Don’t judge the Cardinals No. 5 pick until it’s made
Apr 8, 2011, 3:10 PM | Updated: 4:29 pm
Three weeks from today we will be breaking down the Arizona Cardinals first round draft pick.
Three weeks out and I don’t know who that will be.
Last week I tweeted out the following, “Thought: IF Blaine Gabbert, Von Miller & Patrick Peterson are all taken before No 5, who do the #Cardinals take with the pick? #Stumped.”
More than a week has passed and I’m still stumped. I’ve poured over mock drafts, read up on scouting reports and listened to two different Ken Whisenhunt interviews.
Nope. No help.
I’m not completely convinced on Gabbert, Miller and Peterson and I’m also not convinced one of those three will even be there.
Of course, what I want to do with the No. 5 pick (or a package of picks) is not looking like it will even be an option.
For two months we have heard, read and been told the Cardinals want one of the three aforementioned players. In college they looked great. On paper they pass all the tests. At the combine and individual workouts we are left gushing over the thought of them lining up in Cardinal Red next September.
Why these three?
Because that’s what we have been told.
Why do we do mock drafts?
Because it’s fun to pretend to be the GM.
But are we setting ourselves up for NFL Draft night disappointment?
If Roger Goodell isn’t able to — or even worse, is able and doesn’t — utter the following words, ‘With the fifth pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select _________ (Gabbert, Miller or Peterson),’ are we really going to be crushed, shocked and/or dumbfounded?
Let’s not forget Whisenhunt was the only coach to walk over and shake Cam Newton’s hand at Newton’s Pro Day at Auburn. Remember, that was the same day as Ryan Mallet’s Pro Day.
Whisenhunt was also the only NFL coach at Da’Quan Bowers’ Pro Day at Clemson. Bowers has been said to have No. 1 pick talent and was as high as No. 1 on some draft boards just a short 45 days ago.
What about the hometown kid, Prince Amukamara? At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds he has the size to go along with his 4.4 speed. Him lining up opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in a now more than ever pass happy league seems like a brilliant idea.
Yet we keep thinking there is no way we’d be satisfied with them at No. 5.
Whisenhunt told Sports 620 KTAR’s Doug & Wolf on Thursday things may change by accident after leaks and evaluations or things may be said on purpose to get other people thinking something different.
“It is part of the game. It’s part of the maneuvering and posturing, as they would say,” he said. “Sometimes what you may have done you’ve done it unintentionally. There may be a point, three or four weeks before the draft, you fall in love with a guy and you say something about him.
“Then after you go through the process and compare him to somebody else maybe he’s knocked down a couple of pegs and you don’t like him as much.”
To me that screams we really don’t know what the Cardinals are going to do and we need to go into April 28 with a very open mind when it comes to the No. 5 pick.
Relax people, don’t grade the pick before it’s made.
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TY’s Outtakes
What I learned this week…
GameSlam turns baseball games interactive with virtual betting.
You can make a wager (virtual currency) on the game you are watching right from your phone. You can be logged in to a group and be playing against your friends. A new tool to keep your attention as you wait 20 seconds in-between pitches. Exactly something our attention starving minds need.
Tweet of the week…
From @Matt_Barnes22:
Me & the Golden St homies laid out the blueprint on how to beat Dallas.. “PUNK’EM” Aint [S#!%] changed homey.. So enough w/the small talk
That’s just great. I can’t wait for the NBA playoffs.
Suggestion of the week…
Model Kate Upton teaches you how to “Dougie.”
Yep, I think this is awesome.
