For the second time in three years, the Arizona Cardinals have been willing to admit after the start of preseason and before the start of the regular season that they screwed up in making Matt Leinart the team’s starting quarterback. The fact that the Cardinals have once again come to the conclusion that the southpaw from SC can’t get it done, however, makes the team’s failure to develop an acceptable backup Plan B for 2010 even more unacceptable.
Donovan McNabb, who lives in Arizona during the offseason, was available. Marc Bulger ultimately was available. The Cardinals declined to make a play for either guy, or to otherwise do anything other than settle for Derek Anderson, whom the Browns finally put out of his — and their — misery in March.
So once the perpetually parsimonious Cardinals had plunked down guaranteed money for Anderson, they apparently didn’t want to eat that cash when better options came along. In that regard, kudos to the St. Louis Rams, who have done few things right recently, for holding on to Bulger until after the Cards had committed to Anderson. The Rams get extra consideration for cramming the toothpaste back into the tube once reports emerged in the middle of February that Bulger wouldn’t be back.
In hindsight, the Cardinals should have waited for McNabb or Bulger. Or maybe coach Ken Whisenhunt, who clearly doesn’t like the guy drafted by Whisenhunt’s predecessor, should have drafted Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy.
Regardless, the Cardinals will now proceed with a substandard solution at the most important position on the field. And the rest of the league can now exhale as to the question of whether the perennially hapless redbirds had finally figured out how to be competitive on an annual basis.
Well, get to the bottom of it. WHO made this decision? If it were my team (and I didn’t make this decision) and it worked out badly I’d fire whoever’s call this was. Period.
Well wait… Colt McCoy mabe available via cut!
Browns should send another flop QB to the Cards. Yes, I am already labeling Colt McCoy a bust.
Florio,
just shut up already.
These birds are toast. NFCW cellar bound.
Why should he have drafted Clausen or McCoy?
They’re going to be cut just like Leinart after they bust.
Make a play Byron Leftwich, he’s at least better than Derek Anderson or Leinart.
John Skelton was a better draft choice than either McCoy or Clausen. Maybe they’re hoping that Pittsburgh starts off hot without Big Ben and they’ll pick him up in a trade by week 4?
Its obvious the Cards want in on the Jake Locker/Ryan Mallet/Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Coach K wants his own guy, not some throwaways from St. Louis or Donovan, because he’s at that age where hes not so old he will retire any time soon but is also not a longterm soloution.
And they have John Skelton and this 5’2, noodle arm Max Hall from here in Mesa(AZ) that the homers here play up because he was a monster at my old high school. Skelton is a guy they want to develop.
Anderson is a non-commital stop gap QB. They pay him 3 million bucks for the pleasue of getting his ass handed to him by San Fran, cut him and go after a top QB prospect next draft.
I really don’t think this situation is all that bad, nor does it reflect poorly on the Cards. Sometimes, you have to lose to win.
Leinart is still a stud in my “beer bong” fantasy league.
The Cards could have had a nice 2-3-4 year run with McNabb just like they did with Warner.
Colt McCoy? Derek “Tackle-Himself-With-His-Size 18- Bozo Feet” Anderson?
Aren’t they the same guy?
Brittle. Nervous. Captain interception.
Yeah…they’re the same guy!
They should at least see how he does in the first few regular season games. Matt Cassell looked worse than Leinart in the preseason the year he led the Pats to an 11-5 record.
Long year for Fitz and Co..
Mcnabb to Fitz would be very sexy… I could not believe they didn’t get him. It seemed a match made in heaven. HE brought the veteran, talented presence that Warner left with. That will definitely hurt their chances at being competitive for a while, barring a miracle trade.
Sage? Jeff Garcia? The options for QBs are very limited now…. No turning back. Its all DA now.
had him pegged from the start. ….Leinart is nothing more than a “fancy boy’……he’s like a male version of Anna Kournikova……..
Donovan McNabb would have made Matt Leinart the Plan B. That’s just a wee bit different than Marc Bulger. That should be an improvement on Anderson, but only if Bulger is still motivated.
