Pick #5: Arizona Cardinals

I’m curious how many people reading this actually watched any Arizona Cardinal games this past year? Maybe that’s not the best question, since the 4 people reading this blog probably live in Vermont and only 1 Cardinal game was nationally televised last year so the answer is probably zero. That game, against the 49ers, was arguably the worst game in the history of Monday Night Football and the only time I saw this team play in person. Actually it was the only half I saw of them, I couldn’t watch the second half, which is saying something, because in the Kurt Warner era they were one of the most fun teams to watch in the league.

After 2009, the Cardinals were left with their pants down when Warner, who was amazingly effective in his final years in the league, abruptly retired, leaving them Matt Leinart and a few unproven rookies. Leinart was so bad in training camp that they signed Derek Anderson away from the Browns to compete with Max Hall and John Skelton. Needless to say, it didn’t go as planned. Derek Anderson was awful and suffered an emotional breakdown in a post-game press conference mid-way through the year, and neither of the rookies proved effective in the least. It’s a shame too, because the Cardinals feature arguably the best receiver in the game in his absolute prime in Larry Fitzgerald. He went from catching double digit touchdowns in 2007, 2008, and 2009 to only 6 touchdown catches last year. Considering that in many cases, all you have to do is put the ball in this guy’s general vicinity no matter the coverage and he will come down with it, that number is a pretty loud indictment of their QB play in 2010. In short, while the Cards have other needs, no need is greater than finding someone who can throw Larry Fitzgerald the ball. They might not be sitting at number 5 in the draft with a chance to take an elite prospect at the position again for years, so even though he has some perceived weakness, the Cards pounce on Gabbert.


(INSERT OFFENSIVE NAME) #5 OVERALL MOCK DRAFT PICK:
BLAINE GABBERT - QB, MISSOURI


The last time the Cards drafted a quarterback in the top 10 they got burned by Matt Leinart and his other interests. With memories of Leinart, college girls, and beer funnels dancing in their heads, I think they stay away from Newton even if he’s available, who has been spotted in Miami nightclubs this past month, and stay with the kid who must be more of a loser than Newton and Leinart solely by virtue of his first name. Anyway, there’s another reason I think the Cards like this kid; his mobility. In a previous post, I mentioned that Blaine Gabbert has abysmal pocket presence, and this is true, but it is also different from being mobile. Gabbert has the good feet and ability to elude pressure, he’s just not good at it right now. With his size and the athleticism he has demonstrated though, there is hope that he can figure out this crucial part of the game. The Cardinals coaching staff are all former Pittsburgh Steeler coaches. Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt and Assistant Coach Russ Grimm were former assistants in Pittsburgh when the Steelers drafted another mobile QB high in the first round, Ben Roethlisberger. That turned out pretty well for the Steelers, and the Cards and their fans (except for the college girls and anybody in the service industry in Arizona) are hoping that lightning strikes twice with Gabbert.

Entire Mock Draft:

1. Carolina Panthers - Marcell Dareus
2. Denver Broncos - Patrick Peterson
3. Buffalo Bills - Cam Newton
4. Cincinnati Bengals - A.J. Green
5. Arizona Cardinals - Blaine Gabbert