For now, Arizona Cardinals take a pass on quarterback
May 10, 2014, 4:52 AM | Updated: 5:32 am
TEMPE, Ariz. — Five quarterbacks were taken among the 100 draft picks through the first two days of the 2014 NFL Draft.
None of those five were selected by the Cardinals, however.
“Why,” head coach Bruce Arians responded when asked on Friday what he would tell fans who were hoping the team would draft a signal caller.
“I mean we’ve got three pretty good ones,” he continued. “And you don’t take quarterbacks if they’re not going to beat the guys out that you have.”
What the Cardinals have in their quarterback room are Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley.
Palmer started all 16 games last season, throwing for 4,274 yards and 24 touchdowns, 16 of which came during the team’s 7-2 finish.
He was the lone quarterback to take a snap; and in Arians’ opinion can play for several more seasons.
“Oh, there’s no doubt,” he said. “You’re looking at Peyton (Manning) at 38 — the longevity of the athletes today with the technology and the medical profession, they’re going to go a lot longer than guys have gone in the past as long you (he knocks on the table twice) stay injury free.”
Palmer, 34, becomes a free agent at the end of this season — the third year of his three-year contract he signed after being acquired from the Raiders voids if he’s on the roster five days after the Super Bowl.
Stanton, who has not thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2010, is under contract through 2015, as is Lindley, the Cardinals’ sixth-round pick in 2012.
The five quarterbacks drafted through three rounds: Blake Bortles (No. 3, Jacksonville), Johnny Manziel (No. 22, Cleveland), Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32, Minnesota), Derek Carr (No. 36, Oakland) and Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 62, New England).
“I know people rate quarterbacks,” Arians said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, rating quarterbacks. I like ours better.”
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