2010 Draft
DRAFT BLOG

Official) -  Cards Sign 10 UDFA's - Holmdel, NJ -  April 24, 2010  - The official Cardinal website announces the signing of the following undrafted free agents: 

Max Hall, QB, BYU
Alfonso Smith, RB, Kentucky
Juamorris Stewart, RB, Southern
Max Komar, WR, Idaho
Stephen Williams, WR, Toledo
David Moosman, OC, Michigan
Casey Knips, OT, SDSU
Devin Tyler, OT, Temple
AJ Jefferson, CB, Fresno State
Marshay Green CB Ole Miss

Hall was mentioned by the AP as one of four high-profile prospects that hadn't been drafted. He fits the profile of a short, compact QB with great accuracy and decision-making but only fair arm-strength (a game-manager first and a gunslinger last).

The three wideouts present a contrast: Morris is 6-3 205 with "no special aspect in his game and said to be reluctant to go across the middle. The more compact Komar (5-11 202) was described by one blogger as "the next Lance Long." At 6-5 199 (with 4.4 speed) Williams is a tall drink of water hampered, it is said, by the lack of a good passer to get him the ball.

The Cards added three O-linemen to the mix. Moosman (termed a "textbook Michigan lineman") was originally a Big Ten guard who was moved to center for most of his final college year. The 6-8 307 lb Knips was my 7th-best rated guard. He's considered "a good athlete but raw." The 6-8 308 lb Tyler also comes across as a raw giant from Temple who - like Knips -  might thrive under the watchful eye of Russ Grimm.

The Cardinals added two CB's to a position-of-need. Many Cardinal fans (including me) had targeted Jefferson as a likely Cardinal-fit because his athecism (his Combine speed/agility scores were off the charfts) reminded us of DRC. The Jefferson signing (if true) is especially relevent now that veteran CB Bryant McFadden is returning to the Steelers, leaving us a bit thin and inexperienced opposite Rodgers-Cromartie. It will be interesting to see how well Jefferson and our 6th round draft pick, Jorrick Calvin compete for that starting position. Green is a short, compact (5-9 180) corner with very good coverage skills but lacking the size to become much more than a perimeter corner.

In addition to the 10 UDFA's the Cardinals invited two young FA's to mini-camp for tryouts: WR Deryn Bowser (Akron) and CB ustin Miller (Jets and Raider).

On Adding Veteran Free Agents
Don't expect anyone famous. D Urban cautions against expecting the Cards to sign anyone "high profile" (Even Alan Faneca - whom the Cards will talk to is considered an unlikely addition). Instead, look for the Cards, where appropriate, to bolster backup depth with less expensive players.

Top of My Head Draft Assessment - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - This was not a "knock your socks off draft" (That's hard to do when you draft 26th or thereabouts in most rounds). But it was a solid, workmanlike draft that filled a few needs and set up a couple of things for the future.

As far as needs are concerned, my impression is that our first 2 picks - Dan Williams and Daryl Washington figure to help the team the most, because it needed to replace the hole created by Dansby's departure and there was the feeling that we were a bit thin at NT - especially with Branch being groomed more and more to play outside in rotation. Certainly we needed to replenish depth at WR after the departure of three guys (Boldin, Urban and Morey) and Roberts made a lot of sense in the slot. He reminds me a little of Anthony Gonzalez.

After that, the focus shifted toward providing developmental depth and rolling a few dice.

O Brien Cofield's knee is a work in progress, but he was a second (maybe even a first) round value before the injury.

John Skelton is a raw, high-potential guy from a small school (Fordham).

We didn't even know who CB Jorrick Calvin of Troy was let alone that he missed all of last season because of academic issues (not entirely all his faullt - though he accepts the responsibility). His selection has an eery resemblance to that of Greg Toler (another unknown from a small college - St. Paul's.

And Jim Dray returned to duty at Stanford after a series of knee procedures - he'll start off providing depth (mostly as a blocker) behind the Patrick, Spach and Becht trio.

So expect our inside run defense to be stouter. Expect Dansby's shoes to be filled by the smaller, faster (greener) Washington. Expect the #4 receiver slot to be filled by Roberts.

But we didn't do anything to bolster our offensive line, and, with Bryant McFadden traded back to Pittsburgh (for the draft pick that got us Skelton) it leaves us with Toler as the expected starter (& someone who -unlike McFadden who was more of a zone guy - is similar to DRC in his athleticism and playing style). But it leaves us very thin at CB behind the two, with the untested Calvin likely to be slotted behind Toler.

Bottom line - You can't fill every roster-hole with most drafts; but that said, we're exposed at CB and will rely on mixing and matching the guys we've got to assemble a workable offensive line. (Note - Depending if his production has tailed off as much as some Jets observers say it has - keep an eye on where Faneca winds up. It could be here).

And let's see if we come up with anyone interesting in the way of undrafted free agent rookies.

Cards Use Final Pick on Stanford TE - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - Memo to Jim Dray: You're still a Cardinal. The Cards filled their need for TE depth by selecting Dray with their #233 pick. He's 6-5 246 lbs and appears to be more of a blocker than a receiver. In fact, a search of the www uncovered a blog which attributes his being named to Pac-10 All Conference honors to his devestating run blocking.

