Early bold 2004 NFL Prediction

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 12, 2004, 4:47 pm

The Cardinals are going to win more than 4 games next year!

I've never been a big fan of Dennis Green but I've been impressed with what he's done so far cutting and adding players. We'll see how the draft goes as Arizona has the 3rd pick.

Last year I pegged the Bengals as my team to watch. This year I'm going with my homer team, the Cardinals! 7-9 isnt out of the question or even a, dare to dream, an 8-8 season!

Deward · Post by **Deward** » March 15, 2004, 11:40 am

The cardinals have a lot of work to do to get back into contention. THey have NOBODY that can play on their team. Honestly, can you think of one player that they have? Emmitt Smith hahahaha. They dumped their QB. It will take more than a year to get back on track. I have a lot of respect for Dennis Green but he was never a defensive guy and that was his downfall in Minnesota. I will be generous and give them 5 games this year without even looking at their schedule.

I usually hold off on predictions till after the draft though. Anybody want to guess who will go first? I think San Diego needs so much help that they should trade out of the first spot. If I had to choose a number 1, I think I would go with Robert Gallery. He has so many upsides to him that it is unbelievable. I like the pool of WRs but they all seem to come with some baggage while Gallery has none that I have seen.

Anyone want to guess where Clarett will go? I am guessing 5th round. That kid is just another lawrence phillips waiting to happen.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » March 15, 2004, 12:33 pm

i say the falcons win more than 5 games this year!

Post by **Xouqoa** » March 15, 2004, 12:40 pm

I say the Packers will win the NFC North!

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » March 15, 2004, 1:32 pm

Deward wrote:The cardinals have a lot of work to do to get back into contention. THey have NOBODY that can play on their team. Honestly, can you think of one player that they have? Emmitt Smith hahahaha. They dumped their QB. It will take more than a year to get back on track. I have a lot of respect for Dennis Green but he was never a defensive guy and that was his downfall in Minnesota. I will be generous and give them 5 games this year without even looking at their schedule.

I usually hold off on predictions till after the draft though. Anybody want to guess who will go first? I think San Diego needs so much help that they should trade out of the first spot. If I had to choose a number 1, I think I would go with Robert Gallery. He has so many upsides to him that it is unbelievable. I like the pool of WRs but they all seem to come with some baggage while Gallery has none that I have seen.

Anyone want to guess where Clarett will go? I am guessing 5th round. That kid is just another lawrence phillips waiting to happen.

Cardinals have made some damn good moves to address a multitude of problems. Bert Barry, Dave Macklin and the FB with the long assed name are all big aquisitions. They will get multiple picks for their 3rd overall pick, I am guessing 7-9. As far as WR's go, Fitzgerald is the superior talent by light years, Gallery will be a damn fine receiver (like Boston) but Fitzgerald is going to be one of those special receivers. Clarett will end up with the Raiders, second round

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » March 15, 2004, 1:55 pm

THey have NOBODY that can play on their team. Honestly, can you think of one player that they have?

Anquan Boldin. He will be a superstar bigtime.

I like the pool of WRs but they all seem to come with some baggage while Gallery has none that I have seen.

Fitzgerald doesn't seem to have any baggage and seems to have a damn good attitude. The Williams kid from USC seems good as well, although I would have waited a year if I was him. The Texas guy (Williams as well?) seems pretty damn good also.

Anyone want to guess where Clarett will go?

Hopefully not picked at all! I can't stand him. He has shown immaturity, lack of work ethic (he was WAY overweight at the combines) and horrible attitude. Add to that his list of injuries, how he really hasn't proven himself in the long run etc.. I wouldn't pick him to be honest.

xZiBiT · Post by **xZiBiT** » March 15, 2004, 2:23 pm

Kelshara wrote:The Williams kid from USC seems good as well, although I would have waited a year if I was him.

He is already projected in the top 5 in the first round, you can't get much better than that. Going back to USC for another year could cost him OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of money if something were to happen to him. We all know he wasn't at USC for school, he was there to play football and go to the NFL.

If you were in his shoes and going strictly for the green grass of the NFL, would you turn down being a top 5 pick to go back to USC?

I still can't believe they are projecting this kid to go ahead of Roy of Texas and Reggie of Washington.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » March 15, 2004, 3:04 pm

I'd take him over Reggie.. not sure if I would over Roy due to the experience.

And yeah.. I would probably come back. I sorely miss the old days when I played sports with the team. If I knew I would earn money (and they do.. wether through injury insurance or through NFL) I probably would have come back for another year. I think you miss out in a lot of areas and that is a shame.

He will never again have the chance to experience the college level, and it is definitely a good time to mature and have fun.

But that is of course purely my opinion.

xZiBiT · Post by **xZiBiT** » March 15, 2004, 4:28 pm

You're a better man than me.

