Most of the Cardinal news around the net is focused on Q, but we'll try and dance around that wildfire and see what else they're talking about:

• Tim Hightower gets some national love as Yahoo Fantasy takes a look at his value for potential fantasy owners. It's premature for even the biggest Cardinal-homer to consider him a legitimate fantasy option, but if you've already got Edge, he's a decent handcuff option.
  
• The official site takes a look at Early Doucet and the uphill battle that he's facing this season. His injured hamstring has kept him out the past two weeks and basically removed his name from the competition for third receiver, but he's still fighting to make an impact in some capacity this season. He has returned to practice this season and should see his first action of the preseason this Saturday.
  
• Not only has Whiz not decided on a starting quarterback but he told media yesterday that he may wait until the opener to name his guy. He hinted that he might wait until the last minute to name his starter so that the Niners have to prepare for both quarterbacks. I can't say that I'm particulary thrilled about that plan but I understand the strategy. As for playing time on Saturday, Leinart  will start and Warner will come in some time in the second quarter (basically reversed roles from the Chiefs game).
  
• The battle at right guard seems to be tightening as Elton Brown could get some reps with the first team this Saturday. Deuce Lutui's inconsistency continues to aggravate the coaching staff and his starting job now hangs in the balance.
  
• High ankle sprains are starting to plague the Cardinals and Antrel Rolle and Ben Patrick are both sidelined for at least this week and possibly next week. Considering that Rolle's only played two series at safety so far this preseason, it leaves another question mark heading into the regular season. Hopefully they can both make it back by the final preseason game but at this point, that's no guarantee.

I guess we'll stick to the Boldin-theme today and make him our second player in ROTB's community projections. If you missed out on giving your estimates for Larry Fitzgerald, it's not to late to put in your two cents.

As for the Q, he's been around long enough for us to know the bullet points of his resume. He's certainly been an outstanding player since his very first game in this league, and much like his counterpart, Larry Fitzgerald, injuries are just about the only thing that slows him down. He's missed twelve games over the past four seasons but when he's on the field he's a leader by example and a force to be reckoned with. He's been slowed during camp by a hamstring injury but he's at a prime age (27) to have a career year. Here's a look at his career numbers up until now:

Q may have some extracurricular activities going on this year but I still trust him to turn it on when he's on the field. His ultimate contributions don't always show up in a box score but he's still got some great stats and 2008 should be no different. He shouldn't have any problems bettering his career averages of 82 receptions for 1,091 yards and just over 7 touchdowns if he can stay healthy. As we did with Fitz, please put your projections in the subject line and any description or explanation in the body of the comment. Here's mine:

14 Games, 91 Rec, 1,165 yards (12.8 yards per), 7 TDs

It was once said:

The first time someone calls you a horse, you punch them on the nose, the second time someone calls you a horse, you call them a jerk but the third time someone calls you a horse, well then perhaps it's time to go shopping for a saddle.

Well if that holds true, then it's time to call Anquan Boldin a jerk. The first time rumors surfaced that Boldin asked for a trade he denied them, but he may have a much more difficult time denying the talk this time around. Numerous reports have come out that Boldin, through his agent, has asked the Cardinals for a trade, again, and this time he went into more detail. He blasted the organization when he reported to camp, but this time his most critical words were reserved for head coach Ken Whisenhunt, whom he no longer communicates with (according to Q):

"At this point we have no relationship, and I don't see that changing," Boldin told NFL Network. "It's just gotten to a point where I think lines were crossed. If you ask me, coaches should be coaches, management should be management, and I don't think those lines should be crossed. But when you cross those lines, you put yourself in position for things like this to happen."

"They made different promises saying they would take care of me," Boldin said. "It all goes back to last year, even before camp. I sat in on a meeting with Whisenhunt and the (team owners) Bidwills, and their exact words were they wouldn't let me go into this season without a new deal. Well, here we are a year later and still no new deal. The deals they put on the table were slaps in the face as opposed to deals that would take care of me. For me, it's an uncomfortable situation. I feel lied to by the organization. It's hard for them to ask me to give me my all when it hasn't been reciprocated."

