I think the Boldin-Fitz combo could give us an interesting preview of what a Bowe-Crabtree duo could be like. Hey, every good NFL team has to have an identity. With our current personnel, we are much closer to being an offensive juggernaut than a defensive powerhouse. More to come on this for sure.
Bart Scott is a hitter. Karlos Dansby really covers some field. We have to land one of these guys in free agency.
Terrell Suggs played huge today even with his hurt shoulder, and recorded both of his two sacks with his hand down. He and Julius Peppers are free agents, but Peppers is saying he wants out of Carolina and onto a team that runs a 3-4 defense. Suggs is probably the cheaper option and better fit should we decided to ante up the coin to get him. I doubt Baltimore will let both him and Scott walk, though.
A thought on Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford. Scott Pioli has never drafted a quarterback anywhere near that high. I love Sanchez, but I don’t foresee it happening. Keep an eye on Matt Leinart and the fallout from Kurt Warner leading the Cards to the Super Bowl. Warner will definitely be resigned now, and I don’t think the Cards can afford both Leinart and Warner with Dansby being an UFA. Could be an interesting trade possibility. Our 2010 first and this year’s third or fourth for Leinart?
Jared Gaither struggled today, but he played well at left tackle for the Ravens for most of the year. One of the Carl-Herm regime’s biggest mistakes was passing on a young tackle with that much talent in the supplemental draft. That’s why Ozzie Newsome is one of the best in the biz and Carl Peterson is jobless, I suppose.
Steve Spagnuolo is the Rams new coach. Damn. Jon Gruden is not the answer either, especially with a young QB. Along with Paul Pasqualoni, Rex Ryan and Ron Rivera, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley is another potential head coaching candidate. I was super impressed by Haley today, particularly the way he handled a disgruntled Boldin and engineered the seven-minute game-winning drive. He’s a Bill Parcells disciple, so I could see him being in the mix. Especially after today. He might be the next Ken Whisenhunt. (Apparently, Jason Whitlock and I are on the same wavelength on this one.)
How does Herm Edwards have a job when Chucky got canned?
As much as I love Matt Ryan, he and Joe Flacco were pretty bad in these playoffs. Maybe instead of drafting a young QB we should trade for one (Matt Cassel, Leinart)?
That’s it for tonight. I’ll leave with Ryan Parker’s tribute to my man Larry Fitzgerald (C4C, Case for Crabtree!)…
FanSided Sports Blog
Kings of Kauffman
NFL Mocks
Stock Car Spin
Bolt Beat
Just Blog Baby
Predominantly Orange
Ramblin' Fan
Loading ...
I think we will hear tomorrow what Herm’s fate is. You’ve got to think Pioli knows by now if he wants to keep him or not.
I don’t know what to think about your Lienart trade scenario. Why would you give more than a first round pick for a guy that hasn’t proved he is worth his original draft position? I would have a hard time giving a first rounder for him, let alone any additional picks. Has Pioli ever traded away a first day pick? I know he has traded multiple lower round picks, but I don’t remember any early round deals. Good food for thought with what could possibly come to fruition with Lienart or Cassel.
The Patriots traded a second round pick and a seventh round pick for Wes Welker.
We will not hear tomorrow. I hate to go here, but we are not going to fire a black coach on MLK day, nor on Obama’s inauguration days.
Good point. I can assure you that my being a conservative had nothing to do with the fact that I was too ignorant to think of such things.
Uhhhhh if you have not noticed, the NFL is comfortable in it’s own world completely and not much penetrates the business…I have to completely disagree with that. I think Pioli will make the Herm announcement as soon as he is ready no matter whose holiday it is or who is being inaugurated. I have no doubt in my mind. Business is business.
Fitzgerald played great. Three TD’s. They should not have stopped flinging it to him in the 3rd. BUT, they also happen to have a former league MVP slinging it to him. And that has alot to do with his performance. So, Best, I will agree with you about getting Crabtree if we sign Warner in the off-season or another (arguably) Canton-bound QB.
No trade for Matthew “Party Boy” Leinart…He has a lot of maturity to gain before he will be worth a damn in the NFL….
Has anyone considered a different Schottenheimer having a shot at our HC job? Brian is rumored to be leaving NYJ if/when they hire Rex Ryan. Just a thought…
I can all but guarantee Herm won’t get canned until at least Wednesday, if he gets canned at all.
As for Warner, he was a complete hasbeen in STL and NY before Boldin and Fitz resurrected him.
Just say no to Schottenheimers!
Of course there will be no way of us knowing why they waited if they wait til later in the week. BUT, I am completely confident that those two events will have no effect on the date. Just cuz you are crazy into politics doesnt mean NFL folks are. You are the only person, national, regional or local to mention anything about this, not even race-driven Whitlock! lol
Agree to disagree I guess lol
Warner was a hasbeen when he had no O-Line (cuz that is where success starts after all)
Last point I concede…I just didnt know what kind of possibility it was
Leinart? 1st and a fourth? What are you smoking? We best stay away from Matt. Cassel on the other hand…
Anybody have a status update on McGahee? Man that was a brutal hit.
Woody, I just think Clark Hunt is too good of a PR guy (maybe even a boy scout) to make a move like that. SportsCenter is talking about MLK and Obama now, I mean…not exactly like I’m the only one with it on the brain. But, yes, I am crazy in to politics and we will never know.
McGahee will be fine.
As for Leinart, why is everyone down on him? Because a two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl QB beat him out very early in his career?
I don’t know on Leinart Adam, I think your offer for him is way too high. No way would I give a first for him. As far as Warner having a huge year, I think he is really benefitting from the best receiving bunch in the league.
Here’s a question, wtf is with Boldin skipping out on the celebration yesterday?
I just am going off the reports I have heard in various articles about Matt Leinart being similar to Vince Young in his work ethic. HOPEFULLY he is learning from Warner.
I do think you are accurate in what they would demand in return for his services with a 1st and a 4th simply because they know Warner isnt gonna be there that much longer. At least not starting. I think it is accurate but I also want no part of that trade, it is not worth it.
As for Leinart, they aren’t going to let a former top 10 pick who has been stuck behind Kurt Warner go for anything less than at least a future first. This is the quarterback position we are talking about.
As for Boldin, he is super competitive and I think he was just fuming that he was held out at the end there b/c of his injury. I expect him to be fine today and have a great performance in the big game. That being said, he probably shouldn’t have gotten so upset at Todd Haley, but again he wanted to make a huge difference.
Champions want in the game when its all on the line…
I dont blame him…
The reason I think it is too steep is because instead of trading away a top 10 pick and another later pick, it would be in the best interest of the team to just take a rookie with that first round pick. Plus I hate Leinart, and will never root for him.