Despite drilling as deep as 15 - 20 prospects for most positions, we failed to uncover Dray. Here's what nfl.com has to say about him:

Dray is a good sized tight end, who needs to be brought in as a blocker first and a receiving threat second. He oozes off the line and builds to his speed when running downfield routes. He is athletic and has excellent ball skills but is not very quick or explosive in or out of his breaks and struggles to separate from defenders. He can read coverages and can be an effective zone receiver, but his best chance of making a team is if he adds even more power and strength and makes an impression as a blocker. Dray projects as a seventh-round pick or free-agent signing if not selected in this Aprils' draft.

What this suggests is a blocker first and a sit-down-in the-zone type second (along the lines of Becht or Spach) We're waiting for more info from the Cardinals.

Looking Forward
"Gentlemen and Ladies - Start your engines - The selection of Mr. Irrelevent will signal the start of the "smiling & dialing" frenzy where coaches and scouts start contacting undrafted prospects to convince them to sign with us. I haven't been totally anal-retentive about keeping track of who was or wasn't drafted, but I believe the following prospects are fielding phone calls even as we speak:

• Dorin Dickerson Pitt TE/WR

• LeGarrette Blount Oregon RB

• Dezmon Briscoe Kansas WR

• Micah Johnson Kentucky ILB

• George Johnson - Rutgers DE

Cards Tab Unknown Corner Late in 6th - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - Troy CB Jorrick Calvin is nothing more than a name listed next to the Cardinals' #201 pick on the nfl.com draft tracker page. His link leads to nowhere - no height; no weight; no forty speed - nada. What little we know about Calvin is from the official Cardinal website which says he's 5-11 185, ran both a 4.64 and 4.46 (we'll take the faster of the two times) in the forty on his Pro Day and didn not play this year (academically ineligible) but did start a couple of games in 2008 and was considered a pro prospect by some scouts.

UPDATE (courtesy of official Cardinal website): "Calvin said he was academically ineligible because, after a “couple of deaths” in his family in the spring of 2009, he failed to inform one of his teachers he would be missing some classes and he ended up with a failing grade. That put him below the 24 credit hours for the year he needed to play.

We certainly had a need at corner, but we don't know how well the Cardinals are filling  it - except to point out that a year ago, the Cardinals pulled Greg Toler (of St. Pauls College) out of their butt. He may start for us next season; so it can't hurt to trust the Cardinal scouting dept. once more time.

Looking Forward
The same guys who were atop our board at #201 are still there - including Dorin Dickerson, AJ Jefferson, Dekoda Watson, Jamar Chaney and George Selvie. And troubled but talented RB LaGarrette Blount. See you later.

Cards Jump Up to Grab Skelton - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - There was a lot of predraft buzz that the Cardinals were targeting a young QB in the draft, with Fordham's John Skelton the name most mentioned. (Fordham! Who would have thunki it? It's campus is situated in NYC). He's a Texas boy with great size, physicality and poise. No need to rush him - just let him listen learn and hold the clipboard behind Matt Leinart Derek Anderson (& maybe another veteran QB) while he learns how to be an NFL QB. But the potential is all there.

Great move.

(We're not sure how the Cardinals worked it out, but they traded up, traded down, traded up again and still wound up with 7 picks. How'd they do that)? Update - They did it via a trade of Bryant McFadden to the Steelers.

Cards Roll Dice on Injured LB - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - Was Rod Graves being shrewd or greedy?

With (by my standards) very good players still on the board at #123, Graves traded down to #130 in order to replace a lost draft pick (he added #201). On the board at #123 were LB Eric Norwood and CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and TE Clay Harbor. By the time the Cardinal pick rolled around, Norwood, Ansah and Harbor were off the board.

With CB's Perrish Cox and AJ Jefferson still at the top of my board (along with WR Dorin Dickerson and LB Dekoda Watson), the Cards elected to draft LB O' Brien Schofield from Wisconsin. The 6-2 238 OLB had flown up the charts capped by a stellar performance in the East - West game before blowing out an ACL during Senior Bowl Week. The injury required surgery and he was unable to participate in the Combine or other off-season workouts.

When healthy, Schofield figured to be off the board in the first two rounds, but the injury raises questions - both to Schofield's long-term prognosis and how fast he can rehab and help the Cardinals in the short-run.

If Schofield returns to old form - earlier than later, Graves will look like a genius. If he doesn't, he may be judged as being just a bit greedy in trading down. Norwood fit the Dansby-replacement profile perfectly (245+ lbs, downhill thumper). I saw a highlight reel of Ansah recently and saw him go up after the ball in a way that reminded me of DRC. From my standpoint as a fan, I'll be inclined to judge Schofield's progress in terms of the comparison with Norwood and Ansah on other teams.

Looking Forward
One positive thing is that we don't have to wait from #195 to #223 a couple of rounds from now. I'll be able to stack my board from #131 to #201 (with 195 sandwiched in between). Still out there are Cox, Jefferson, Watson, Chaney, Sapp, Selvie and QB's Skelton, Jared Brown, Zac Robinson, Levi Brown, Pike and RB LeGarrette Blount. See you later.

