Yardbarker: Arizona Cardinals

Fantasy Football Wide Receivers - Big Dogs

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:11:28 -0500

Big Dogs The beauty about the WR position is there are more Big Dogs than any other position. For that reason, many fantasy footballers are contemplating grabbing stud WRs in the middle-to-late first round and early second round rather than mindlessly taking the best RB available. With that in mind, let's take a look at who those characters are. Randy Moss - How can you start anywhere else after the historic season Moss produced last year? The thing that worries me about Moss is he looked vulnerable to physical play during the playoffs. If you're expecting another 23 TDs, you'll be disappointed. Terrell Owens - So far so good in Big D for MeO, I mean T.O. As long as he's happy, he'll continue to produce in bunches. I can see T.O. lead all WRs in scoring this year. Reggie Wayne - Well, he officially surpassed Marvin Harrison as the Top Dog in Indy, and I don't see that changing any time soon. You can pretty much pencil him in for 1300 yards and 10 TDs. How many RBs can you say that with? That's why he's a safer pick than a Clinton Portis or Willis McGahee. Braylon Edwards - Braylon finally showed why he was a 3rd pick last year scoring 16 TDs. I don't see him reaching paydirt quite as often, especially with the addition of Donte Stallworth, but double-digits isn't out of the question. Andre Johnson - He averaged close to 95 yards and nearly a TD a game last year. That translates to 1500 yards and 14 TDs. Will he reach those lofty numbers? I doubt it, but he'll come close if he gets a full season in. Larry Fitzgerald - I am a huge fan of Fitzy. He just seems to get it. Must be his Minnesota ties. Every other year he gets 1400 yards and 10 TDs. If he can avoid his even-year slump, he'll be worth his weight in gold again for fantasy owners. Steve Smith - Here's a guy who NEEDS his QB to stay healthy. He's had two down years (compared to his 2005 masterpiece), but he still has what it takes to be an elite WR in this league. If Delhomme goes down, he could easily lose his Big Dog status. Chad Johnson - Ocho Cinco had 1440 yards and 8 TDs last year. Unfortunately his TDs came in just 4 games last year. That's what bugs me about Ocho. His end of the year stats look great, but he's not as solid week-to-week like some of the Big Dogs. His contract situation is a little scary, but I think he'll play. T.J. Houshmandzadeh - Unlike Ocho, Housh likes to spread the wealth out during his season. He scored a TD in his first 8 games last year. He's not going to wow you with big yardage (only three weeks over 100 and none after Wek 6), but you'll be happy with his production. Marques Colston - I was tempted to put him a tier lower, but his improvement on an already outstanding rookie season was too hard to ignore. If the 3rd Year Rule applies to Colston, the league better look out because he's already blown up. He caught nearly 100 balls last year for over 1200 yards and 11 TDs. Those are solid digits. Torry Holt - Holt had a down year by his standards last year, failing to produce either 1200 yards or 10 TDs for the first time since his rookie season. I see Marc Bulger bouncing back this year though, and Holt will rebound with him. He's going to be a great value pick this year. Plaxico Burress - I wasn't going to put him in the Big Dog Club, but when you consider what he did last year despite knee and ankle injuries. He scored in his first 6 games last year and racked up 1025 yards and 12 scores for the year. It was his second straight double-digit TD year with the G-Men, and Eli's added confidence (and pressure from NY media and fans removed) following the Super Bowl victory should keep the success going.

Top 10 High Risk and High Reward Players

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:50:34 -0500

The top 10 of high risk and high reward players looks at players who have great potential this season but who have either had injury problems in the past or whose role could be reduced this year. Find out who made our list.

Fantasy Football - Committing to a Running Back By Committee

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:40:00 -0500

So how do we beat the RBBC conundrum? Knowledge! I know, I sound like a bad public service announcement but in fantasy football, knowledge really is power. And there's just not enough info out there on all the various committees. I applaud the few sites out there that have attacked the RBBC analysis...though I can't say I really blame the experts out there for not wanting to talk about them. But now it's time we face committees head on and do our best to take a gamble and figure out which guys might pull to the front of the committee battles. Trust me, some of those guys might even be a top 10 back by the time the season is over. With that being said, let's take a look at 3 under-discussed teams and their backfield situation heading into 2008:

Bruno Boys Q & A - Draft Day Advice (Pt. 1)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:31:11 -0500

This Bruno Boys Q & A segment will focus on one thing and one thing only; and that is to get you as prepared as possible for your league 's draft. If you use this Q & A along with the Bruno Boys 2008 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets, message boards and everything else that the Bruno Boys have to offer, we have no doubt that your draft will be a winner. To read more, click below...

