Cardinals Have Many Needs in NFL Draft

Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green has a basic approach to the NFL draft.
"The key thing for us is, we're picking (No.) 10, so you've got to love 10 players," Green said Tuesday. "It's real simple."

With the draft looming this weekend, the Cardinals love some more than others. But as Green and vice president for football operations Rod Graves prepare for their third draft together, they aren't giving many hints about the objects of their affection.
"We'll take (Reggie) Bush if he's there," Graves joked about the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, who is expected to be chosen well before the Cards' turn.
After finishing 5-11 last year, the Cardinals are well-positioned. Along with the 10th overall pick, they have the No. 9 pick in the second round (41st overall) and the No. 8 pick in the third round (72nd overall). Arizona owns a selection in all seven rounds.
While the identity of the Cardinals' first pick is a mystery, two things seem certain.
First, the Cardinals say they probably won't trade their pick in an effort to move up in the first round. Graves said he hasn't received calls from other clubs interested in acquiring the 10th pick.
Second, the club is likely to take the best available player regardless of his position or their most immediate need. Green adopted that philosophy as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, who built a dynasty through the draft.
Two years ago, Green used the third overall pick to take wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, a longtime family friend, even though Anquan Boldin had been named the Offensive Rookie of the Year the previous season. Fitzgerald and Boldin last year teamed to give Arizona the league's most prolific passing attack.
All 14 of the players selected in Green's first two drafts remain on the roster, although not all have contributed.
This year, the Cardinals may be in the market for a quarterback despite having extended Kurt Warner's contract during the offseason. A solid backup is essential because Warner, who will be 35 in June, hasn't appeared in more than 10 games in a season since 2001.
The Cardinals could also be looking to the future, although Green has expressed confidence in John Navarre, who moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart when Josh McCown signed with Detroit.
They won't know until Saturday morning whether they'll have a shot at one of the three most highly rated quarterbacks _ Matt Leinart of Southern California, Vince Young of Texas and Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt.
"I like all three of the quarterbacks," said Green, who declined to rank the prospects. "It's like ordering steak: Which kind do you like?"
The Cardinals have drafted a quarterback in the first round only four times since 1960. The most notable was Joe Namath in 1965, but he signed with the New York Jets of the rival American Football League.
Arizona hasn't drafted a quarterback in the first round since 1987, when they took Kelly Stouffer of Colorado State with the sixth overall pick. Stouffer, who never played a down for the Cardinals, appeared in 22 NFL games with Seattle.
"The risk is probably no greater or no worse than it is for a lot of other players, but the spotlight is always heavier on the quarterbacks," Graves said. "It's just the risk that we're involved with. You hope you're making the right choice."
The Cardinals have plenty of other needs, including linebacker, offensive line and tight end.
Arizona is known to be interested in 6-foot-3, 256-pound tight end Vernon Davis, who declared himself eligible after his junior year at Maryland.
"I've said before that if Vince Young was there (at No. 10), I'd drive out and pick him up at the airport," Graves said with a chuckle. "If Vernon Davis is there, I'll drive out and pick him up, too."
The Cardinals are 11-21 in Green's first two years in the desert. The rebuilding process has been slow, but Green has been trying to do it by drafting players who will commit to the long haul with a franchise that has one playoff game since 1947.
"Players that come in here have to have a high competitive level and have to have an intense desire to succeed beyond just a desire to play in the National Football League," Graves said. "Those are the type of guys that we'll be after in this year's draft."

Cardinals Stadium ready for landscaping, signage installation

May will be a busy month for construction crews working on the future home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
Landscaping crews are on site, ready to put 1,100 trees into place throughout the plaza surrounding the football stadium in Glendale. There will be nearly 10 varieties planted, including the Chinese Pistache -- selected for its bright red leaves, to reflect "cardinal red."

Inside the stadium, Cardinals signage is up and directional signage will be installed within the next two weeks.
The natural grass field will go into place during the first week of May and roof commissioning is also set to begin next month.
The 63,000 seat stadium opens in August.

Cardinals should draft Justice with first pick

"With the 10th pick in the 2006 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Winston Justice, offensive tackle - USC." Cardinals' fans should hope to hear that from NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue on Saturday.Assuming that Justice is still available, it would be in the Cardinals' best interests to draft him. By drafting Justice, the Cardinals would fill a huge need, adding a franchise player to their less than stellar offensive line. With an aging and somewhat fragile quarterback in Kurt Warner, improved offensive line play will be a necessity. Warner is not very agile and is no threat to run, so he needs plenty of time in the pocket. When given time, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the game and can pick apart nearly any defense. The addition of All-Pro running back Edgerrin James to an already potent passing attack should help lead the offense to the elite level. He needs holes to run through, so by drafting Justice to anchor the offensive line, it should provide James with the necessary room to run. If James is able to produce like he has his whole career, it will provide an enormous boost to the offense. With a higher echelon offense, the Cardinals should be able to contend for a playoff spot--something they haven't partaken in since the 1998-99 season.The mediocre offensive line has only moderately addressed this offseason. With plenty of space under the salary cap after their big-time splash landing James, the Cardinals went out and signed free agent offensive guard Milford Brown, who started 13 games for the Houston Texans last season. They also re-signed guard Reggie Wells to a five-year, $17.5 million deal.Adding Justice to the mix could immeasurably improve the offensive line into an at least average or slightly above average unit. Couple that with the likes of playmakers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, James and Warner, and defenses could be bewildered by the potentially powerful offense. The 6'6", 300 pound right tackle was the stalwart of USC's offensive line during the team's run to prominence. As a true freshman, he began starting in his second game and never relinquished the position. He was a freshman All-American in 2002. He did a terrific job protecting the blindside of quarterback Matt Leinart, who is also expected to be a top pick in this year's draft. Although exceptional at both, Justice is a better run blocker than pass, which would benefit James. Head coach Dennis Green has added the stretch play to the offensive repertoire, a play that he used in Minnesota with Robert Smith, and James ran effectively with the Colts.Other than the offensive line, the Arizona Cardinals have needs at quarterback, outside linebacker and tight end. With a pick in each of the draft's seven rounds, there is chance for many or all of those needs to be filled. Justice would fill a glaring hole and finish shoring up what looks to be a tremendous offense for 2006 and years to come in Arizona.