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In 2008 the Arizona Cardinalsselected a cornerback in the 1st round with hopes that he would eventually develop into a quality starter. They and the rest of us didn't expect a rookie to nearly turn into a shut down cornerback in a matter of a couple games. DRC, or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartiehas now become in just half a year and a whole post season, one of the most exciting defenders to watch play. He's also one of the more anticipated players we would like to see as the 2009 season approaches. Halfway through the 2008 season DRC stepped in the starting role and never relinquished it. Although he only started half of the season, if we multiply his second half stats by 2, he may of finished the 2008 season with 56 tackles, 8 interceptions and 28 passes defended. One could only wonder if that would've happened, and if it did, he could've been up for ROY honors. This year though, he'll be the starter come day one and will have a season, a playoff run, and a Super Bowl appearance under his belt. Cromartie was said to have a high learning curve, and we may see how quickly that happens when next season starts. With the addition of Bryant McFaddento play along side him, it only decreases chances that teams may pick on DRC as well, although he may enjoy it being thrown at.

In a February story, MVN.com released their top ten cornerback list, which didn't feature DRC. It's not shocking, as he's only going to be in his second year, but the real shock is the likes of Carlos Rogers and Cortland Finnegan. They're obviously good cornerbacks but when Fitzgerald burned Finnegan twice in the Pro Bowl, we may have seen the product of a dominant defense in 2008 in Tennessee. As far as Rogers, I do believe he is a good cornerback in the NFL, but I wouldn't say he has the better athleticism and skills then DRC...but that's just my opinion. Where would you rank DRC and do you think he's better then any of the cornerbacks on the list?

I’ve always been a guy that thinks steroids and other performance enhancing drugs used in football haven’t fully come to the surface yet. I don’t have any hard evidence but I think the drug testing in the NFL is a little bit lax. I’m not saying it’s like what baseball was in the late 90’s but I think there are more football players than we realize using performance enhancing drugs. I’ve heard different rumors and stories about how players figure out ways around being caught, so it makes me suspicious of a lot of guys in the NFL.

With that being said… Former Arizona Cardinal Calvin Pace who was recently hit with a four game suspension for violating the leagues drug policy said he didn’t know the substance he used was illegal. As fans we’re only left speculating whether the player is telling the truth or not. I think we as fans are often being ignorant when we believe a player didn’t know the supplement he was taking was illegal. The teams trainers extensively go over what substances are banned and what are good to take. So it would take a real brain lapse or great amount of irresponsibility to not know what you were taking.

But in some cases I wonder if these players are telling the truth? I recently put up a blog post and video on former Arizona Cardinal Obafemi Ayanbadejo who was released by the team in 2006 when the Cardinals became aware of a possible suspension due to a failed drug test. As explained in this interview with Obafemi’s attorney, Ayanbadejo didn’t know there was any illegal substances in the supplement he was taking because the company did not properly label its product. Because of this the company was sued by Ayanbadejo and his attorney. The former Cardinal fullback took the victory on the case because the company realized it did indeed mislabel its product.

Maybe some of these players are telling the truth. Maybe Manny Ramirez really didn’t know it was wrong to take womens fertility drugs (I doubt it). I’d explain why I don’t buy his excuse but I don’t have time because I have to get back to work, but I digress. I’m not saying what happened to Ayanbadejo is what happened with Calvin Pace but you never know. But I do know that most of these players have a good idea of what they’re putting in their bodies. So they have to be held accountable for when they break the rules.