The most surprising part of the article though is when Boldin talked about the deals that the organization didn't make this offseason because for a guy who denied ever asking for a trade, this sounds an awful lot like a guy who knew exactly what was going on:

Boldin would prefer to be traded and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, asked the Cardinals back in April to trade his client. Boldin is convinced that Arizona "turned down a bunch of teams willing to give up first-round picks. They clearly don't want to get a deal done."

It's hard to tell where this is headed because Boldin's only leverage is to simply stop showing up for work, which Kent Somers claims, is a possibility. He says that sources have told him that Boldin is so unhappy that it's hard to even come to practice and that it's a possibility that Boldin could simply leave camp. That's pretty hard to imagine considering the fines that he would face ($15K a day) and Boldin seems like a smarter individual than that but either way this doesn't sound like a situation that is going to go away any time soon. While I'm not concerned with Boldin's effort on the field, I do wonder if he'll put in the work from Monday to Saturday if he's truly as unhappy as these reports make him out to be. I also wonder how this will bleed over into the regular season. Surely we won't have to tune into see Boldin doing situps in his own driveway like another Drew Rosenhaus client, but I wouldn't have thought it would go this far either. Is this big enough to derail a promising season or will Boldin be the same player once he puts the pads on and a microphone isn't in his face? Should the Cardinals try to do anything drastic (like a trade) this close to the season?

The rest of the NFC West has completed the second round of preseason games and as position battles and roster considerations play themselves out, here's what is on the mind of the rest of the division:

49ers slaughters Packers 34-6: The Niners seem close to settling on a QB since JT O'Sullivan had a decent outing but the player making the most noise is rookie wideout Josh Morgan. Morgan a sixth round pick out of VA Tech has been making a name for himself through two games (9 receptions for 182 yards, 20.2 avg) and should be a name to remember come September 7th.

Seahawks come back to nip Bears 29-26 OT: The Seahawks feverishly fought back to win an exciting preseason game (if there is such a thing) in overtime against the Bears. The 'Hawks scored 17 points in the fourth behind the interception prone Charlie Frye and the surprisingly quick and powerful rookie Justin Forsett (15 carries 136 yards). Seattle's defense did a good job of blitzing the starting Bears' offense into submission and they take a look at a couple of the exotic blitzes.

Rams outlast Chargers 7-6: The Rams won a barn-burner of a game, but the real news in St. Louis is that Steven Jackson's holdout doesn't seem to be nearing an end and the head coach is now worried that it'll effect the regular season. They also added a couple of names to the injury list, although the biggest name is backup running back Brian Leonard (who will miss the rest of preseason). The actual game saw Bulger throw two picks in their first two drives but the defense bailed out a offense that was missing most of its stars.

Ok, so I threw this out there as just a random thought in a comment over the weekend and now the idea is stuck in my head. I know the initial argument is that he's not quick enough or athletic enough to be any kind of pass rush threat as a defensive end, but we don't really ask the ends to do that anyways. Besides, he could shift down to the nose in pass rush situations and Keisel could come in as a situational pass rusher (a role that he's probably better suited for anyways, IMO) on third downs or obvious passing downs. This move would help the defense in two aspects:

1. The starting line would be better against the run because the trio of Aaron Smith, Big Snack and Hoke would be practically unmoveable. Hoke is 20 pounds heavier than Keisel and wouldn't get pushed around at the point of attack.

2. It would upgrade the depth of the defensive line because Keisel would now be a backup defensive end. With the addition of Orpheus Roye, it gives LaBeau some flexibility at the nose and frees up Hoke to move around.

Am I talking crazy or do we need to get a grass roots campaign started to get Hoke moved outside?

