Cardinals Salary Cap

There will always be tough decisions when it comes to a football team, and the Arizona Cardinals are facing a lot right now. It truly was a great ‘08 season for them, as they have reached the Superbowl for the first time and almost won it as well. Now that it’s all over, they are facing a lot of problems, and it would be difficult to return based on their circumstances right now.

For one, they have lost both their defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator. Pendergast may have not been much of a loss, but Todd Haley was an important component of the team’s success. Anquan Boldin is sure that he wants to leave the team, and Kurt Warner is on the fence whether he’d retire or not.

It’s not all bad news for the Cardinals as they still have a lot of cap space. Since it’s defense they need, they’d have enough to sign Julius Peppers since he is clear that he does not want to return to the Panthers. They could also sign defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth of the Titans, and keep Warner as well.

It will be exciting to see how the team will develop this season.

Rebuilding the Chiefs

For quite sometime, the Kansas Chiefs haven’t been performing well and there are currently on the path to rebuilding their team. One of their first move to turn their organization around is to recruit the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator, Todd Haley, as their head coach.

While Todd Haley is a great addition to their team, there still is a lot to do to improve the team. It’s just a beggining of a team rehabilitation program.

Another thing that they have to deal with is running back Larry Johnson. They still don’t know what to do with him, and a trade would be difficult. His age, along with what comes with him off the field would make him of less value, and the Chiefs wouldn’t get much in return. A better option for them would probably to release him.

They also need to fill the quarterback position. They have the number 3 pick, so they would be able to get someone like Mark Sanchez. If ever Tom Brady is able to play, then they probably have a chance of getting Matt Cassell.

Dan vs. the Texans

The mini camp drills of the Texans have been in question for quite a while, and it’s proving to be a very controversial issue. It was Dan Stevenson that first came out and filed a  grievance against the team. He claims that because of the mini camp drills, he sustained injuries that are possibly career ending. The Texans responded and said that all their drills were legitimate and that the injury wasn’t because of the minicamp.

What Stevenson did was to record the minicamp drill videos that was saved on a Texans’ computer. He recorded the dates and the games themselves, and it seemed like the players were made to do blocking drills, even in the absence of pads. NFL minicamp rules clearly state that there are to be no pads and no contacts.

It really is difficult for a player not to follow the drills since he would like to get on the best side of the coach. He would want to show his full potential, and wouldn’t want to be beaten by another player. This makes it difficult for them to say no.

You’re Fired!

It has been known the Arizona Cardinals are not really a defensive team. It was such an amazing run for them last season, and everyone saw a slight improvement in their defense. The thing is that this improvement simply isn’t enough, and it just didn’t work when it mattered the most. Finally, they were able to reach the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history, but fell short of winning it because of a crucial defensive lapse.

It was during the last few minutes that the defense allowed the Steelers to score a touchdown, which eventually led to their loss. This could be the reason why the Cardinals are letting go of defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.  Coach Whisenhunt says that Pendergast did a good job, but he is only thinking of the general good of the team, and that he want to give Pendergast an opportunity for the growth of his career.That sounds kinda showbiz but he may have meant it.

The Cardinals now both have the defensive and offensive coordinator positions available, and it is still unknown as to who Whisenhunt has his eyes on for the d-coordinator spot.

The Pro Bowl Beast

The AFC once again faced the NFC in another exciting Pro Bowl. A collection of all the best talent in the NFL where seen playing together and against each other, which is probably the highest level of American Football in the World. Some would only play for fun, some would play to win, others would simply dominte.

Larry Fitzgerald has had a phenomenal season. He was such a headache for the defense, that even against the Steelers, he was still able to unleash his fury even though he was covered for most of the Superbowl. Now that he’s playing in the Pro Bowl, he once again proved that he can destroy the defense, even if that defense is a collection of AFC all stars.

It was because of him that the NFC won against the AFC, and he became the first Cardinal in history to ever become a Pro Bowl MVP. He caught 5 passes, and gained 2 touchedowns. If that’s not monstrous enough, he’s catched at least a touchdown for the last 7 games he’s played.

It was just right that he was named Pro Bowl MVP.

The New Staff

Last season was great for the Arizona Cardinals. They have been one of the low teams all thoughout the history of the NFL, but they proved otherwise during the course of last season. They reached the Superbowl and if it weren’t for a last minute lapse in defense, probably would have won it as well. Now the question is whether they will be able to retain such strength next season.

One of their best weapons is now the head coach of the Kansas Chiefs. Todd Haley was the one that had orchestrated their overwhelming offense, and it would be really difficult to replace him. Another loss would be in the defensive coordinator position. Clancy Pendergast is no longer part of the Cardinals, and it is unknown whether he chose to leave, or he was asked to leave. Either way, it seems that the reason for his departure was the final defensive play in Superbowl 43.

Head coach Whisenhunt now will have to rebuild his coaching staff. For the defensive coordinator position, he has his eyes set on former Seattle linebacker, Keith Butler.

The Great Peyton Manning

Playing in the NFL means that you are part of an elite group of football players. Since the game is followed by a wide number of consumers, it means a lot deals and endorsements, thus a lot of money. This could lead to a lot of athletes being stuck up, greedy, and selfish. They tend to forget what it was like when they just played for the love of the game. This aspect alone tends to turn off a lot of people from professional sports. While this is a reality, it’s sucha relief to know that there are still players around that have a lot of heart.