Seeing how the NCAA limits the amount of insurance you can place on yourself ( I think $1 million), I most certainly would jump at being a top 5 pick even if it meant leaving school early. College was some of the best times I had in my life but I would gladly trade one year of college for a 6 year, $40 million contract with a $14.4million signing bonus (Charles Rogers got this deal last year and he wouldn't even be a first round choice this year).

Now, if he did wait, what is to say his draft position won't fall next year and he doesn't command the same financial gain he does this year. As above Charles Rogers would have fucked himself if he didn't come out when he did. (Granted his eligibility was up)

If you're a lock for a top 5 pick, you don't gamble with that type of cash. IMHO

Deward · Post by **Deward** » March 15, 2004, 4:57 pm

Pherr - Gallery is an offensive tackle. I would pick offensive line because if you have a good line then you can get by with less talented receivers, QBs, and RBs. Hell look at what Denver has done with superior line work over the last several years. I don't want to take anythign away fromt eh RBs but that line has done an amazing job.

I would laugh my butt off as well if Clarett didn't get drafted. He will though just on name recognition. I will be watching to see what he does at his workout day. As someone else stated, he is a stupid mofo without a shred of maturity. They need to stick him back in high school ball and teach him some humility. I am guessing he was one of those kids taht didn't have to go to class in high school and was groomed his whole life to play ball. That is sad and pathetic.

For the receivers I like Fitzgerald the best because I think he has the most experience and seems very mature. He wasn't very good at hiding his displeasure last season but he was intelligent about it. I think he will be a starter whereever he ends up.

Mike williams is interesting in that he has all the physical skills to make it but I am worried about his maturity level. The money is just too great for him to stick it out in college though.

The NCAA is hurting themselves when they put too many limits on student athletes. I agree some limits are necesary to avoid having an even worse disparity amongst football programs but the NCAA is way too strict on what athletes are allowed to do. Hell I couldn't buy an athlete a donut without him getting suspended for a game.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 15, 2004, 5:45 pm

The Cardinals have a few decent players. Emmitt is a joke and no one claims any different in Arizona. Shipp's not a bad RB and Bolden was rookie of the year at WR. Bryant Johnson was actually a higher pick for the Cardinals in the draft last year and was coming on strong near the end of the season. 3rd year is typically the charm year for receivers in the NFL. Anquan Boldin is the exception.

The Cardinals aren't going to be a playoff team but will improve with Green coaching I believe to hover around .500 next year. They'll be a fun team to watch with Denny's Offensive coaching style as well. I can wait more than a year for them to turn the corner if I think the right people are in place to get the job done eventually.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » March 15, 2004, 11:31 pm

Charles Rogers got this deal last year and he wouldn't even be a first round choice this year

uhhhhhh....

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » March 16, 2004, 2:20 am

I was actually stunned when I heard the Cardinals hired Dennis Green, because, well, it was a smart thing to do, and that orginazation just doesnt seem to make smart decisions all too often. I can't predict how well they will do this year, but next year I predict they will have a winning season.

As for this year's bold prediction: the Patriots will not win the Superbowl. Ok, that ain't so bold, but how about this: Eagles vs Ravens in the Superbowl, with Donovan McNabb as league MVP.

Trek · Post by **Trek** » March 16, 2004, 2:52 am

I would like Philly to win it in my lifetime, but I doubt its gonna happen soon. As always they squandered their chances by not making the 'move' to put em over the top. The last few seasons they have let quite a lot of talent go. This was ok as the rest of the division was in a sad state, but now both Dallas and Washington have guys that can set a team straight. I predict the Eagles to be a wildcard at best.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » March 16, 2004, 4:41 am

Deward wrote:Pherr - Gallery is an offensive tackle. I would pick offensive line because if you have a good line then you can get by with less talented receivers, QBs, and RBs. Hell look at what Denver has done with superior line work over the last several years. I don't want to take anythign away fromt eh RBs but that line has done an amazing job.

I was thinking of Obafemi Ayanbadejo when I said the dude with the big assed name, yes I cut and pasted that, no I can't say it

xZiBiT · Post by **xZiBiT** » March 16, 2004, 11:05 am

Sueven wrote:
Charles Rogers got this deal last year and he wouldn't even be a first round choice this year
uhhhhhh....

uhh what?

i was making a hypothetical comment to state my opinion, i think you may have taken it out of context

its true, IMHO, charles rogers wouldn't even be a first round choice this year, he would be behind larry, mike, and roy for certain, maybe even behind reggie

last year he got 6 years for $54.4million (he was a top 5 pick), this year head be lucky to go low first round and get 3 years for $3million but as I stated he eligibility was up last year therefore he didn't have to make the choice

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » March 16, 2004, 4:19 pm

Xzibit: He'd be below Larry and Mike for certain, probably Roy, maybe some others depending on various teams boards. Of course, that'd still put him ahead of first-round locks like Rashaun Woods and Michael Clayton.

The guy won the Biletnikoff award, had back to back seasons of 67/1,407/14 and 68/1,351/13, and set the NCAA record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch. He wasn't a middling first round prospect- he was the third player selected in the draft.

