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Whispers — NFC West
Boldin still very popular in Cardinals' locker room despite trade demands
Sept. 14, 2008
 Although Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin’s popularity has taken a hit in the desert because of his demand to be traded, team insiders tell us he remains arguably the Cardinals’ most popular player in the locker room. Word is his teammates couldn’t stop singing his praises following his outstanding second-half performance (eight catches for 82 yards) in Week One, which was one of the keys to the Cardinals’ victory over the Niners. Said one longtime insider: “If he continues to play like he did in that second half, the fans will forgive him, too.”
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Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin
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It appears Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington, who was on the inactive list in Week One, has been replaced as the team’s third-down back by the combination of rookie RB Tim Hightower and FB Tim Castille — at least for the time being.
How bad were the Rams in their season-opening 38-3 wipeout in Philadelphia? “Shockingly bad,” said one veteran team observer. “Philly was expected to be a tough matchup, but that was unbelievable. The defense was particularly disappointing after playing pretty well in the preseason. The coverage breakdowns were atrocious. You might see a handful of games in a season where the receivers were so open, and (the Eagles’ receivers) were all backups.”
Team sources suspect the hamstring injury suffered by Rams veteran DLE Leonard Little in Week One will be a “week-to-week” proposition. “The good thing is Leonard is a tough guy and a normally quick healer,” said one source.
Our Niners sources tell us new starting QB J.T. Sullivan has hardly endeared himself to the local media. “Yeah, he can be prickly,” one team insider said. “He doesn’t reveal much and is very guarded in group situations, with a tendency to answer questions with his own questions.” We also hear veteran newcomer WR Isaac Bruce has been a “real sourpuss” for the most part.
Somewhat overlooked in the Seahawks’ injury epidemic has been usual starting ORT Sean Locklear, who missed the first two games with a knee injury but has a chance, according to team insiders, to suit up for the Week Three game vs. St. Louis. But the Seahawks haven’t missed Locklear much because of the more-than-adequate play of Ray Willis in his place. Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren told one source that Locklear’s absence was “the least of our problems.”
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