• Positional QB Rankings - Essentially, the Cards are 1½ players deep at QB, led of course by the veteran Warner — coming off leading the Cards to their first Super Bowl appearance. Hall of Fame or not, even in his late 30s he delivers huge passing numbers (4,583 yards, 30 TDs in 2008). The big question: If Kurt got hurt last year, could Matt Leinart have led 'Zona to the Super Bowl? Likely not, though at least Leinart's working hard this offseason.
• Defensive tackle rankings - Darnell Dockett analysis: He is quick and relentless and was a big reason whey the Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl. His contract issue is clouding things heading into this season.
• Top 50 Players - One name on this year's list is sure to ignite the you-know-what storm. It's Andre Johnson, the Houston Texans receiver, who is fourth on my list. Some might say he's not even the best receiver in the league -- with Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald getting the nod -- but I beg to differ.
• Dockett wants top-5 money - No real surprise here but via Twitter: "I want to thank Rod Woodson and @jamiedukes. For picking me in the NFL TOP 5 D-tackels "I wish I can get paid like the top 5"
• NFL's top defensive tackles - Though he fails to play to his potential consistently, few defensive tackles are capable of taking over a game like Dockett, which makes his inclusion on this list mandatory.
• Keyshawn Johnson on Anquan Boldin - "I keep seeing where Anquan Boldin wants to be traded from Arizona, or he wants to be paid like Larry Fitzgerald,'' Johnson said. "Anquan, you're a glorified T.J. Houshmandzadeh, so cut it out. They're the same player. You want $11 million? Why don't you take the $8 million they're offering and be happy? You're not Larry Fitzgerald.''
• Rashad Johnson's Impact - The last two times the Cardinals have drafted a safety -- Antrel Rolle doesn’t count -- it came in the third round. Adrian Wilson turned out to be a pretty good pick. Rashad Johnson hopes people will one day say the same about him.

• The fastest Card - Who ya got? Breaston or DRC? Oh wait, should Garvin be in the race as well?

• Where did all the MLB's go? - Most impact NFL middle-linebackers today are either relics, such as Zach Thomas and Tedy Bruschi, or hybrids playing the inside-linebacker spot in the ever-popular 3-4 defense, like Karlos Dansby and Bart Scott.
• Rookie revelations before training camp - The front runners for NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year are Arizona running back Chris Wells and Miami corner back Vontae Davis. Just an early guess on my part, but both players have the opportunity to shine early. The bruising Wells is the front runner to replace departed starting running back Edgerrin James in one of the NFL's most explosive offenses. Wells missed most of Arizona's off season program because of a league rule prohibiting participation from non-graduates if their college is in session, but the Ohio State product shouldn't have a problem catching up.
• SI.com - The Fortunate 50 - #45 Antonio Smith - The former Cardinal was lured away from the defending NFC champs with a five-year deal that pays $15.5 million up front. That up front money means that only 44 other American athletes earned more money than the Strongest Right Arm in the NFL.

• NFL overtime silent auction system? - No one seems to be satisfied with the NFL’s current “Win the coin toss, get the football” overtime system. I’ve been against changing it, though, mainly because I haven’t heard any ideas that I’ve liked better. Until today, anyway.

This years rank: 33

Last Year's Rank: 84
Title Track: 56
Ownership: 82
Coaching: 11    
Players: 41
Fan Relations: 65
Affordability: 60
Stadium Experience: 24
Bang for the Buck: 14 

The site defines the above categories:

Bang For The Buck (BNG): Wins during the past three years (regular season plus postseason) per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules.

Fan Relations (FRL): Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management.

Ownership (OWN): Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community.

Affordability (AFF): Price of tickets, parking and concessions.

Stadium Experience (STX): Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment.

Players (PLA): Effort on the field and likability off it.

Coaching (CCH): Strength of on-field leadership.

Title Track (TTR): Championships already won or expected in the lifetime of current fans.

Nice to see the Cards getting some respect. No more Rodney Dangerfield quotes for us.

Pace will miss New York’s first four games of the season and will be eligible to return for the Jets’ Monday night game at Miami on Oct. 12.

In a statement issued by the team Thursday, Pace said the suspension is a result of taking an over-the-counter dietary supplement that he was unaware violated the NFL’s policy.

Pace, in his second season with the Jets, is eligible to participate in preseason practices and games.

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Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner Update: For the second consecutive week, Irishcardinal wins our "Caption this" contest and this week it's a complete blowout with his caption receiving nine recommends/votes. The turnout was much better this week so look for our contests to become a weekly event and hopefully someone can knock Mr. Irish off his pedestal. 

ROTB's second official "caption this" contest kicks off today with a picture of Arizona Cardinals greats, Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. Last week our picture contest was won by IrishCardinal who's winning caption generated four votes and finishing a close second was badmatty who's caption garnered three votes. We'll name the winner sometime tomorrow afternoon so think fast and get your caption and votes in quickly. The winner will receive bragging rights about all things Cardinals until the next 'caption this pic' contest. Instructions for recommending are after the jump. Enjoy.

