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Arizona linebackers article (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter The Man With No Name
- Start date
azcards33
Footballguy
Cards lose defensive starter Hayes
By Darren Urban, Tribune
August 18, 2005
PRESCOTT — A little more than a year after the Cardinals surprisingly lost a starter after mundane arthroscopic surgery, the team was hit again with practically the same scenario.
Starting middle linebacker Gerald Hayes is out a minimum of two months with meniscus damage in the left knee, the first blow to a defense that has sky-high expectations this season.
Hayes underwent a scope Tuesday, with the team hoping the basic procedure would sideline him a couple of weeks. But after receiver Anquan Boldin’s issues last year — a meniscus tear in his knee found during a similar scope — kept Boldin out long term, the Cards were prepared for the worst with Hayes.
Boldin missed nearly three months, and Hayes could miss the same time, depending on his rehabilitation schedule. Already, coach Dennis Green has named veteran James Darling, who had been working mostly as the weakside backup, as Hayes’ replacement. Orlando Huff, the current weakside starter, played mostly in the middle in Seattle last year, but Green wants to disrupt the lineup as little as possible.
Hayes, in the third year of his three-year rookie contract, was finally getting a chance to play significant time at linebacker. He was also one of the Cardinals’ top special teams players.
Green said with only nine healthy linebackers on the roster right now, the Cardinals are too thin to get through three more preseason games, and the team is looking to add a free agent.
Darling, coming off arguably his best season as a pro last year as the weakside starter, was disappointed to have automatically lost his starting role when Huff was signed. But he never complained and now finds himself starting again.
“If you are going to play, you want to play the right way, by earning it,” Darling said. “At the same time, this is an opportunity and a challenge to get better and not let the defense down.
“I look at it as, if I was better last year, they wouldn’t have had to (bring someone in). I look at it as, I needed to get better. Even though I did some good things last year, I needed to get better. This is my opportunity.”
Darling spent most of the summer workouts at middle linebacker, so the position won’t be completely foreign. Fifth-round draft pick Lance Mitchell had been backing up Hayes during camp, but Green acknowledged Mitchell isn’t ready.
“I don’t think (Mitchell) is right now as physical as you have to be to start in a game,” Green said.
Valley product Eric Johnson, from Phoenix Alhambra High School, is the only backup linebacker with NFL experience, and that is mostly on special teams. With Darling’s promotion, Mitchell and fellow rookie Darryl Blackstock top the second-string linebackers.
“We’re too young,” Green said. “We’ll be looking around. Blackstock and Lance, we drafted them thinking they are good players. They are going to have to get experience when we play (preseason games).”
By Darren Urban, Tribune
August 18, 2005
PRESCOTT — A little more than a year after the Cardinals surprisingly lost a starter after mundane arthroscopic surgery, the team was hit again with practically the same scenario.
Starting middle linebacker Gerald Hayes is out a minimum of two months with meniscus damage in the left knee, the first blow to a defense that has sky-high expectations this season.
Hayes underwent a scope Tuesday, with the team hoping the basic procedure would sideline him a couple of weeks. But after receiver Anquan Boldin’s issues last year — a meniscus tear in his knee found during a similar scope — kept Boldin out long term, the Cards were prepared for the worst with Hayes.
Boldin missed nearly three months, and Hayes could miss the same time, depending on his rehabilitation schedule. Already, coach Dennis Green has named veteran James Darling, who had been working mostly as the weakside backup, as Hayes’ replacement. Orlando Huff, the current weakside starter, played mostly in the middle in Seattle last year, but Green wants to disrupt the lineup as little as possible.
Hayes, in the third year of his three-year rookie contract, was finally getting a chance to play significant time at linebacker. He was also one of the Cardinals’ top special teams players.
Green said with only nine healthy linebackers on the roster right now, the Cardinals are too thin to get through three more preseason games, and the team is looking to add a free agent.
Darling, coming off arguably his best season as a pro last year as the weakside starter, was disappointed to have automatically lost his starting role when Huff was signed. But he never complained and now finds himself starting again.
“If you are going to play, you want to play the right way, by earning it,” Darling said. “At the same time, this is an opportunity and a challenge to get better and not let the defense down.
“I look at it as, if I was better last year, they wouldn’t have had to (bring someone in). I look at it as, I needed to get better. Even though I did some good things last year, I needed to get better. This is my opportunity.”
Darling spent most of the summer workouts at middle linebacker, so the position won’t be completely foreign. Fifth-round draft pick Lance Mitchell had been backing up Hayes during camp, but Green acknowledged Mitchell isn’t ready.
“I don’t think (Mitchell) is right now as physical as you have to be to start in a game,” Green said.
Valley product Eric Johnson, from Phoenix Alhambra High School, is the only backup linebacker with NFL experience, and that is mostly on special teams. With Darling’s promotion, Mitchell and fellow rookie Darryl Blackstock top the second-string linebackers.
“We’re too young,” Green said. “We’ll be looking around. Blackstock and Lance, we drafted them thinking they are good players. They are going to have to get experience when we play (preseason games).”
SkyRattlers
Anti-aliai
I think that article should have had it's own thread. That's big time injury news and the thread title is now very deceiving for anyone not taking the time to read inside.I think Green's comment about Mithcell and Blackstock not being ready as significant too. Maybe after the first half of the season has gone by they will have a better feel for the game and the playbook but it looks like for now they will be backups all year long.
Weiner Dog
Footballguy
Why?? Did Lance Briggs' leg fall off last year??
Donnybrook
Footballguy
Cardinals | Watching McKinnonSat, 20 Aug 2005 08:21:24 -0700Darren Urban, of the East Valley Tribune, reports the Arizona Cardinals are keeping an eye on LB Ronald McKinnon and his battle for a roster spot with the New Orleans Saints. If he is released, the Cardinals would be interested in re-signing him.
