Saturday, March 6, 2010

If I were the GM- Arizona

This team had a nice run over the past couple of seasons.  Entering 2010 is a question mark.  There have been a lot of personnel losses, and its only been two days into free agency.  Losing Kurt Warner to retirement is a big loss.  He's a Hall of Famer, and still at the top of his game.  Couple that loss with the Anquan Boldin trade, the losses of linebacker Karlos Dansby (Dolphins), and Antrel Rolle (Giants), it's been a rough couple of days for Arizona fans.  At least they were able to make a deal with the Jets for safety Kerry Rhodes.  That's a solid move.  He's a playmaker, and the move will at least soften the blow of negative publicity.
Personnel departures aside, there is talent on this roster.  They are deep and young at running back.  Beanie Wells is the bruising inside runner, Tim Hightower is a good pass receiver, pass-blocker, and goal-line rusher, and LaRod Stephens-Howling is an impressive number three back and special teams player.  Even in the light of the Boldin trade, they still have a deep stable of wide receivers.  Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best in the game- number two to Andre Johnson in my book.  In my humble opinion, he has the best hands in the league, and rises his level of play as the spotlight increases.  Steve Breaston and Early Doucett are young, up-and-coming players.  They should be able to make up for Boldin's production.  I like their defensive front.  They create fits for opposing lines, especially Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell.  The Rhodes trade filled the need for another safety.  He makes a ton of plays, and should fit well with Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson- who's long been overlooked as one of the best defensive backs in the league.  Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had another solid season in 2009.
Their biggest need is the offensive line.  It appears that they're willing to allow left tackle Wayne Gandy to walk away as a free agent, and swing right tackle Levi Brown into his spot.  That's a risky proposition.  Not all right tackles can translate to the left side.  That stated, Matt Leinart is left handed, so he'll still be blocking the front side.  Still, changing positions is always a risk.  Leinart looked effective in the New Orleans game, but his past regular season work hasn't been too spectacular, so they may be looking for another quarterback.  There's a whole at linebacker with the Dansby loss.
Players they should consider are Bruce Campbell, Brian Bulaga, Markice Pouncey on the line, or linebackers Sean Weatherspoon, Brandon Spikes, or Brandon Graham.

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