Tyler Thigpen. Tyler Thigpen. Paging Mr. Thigpen…..
Or Mr. Pennington.
Well, Jamarcus is avilable…
Colt McCoy? really? lol
Leinart > Colt McCoy and Yes I know Leinart sucks.
Saying the Cards blew it by drafting Matt Leinart – and the reality is the guy can’t play and is a reallife doosh – doesn’t make Donovan McNabb or Mark Bulger better choices.
Maybe it’s another conspiracy. The really want to draft a QB next year so they purposely didn’t go for McNabb so they would suck really bad this year and get a top round pick. Yeah, that was the plan all along.
I’m not sure, but I’m fairly certain that neither Mike Tomlin or Ken Whisenhunt really cares what you think.
Its obvious these decisions were made above Whisenhunt’s head, maybe all the way up to the owner’s level. Anyone with two eyes, or less, could see Leinart is like a deer in headlights out there and not ready for the NFL speed.
I understand not going after Bulger- He is a known commodity, which is average. Then Clausen and McCoy are complete busts.
Being a niner fan, I am disapointed to learn arizona is going to look for a QB. Both Locker and Luck are SOLID prospects and I have to think the niners, seahawks and Cardinals will all be hoping to draft one of them next draft.
offer $20 to Warner. that kind of money talks. it worked to get the best QB ever to go back and play this year.
Colt McCoy is fine. Holmgren and Mangini have said they expected him to stink this pre-season lol. There is a 0% chance he gets cut. The writer who starter that rumor is Tony Grossi for the Plain Dealer, and he said it with 0 proof or even a hint of proof from the team, he just said it to cause controversy. McCoy is fine, and people labeling him a bust after 14 pass attempts in pre-season as a rookie using 3rd string or lower supporting cast are insane.
Anderson is probably better than Bulger at this point. Bulger looks shot.
Clausen is going to be a bust. McCoy will take many years to develop.
Anderson wasn’t a bad pickup. He does get on hot streaks from time to time.
USC continues to turn out pro-turds.
Florio, why do you keep pimping Marc Bulger as a legitimate option in the same breath as Donovan McNabb? Bulger has been washed up for at least 2 years. If Derek Anderson isn’t a viable option, neither is Bulger for the exact same reasons.
And it’s tough to put the fate of your franchise on questionable rookie QBs like McCoy or Clausen.
Broncos should trade Quinn to Arizona for Fitzgerald.
Go Broncos!
Colt McCoy? Based on….?
Hindsight is 20/20.
Ben shouldn’t have gone to that bar in GA, the Patriots o-line should have blocked Bernard Polian better, and Brett Favre shouldn’t have thrown that pass to the Saints defense in last years NFC Championship.
they should go after rex grossman. he hasnt looked bad this preseason. then again the bar is low for him, so not bad could still be awful.
‘kournikova”????that the cruelist thing i’ve ever heard on this site.
Seems to work out okay with Kurt Warner. Now what has led you to believe that Anderson is not a sufficient backup?
laxcoach says:
August 26, 2010 6:54 PM
Tyler Thigpen. Tyler Thigpen. Paging Mr. Thigpen…..
————————————–
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, baby!
And we continue to see just how effective Kurt Warner was…..
So here is the question. Why isn’t Leinart the guy? Poor scouting? Poor development? Or did Leinart just piss this away?
Leinart and Anderson both just turned 27. Both have been starting NFL QBs, and one of them at least will be again this season. They will do fine, and so will the Cards.
Sage and Sidney for Fitz
yeah, leinart looked pretty bad the other night. he looked like a 2nd or 3rd string qb; like he was clueless and unprepared.
jimmy clausen is absolutely the real deal. he is already farther ahead than leinart or mccoy may ever be. he may not be a world-beater but he’ll be a quality starting qb.
i still can’t believe how many teams passed up on the guy, as if they had both a starting and backup qb that were better. i’d be pissed if arizona was my team, that is ridiculous
No surprise…. Cardinals BLOW everything!!