Steven Jackson's Wet Dream

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:24:16 -0500

Could it be possible that Bill Bidwell of all people could provide Steven Jackson with a wet dream? Mike Tulumello of the East Valley Tribune reported how the Arizona Cardinals came up with an idea on how to keep their fans from selling their Cardinal tickets to opposing teams fans. While this plan could possibly [...]

The Cold Hard Football Facts Are The Rams Get No Respect!

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:59:15 -0500

Our friends over at Cold Hard Football Facts just posted a quick glance at the NFC, as well as divisional information about the NFC West. The facts are that the St. Louis Rams received the ultimate dis by not even having the team name mentioned in the article! Thats right in a weak division with [...]

Are the Rams Good Enough to Overcome an Impossible Schedule?

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:16:38 -0500

With training camp approaching, everyone is getting their rose-colored glasses on straight, I thought I would look at the Rams schedule and see if they have a chance to overcome their schedule and make a charge at the playoffs. Obviously, the teams that we think will be tough teams at this part of the year may not be. Some other teams could surprise everyone and have great years. That is why we love football so much. Here's a rundown of how the schedule looks as training camp opens and my (extremely) uniformed predictions. Sept. 7 at Philadelphia Eagles – This is the most important game of the year, being the first, and a winnable game during the tough first half of the season. The Eagles started slow last year and only have McNabb, Westbrook and ex-Ram Kevin Curtis on offense. This game being in Philly does not help one bit. This game could go either way and could be a bellwether for the rest of the Rams season. PREDICTION: Win Sept. 14 NEW YORK GIANTS – Now we have the defending champs at home. No one thinks that the Giants are going to be as good as they were in the 2007 postseason, but they are no cupcakes. This will be another major challenge for the offensive line and blocking schemes. A win here is far from guaranteed, but with a solid run game and good pressure on Eli, the Rams should have a chance. PREDICTION: Loss Sept. 21 at Seattle Seahawks – The Rams of late have had nothing but trouble with the Seahawks at Qwest Field. The Seahawks are aging, but should be able to defend their home turf against the Rams. PREDICTION: Loss Sept. 28 BUFFALO BILLS – No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills and all the experts like the Bills as a sleeper for the playoffs. However, the Bills have been streaky, inconsistent and disappointing in years past. PREDICTION: Win Oct. 5 BYE – Phew. Oct. 12 at Washington Redskins - With a Bye week to prepare, Haslett and company will find a way to bother Jason Campbell enough and Saunders will figure out how to contain Jason Taylor. PREDICTION: Win Oct. 19 DALLAS COWBOYS – The 'Boys embarrassed the Rams on National TV last year and look strong enough to win again this year. They probably will have the home-field advantage at the Dome. PREDICTION: Loss Oct. 26 at New England Patriots – At the Patriots, enough said. PREDICTION: Loss After the Patriots game, the Rams schedule gets significantly easier. If the Rams can get to this point at 3-4 or better, they should be very happy. Nov. 2 ARIZONA CARDINALS – The Cardinals are improving, but so are the Rams. PREDICTION: Win. Nov. 9 at New York Jets – The Jets don't know whether they should be rebuilding or trying to win this year. This should be a close game between two mediocre teams. Being that it is at Giants Stadium, I'll give this one to the Jets. PREDICTION: Loss. Nov. 16 at San Francisco 49ers – The hated Niners appear twice in the last seven weeks. First, the Rams travel to SFO to battle the Niners who have struggled in past years. The Niners may not have sorted out their QB situation by now, so as long as Frank Gore is contained the Rams can win. PREDICTION: Win. Nov. 23 CHICAGO BEARS – This will be another home game for the away team at the Dome. The Bears also have not sorted out their QB situation, but have a tough defense and special teams year after year. Special Teams dooms the Rams again. PREDICTION: Loss. Nov. 30 MIAMI DOLPHINS – The Dolphins are rebuilding for next year and the year after, but they will be instilled with Bill Parcells toughness. PREDICTION: Win. Dec. 7 at Arizona Cardinals – It is getting tougher to win out in the desert and the Cardinals may have put together a full team this year. PREDICTION: Loss Dec. 14 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – I predicted a Rams loss at Seattle and Seattle has barely beat the Rams at home in the past few years. Ex-Seahawk Josh Brown is the difference in the Dome. PREDICTION: Win. Dec. 21 SAN FRANCISCO – The Rams finish off their NFC West schedule with the Niners at home. The Niners will be tanking for a draft position at this point. PREDICTION: Win. Dec. 28 at Atlanta Falcons – This is a lost season for Atlanta, but they may be better at the end of the year, provided Matt Ryan stays healthy. He is overrated, but he's better than anyone else they have. PREDICTION: Win. The Rams could go 8-0 in the back half of their schedule as no team there is unbeatable. But, looking at this estimate, the Rams will be 9-7 and challenging for a playoff spot. I think that is all any Rams fan could hope for. I think I was a little optimistic in the front half of the schedule and pessimistic in the back half. Any wins before November will be very valuable for the stretch run.

