Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and general manager Rod Graves made national news Thursday at the Scouting Combine when they didn't close the door on signing Peyton Manning should he become available.
But local reporters know that's been the case. The real news to come out of the Thursday media session was just how much the Cardinals want to re-sign left tackle Levi Brown.
First, the Manning situation. The Cardinals' stance hasn't changed. Graves said the team thinks it can win with the current quarterback trio of Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Rich Bartel.
He and Whisenhunt declined to address questions about Manning, saying they didn't want to break tampering rules, but in general, they emphasized that they will go after any free agents who can make the Cardinals a better team.
When asked specifically about Kolb's future, Graves used the phrase "right now" several times.
"Every day, you have to work with the information you have at hand," Graves said. "And right now, as I look at it, we fully expect that Kevin is going to be with us, and we'll honor that contract as it is, obviously. But we'll see what every day brings forward, and we'll make our decisions accordingly.
"Right now, we've got three quarterbacks that have done a great job for us," he said. "We're happy with those guys. Right now, as it stands today, we're not anticipating anything different."
When asked about acquiring a certain unnamed quarterback, Whisenhunt gave a little chuckle.
"I'm not going to get into those scenarios," Whisenhunt said. "I think Rod Graves, our general manager, said it best: We're always looking for opportunities with players. I don't think that's any different from any team in the league.
"I think we're very pleased with the players we have on our team. We're obviously always looking to get better."
The timing of the Manning situation is unique for all teams potentially interested in him, as no one knows if he will be able to play in 2012. The timing is especially complicated for the Cardinals.
They have to pay Kolb a bonus of $7 million if he's on the roster March 17. That's nine days after the deadline for the Colts to pay Manning a $28 million bonus.
The Cardinals will have interest in Manning should he become available. But Manning's health situation won't be clarified by the time Kolb is due the bonus, so the Cardinals plan to pay it. They will still have interest in Manning.
Graves said he's proceeding with the information currently available to him. On a SiriusXM NFL Radio interview, he quipped that he's not in the habit of answering a phone before it rings.
In the real news of the day, both Graves and Whisenhunt said they wanted to sign left tackle Levi Brown to a new contract.
Brown's salary-cap number is due to escalate to $17 million in 2012, the final year of his rookie deal. Both sides knew he was never going to receive that.
The surprise is that the Cardinals want Brown back. The fifth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Brown has been a disappointment for much of his career. But he played well in the latter half of 2011, and the Cardinals know that left tackles aren't easy to find.
Brown also has played right tackle in his career, so his experience would give them some versatility.
It's questionable, however, if Brown as viewed as part of the team's "core," as Graves likes to call it. More likely, the Cardinals will sign Brown because they know exactly what they are getting. The free-agent pool of left tackles is shallow. Brown is a positive influence and a smart player. Re-signing him would give the Cardinals one less vacancy to worry about this offseason.
NOTES, QUOTES
-- The Cardinals haven't drafted an offensive lineman the last two years. Asked the chances of doing that a third consecutive year, coach Ken Whisenhunt replied: "Um, probably about as good as you killing us for not doing that."
-- General manager Rod Graves said talks with Ben Dogra, the agent for Calais Campbell, have been "fruitful." And what does fruitful mean? "They are ongoing. I believe we will find a resolution at some point," he said. It is expected that if the the two sides can't come to an agreement, the Cardinals will bring Campbell back with the franchise tag.
-- Re-signing cornerback Richard Marshall is also a priority, Graves said. "Richard did an outstanding job for us this season and became a very important role player for us. The one thing we would like not to do is lose a player like that. He's not easily replaceable, and it's not so much in terms what he did on the football field, but his character and his work habits are very much appreciated."
-- Kevin Kolb is No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart, but backup John Skelton will be given a chance to win the job, Whisenhunt said. "I think John has earned the ability to be given consideration for the position, just because of what he did, his record and the way he played," Whisenhunt said. "But I also think we've got a lot invested in Kevin as well for that position."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "If we can get somebody to beat Larry Fitzgerald out, that guy will be a pretty good football player." -- coach Ken Whisenhunt on creating competition on the roster.
DRAFT NEEDS
-- Offensive tackle: The club is trying to re-sign left tackle Levi Brown, figuring he is the best option. Brown played well over the last half of the 2011 season after playing below expectations for most of the previous 4 1/2 years. His cap number is due to escalate to $17 million, so he will be released and hit the market if a deal can't be reached. Brown has some additional value because he can play right tackle. The starter there, Brandon Keith, has shown flashes of ability but hasn't produced consistently. If Brown re-signs, the team is most likely to address depth at this position via the draft rather than free agency.
-- Wide receiver: The coaches still like Andre Roberts, the starter opposite Larry Fitzgerald, but Early Doucet, the No. 3 receiver, is an unrestricted free agent, and there isn't much proven talent behind those three players. The Cardinals could still use someone with the ability to get deep. It's not likely to be addressed in the first round, but a selection in the middle rounds would make sense. Free agency is also a possibility. If, say, Pierre Garcon comes at a reasonable price, that would be a quality acquisition.
-- Outside linebacker: Projected starters O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho are young. but there isn't much depth. Joey Porter won't be re-signed, and Clark Haggans is 34 and a free agent. The Cardinals are committed to a 3-4, so drafting an outside linebacker or two every year makes sense.