To recommend a comment, all  you have to do is click on the link that says "actions" under a comment and then "recommend." Got it?

From our very own ROTB: 30 days and counting until players report....@ddockett you gonna be there right????

And the response from Darnell Dockett about four hours later.....

@AZROTB I've never killed anyone to my knowledge so I wouldn't want u to hold ur breath.

That statement surely isn't definitive but it's the first time that Dockett has suggested that he won't report to camp on time. Up until this point he's responded to just about everyone with something along the lines of "I'm a Cardinal for now" or "that's where I'll be from the look of it." It's not really clear whether this is a change in his stance or just him trying to be funny but either way, it doesn't sound like he's burying the hatchet anytime soon.

Anyone think he'll actually hold out of camp? Whiz hasn't been a coach who's put up with alot of nonsense so I wonder how he'd handle the situation.

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We've looked at the Arizona Cardinals safeties, corner backs, inside linebackers and outside linebackers but today we move to the trenches and take a look at the defensive ends. The Redbirds biggest loss this off season Antonio Smith who flew the coup for the Houston Texans and $35 million over the course of five years. Other than Smith, the rest of the depth chart returns intact and the open spot looks like it will be filled by an internal candidate. Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are the projected starters and Dockett will be a key to the success of the defensive line. There are a couple of guys who are capable of playing both defensive end and tackle but we'll do our best to lay out all the possibilities.

Locks

Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema

On the Bubble

Keilen Dykes, Jason Banks

At best either Dykes or Banks will make the roster but it certainly won't be both, unless one of the top three is injured during camp. A couple of defensive line 'tweeners' like Bryan Robinson and Rodney Leslie could also see some time end and it's possible that one of them could end up being the fourth DE on the roster. I also wouldn't completely dimiss the idea of Alan Branch seeing some time at end during training camp. He's failed miserably at tackle so far but with his size he could be a decent option at end in non-passing situations and he's practiced at the position in the past. Just for the record, Dykes and Banks are both still eligible for the practice squad.

Keilen Dykes: It's no secret that ROTB has been one of Dykes biggest supporters since he was signed as a undrafted free agent last year. A quad injury limited him early in training camp last year and he was never quite able to get back up to speed. At West Virginia Dykes was a four year starter, team captain and first team All-Big East and he carries the reputation as a hard worker and a solid locker room presence. Most of Dykes experience has been at tackle but his size (6'3 294) is better suited at end in a 3-4. Dykes' best case scenerio for this season would be to earn a role in the defensive line rotation and give Dockett and/or Campbell a breather in non-passing situations.

Jason Banks: Banks is essentially in the exact same boat as Dykes considering that he's also an undrafted free agent from one year ago. Banks does have a slight size advantage over Dykes (6'5 300) and he's a better overall athlete but he's very raw. Coming out of Grambling State the book on Banks was that he'd been through four defensive line coaches in as many years so his technique was undeveloped. Banks spent last year on and off the Cardinals practice squad but he's got the physical tools to be an NFL player. It's just a matter of when or if his technique catches up to his physical talents. His best scenerio is the same at Dykes.

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If you don't think that Robinson or Leslie will figure into the mix at defensive end than the battle is simply Dykes versus Banks. If Robinson, Leslie or even Branch see extended time at end then Dykes and Banks could be fighting for nothing more than a spot on this year's practice squad. It's also worth mentioning that Iwebema's health will be something to watch in training camp. I know his operation went well and he's expected to make a full recovery but an operation on the chest area is still something that could linger. So who makes the cut and who gets their "walking papers?" Are you comfortable with the depth at end?

It’s hard to believe it has already been five months since the Super Bowl in Tampa.  It is 75 days until the season starts, week one at home against the San Francisco 49ers.  For all the obvious reasons this is the most anticipated season in Arizona Cardinals history.

Go Cards!

Scott Allen

AZScott

Arizona               10-6     4-2

San Francisco    9-7     4-2

Seattle                  8-8     3-3

St. Louis             5-11    1-5

Cards lose on the road to SF and Seattle; Niners lose to Cards and 'Hawks on road; Seattle loses to everyone on the road; Rams sneak one out against the 'Hawks at home.  More importantly I have the Cards going 6-4 against the rest of the schedule which is a three-game improvement over last year and the kind of "progress" I expect to see out of this year's squad.  As long as the Cards have one home playoff game I like their chances of making another long playoff run.