Surprise! Cards Use their 3rd Round Pick on a WR - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - The Cardinals drafted Citadel wideout Andre Roberts with their #88 pick late in the third round of the draft. At a point in the draft where the conventional wisdom suggests that teams shed their BPA posture in order to fill needs, the Cards passed on a big LB, CB, TE and O-lineman in order to select a player at a less pressing position needwise. I can hear Mike Mayock's words echoing in my brain -

"Once again, they trusted their board."

In Roberts, they get a small school athlete built along Anthony Gonzalez/Paul Warfield lines - under 6-feet tall & compact, but quick in and out of his breaks and a good route runner. Plus he runs a 4.46. Cards needed to replenish their supply of wideouts in the wake of Boldin's, Urban's and Morey's departure. Roberts - who was, I'll concede, the 3rd ranked available player when we drafted (because I loaded the top end of the 48-to-88 board with CB's, ILB's and O-linemen - I had hoped we'd draft the big backer, Norwood or the fast-rising corner, Ansah with the 88-pick), figures to fit in perfectly as a slot receiver - #4 right behind Doucet on the depth chart. An added "plus" is that he can return punts (averaging 19 yards as a junior).

We face Day #3 with 3 picks (#123, #195 and #233) and depth/talent issues especially at CB and big LB. I'll probably post the 89 - 123 board tomorrow.

Cards Trade up to Grab "Fastest LB" - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - The Cardinals traded their #88 pick and swapped their #58 pick to move up to #47 where they passed on LB's Sean Lee, Thaddeus Gibson, Dakoda Watson Eric Norwood and Donald Butler in order to grab Jerry Hughes' TCU partner-in-crime, Daryl Washington. He's listed as an inside backer but is projected by some to be better suited to play outside because of his 4.54 speed. He was my 4th-ranked ILB (behind McClain, Weatherspon and Butler). He may be a bit short at 6-1¾ and a bit light at 230 or so pounds and appears to be more of a "cover & pursue" LB than one who's comfortable moving down hill.

Something revealing was mentioned in passing by Coach Wiz yesterday. When discussing Dan Williams and commentary that he was passed up by other teams because he didn't fit their defensive schemes, Wiz said something to the effect that "I don't know why many teams would have a problem finding a way to utilize a very big man with very strong lower body who moves as well as Williams" - the point being: When you have someone as athletic as Washington but whose height and weight isn't prototypical for certain positions, you find a way to utilize his talents. That's precisely what I think Billy Davis will do with Washington (I wouldn't be shocked if we lined Washington up as an "Elephant" roving backer/safety.

As he did with regard to Dan Williams, Mayock praised the Cardinals for getting excellent value in Washington at #47. Washington was reported to be 12th on the Cardinal board (one behind Dan Williams who was rated #11) so, according to Graves/Keim standards, we got a second high 1st-round value midway thru the second round.

Looking Forward
The trade has caused me to scramble - restacking my board to rank players from #48 to #88. Moving way up my board is ILB Eric Norwood (I don't envision Washington as being an adequate fill-in for Karlos Dansby size-wise, but Norwood - who totally was beneath my radar orginally - does fit the profile). For the same reason, I'd monitor Brandon Spikes and start to take a hard look at corners (especially another below-the-radar CB, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah) and a bunch of offensive linemen (Campbell, C Brown, Vehldeer, Ducasse, Jerry and Asamoah) and safeties, Morgan Burnett and Taylor Mays.

Day #2 Promises More Excitement - Holmdel, NJ -  April 23, 2010  - I've always enjoyed rounds 2 and 3 of the draft more than I do the first round. Granted, early Round One selections set the tone for the rest of the draft and is where you see how accurate you're mock turned out. But those next 2 or 3 early rounds is where good teams flesh out their rosters with quality players representing good value. There are always a few "diamonds" who slipped through the cracks in the first round (plus more than a few duds who deservedly "dropped down the board like stones"). Round 2 is also a great time to kick back with a long-neck, restack your board, mark up the draft pubs, see what others have to say about your team's pick, check the www for inside info and all that good stuff.

Undrafted as the Cards look forward to Round 2 are a few surprises, like Jimmy Clausen and Sergio Kindle. Since NT was not high on my own roster-needs list, deficiencies at CB, ILB, pass rusher, OL  S and QB remain "areas of interest." Available players who pique my interested and who now rate high on my restacked "27 to 58" Board include:

• Kindle (for obvious reasons)

• Chris Cook - a CB/S whom I thought looked as good as Kyle Wilson during Senior Bowl Week.

• Dorin Dickerson - a TE who runs a 4.40 and whose Combine workout showed enough explosion and mobility to make him an intriguing "big receiver."

• Sean Lee - a LB who can play inside or outside & is considered as smart and ready-to-play-from-day-one as any LB prospect in the draft.

• Brandon Spikes - an ILB who never was timed faster than a 5.01 and considered by some to be on the wrong side of the "fast enough to play" threshhold, but who best fits the profile of a physical downhill Butkus-throwback backer and, therefore, worth a shot after round one.