This is a particularly good year for wideouts. Fitzgerald's production tops Rogers, and Mike Williams size and athleticism make him a more appealing prospect. But even in the relatively shocking scenario that Rogers would slip all the way down to fifth (behind Fitzgerald and the Mike-Roy-Reggie trifecta), he would still be comfortably in the first round, considering that at least 6 receivers are generally projected to go in the first round without his help.

Also, his eligibility was not up last year. He was a junior. Why did he turn pro? Because he was a great pro prospect. It had nothing to do with eligibility.

Trek:

As always they squandered their chances by not making the 'move' to put em over the top

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1760284

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?sec ... id=1755337

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/s ... id=1750089

The Eagles glaring weaknesses last season were:
1. Lack of a single competent wide receiver.
2. Lack of an imposing pass rush threat.
Additionally, after the defection of Carlos Emmons:
3. Need to shore up the linebacking corps.

So to address these concerns, the Eagles got the best pass rusher available, the best wide receiver available, and the best linebacker available. They gave up a fifth round pick and Brandon Whiting, and have no fiscal troubles because of excellent cap management. Their star players are all locked up long term.

What's the problem here?

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » March 16, 2004, 6:05 pm

Can be debated wether TO is the best WR available with the current flock of WR coming out in the draft. I have said it before and I will say it again, I would not want him on my team. Although Ravens might be a good fit since I can just imagine Ray Lewis putting a good hit on him if he whines too much.

xZiBiT · Post by **xZiBiT** » March 16, 2004, 7:10 pm

Not any disrespect to the Eagles because they have a great team but TO is a whiney bitch. His agent and he fucked up declaring for free agency and now he gets his way, way to keep his ego in check.

I can't wait to see how his whining ways help the Eagles and I pray for the day I get to see the Eagles vs. Ravens because I hope Ray Lewis breaks his legs.

I'm gonna wait and see the first time McNabb goes through a minor slump of the season (usually happens every year before McNabb catches fire and decimates his competition) and TO is mouthing off to reporters about how he doesn't get the ball enough. I hope someone on the Eagles gives the guy a fat lip.

xZiBiT · Post by **xZiBiT** » March 16, 2004, 7:20 pm

All I am saying Seuven is that, had not Rogers left college when he was a top 5 pick last year. He would have cost himself probably in the range of $30-$40 million. Because the Lions or any other team wouldn't pay any first rounder past the 10th overall pick 6-years for $54.4 million. I was only using this example because I was playing devil's advocate as to why Mike Williams is making the best move by coming out now and not staying another year at USC. If anything happened next year if he went back to USC, he could potentially cost himself lots of money because right now he's almost gauranteed a top 5 pick. You can't argue about insurance when the NCAA caps personal injury insurance at $1 million (I beleive) and your potential contract is most likely gonna be 50 times that amount.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » March 16, 2004, 7:35 pm

Xz: Yeah, you're definitely right about that.

With regards to Owens, no, he's not the most solid team guy there is. There's a chance he'll bomb in Philly. But if he does, I won't be bothered, because the Eagles have a strong enough structure in place to prevent him from tearing the team apart. At the most, as he became increasingly petulant, he'd also become increasingly irrelevant. On the other hand, if he's successful, it's an incredible pickup for them.

This is kind of a strange view, but out of the whole crop of available options (McCareins, Jackson, Fitzgerald/Williams or any other draftee), I think TO is the safest for the Eagles. He cost them very little to get, and he's proven that he can play at the highest level, unlike any other receiver available.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » March 16, 2004, 8:11 pm

He didn't cost much, that's for sure.. that was damn cheap. That said, I still wouldn't pick him over some of the other options. Nor would I pick Keyshawn. I consider both of them more hassle than they are worth. Then again, I strongly believe in.. hum how does the saying go? Gah can't remember, but something like the team is more than the sum of the individuals. Back in time my team ended up way WAY higher than we should have because we played purely as a team. My coach back then got the thought burned into all our minds, and I've lived by it every since.

xZiBiT · Post by **xZiBiT** » March 16, 2004, 9:02 pm

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts???

Trek · Post by **Trek** » March 16, 2004, 9:07 pm

The turnover in Philly has been very high for years. Addressing last seasons problems this year is a little late IMO. Yes we need a pass rush, we did last year. Yes we needed good WR's, we did last year. Now that Deuce is gone and I guess Vincent and Taylor (I think) are gone we have a new weakness at the corners that will get addressed next year and exploited this year. Its not so much acquiring the best player for the position but at least address it when you have a chance to win, the Eagles historically dont make the move when they have a shot to address whatever is the issue at the time and end up loosing good players to FA. They are usually a year behind in the fix department

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » March 16, 2004, 10:16 pm

xZiBiT wrote:The whole is greater than the sum of the parts???

Yeah that's it! Things like that are damn hard to learn when the language is not your primary language heh. My better half laughs her ass off daily when I try to translate Norwegian sayings etc into English heh.