Peyton Manning is regarded to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He is one of only two people to have recieved the MVP award three times, and a 94.7 passer rating, which is second all time. Though his statistics alone show how great of a player he is, there are things about thim that go way beyond his talent.

What he’s been doing for quite sometime now is send hand-written letters to former opponents of his that have recently retired. He would write them and tell them how much he’s respected the way they played, and how much they have given to the game of football. It would be great if other players would follow this example.

A Rising Tide Raises All Ships

The saying “there is no I in TEAM” would fit American Football real easily. While you might have a really great player on your team, if he doesn’t acknowledge his team mates and plays like he’s the only player on the team, then it wouldn’t be worth anything. The whole football team must work in unison in order to win games. What a team always needs is leadership.

Leadership is one quality that Ray Lewis has. He’s won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice, and one of the few linebackers to ever win a Superbowl MVP award. He is just phenomenal on the field and strikes fear in the hearts of the offense. The great thing about him is that he has great leadership qualities, and thus able to bring out the best in his team mates. If the people around him are good football players, he would then turn them into great ones.

The question now is whether he will be staying with the Baltimore Ravens. If ever they want to redeem themselves and possibly want to be a strong contender next season, they would definitely have to keep him. If not, then the Jets and Cowboys have an eye on him.

The Franchise

It is known to the football community that Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks there are today. Along with Manning and Warner, he is one of the few QB to be able to destroy a blitz defense with such ease. Sadly with the start of 2008, he suffered from a knee injury and his status is still uknown whether he will be playing next season.

This lead to the smart and yet predictable move that the New England Patriots did. They placed the franchise tag on Matt Cassel, so it would become tougher for other teams to sign the free agent QB. While they are not sure whether Brady will be able to return or not, they could easily trade Cassell instead of paying his $14.65 offer, if in case Brady is able to play.

Whether Brady returns or not, the New England will remain one of the tougher contenders, and are easily a playoff team. They are likely to reach and win Superbowl 44 if  ever they get passed the Pittsburgh Steelers. It will surely be an exciting season for them and they will still be a great team to watch because of their fast paced offense.

Predicting Superbowl 44

Ok, so it’s quite early to predict who would meet in Superbowl 44, but there already are strong contending teams that are very likely to reach the championship round next year.

For the AFC, you simply can’t count out the champions. With a still growing Ben Roethlisberger on their side, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a strong chance of reaching and possibly winning the Superbowl for the 7th time. They will also have an easier schedule this season, and that is rare for defending champions. Another strong contender would be the New England Patriots. Even without Tom Brady, Matt Cassel would still be able to fill those shoes and keep their high-paced offense running. They will be having a touch schedule but they are the best team in their division.

When it comes to the NFC, the Cardinals will simply have a tough time returning to the Superbowl. As of now, they are still having problems with their winning line-up, and their future is still uncertain. One of the strongest contenders would have to be the New York Giants. In recent years, the Giants have been able to get to the Superbowl and win it so there’s a big chance that they would be doing something similar this season.

Why Have You Forsaken me?

It has been a big question so far whether or not Kurt Warner would continue to play football. He’s been aching to retire for quite a while now, and every little thing could push him to do so.

The Cardinals had a great ‘08 season. For the first time in history, they have reached to Superbow but the problem is that it might take a long time for them to return. One of the most important pieces that made them so successful was offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Now, he was hired by the Kansas Chiefs as their new head coach.

As a quarterback, it’s important that you get along with the offensive coordinator you are working with. Especially if you’re a veteran like Warner, it would be difficult to adjust your game according to someone else’s style. Warner says that he wouldn’t want to take a step back and that if ever he retires, the departure of Haley wouldn’t be the main reason, but surely a big factor in his decision.

Hopefully all goes well for the Cardinals because as of now, it seems as though they are slowly losing their personell, in spite of having the most cap room in the NFC.

New Head Chief

Just like with everything, we have to move on and look if there are greener pastures out there.  The Cardinals had an amazing run last season, and it was thanks to their unstoppable offense. This could easily attributed to Warner, Fitzgerald, Boldin, and the others but the one that had orchestrated it all it non other than offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

It was during the NFC championships that we witnessed how fired up Haley can get, when he had a moment with Boldin; but that’s ok and it’s all part of the game. Now that the Superbowl is over, everyone is hiring galore.

For the past 2 seasons, the Kansas Chiefs have only won 6 games and are looking to rebuild their team. One of their moves is to hire Todd Haley as their head coach. This is a great idea, considering what he had shown the NFL during the last few seasons, and he will be enough to turn around the  Chiefs.

So what will become of the Cardinals? It really is difficult to say at this point in time. Hopefully Warner does not retire, and Boldin does not leave the team when his contract expires in two years.

No Contact Please!

American Football is one of the most exciting games that anyone could play or watch. It simply is a good release of agression, and it let’s you be healthy as well. The problem is that the human body has it’s limits, and it sometimes just breaks down. This makes football a dangerous sport as well, because of the serious injuries it can cause. Without the proper safety measures, one could end his career in an instant.

For this reason alone, the NFL has certain rules to keep the players safety in check. One of them is the rule of “no contact and no pads” during offseason mini camp. It would be heartless of a coach to break such a rule, because it is for the safety of their players.

The NFL is now questioning the mini camp of the Houston Texans. There were several team player representatives that have already complained to the NFL about coach Gary Kubiak’s methods, still it seems as if the rule is still constantly broken. Because of this, 3 players suffered injuries that were season ending.

It’s really upsetting that a coach would do such a thing and jeopardize the dreams, aspirations, and careers of his dedicated players.

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