Cardinals Trying to Limit Cowboys Fans

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:13:20 -0500

Ever have a guest show up, behave rudely, stick around much longer than they should, track mud on your carpet and leave? The Cards have, and they call them Dallas Cowboys fans. The Cards have announced a "protect the nest" program designed to keep those nasty Cowboys fans out of the stadium, and frankly I don't blame them. Who would want to sit near a Cowboys fan? At the same time, before Dan or some of our other "loyal" Cowboys fans try to spin this as showing how cool they are, this is really just an effort to make money. They admit in the article that ticket sales are slow. What they don't want to admit is ticket sales can be improved when you force people to buy tickets to preseason games to have the right to buy regular season games which is what the plan entails. Given the long poor treatment of Cardinals fans, it doesn't surprise me that this is happening. Maybe if they treated their fans better they'd sell out every game like we have for like 25 years. But hey, I can't make fun of them too much. Anyone who says they can't deal with Cowboys fans is a friend of mine. -DW

Green(?) Pastures Ahead

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:52:35 -0500

The Braves, to paraphrase former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green, are not who we thought they were. We thought they were rock-steady John Smoltz and uninjurable Tom Glavine. Two tickets to the DL took care of that. We thought they were young and unflappable budding star Jeff Francoeur. He's hitting .234 on the season, and was sent [...]

ESPYs Red Carpet Experience

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:17:07 -0500

Last Wednesday was the day that the ESPYs were filmed, and the entire day was SO hectic for me. I had to drive around with my broken navigation system to get my ESPY tickets from one hotel, then go over to my publicist's hotel to get the suit that I'd had custom-made. The suit was late, the valet at each place took a good half-hour, and traffic was insane, so my schedule was completely thrown off. On top of that, I was nervous about my first experience as a red carpet correspondent. I kept worrying that I would freeze up and choke, and all I could think was "What did I get myself into?" I finally arrived at the Nokia Theater to meet the Yardbarker folks just as the red carpet opened up. I was sweaty, nervous, and carrying a backpack - basically sort of a mess. On top of that, right as I got there and realized that I had forgotten my tickets for the show, I got stung by a bee. Just some icing on the cake. Even though things had gone wrong throughout the day, everything worked out great. It was really interesting to see the red carpet from the perspective of the media. Every outlet has their own designated space, but because I was so much bigger than the other reporters, they had to give me some extra elbow room to work with. It was funny, too, because everyone was so surprised to see me there with the media. They kept saying, "Who the hell gave YOU a microphone? Did you steal that?" I started off a little slow with the interviews, because I was late and didn't have a chance to prepare. All I was told was to be myself and try to work in some of the questions that had been written up for me. I was a little nervous, and for my first interview, I kept holding the microphone up to the wrong person's face while we were talking. After a while, though, I got the hang of it and just started chatting with the guys like it was before or after a game. Once we got talking, it would take me about 10 minutes to actually get to the questions. I was trying to be like Jay Leno or David Letterman and smoothly segue from the small talk to the questions, but I think I could still use a little work on that. Luckily, I wasn't the only one experiencing this for the first time. Hugh Hefner's girlfriend, Kendra, was there as a correspondent, too. When we found out that we were both doing this for the first time, we chatted for a little bit and exchanged interview tips. I'm sure it was all much easier for her, though. No matter what comes out of her mouth, she's got a pretty face and everyone will still want to talk to her. As for me, I need to be a little bit more verbally stimulating or my career as reporter will be over before it even starts. In the end, everything worked out great. The one thing that was disappointing was not making it in time to actually walk down the carpet myself, but I'm still glad I did this, because it was a lot of fun. The show afterward was amazing, too. It was definitely a SHOW, and Justin Timberlake did a great job hosting. He sang, danced, and really interacted with the audience. At one point he even sat on the floor next to Beckham, grabbed his leg, and sniffed him. And it was hilarious when he started making fun of TO for crying at a press conference. The whole place was dying laughing. Not sure if they were laughing with TO or at him, but Justin must've asked him permission ahead of time because I couldn't believe that he even went there. Another treat was watching one of my favorite artists, Lupe Fiasco, perform with a live band, but my absolute favorite part was the duet that Greg Oden did with Justin. It was funny to see Oden up there singing with Justin and playing the piano. Well, I hope you guys enjoy watching my interviews, because I really enjoyed doing them. I'll check in again with the Yard soon. Training camp starts Friday, and I'm excited for another season of football!