• Three OT's - Brown, Saffold and Campbell are still available.

• And what about Clausen?

Cards Draft NT With 1st Pick - Holmdel, NJ -  April 22, 2010  - In need of a pass rusher, inside LB, offensive lineman and corner and Sergio Kindle, Jerry Hughes, Rodger Saffold, Kyle Wilson and Devon McCourty still available, the Cards opted instead to draft NT Dan Williams from Tennessee.

We had Williams pretty far down our draft board (#8 among DT's, #72 on our Big Board; however most draft books had him rated higher (Lindy's and Fanball.com  had him rated #3 DT right behind Suh and McCoy. USA Today ranked him #5 behind Suh, McCoy, Price and Cody).

Williams was considered one of the few DT's who was more of a pure 3-4 NT. One scout describes him as a..."powerful bull-rusher who can collapse the pocket from the middle.Effective rip and spin move. But frequently comes out of stance high and doesn't counter once engaged with blockers. Closing burst is good but not great."

To be honest, I wasn't thrilled about the pick and actually had a short-list of Williams, Gresham and Weatherspoon as three guys I hoped we didn't draft. (I began to pick up rumors that the Cards felt they needed help at NT and that Williams was a logical candidate to be drafted. I was happy that Gresham and Weatherspoon were drafted earlier, but had the sinking feeling as the draft went on that we might draft Williams). I just have to trust the Cardinal scouts to know more about Williams than a fan from NJ who runs a website.

Mike Mayock summed up the selection of Williams as a great value pick for the Cardinals who fell to us and he gave Rod Graves, Wiz and Steve Keim credit for "trusting our board.

(Note - This morning, I caught up with Williams' ESPN highlight reel. He was wearing #55 (a LB's number) and played like a linebacker - shooting the gap and moving along the LOS like a lMike backer would - pursuing and catching RB's before they could reach the corner. Also - I'm curious to know how much input John Lott (who can evaluate whether a player needs to gain or lose weight - and whether he's motivated to do so) had on the selection of Williams (a big man at a position notorious for attracting big out-of-shape guys).

Rolling Draft Day Blog - Holmdel, NJ -  April 22, 2010  - This will be an ongoing blog where I'll post stuff throughout today and evening, so come back often:

As you'll see from my analysis of the pick in my next post - I was hoping we wouldn't draft Williams and had Kindle and Hughes rated higher. My logic: (1) I didn't feel NT was a pressing priority (Watson's knee is better and the improving Branch deserved one more year to prove his worth). (2) A bad write-up by the Sporting News corroborated by a somewhat tepid review by ESPN's Scouts, Inc. that suggested that Williams, though big and strong, was one of those fat guys who played too high. What they (& I may have missed) is that he made vast strides in his senior year over the previous season - and the two write-ups relied heavily on earlier info on Williams.

10:00 pm ET - Jerry Jones caught me napping - I was hoping and praying that NE would decide to add depth behind Wilfork and draft Dan Williams, but Jonesy moved up to pick Dez Bryant. Finally, the Cardinals were one pick away from being on the clock. Time to talk Cardinal Football. Instead, the Broncos moved up to draft Tebow, and instead of a lengthy discussion of Cardinal needs and drafting strategies, we got ten minutes of Tebow. The selection of Dan Williams was no more an afterthought.

9:30 pm ET - (Draft is really zipping along). Falcs figure to grab Kindle. (Yay! they took Weatherspoon off the Board). Houston - with Kyle Wilson and McCourty still available - went for Kareem Jackson (said to be a fast-riser and he was). Cincy took Gresham off the board (leaving Dan Williams and Colt McCoy on my "do not draft" list). Denver trades up to draft DeMaryius Thomas. We had Saffold heading to Green Bay, but Bulaga was higher-rated, and they took him.

9:00 pm ET - Denver trades down with Philly (Ah hah! Earl Thomas)? Nope: Brandon Graham (Dang! I had him rated just above Hughes on my short list). Seattle on the clock, and they leap on the Earl Thomas puppy. Giants are projected to take the DT Price, but instead they opt for the "back-flipper" (Pierre-Paul). Right about now, I've started thinking about "guys I hope we don't draft." Short list includes Gresham, Weatherspoon, Dan Williams and Colt McCoy.

Tennessee figures to take either Kindle or Morgan, and it's Morgan. SF then picked Iupati (another Gollin direct-hit, but a shocker since they picked another O-lineman (Davis) earlier. I figured the Steelers would either draft a run-blocker (Bulaga the best available lineman) or a WR (possibly Tate). They grabbed Pouncey (solid pick though earlier than I thought he'd go).

8:35 pm ET - Jags expected to be first trade-target (Earl Thomas the supposed target). They come in with another shocker: Tyson Alualu. (It's all good - more guys on our short-list who can fall to us). SF leapfrogging Denver to grab Anthony Davis fills a position-need (albeit with an immature kid with "po-tential") but who were they scared of to move up just one spot? Then Miami trades their pick to San Diego - For Earl Thomas? Nope! Another shocker: RB Ryan Matthews. Here too, why trade up that far to get him?

