May

May 2, 2008   

Boldin denies asking for trade

Updated at 9:15 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 3

When it was widely reported in advance of the draft that Cardinals star WR Anquan Boldin had asked to be traded because he was unhappy with his contract, team insiders told us that the Cardinals had yet to hear anything from Boldin directly. On the first day of the Cardinals’ first minicamp, which started Friday, Boldin finally set the record straight for everybody in the desert, claiming neither he nor his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had ever asked for a trade. All the while, the Cards have said that they have no intention of trading Boldin at the present time, and that they still hope to address his contract situation at some point later this year. But with other contracts to deal with — most notably those of ILB Karlos Dansby, the team’s “franchise” player, and SS Adrian Wilson — reaching a new deal with Boldin in 2008 still seems like a reach at the moment. The Cardinals claim they made an offer to Boldin through Rosenhaus back in December but never heard back from the agent. Don’t be surprised if Rosenhaus suddenly starts making his presence felt, in person, for possible contract discussions in the not-too-distant future.

April

April 23, 2008   

Dockett could become a real distraction

If Cardinals Pro Bowl alternate DL Darnell Dockett thinks staying way from the team’s offseason workouts will boost his chances to get the five-year contract he agreed to less than two years ago renegotiated to his liking, it appears he’s greatly mistaken. According to team sources, there’s a rather long line of Cardinals players in front of Dockett who stand a better chance of getting raises, and that, if anything, continued attempts by Dockett and his agent, the notorious Drew Rosenhaus, to rock the boat would do much more harm than good in terms of his relationship with the team. “I don’t think it’d be pretty,” one team insider told PFW. “The Cardinals have made it very clear that they don’t intend to address a contract they just re-did in October of ’06, and how (Cardinals head coach Ken) Whisenhunt chooses to deal with Dockett’s situation — with so many other players also wanting new contracts (franchise ILB Karlos Dansby, WR Anquan Boldin, SS Adrian Wilson and DE Antonio Smith, among others) — could be a real challenge for him.” As talented as Dockett is, the consensus seems to be that he could be fighting a losing battle in a contract war. “The truth is he really tailed off as the year wore on,” the insider was quick to point out. “Only one of his nine sacks came in the second half last season.” Dansby’s contract protest further disrupts a Cardinals D-line that recently lost the services of starting NT Gabe Watson. Watson fractured his kneecap in a treadmill accident at a local health club and is expected to be unavailable until training camp, at the earliest. 

April 11, 2008   

Leinart making it harder on himself

Matt Leinart

The way we hear it, while head coach Ken Whisenhunt is far from thrilled over the latest photos of Matt Leinart to hit the Internet nationwide, the former first-round pick and Heisman Trophy winner out of USC is still firmly entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback heading into training camp. Whisenhunt publicly voiced his disapproval of photos that showed Leinart, among other things, frolicking in a hot tub with Arizona State coeds, a few of whom might have been under age, and also holding up a beer bong for a thirsty coed crouching beneath him. The obvious problem is one of perception. Whisenhunt wants Leinart to come across as an extremely committed young leader and face of the franchise, and photos of him showing off his Hollywood-celebrity-like lifestyle suggest that he might not be working hard enough to make himself the best NFL QB he can be. Team sources tell us Whisenhunt is actually pretty happy with the way Leinart has handled himself from a football standpoint since his season-ending fractured collarbone in Week Five last year. Leinart has been commended for the time he has spent at team headquarters, watching film and communicating with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. That said, if he continues to struggle on the field as he did early last year, Leinart's off-the-field lifestyle is bound to be brought up, unfairly or not. "He needs one of his close pals who he can trust to do a better job of shielding him from the limelight," a team insider told PFW. Of course, it doesn't help Leinart that many team observers and fans believe Kurt Warner — who is as God-fearing and wholesome as they come and is coming off an impressive ’07 campaign in relief of Leinart — should be the starting quarterback heading into camp.

April 2, 2008   

Cards remain far apart with Dansby

The good news on the Karlos Dansby front? The way we hear it, at least the Cardinals and Dansby’s agent, Kirk Wood, continue to talk about reaching a a long-term deal for the team’s franchise player. But beyond that, the news is a bit discouraging, as it appears both parties are pretty far apart on financial terms. There was talk among team insiders that Dansby’s camp might be willing to come down in price on their demands after the recent six-year contract extension that was given to Seahawks MLB Lofa Tatupu, who settled for almost $18 million in guaranteed money. But it seems Dansby has his sights set more along the lines of the $22 million or so in guaranteed cash that former LB mate Calvin Pace managed to garner from the Jets. We hear another factor that could be gumming up the works is the possible apprehension on the Cardinals’ part to give a lucrative long-term deal to a player with a quirky past history when it comes to fully applying himself. In any event, with Dansby apparently in no rush at all to sign a one-year franchise tender of $8.065 million, it has become likely that he will be a no-show until at least the start of training camp, if not beyond, which team insiders believe doesn’t bode too well for his future. Said one source, “It’s not good if Dansby stays away from all the offseason pre-camp activities. A lot of people close to the team think the reason he was so good last year was because he was so involved in everything that was going on.”