With half of the preseason behind us and just one more week in Flagstaff, the Cardinals coaching staff doesn't have much more time to make decisions concerning position battles. This weeks game is often considered the 'dress rehearsal' for starters and most of them will play into the second half meaning that playing time for those further down the depth chart will be limited. This will also be the final week of practice and game for a handful of players because teams must cut their roster down to 75 players next week (Aug 26th). Here's how the position battles are shaping up heading into the final week of training camp:

Quarterback: Before last week, I probably wouldn't even have listed this as a battle and I'm still not convinced that it is a legitimate competition, but last week put it back on the radar screen. Warner and Leinart looked awful close in terms of performance Saturday night, but if I had to give an edge to one guy it would probably be Warner. Leinart looked very sharp in the first game and if he continues to perform he should be the starter on September 7th. It'll be very interesting to see who takes the field first this week and how long they play. If one guy plays the entire first half or a little more then the battle is over, but if they both play in the first half, that's an indication that the coaching staff is still undecided.

Fullback: Terrelle Smith started the first preseason game and had a couple of very good plays including a nice catch and run. Tim Castille started the second game and also had a couple of good plays including a touchdown reception. It's possible that both could make the final 53, but teams don't normally carry two fullbacks. Smith is the better blocker but Castille is younger, cheaper and more versatile. Just like with the quarterbacks, keep an eye on who starts this week and how long they play.

3rd Wide Receiver: Steve Breaston has grabbed a hold of this job and he doesn't look like he'll relinquish it anytime soon. He hasn't had much competition because Doucet has been out with a hamstring injury but Breaston has looked explosive and elusive out of the slot and could end up being the perfect compliment to Fitz and Q.

Free Safety: We weren't sure how much competition there would be between Rolle and Francisco, but it looks like the Rolle is entrenched as the starter. Francisco will get on the field quite a bit though in nickel and dime situations. Instead of bringing in a nickel back the Cardinals are going to bring in Francisco and move Rolle into the third corner position. DRC's development throughout the season could change that but for now Rolle and Fransisco will each see significant playing time.

Outside Linebacker: Before Saturday's game, this didn't really register as a competition and truth be told both Bertrand Berry and Travis LaBoy will see plenty of snaps regardless of who starts. LaBoy made a case for himself on Saturday though with six tackles and two sacks. Berry doesn't have much to show for in the preseason yet but his playing time has been pretty limited. LaBoy is still learning the position but if he can continue to rush the passer like he did Saturday, they'll have to find a way to get him on the field early and often.

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That's just about every position battle that I can think of but did I miss any? How do you see these playing out and how will they impact the Cardinals in 2008?

With the regular season opener just over three weeks away, it's about time to start our ROTB Community Projections. The projections are very easy and all that is required is your opinion and some imagination. At the end of the season, we'll take a look at each players' projections and see how well or terrible we did as a group and individually. In an effort to make the accumulating easier on my part, please post your projections in the subject line of the comment box and any explanations or commentary in the body of the comment.

First up is Larry Fitzgerald. We all know Fitz is a great receiver who puts up fantastic numbers when he's on the field. He hasn't wasted any time establishing himself as on one of the better wideouts in the league and considering his age (not quite 25) and experience (entering 5th season), it's conceivable that his best playing days are still in the future. Here's a look at his career numbers to date:

Through his first four seasons, injuries seem to be the only thing that can slow him down and if he's healthy he should have every opportunity to post career numbers in nearly every category. The team is improving the running game but the strength of this Cardinals offense is still Fitz and Q. He'll get his share of receptions and touchdowns and his new focus on yards after the catch could lead to even more big plays. Granted his production will depend on the quarterback back play and to a lesser extent, the health of Anquan Boldin, but for these purposes let's come to a single set of numbers regardless of which QB is under center. So with all that said here's my projection:

16 GP, 112 Rec, 1,523 Yds (13.6 yards per), 15 TDs

Simple as that guys. So what kind of numbers will Fitz post in 2008? Is he headed to his third Pro Bowl and will he finally make All-Pro?

The Cardinals got off to a slow start yesterday but exploded for 14 points in the third quarter to get their first win of the Ken Whisenhunt era. Here's a quick summary of the game according to various reports.