8:05 pm ET - Browns grab Haden/streak over. Oakland writer says Iupati. I say Bulaga. Raiders say McClain (1st surprise of draft). Maybe this will cause Weatherspoon to come off the board earlier. Maybe Clausen will be grabbed by Buffalo, but no-o-o! (second surprise). They nab Spiller.

8:05 pm ET - I've scored 5 "direct hits" from my mock so far. Okung makes it 6 straight. (Delusions of grandeur). My prediction of Clausen to Browns figures to end my streak.

7:29 pm ET - Final Mayock mock (minutes before start of draft) gives us Weatherspoon. (I hope he doesn't know something). I don't think Clausen would slide past us (note - he did).

3:23 pm ET - We were dealt a pleasant surprise in the form of gorgeous 70 - 75 degree sunny weather this afternoon. There's nothing like sitting shirtless on the back deck listening to Adam Schein and Rich Gannon talk NFL Draft on SIRIUS. Compared to the two TV nets (ESPN and NFL Network) SIRIUS, in my opinion, delivered the most entertaining and informative product of the three.

The deadline has passed for the ASFN mock draft contest and - despite the flurry of rumors - I decided to stand pat on the mocks I submitted yesterday afternoon.

Things are beginning to heat up on TV with regard to rumors, trades etc. Best rumor of the afternoon: Dallas dealing Spears to Miami (Parcells is said to love the kid) so they can move up to #12 and grab Earl Thomas (Looks like Thomas is in great demand - since Philly is supposedly seeking to deal upward.

We also heard for the first time that Trent Williams (whom we have going to the Skins at #4) may have some "off the field issues" that could cause him to fall. (Maybe this is why we're starting to hear Berry-to-Redskins-at-#4 rumors (or perhaps it's merely Bruce Allen ginning up the possibility of a trade down).

ESPN is repeating a rumor that Buffalo may trade with the Jets (presumably at #29 just ahead of Minnesota) in order to grab Tebow. It's unclear whether they'd trade down from #9 (to secure   #29 plus a pick or two) or trade up from a later round. If they were to keep the #9 pick, they're rumored to want to use it on an offensive tackle (possibly Bulaga).

12:52 pm ET - Draft Day under the new structure seems strange - in past years when it started at noon, you'd always wake up expecting to learn of a bunch of draft deals done overnight.  Nada this morning - in fact, after checking out the ESPN, nfl.com and CBSports rumor mills and tuning in NFL Net's 11 am pre-draft special, I found no reason to alter my latest mock of a day ago.

I did, however, steal a page from an ASFN post by Mitch, where he creates a mock incorporating every rumor (trade orno otherwise) known to man. I did likewise (check it out) - but even then, it didn't totally blow up my original draft projections.

Here's an update of latest buzz right now (& it ain't a whole lot): (1) Steelers talked to AZ and Oakland about Roethlisburger (but no known nibbles). (2) Nothing new on Haynesworth. (3) Nothing new in StL (still likely to keep pick and draft Bradford). (4) Stepped up rumor that has Philadelphia (#24) trading up to get  Miami's (#12) pick (to draft either Berry, Earl Thomas or a DE) but targeting an interior O-lineman (Iupati or Pouncey if they stand pat). (5) Growing feeling that Steelers will draft a CB. (6) Similar feeling that has Eric Berry going to the Skins at #4 instead of an offensive tackle (T Williams or Okung)

The Strangest Things You Notice on Draft Day: Will someone explain to me why there's a bundle of asparagus on the book-shelf behind Sporting News commentator, Matt Hayes on the NFL Network set ? What's up with that?

Heading Down the Homestretch - Holmdel, NJ -  April 20, 2010  - A couple of tidbits from Wiz on the draft: (1) Evaluating nose-guards is tricky business (because few play the position in college and you never know how potential weight issues will play out) and (2) Rod Graves was more upbeat than expected toward the possibility of trading up from #26 (although D Urban doesn't think it will happen).

Heated debate has caused me to rethink my attitude toward the ILB position (especiallywith the departure of Dansby). I remain biased against smaller ILB's (not to say that there have been smallish inside LB's - like Patrick Willis - who have been very successful in the pros) because of (a) the pounding they take at a "collision position" which will wear them down earlier over time and (b) some physical opponents who - if they feel they can't beat us with speed and chicanery will simply go the smashmouth route. In the complex world of NFL defensive football, a team needs answers for anything an opponent might come up with. This has caused me to waver in my assessment of Brandon Spikes who couldn't break the 5.0 barrier in the forty (and may lack range) but is considered to be "all football player" and a downhill throwback to guys like Butkus and Urlacher. I'm thinking 2nd or 3rd round to serve (a) as depth behind Gerald Hayes at SILB and (b) as a WILB answer when an opponent decides to "go physical."

NFL schedule will be announced in 8 or 9 hours. Things to look for: (1) Prime-time TV  games. (2) Bye Week. (3) Potential bad-weather/snow games. (4) Division Games.  (5) Payback games (stemming from trades or other sources of potential friction). (6) Short and long Practice-weeks (advantages and disadvantages)

Inner Workings of the Cardinal Draft Board - Holmdel NJ -  April 20, 2010  - Actually 2 boards according to Darren Urban.

