All the questioning and criticism that occurred when the Cardinals
exited the first two rounds of the draft without an offensive lineman
has since turned into ... well, something other than questioning and
criticism.
The Cards' decision to take standout receiver
Michael Floyd of Notre Dame in the first round, then wait to grab three potential
O-line contributors -- including highly touted Mississippi tackle Bobby
Massie -- later in the draft has been almost universally praised among
draft analysts and experts over the last 48 hours.
Obvious
caveat: Grading a draft 48 hours afterward is a laughable exercise that
assumes the grader's pre-draft analysis was more accurate than everyone
else's and will mean nothing a few years down the road, when those
players will have had the opportunity to actually prove their worth with
something more than combine measurements and college tape. But since
handing out draft grades is everybody's favorite thing to do in the days
after -- and since it'll be a while before anything meaningful happens
in the NFL world -- it's worth taking a look at what the national
analysts and experts are saying about the Cardinals.
In poring
through seven breakdowns from various well-respected and credible
publications, the Cardinals' grades ranged from ... drumroll ... a B+ to
a B-. There are no A+ lovefests to be found, but the flipside is that
the worst comment to be found is "not having a second-round pick hurt."
The picks themselves didn't warrant much criticism, apparently. In all
there were four B+ marks, two B's and one B-.
Here are some
excerpts from each of the aforementioned analyses (pay-site content
courtesy of the Cardinals' public relations staff):
John Czarnecki, FOXSports.com (B+):
They got great value with Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd, who should
take a lot of pressure off Larry Fitzgerald. Oklahoma cornerback Jamell
Fleming was a steal as the 80th overall pick and ideally fits the
Cardinals' blitz-scheme approach to defense. Ole Miss offensive tackle
Bobby Massie is a road-grader and has a chance to start right away. He
was a super value on the third day of the draft.
Mel Kiper, ESPN (B-):
Having Michael Floyd in this lineup will help Larry Fitzgerald and
Kevin Kolb. Bobby Massie is one of the better values of the draft at No.
112 overall and could provide an upgrade. Justin Bethel is an
interesting developmental pick out of tiny Presbyterian. He has elite
speed.
Rob Rang, CBS Sports (B+): The Arizona Cardinals
finished the 2011 season winning seven of their final nine games. That
momentum carried into the draft, where Arizona enjoyed the most
impressive three days of any of the NFC West clubs. This draft won't get
the buzz of some of the others, but I liked it.
Jason Cole, Yahoo Sports (B+):
This is a really good value draft. The Cardinals waited to get Floyd at
the perfect spot (No. 13 overall). Likewise, they did a good job to get
Fleming, Massie, Kelemete and Lindley at least a round later (if not
more) than a lot of people projected them.
Chris Burke, SI.com (B):
Larry Fitzgerald badly needed some help at wide receiver, and the
Cardinals hope that Michael Floyd will provide it. Not having a
second-round pick hurt the final product, but CB Jamell Fleming (No. 80
overall) is a decent fit and Bobby Massie was a steal at 112.
Vinnie Iyer, SportingNews.com (B): They wisely addressed wide receiver and the edge of their offensive line.
Scott Garbarini, The SportsNetwork.com (B+):
For a team that didn't have a second-round pick, the Cardinals did
quite well in this draft. Floyd can be a difference-maker playing
alongside Fitzgerald, while Fleming, Massie and fifth-round gem Kelemete
could all wind up as starters down the road.