::pours the Maker's Mark in the Kool-aid::  Who's drinking?

Gregory Toler, a tall lanky corner back, is the first player to ever be drafted out of Saint Paul's College, a tiny D-II school tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southern Virginia. After poor grades in high school prevented him from a being recruited by any major colleges, Toler chose the Kurt Warner path the NFL, stocking shelves and sweeping the aisles at a local JC Penney. Toler eventually got back into the game via a small semi-pro league and caught the eye of St. Paul's defensive coordinator, Kevin Grisby. Grisby became a father figure to Toler, helping him with his grades as well as football, and Toler quickly became a stand out player. He'd go on to start 40 games at St. Paul's and set school records with 14 interceptions, 36 pass breakups and 50 passes defended. He'd receive All-CIAA first team honors twice and received All-American honors following his senior season. Despite a banner collegiate career, Toler wasn't invited to the combine and didn't generate a ton of interest leading up to the draft. That didn't stop the Cardinals from calling his name in the fourth round though with the 131st overall selection. Almost immediately after the Cardinals called Toler's name the comparisons to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie started. The physical similarities seems valid considering that both have good size and outstanding athleticism. Toler's listed as 5'11, 191 (vs. 6'2, 182 for DRC) and he reportedly ran his forty in the high 4.3's (vs. 4.3 for DRC), but what can we expect from Toler this season and in the future?

What to expect early on: Despite Toler's physical gifts, it's probably a mistake to expect anything more than quality special teams play early in his career. He's extremely raw and much like DRC, he'll have to get bigger and stronger before he's ready to match up against NFL receivers. One of Toler's biggest weaknesses at this point is his ability to diagnose plays, especially when in zone coverage, and that's an ability that will take time to learn. He's also got a habit of staring into the backfield, which at times can lead to interceptions or big plays for an opposing offense. Overall I'm reminded of what we said about DRC last year:

Rodgers-Cromartie most likely won't win any rookie of the year awards or lead the league in interceptions in 2008, but he got the athletic ability and mental make-up to be a top flight corner for years to come. If I had to make a projection right now, I'd guess that he'll have some moments where he looks like he doesn't belong in the league early in the season, but by the end of the year he'll likely pick up a handful of starts and show some significant signs of becoming a top tier cornerback.

The difference with Toler though is that it may take him a full year or even two to develop into an NFL quality cornerback. Toler's ceiling isn't expected to be as high as DRC's but luckily the Cardinals aren't expecting or really needing him to step into the starting line-up or even the nickel corner spot this season. The starting cornerbacks are set and with Antrel Rolle and Ralph Brown, Toler should be able to focus this season on special teams contributions and improving his craft during practice. With Brown on a one year deal, McFadden on a two year deal and Rolle's contract status somewhat up in the air, Toler's development could be the key to the future of the Cardinals secondary. That alone might be enough to keep the staff from rushing him along, but time will tell how his future plays out. For now, he's not intimated about facing the best group of wide receivers in the league during practice:

"It's still football, pigskin ball, played on green grass, same as it's been since I was six," he said. "I'm sure they'll get me a few times, but I'll learn as much as I can from them. Playing against them every day won't do anything but help me on Sunday."

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Toler's future certainly seems bright considering his constant comparisons to DRC and he's already turned some heads during OTA's, including Antrel Rolle's. What do you expect from Toler in 2009 and for the years to come? Is he a future starter or just a great athlete?

Pictures from azcardinals.com

Get your votes in!!

Scott Allen

AZScott

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Football Outsiders recently assembled a list of the 25 most overrated and 25 most underrated NFL players of the last decade and while you can't view the entire list unless you're an ESPN Insider, FO was kind enough to list the top ten from both sides. While I was fairly confident that the overrated list wouldn't contain any Arizona Cardinals, I was very interested to see if any of them made the cut on the underrated side. Sure enough, our very own Adrian Wilson was ranked as the third most underrated player of this decade. Others might have rounded out the overall 25, but alas I'm not an Insider so we'll be left to wonder (or at least wait until someone who is an insider has the kindness to post the complete lists).