• First they build their Main Board - BPA ranking of all players on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 100 (highest.

• Then they build a Second Board (their "short list" of 120 prospects). It is on this board that additional criteria such as position-need or system-fit are given added weight.

According to Darren, Coach Wiz offers the following example: "..they could have a player who has the 5th overall grade out of all the players, but on the 120 board the Cards may have him 12th or 13th because that player’s skill-set doesn’t fit as well what the Cardinals are trying to do..."

Does that mean the Cards ignore a talented player? No; in fact, the higher the available player's BPA grade, the more weight they must give him to at least consider when the team is on the clock. (In a sense, this is the opposite from our earlier perception of how things worked, in that - instead of factoring in "position-need/system fit" to the BPA board - the Cards factor in a player's overall BPA-rating to where he's rated on their 120-player "short list."

Whisenhunt likes to say that the Cards tend to look for  the player who can provide “the greatest margin of improvement” for the team, (a phrase he credits to Rod Graves).

"The Sunday Before" - Holmdel NJ -  April 18, 2010  -Typically, the Sunday before the draft brings with it, major Draft Specials on the Sunday morning sports pages along with a spate of late-rumors. (Its in my DNA to buy up all the local dailies, spread them out and partake in the feast of draft material). All that evidently has changed. Blame it on the Internet. Or the incredibly shrinking print-media news-hole. Or the changed (3-day)structure of the draft. Dunno. All I know is that - aside from a few gossipy and Giants/Jets-related pages in the NY Daily News, draft material was pretty sparse this morning.

So - 2 days before the schedule is relased and 4 days before the draft, what do we know? What have we learned?

• Bradford has distanced himself as the #1 QB and is likely to be first pick of the board (figure it's 85% likely to remain StL and 15% the pick could be traded - to the Browns, Buffalo or some other team off everyone's radar.

• Trade-wise, keep an eye on the following teams - St. Louis (pick #1), Seattle (6, 14), Clevelan (7), Denver (11), Miami (12), New England (22), Philadelphia (24) and Dallas (27). All are said to be actively exploring trade possibilities.

• Increased buzz that Philly wants to trade into the top echelon in order to draft Berry or Earl Thomas. (But there are those who believe their real target is Rolando McClain).

• Do not confuse what a beat-writer knows a team is planning to do with what it feels a team ought to do. Oakland beat-writer's speculation - that they might draft Clausen if available - appears to be more wish than fact or logic.

• Word out of Detroit has their GM saying that no concensus on a first round pick has yet been arrived at. (Translation - they are entertaining trade offers).

• Speculation that Denver hasn't finished cleaning house - has fueled speculation that they might deal their TE (Tony Scheffler) to the Bengalis.

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Trade Talk- Holmdel NJ -  April 17, 2010  -The CBS.com draft blog reports that the following teams are discussing trades: Rams, Seahawks, Browns, Broncs, Dolphs, Pats, Philly and Team Felon.

Cleve said to want to trade up to #1 (StL) to get Bradford, but also exploring trading down. Seattle would like to add a pick in the late first/early second round. Their minicamp indicated several roster holes. Denver said to rate Bryant and Pouncey, with Bryant worth their #11 but Pouncey probably an option should they trade down to a later pick. Miami doesn't feel there's much of a dropoff from #12 to later in the first round and seek to recoup the 2nd round pick they gave up for Marshall.

Pats have three second round picks, but Belichick feels the second round is where the values lie. Eagles said to target McClain despite Peter King story that they want to move up to grab a safety (Berry or E Thomas). Jerry Jones is a big Dez Bryant booster and might move up into the late teens if Bryant was still available.

Two "Draft Changers"  - Holmdel NJ -  April 14, 2010  - A "draft changer" (by my definition) is any event that figures to change the course of a draft. Most of draft changers come in the form of trades, but some could be reflections of events or circumstances that significantly change the evaluation of a prospect. We've got one of each:

• McClain Crohn Disease Report Apparently Bogus - According to Charley Casserly yesterday, it turns out that LB Rolando McClain never had Crohn Disease (corroborated by post-Combine medical tests); it was his mother who had the chronic condition. I say "apparently" because it does a 180 on an NFL Network report during the Combine which said that McClain had revealed his condition and wanted to be "up front" with the scouts about it. The first report has the ring of credibility, so what's the deal? My inclination is to rely on Casserly's credibilty and go with the the latter story. If the teams feel likewise, this could significantly move McClain's back up many boards (especially among teams like the Cardinals who are looking for that rare impact ILB with both size and speed).

• Brandon Marshall to Miami - Not fully a done deal, but contingent upon his passing a physical and the paperwork clearing the League office. But barring anything funky, it looks like we won't have to worry about Marshall's receiving threat in a Seattle Seahawk uniform - a very big deal for the Cardinals, both in terms of Seattle being a division opponent and also the direction of the draft (since Seattle owns #6 and #14). It's unclear whether the Seahawks would take a WR with either pick with or without Marshall (they have enough other holes to fill - QB, RB, LT and, with Kerney now retired, a pass rusher). But now, you've got to figure they'll be on the prowl for impact WR help.