The Good

Travis LaBoy and Defensive Pressure - LaBoy led the team in tackles and added two sacks. Considering that he backs up Bertrand Berry who didn't record a single tackle, LaBoy could be making a serious push for the starting job. Also picking up a sack for the second week in a row was Joe Tafoya. He was considered a 'bubble guy' coming in but if he continues to make plays, they might have to find a spot for him. Clark Haggans also picked up his first sack as a Cardinal.

Penalties - After last weeks performance (6 for 52) the coaching staff has to be pleased with just three penalties for 20 yards. The penalties consisted of a two offsides/neutral zone infractions and a holding. The only penalty that was committed by a starter was an offside penalty by Calais Campbell, who was starting in place of Darnell Dockett.

Quarterback Play - Warner got the start and eventually overcame a slow start (2 incompletions on the first drive) to finish with solid numbers (6 of 9 for 54 yards). He looked a little rusty but shook it off and led the Cardinals to their first touchdown. Leinart would take over on the third offensive series and would almost be picked off on his third pass attempt but a challenge flag overturned the call. He'd continue his slow start for the rest of the first half and his three series of the first half would end up totaling just two of six passing for 13 yards. He'd come out of halftime on fire though (5 of 5 for 49 yards) and his only drive would end in the first passing touchdown of the preseason. St. Pierre and Morelli would play the rest of the game without throwing an incompletion (5 for 5) and St. Pierre would add a TD.

JJ Arrington & Tim Castille - Arrington didn't do a whole lot for the offensive unit with just 18 total yards (13 rushing and 5 receiving) but his 78 yard kickoff return in the 3rd quarter set up the offense with great field position. The beneficiary of Arrington's kickoff return was Tim Castille who would catch the first pass after the return and take in 24 yards in the endzone.

Dennis Keyes - Keyes put the nail in the Chiefs coffin last night.  With Kansas City driving deep into Cardinal territory in the fourth, looking to pull within a score, Keyes picked off a Tyler Thigpen pass and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.

The Bad

Running Game - The running game never really got going last night. Edge fumbled his first attempt, although it was recovered by Lyle Sendlein, and he'd end up carrying three times on the next drive for 20 yards before giving way to Tim Hightower. Hightower would score the first touchdown of the game from four yards out but his final numbers wouldn't look great (9 carries for 28 yards). The Cardinals as a whole finished up with 76 yards rushing on 21 carries (3.6 yards per carry), but with the lack of depth in the offensive line it's not surprising that the running game struggles once the starters leave the game.

Run Defense - We knew that the front seven would get tested more this week and the results weren't overly promising. They got off to a decent start against Larry Johnson (7 carries for 19 yards on the first three drives), but on the fourth offensive drive for the Chiefs the running game took off with eight carries for 57 yards. The final rushing numbers for the first half, not including the Chiefs' backup QB who scrambled all over the defense, was 76 yards on 15 carries (5.06 avg).

Kickoff Coverage - For the second week in a row the kickoff coverage units allowed the opposing returners to run wild. Last week against the Saints they allowed five returns for 111 yards and this week the Chiefs racked up 139 yards on four returns (34.8 avg). The average starting field position for the Chiefs after a kick off was their own 32 yard line.

The Ugly

Special Teams - Any time a team can say that they missed an extra point and kicked a kickoff out of bounds, they're certainly not bragging. Rackers had a poor game although punter/holder Dirk Johnson said that a bad hold caused the missed extra point. Johnson had a decent game punting though and ended up with a 47.7 yard average and a net average of 41.3. He could have been even better had two punts not gone out of bounds at the 30 yard line. 

Game Time Fellas....The Chiefs should test the Cardinals front seven more than the Saints did last week, but the real test will be if the Cardinals can pick up the first win of the Whisenhunt Era. If you don't live in or around Cardinal Land, you might have a hard time finding this game live, but NFL network will replay the game at 11 pm (central time).

Go Cardinals!!!