Looking over the lists you'll find polarizing names like Michael Vick, Reggie Bush and DeAngelo Hall, but this got me thinking about what players would comprise a Cardinals-only Underrated/Overrated list. Feel free to make your list with as many names as you wish, for any time period or using any criteria you can come up with. So who do you think is underrated or overrated?

Mike Gandy's Future - Cardinals OLT Mike Gandy has a hefty cap figure of $5.8 million entering the final year of his contract, which could be lowered if the team chose to extend his current deal. But our sources in the desert believe the team is leaning toward allowing the ninth-year veteran to test the free-agent market next offseason, with former first-round pick Levi Brown moving from the right side to the left, and promising second-year pro Brandon Keith getting a shot at becoming the starting right tackle.

Moneyball, NFL style - I was able to get a look at some NFL Management Council figures on "committed cash," which is a fancy way of saying how much each team spent in actual dollars (not salary cap funny money) on player costs during a fixed period of time. In this case, we’re looking at the gross totals spent on salaries and bonuses to players for the past five seasons — from 2004-2008. (spoiler alert: The Cardinals can't be called cheap anymore.)

Dolphins among clubs supersizing cornerbacks - No regular starter was taller than 6 foot 2 last year, but the four listed at that height were Nnamdi Asomugha, Antonio Cromartie, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Ike Taylor. So that's the best in the business (Asomugha), the 2007 interception leader (Cromartie), a top rookie last year (Rodgers-Cromartie) and two Super Bowl starters (Rodgers-Cromartie, Taylor).

Redbirds fill out scouting department - The Cardinals filled the vacancies in their scouting staff Monday, officially announcing the hiring of Luke Palko and Chris Culmer. Culmer joins the Cards after spending the last nine seasons with NFC West rival Seattle, including the last five as a pro personnel assistant. Culmer will scout college players in the western region. He received an undergraduate degree in business from Washington State and a Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts. Palko, the younger brother of Cardinals quarterback Tyler Palko, spent the past two seasons as a scouting intern with the Steelers. His college scouting area will primarily be in the southeast and central regions of the country. Palko was the all-time leading receiver at Saint Francis (PA) in college, where he also got a degree in accounting.

Now as we await the results of the toxicology reports, there are strong suspicions about how he died.  At the young age of 50, Jackson passed away from a rumored heart attack.  A life taken way too early.

That brings to thought another man who died way too early, former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman.  The only parallel to the two lives is that they both had a passion for what they did and they both died before their time should have been up.

Tillman left the Cardinals and the NFL to become an Army Ranger.  As you all know, he died in action, most likely from friendly fire, in Afghanistan in 2004.  What he did was courageous and patriotic.  Greatly affected by the events of September 11, 2001, Tillman, who joined with his brother Kevin, decided fighting for his freedom and the freedom of all Americans was much more important than any football game and the fame and fortune that came along with it.

Although Tillman was the enemy to me as a college player, as he was from Arizona State University and I graduated from the University of Arizona, I still respected him as a played.  He fought hard for himself and his teammates.  It was that very passion that unfortunately led to his untimely death.

Jackson on the other hand, contrasts in comparison.  Here was a man, idolized by many in his early years, became the poster child of controversy throughout the remaining 15 years or so of his life.  Jackson was loved by many, as we have all witnessed over the past 48 hours.  He lived an eccentric life.  He had legal troubles.  He even moved out of the country for awhile to hide from the negative spotlight that had been cast upon him.

Tillman instead stayed with his country.  Fought for his country.  He was the poster child of passion for life.  Sure he too lived in the spotlight for a time, however you always knew it was never about him.  It was always about others.

So,  the one thing that links Tillman with Jackson though is how young and sudden both of them were taken from us.  We loved Tillman and Jackson for different reasons.  There are those that didn’t care for either one, although how could you not root for a guy like Tillman?  It took courage to do what he did.

Jackson apparently was ready to turn his life in a positive direction by attempting a comeback for his fans and to help wipe out a massive debt.  It was that attempt at turning his life around that most likely killed him.  Celebrate Jackson today because of his talents and accomplishments, especially since many will most likely not like what they see in the toxicology reports.  However, celebrate Tillman forever.  He was the type of person every father should want their son to be.

Tragic, two lives no matter how different, no matter what the opinions are of either, were taken way too early from us.

Rest in peace both of you.