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7 Pre-Draft Visits (Uncorroborated)  - Holmdel NJ -  April 6, 2010  - According to a blog posted on ASFN, the following prospects are scheduled to visit the Cardinals:

QB John Skelton (Fordham)

LB Ricky Sapp (Clemson)

LB Daryl Washington

LB Eric Moncur (Miami FL)

CB Kareem Jackson (Alabama)

LB Dexter Davis (ASU)

DE Sean Lissemore (William & Mary)

Before we jump to too many conclusions, realize that some NFL teams use the prospect visits more to fill in missing info about a kid than to signal inside info that they actually plan to draft him. Or not.

Other tidbits of interest - (a) I have Skelton rated #7 best QB (from a Cardinal-fit standpoint) on my board. (b) I have Sapp rated my #6 best DE. Washington rated #4 at ILB and Jackson 14th best corner (Mayock rates him 5th).

Other Stuff - I'm in the midst of stacking my 300-player board (which should be enough to take us well past our #233 spot in the draft). It's a tough slog - if you look at several other boards (i.e. War Room, Scouts Inc. CBS etc.) the player ratings are all over the place. A kid rated 3rd best LB on one board may be rated #23 on another. Since I try to set up my board as independently as possible, what others think shouldn't matter; however I do miss the reassurance of knowing that other draft folk are thinking like I do.

One other point about the importance of the Big Board - when Dave McGinnis was HC of the Cardinals, he'd appear to target certain players he wanted and then (with the exception of, obviously, the first round) would pick those guys a round earlier than they were projected to fall (in order to make sure he'd get them). While he got the guys he wanted, they didn't always pan out so well (although A-Dub is one glowing exception to that rule). But what it did over the long haul was that we consistently overdrafted guys by one round, and it eventually eroded our base of talent.

Enter Dennis Green. His MO was to stack a "Best Player Regardless of Position" Board and, each round, draft the highest undrafted guy on the list each time we drafted. Because our talent-evaluators didn't always agree with those on the other 31 teams, there would always be a few higher-value guys who would fall to us; thereby allowing us to get top value for our pick. Result - the overall talent-base of the Cardinals has gradually improved to a point where we were good enough to make the playoffs twice and  the Super Bowl once.

With some modifications (including giving more weight to a player's ability to fill a need or fit within the Cardinal system) this policy has continued to this day. Best way I can explain its implementation is as follows:

Suppose you've decided that you can get away with the guys on your O-line but desperately need a pass rusher and have targeted Jerry Hughes as your pick at #26 only to find that for reasons unbeknownst to you, a Top 3 offensive tackle (Bulaga) is still available. You've done your due-diligence on the kid and have come up with no negatives; so what do you do? Do you pass on Bulaga (who could be your LT for a decade)? Or do you fill the need with Hughes. Or - same scenario - would you pass on Hughes to draft Clausen if you rated Clausen a Top 15 player and he were to fall to us? If you're a BPA drafter, you'd probably go the Bulaga or Clausen route and take your chances on getting an elite pass rusher later in the draft.

(Note - The best friend of a BPA guy is what your team does via free agency. The pickup of Joey Porter gives us pass rushing capability in the short run and takes the heat off our urgent need to draft a pass rusher. Similarly, the addition of Hadnot gives us a little more wriggle-room on the O-line and makes "need" less vital thereby enabling us to follow the BPA philosophy with fewer guilt pangs).

7 Round Draft Order Announced - Holmdel NJ -  March 25 - The League announced the supplemental picks (Surprise! We got none) and released its 7 Round schedule of picks. (You'll find the round by round info on the BRS Draft Summary Page.

The Cards pick #26, #58, #88, #89, #123, #195 and #233. (We gained Baltimore's 3rd round pick - #89 - for Boldin, lost one of our two 4th round picks - # 124 - for Derek Anderson) and lost our 5th round pick - #157 - also for Anderson).

Now we can conduct more realistic 7-round mocks. (Check here often).

Rounding the Bend - Holmdel NJ -  March 25 - With the Combine and most of the Pro Days and free-agency stuff behind us, we're just about to enter the home-stretch - the final 3 or 4 weeks before Draft Day.

It's a period for teams to sign tenders, tweak their pre-draft rosters log in all the last-minute player info and begin to restack and finalize their Boards. (Major thing to look for are major changes in measurables (the overexaggerated height, weight or forty time. Wide swings - both positive or negative - in workout scores).

It's also time for player-visits and pre-draft rumors and posturing to heat up.

For us fans, it's time to hit B & N or the local supermarket to pick up at least one (some of us buy all of them( draft guide. Supplemental picks have been awarded (True to form, we got none). But one other important aspect of the Supps is that it changes the final order of the 7 round draft. We're waiting for NFL.com to post the final order so that we can, in turn, post it here - you need it to conduct any meaningful mocks.

Speaking of mocks - ours will come a week or two later - we're still monkeying around with our 300 player board big time.

One final thing to look forward to in the next week or two will be the 2010 preseason and regular schedules (including Prime Time televised games). Stay tuned.

