Arizona Cardinals bring in wide receiver Rishard Matthews, two kickers for free agent workouts
The Arizona Cardinals continue to search for the right combination of players. The Arizona Cardinals continue to search for the right combination of players. Today, they brought in Rishard Matthews, the former Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins wide receiver is a veteran with experience and production. In his last three seasons, before this year with the Titans, Matthews averaged 54 catches for 801 yards and seven touchdowns. That's why his reduced role in Tennessee did not sit well with him. However, Matthews was not the only free agent in for a workout. For the first time in 2018, at least the first time we have seen it reported, the Cardinals brought in two kickers for workouts...
Source: Revenge of the Birds (Added 2018-10-09T16:02:33-06:00)
Arizona Cardinals have to figure out how to stop the run on defense again
Can the Arizona Cardinals get back to their ways of stopping the run? For the first time in five years, the Arizona Cardinals have a problem. This year, the Cardinals rank 31st. That stat is Football Outsiders defensive rankings against the run. That’s right, the Cardinals are the second worst team in the NFL against the run. This is a combination of a couple of things. First, the Cardinals linebacking unit is high key awful. Outside of Josh Bynes, no linebacker this year has played well until this weekend when Haason Reddick was pretty okay and had a nice statistical game. Secondly, the Cardinals defensive line is one gapping and that means the linebackers have to make plays. When you put two and two together, you get the worst, or second worst technically, run defense in the NFL. Then, when you add to that situation an offense that runs less than five plays per offensive possession, and you have a recipe for disaster. You have a perfect storm of a terrible run defense. Can the Cardinals fix it? That’s one of the many questions Steve Wilks and his staff have to answer now.
Source: Revenge of the Birds (Added 2018-10-09T06:00:11-06:00)
Arizona Cardinals sign Kendall Wright, release cornerback Deatrick Nichols
The Arizona Cardinals are making moves at the wide receiver position. The Arizona Cardinals have made it official, as the team announced today that they have signed former Tennessee Titans first round pick, wide receiver Kendall Wright. In a corresponding move, the team is releasing rookie cornerback Deatrick Nichols. From the team: "Wright (5-10, 185) is a six-year NFL veteran who has played in 82 games (45 starts) in his career and has 339 receptions for 3,858 yards (11.4 yard avg.) and 19 touchdowns. The 28-year old Wright played all 16 games (four starts) last season with the Bears and had 59 receptions for 614 yards and one touchdown. He has at least 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards in four of his six NFL seasons." "Wright spent his first five seasons in the league with Tennessee after being selected by the Titans in the first-round (20th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Baylor. He totaled 280 receptions for 3,244 yards and 18 touchdowns during his tenure (2012-16) with the Titans. Wright signed with Minnesota in the offseason, but was released on September 1." The Cardinals have lowest total output of passing yards in the NFL and have dealt with nine drops in Josh Rosen's first two career starts. They're hope is that Wright can rekindle some of the magic he had early in his career, but in a worst case scenario, can be a reliable target for their young signal caller.
Source: Revenge of the Birds (Added 2018-10-08T15:16:54-06:00)
Why the Cardinals’ Offense is Unimaginative and Under-Prepared
Imagine what kind of pressure it would put on the defense if the Cardinals ran RPOs (run/pass options) with David Johnson (and Chase Edmonds when he’s in the game). On a key third down, Josh Rosen could run with the ball to move the chains (on a slide) if the end crashes down...but most of all, Rosen can fake the handoff and then pass into the open areas behind the linebackers. The Vikings and Eagles did this very well last year with Keenum and Wentz/Foles. Why have a FB on the roster and not use him? So—-OC Mike McCoy is not keeping the LBers honest with RPOs—-he isn’t even running head-on iso blocks with a FG on them. Thus, the opposing linebackers might as well be playing in tuxedos. It’s Prom Night versus the Cardinals. You have to make life difficult for linebackers in the NFL. if you don’t—-chances are you are going to lose. Like Mark Schlereth said---the Cardinals were just running DJ into a stone wall. It’s maddening. If you move DJ around like the queen on a chessboard---the defense has to become acutely aware of where he is at all times and adjust their coverages and run defenses on the fly. But how often is DJ on the move in McCoy’s offense?...
Source: Revenge of the Birds (Added 2018-10-08T13:31:52-06:00)
Arizona Cardinals last in Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, but the tone has changed
The Week 5 NFL Power Rankings have the Cardinals in last place, but things have changed. Despite nothing changing in terms of the overall rankings, the tone on the Arizona Cardinals being the worst team in the NFL has changed quite a bit. Looking around the web at the different sets of power rankings for week five, the Cardinals find themselves in the same spot, last, but the tone seems different.
Source: Revenge of the Birds (Added 2018-10-02)