March

March 28, 2008   

Cardinals finally back into swing of things

The Cardinals have been busy making up for lost time, re-signing a host of valuable backups, as expected, as well as adding ex-Steelers OLB Clark Haggans, a decent veteran 3-4 defender whom head coach Ken Whisenhunt is quite familiar with from their time together in Pittsburgh. Yet, for more than a week after first announcing the new deal for WR Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals remained in a comatose state while lawyers dickered over the final details of Fitzgerald’s admittedly complicated transaction. Among other things, the Cardinals reportedly fell out of the bidding for free-agent OLB Brandon Chillar, who ended up signing with the Packers. Cardinals GM Rod Graves told team sources that, contrary to popular belief, the team never had any intention of signing Chillar after the Packers came up with a much more lucrative offer. Nonetheless, the Cardinals’ organization emerged from its self-imposed inertia looking more than a little foolish in league circles. “It had to have been embarrassing,” one team insider told PFW. “I think they were really naïve in thinking the Fitzgerald deal would get done right away. But what they really deserve heat for is the fact they couldn’t get this deal done before the free-agent period started. When you look at it, Fitzgerald ended up getting exactly everything he was asking for months ago.”

March 19, 2008   

Rolle worth focusing on at free safety

As position battles go, you could certainly make a case for the No. 3 WR job generating the biggest buzz in the desert these days, now that free agent Bryant Johnson has signed with the division-rival Niners. “It couldn’t be more wide-open at the moment,” one team source said. But our vote goes to the battle at free safety that is expected to take place between converted CB Antrel Rolle, the team’s 2005 first-round pick, and hard-hitting fellow fourth-year pro Aaron Francisco. At this year’s Scouting Combine, Cardinals GM Rod Graves confirmed the team’s optimism about Rolle’s ability to effectively switch positions and upgrade a 2007 problem area. “The one thing we learned with Antrel was that there was a real confidence level when he was operating in the middle of the field,” Graves told PFW. “He is a great open-field tackler, and the tackling at the safety position (particularly by the recently released Terrence Holt) was a big problem. Antrel has been very receptive to the move.” But team insiders don’t expect Francisco — a smart, physical player when healthy — to go down without a fight in the battle for the FS job. In any event, Rolle is expected to continue operating as the nickel corner on occasion, which he did so well in 2007. As a result, he will likely be on the field at the same time as Francisco quite often.

March 14, 2008   

Expect Boldin to stay put — for now

The ink on WR Larry Fitzgerald’s sparkling new $40 million contract had hardly dried before leaguewide trade rumors involving fellow WR Anquan Boldin started circulating. Boldin, who is now making far less than Fitzgerald, is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, whose penchant for forcing contract issues to come to a head is well documented. It’s easy to see why more than a few teams might seriously inquire about the possible availability of Boldin, who is actually considered by many in league circles to be a better all-around receiver than Fitzgerald. However, because there are no indications at present that Rosenhaus intends on forcing the contract issue with Boldin any time soon, our sources would be very surprised if the Cardinals tried to trade Boldin, who, along with SS Adrian Wilson, has long been considered the team’s heart and soul. Interestingly, now that Fitzgerald has finally been locked up for the next four years, our sources also tell us that the team’s coaches expect Fitzgerald to go out of his way to demonstrate more Boldin-like traits, not only when it comes to leadership, but also in terms of showing more of a willingness to block and pick up yardage after his catches. 

March 5, 2008   

Fitzgerald trade winds just might start blowing

Despite negotiations for a new contract that would add badly needed salary-cap relief dragging on with no end in sight, team insiders tell us star WR Larry Fitzgerald continues to wholeheartedly pledge his allegiance to the Cardinals. But the way we hear it, if there isn’t any substantial progress toward a new deal in the next week or so, the Cardinals might have no choice but to consider trading Fitzgerald, whose name has been linked recently with at least one team — Philadelphia — in a possible deal that would reportedly send Eagles CB Lito Sheppard and a second-round pick to the desert. “But there’s no way the Cardinals will go for that deal,” one team insider told PFW. “I would think they would demand a considerable haul in draft choices (rather than) just Lito Sheppard and a No. 2. If Fitzgerald is going anywhere, the Cardinals will ask for the moon.” We hear the biggest hang-up in contract talks at present with Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, is the amount of guaranteed money his client would receive. Not helping matters for the Cardinals are the hefty contracts that have been doled out to receivers early in this year’s free-agent market. Not only has Parker taken particular note of the latest WR parameters. Team insiders believe Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin and his agent are just as interested in those numbers, with Boldin expected to deservedly push hard for a new deal in line with whatever Fitzgerald ends up receiving.   