‘Protect The Nest’ Won’t Work, Cardinals

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:28:06 -0500

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the most pathetic football organizations ever to exist. So, it is of no surprise that the team's brass created this scheme called "protect the nest" that is meant to bar Dallas Cowboys fans from attending the Oct. 12 showdown in Arizona. Team spokesman Mark Dalton said they are under [...]

Bruno Boys - Second Round Experts Mock Draft

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:05:23 -0500

In 2007, not only did we see a rise in wide receiver production, which led to more depth at the position heading into 2008, we also saw a decline in everydown running backs. In fact, in '07 just 17 running backs topped the 1,000 rushing yard mark, while in 2006 we saw 23 different rushers achieve that feat. On the flip side, 23 wide receivers surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in '7, while just 19 went for over 1,000 yards in '06. With this in mind, we knew that the depth at the running back position would drop off after the 2nd round, so we went in targeting the best available option at the running back position. Plus, with the rapid growth in the Running Back By Committee approach in the NFL, we wanted to make sure that our top ball carrier was someone who is going to get 20+ touches per contest. To find out who Bruno Boys Fantasy Football took with their second pick, click below....

Campbell In The Mix; Boldin and Dockett Showing For Camp

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:52:36 -0500

Second round draft pick Defensive End Calais Campbell agreed to a contract today for the Arizona Cardinals. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is believed to be a four-year deal that Campbell received. Being no surprise, that leaves only first rounder, Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, as the only unsigned draft pick. The Cardinals are apparently waiting for other draft picks around Rodgers-Cromartie to sign to get a sense of what he is worth. So, you mean to tell me they don't know yet? Why do they always need to be the ones to wait? Just get the job done and the man into camp on time! In other news, it appears, at least to super duper almighty agent Drew Rosenhaus, that Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin and Defensive Lineman Darnell Dockett are going to report to camp on time. After Quan mentioned last month he wasn't sure if he was going to make it on time, Rosenhaus said "Anquan is not the kind of guy to hold out". Well, Anquan sure didn't sound like that was a true statement when asked about his chances of reporting on time several weeks ago to the Arizona Republic. Let's hope Rosenhaus is right. He also said Dockett plans on being in Flagstaff on time this Friday. I'll believe it when I see it. For now, I reserve judgement. Only 4 days till the start of camp! Go Cards! Scott Allen AZScott

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For More Texas Rangers Games On FOX

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:51:35 -0500

Last week we examined a post about how the lack of Sox and Yankees games were hurting Baseball ratings and that in the next few months that's pretty much all we were going to get in the upcoming weekends. Well according to Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News, you can add the Texas Rangers and the "Josh Hamilton Story" to the mix as well....

Just about the time Sports Illustrated plastered Hamilton on its June 2 cover, Fox began making inquiries about shuffling its Saturday afternoon schedule to accommodate a Rangers game or three. But the team smartly had little interest in moving the three subsequent pre-All-Star Game Saturday home games from evenings to broiling afternoons in Arlington.

Imagine the raised eyebrows from coast to coast had TV listings showed the Rangers hosting the then-first-place Rays on Fox's June 7 broadcast. What next, the Arizona Cardinals hosting the Detroit Lions on NBC S unday Night Football?

Still, Fox remains hard at work trying to find a place for the Rangers in the coming weeks.

"We have major interest," is the way Fox spokesman Dan Bell summed it up.

Over at ESPN, Hamilton is "our new hero." That's how Len DeLuca, senior vice president for programming, described the Rangers center fielder.

"The Rangers are in the center of our radar screen now as opposed to the periphery," DeLuca said. "Josh Hamilton put them there. Now the team has to continue winning games."

Obviously the main weekend games are already set, but others can certainly be added and many of you in the midwest are usually the ones getting the third option on Saturdays. The story is wearing thin on real Baseball fans who have heard about it for the past few years, but for the weekend warriors it might actually pull in some viewers.

Hot air: Josh Hamilton adds to Texas Rangers' clout with networks (Dallas Morning News)

Fantasy Football Tight End Ranking Breakdown: 21-30

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:48:57 -0500

Having an elite tight end on your team could be the difference between winning your league's title or missing the playoffs completely. So when you start getting to the fourth or fifth round, you should definitely start thinking about addressing the TE position with one of the top four or five guys on my list… and you'll find out who they are soon enough. For now, here's my list from 21-30.