DOUG FRANZ

Cardinals need a home run in Round 2

Apr 29, 2011, 3:21 PM | Updated: Apr 28, 2015, 2:00 pm

Why should I stop dreaming? Hit a home run in Round 2.

You’d be worried about my family life if you knew how much college football I watch. Despite traveling with ASU, I use two DVR’s and a VCR to record almost every nationally televised college football game so I can watch it when I return from each ASU football game.

Every time I saw Patrick Peterson he just jumped off the TV in my house, and I’m not ready for 3D. I never thought during the college football season that the Arizona Cardinals would be so bad and Peterson would slip so that the two would eventually be married.

Some people try to take credit away from the Cardinals because Peterson just fell to them; I’ve always rejected that kind of thinking. Getting your guy in your slot means you didn’t panic. The Cardinals correctly guessed the Bengals couldn’t get a deal done for someone to move ahead of them to number four and steal Peterson away. If you were going to rip the Cardinals for not trading up if Peterson had been ripped away by a rogue team trading up, you must praise them profusely for staying at five.

I love the selection and I think every member of the Cardinals organization is better this morning than they were yesterday — secretaries included. Teams are not made, however, with the first round alone. It’s time to look at what’s coming Friday and Saturday.

There’s going to be massive changes to the Cardinals LB core. I would love to add Akeem Ayers OLB from UCLA. He played OLB at UCLA but I’d like to move him inside in the Cards 3-4 alignment. He’s tall but plays low. He’s already very strong but can still add good weight, and has a quick burst. He doesn’t have top-end speed but he’s fine in the short porch of inside LB. Since he played on the strong side in the Bruins 4-3 it should be an easy transition.

If Ayers isn’t there in the 2nd round, I’m doing something a little risky. I want the best acne medication available in the second round. I want Kyle Rudolph, the Notre Dame tight end.

Keep in mind, a ton of people who know more football than I do hate that idea. I think it’s a bias against the tight end position. Maybe I’m spoiled living in Kansas City and seeing Tony Gonzalez for four seasons. A good tight end makes everyone else more open. More importantly, a good tight end can turn an 8-yard loss on a sack into a 4-yard gain on a dump off.

Remember how great the early 90s Cowboys were? When did they fall apart? It was when Jay Novacek got hurt.

Suddenly more people were in the box to stop Emmitt. It was easier to double Irvin. More defenders attacked Aikman because he couldn’t throw it over the top to Novacek.

Whether the Cardinals are starting a young QB or a new one, he’ll need that safety valve. Rudolph will help a horrible offensive line because there will always be someone open in the flat or down the seam.

The Cardinals have more pressing needs than a TE, but Rudolph covers a lot of zits.

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