February

Feb. 29, 2008   

Cardinals would love Faneca, but …

Hardly ever do you hear a head coach at the NFL Scouting Combine talk about a potential free-agent addition from another team before the actual free-agent signing gun goes off, for fear of getting hit with a tampering charge. But Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt was refreshingly candid when he was asked in Indianapolis if he would have any interest in going after Steelers Pro Bowl UFA OG Alan Faneca, whom both he and Cardinals O-line coach Russ Grimm previously coached in Pittsburgh. "Alan Faneca is an outstanding football player, and I know that not only from watching him play, but from being around him a number of years," Whisenhunt said. "There are all indications he is going to become a free agent, and if that happens, I'd be lying if I wouldn't tell you we had interest in him, because Alan is a good football player." Realistically, though, Faneca isn’t likely to be donning a Cardinals uniform unless the team reaches a new deal with WR Larry Fitzgerald that will create badly needed cap room. As of early Thursday afternoon, however, the word was that the team and Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, were still struggling to find a happy medium in terms of both amount and length of contract. On the latter point, we hear the Cards prefer striking a six-year deal, while Parker wants a four-year deal, which would guarantee the 24-year-old Fitzgerald one more big payday before he reaches his prime.

Feb. 20, 2008   

James still figures in mix

It didn’t take Ken Whisenhunt long into his first season as head coach in 2007 to let it be known that Edgerrin James was far from the the ideal featured back in Whisenhunt’s preferred offensive system because of James’ lack of big-play ability. But, contrary to recent gossip in league circles, that doesn’t mean the Cardinals are ready to cut the cord with James, who is scheduled in 2008 to make $5 million in base salary that could be put to good use in other areas. The way we hear it, the Cardinals are more likely to stick with James, who remains a reliable yet unspectacular performer at this stage of his career, and try to team him up with a draft pick acquired in the third through fifth round — team insiders believe the Cardinals will steer clear of running backs such as Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall and Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart in the first round and concentrate on shoring up what they consider more pressing areas — or a mid-level free agent who can add a more explosive element to the Cardinals’ ground attack. As to whether such an addition might signal the possible departures of holdovers Marcel Shipp and J.J. Arrington, our sources wouldn’t be shocked if at least one of them is shown the door.

Feb. 13, 2008   

Restructuring Fitzgerald's deal top priority

Don’t expect the Cardinals to be heavy hitters in this year’s free-agent market. The roughly $31 million due star WR Larry Fitzgerald over the next two years, based on his current contract, appears to have erased any notions of the team spending a lot of money in free agency this offseason. “Our primary objective is trying to keep our core guys together,” Cardinals GM Rod Graves recently told the Arizona Republic. “Larry’s deal certainly has a bearing on how we proceed through free agency, but we’re prepared in one form or another to either get his deal done or not have it done.” While we’ve been assured that the restructuring of Fitzgerald’s deal is the No. 1 task on Graves’ to-do list at the moment, team sources tell us it’s been hard to get a read on the current state of negotiations between Graves and Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker. The consensus seems to be that a new deal from the Cardinals, in addition to giving the team badly needed flexibility from a salary-cap standpoint, would probably result in Fitzgerald becoming the league’s highest-paid receiver in the not-too-distant future. If that indeed turned out to be the case, team sources believe it would likely make it next offseason, at the earliest, before the Cardinals could realistically think about new deals for WR Anquan Boldin and SS Adrian Wilson before their current contracts expire. How would that make Boldin and Wilson feel, heading into training camp? Stay tuned.

January

Jan. 30, 2008   

DE Smith looks like a keeper

On a team with more than a few high-profile players facing key contract concerns this offseason, Cardinals DE Antonio Smith’s future in the desert is far from being the most talked-about topic these days. That said, team insiders tell us the restricted free agent probably did enough in 2007 to assure himself a prominent spot on the Cardinals’ depth chart heading into the team’s ’08 training camp after making 13 starts and registering 5½ sacks — the third-highest total on the team behind DE-DT Darnell Dockett and SLB Calvin Pace. “He’s solid, not great but not bad,” one team source said of Smith, who equaled his combined sack total the previous three seasons. “He’s got good instincts, and he’s quick off the ball. He’s also a good team guy, solid in the locker room. I’d say he warrants a first-round tender.” That’s not to say Smith won’t be facing some serious competition at defensive end this summer. “They will always be looking for an upgrade at his position,” PFW’s source said.