Boldin News and Possible Draft Impact - Holmdel NJ -  March 5 - The trade of Anquan Boldin to the Ravens (along with our Pick #159) in exhange for their 3rd and 4th round picks (#'s 89 and 124 before compensation picks push one or both to later spots) figures to place more pressure on Steve Keim and his people to replace Q with players totalling equal or greater value (& those are big shoes for those 2 picks to fill).

It also implies that the Cards may be more likely to target a wideout in the draft than otherwise. Not that the Cardinals have habitually "played the draft" - sliding up and down the ladder the way teams like New England and Dallas love to do, but the extra picks (plus possibly an extra compensation pick or two - though don't get your hopes up too high) could give the Cards extra wriggle room to move up to grab a guy they love or move down to accumulate extra picks. What makes this draft unique is - at least as I see it - an absence of lots of potential superstars at the top but a greater than usual number of solid B-Level players - especially at RB, TE and both lines - that will extend well into the later rounds - making it a good draft for stockpiling undeveloped talent.

We'll have to see what eventually happens, but it sure looks like it may be a wild ride.

Hallelujah! Most Draft Material is Finally Up! - Holmdel NJ  - Fri. March 5, 2010 - Five minutes ago, I finished posting the Position Rankers chart which shows player-rankings by position all on one page. With all the free agent stuff buzzing around, I also updated the Cardinal roster and - as best I could - the contract/free agent status of each player. I also discovered (much to my unpleasant surprise) that my web-design software had the annoying habit of changing - for no apparent reason - typefaces and type-sizes willy-nilly in the middle of paragraphs, so I devoted another couple of hours to what amounted to picking lint from artificial turf. Well, finally things are under control with the Draft Issue. Now I can sit back and watch the carnage they call free agency.

Speaking of which (if reports, rumors and speculation prove accurate)- we could very well wind up with 5 key Cardinal players no longer on the roster. Warner and Berry are already history, and Dansby, Rolle and (if trade rumors have any substance) Boldin could wind up elsewhere.

Talking about losing your team's "core players" !!! Rod G, do something!!!! No doubt many Cardinal fans will overreact and, by the time the dust settles, things will end up balancing things out. (For example, you do realize that with the departure of Warner, Dansby, Rolle etc. comes the influx of spendible dollars that can be used on our own remaining players or to bring in some new ones).

Anyway, sit back and enjoy the ride (inclduding this year's BRS Draft Issue.

Interesting Combine Results. Holmdel NJ - March 3, 2010 - Got the DirecTV replacement receiver just in time to catch & record the NFL Network DB and wrap-up shows. The first thing I did yesterday evening was to check the NFL.com website for Combine scores for each player. While they do have what seems to be a complete list of players, I'm pretty sure they only listed the better scores. I also didn't see an accurate list of player heights and weights.

I plan to update player write-ups today or tomorrow where I do have new info.

Meanwhile, there was a bevy of results that definitely got my attention. To summarize:

• RB Ben Tate - one of the "big" RB's - ran a 4.54, cranked out 265 bench press reps, had a 40.5" vertical jump (VJ) and a 10-4 broad jump (BJ).

• Another big back, Montario Hardesty ran a 4,49, had a 41.0 VJ and a 10-4  BJ. Gerhart's forty times weren't listed but his unofficial times shown on NFL Network ranged from 4.53 - 4.58 - excellent for a big guy.

• QB Jarrett Brown (who we rated highly based on Senior Bowl productivity) posted a 4.54

• WR Jacoby Ford posted a ridiculous 4.28.

• OT Bruce Campbell ran a 4.85.

• Two LB's (Jamar Chaney and Dakota Watson) posted 4.54 and 4.56 forties respectively. Watson also had a 40.0 VJ.

• S Chris Cook (whom also I like as a CB) ran a 4.46 and BJ'd 11-0. SS Taylor Mayes ran a 4.43 and had a 43.0 VJ.

•  Devon McCourty ran a 4.48. And keep an eye on CB AJ Jefferson (who - though not being listed for a forty-time had a 44.0" VJ, 4,00 short shuttle and and 11,04 long shuttle.

• The one surprising negative was scatback Dexter McCluster's lackluster 4.58 forty time.

These were only the high spots. A lot more useful info flying beneath the radar relates to individual players in the form of questions answered about such things as speed for size, explosiveness and agility compared to speed and functional talent displayed in the position-drills. Anyway, that's the deal for now - time to update the player info.

Holmdel NJ - March 1, 2010 - Welcome to the BRS Annual 2010 Draft Issue. It will be a work in progress - with new material posted to update existing pages and add new ones; so be sure to visit early and often. The centerpiece of the Draft Issue will be our Draft Master Summary page - which will provide links to everything draft-related. To get started, go there.

We got off to a slow start compiling this year's draft material due to snowstorms in the northeast, a computer crash, major software incompatiblility and (as recently as 2 days ago) the crash of our DirecTV DVR (causing us to lose replays of Senior Bowl game /practices and the Combine. (Fortunately, NFL Network often runs replays of Combine and Senior Bowl footage, so maybe we'll get lucky and get our footage back).

With so much roster-uncertainty this year for the Cardinals, this draft figures to have many unexpected twists and turns to it to make a pretzel envious. So enjoy the ride.