Cardinals have options, here's three I like
Originally published: Apr 25, 2012 - 7:01 pm
Saving Private Ryan. Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Silence of the Lambs. You may say I'm sitting on a fence; I like to think of it as having options. I can go summer popcorn action flick, a serious war/technically brilliant classic or violent, extremely well-acted thriller. Depends on my mood.
And, much like me and my movies, the Arizona Cardinals will have options on draft day, three of which I'll gladly rubber stamp as THE RIGHT MOVE. I'm writing this under the assumption that at least one of these three will be available at #13 and that the Cardinals will take one of these players. Should the Cardinals go off script and draft someone outside of my top three, I reserve the right to rip the pick or to view it as an unconsidered fourth great option (much like I consider Shawshank Redemption as my fourth-favorite movie).
Option 1: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Full disclosure…of the three options the Cardinals have, Floyd is the one I would estimate to be gone baby gone by the time the Cardinals pick. Hearing Mark May describe his abilities the other day was like listening to a scouting report on Anquan Boldin. Big, tough, physical, uses his body. He's May's choice. He's Ron Jaworski's pick. He's coveted by none other than fellow Minnesotan Larry Fitzgerald. And that is good enough for me. Even though he's doesn't address the offensive line concerns make no mistake; it's a need. No one will blame the Cardinals one bit for drafting a stud WR to pair with their stud WR.
Option 2: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Reiff was once thought to be a sure-fire top 10 pick, most likely by the Buffalo Bills. But in the opinions of some, he has slipped. Some think his arms are too short or he's not athletic enough. Some think the media love him but the NFL scouts do not. And some believe the entire tackle position is over-valued in a league that is moving to more three-step drops and quick releases. Yet some compare him to another former Iowa lineman, Bryan Bulaga, who slipped in the draft and is now one of the better right tackles in football with the Packers. He clearly fits a need for the Cards which makes him the comfy pick. Given that he was considered a top-ten guy just a few weeks ago, he strikes me as the one tackle who wouldn't be much of a reach at #13. All the other tackles are and taking one of them is a guaranteed rip job by yours truly.
Option 3: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
This is the bold move. High risk, high reward. Right now I can hear a disgruntled voice in my head (and oddly it sounds like Gambo's) and it goes something like this: "We don't need another pass rusher. We have Acho. We have Schofield. Fix what's broken." While it's true the Cardinals have more immediate needs than adding another pass rusher, and certainly the lack of a second round pick on augments that, in my world you can never, ever have enough guys who can get to the quarterback. Ever. Pop quiz: Who won the Super Bowl? The Giants. What do they have a bunch of? Oh yeah…guys who can rush the quarterback. What I'd hate to see is the regret that comes with knowing you could have had an elite pass rusher but took a pass. Terrell Suggs anyone?


































