REPORT: LEINART LOSING HIS GIG
Posted by Mike Florio on August 24, 2008, 12:35 p.m.
As it turns out, four completions and three interceptions in the team’s third preseason game are enough to get the Cardinals to make a change at the top of the quarterback depth chart.
According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Cards are expected to name Kurt Warner the starting quarterback for the start of the 2008 regular season.
An unnamed source told Mort that “Leinart’s training-camp performance has been uneven, and the Cardinals are concerned about his arm strength and consistency.”
Leinart was the tenth overall pick in the 2006 draft, selected seven spots after Vince Young of the Titans and one spot before Jay Cutler of the Broncos. Currently, Cutler looks to be the best of the trio.
The move, if it happens and if it sticks, also means that the Cardinals likely will be looking for another quarterback of the future, as soon as the 2009 draft. The fundamental problem is that Leinart was picked by the Denny Green regime, and Whisenhunt has decided in one year and some change that Leinart isn’t the guy. Whisenhunt isn’t likely to change his mind, unless Warner gets hurt or benched and Leinart lights it up.
For now, it’s late-career rebirth for the 37-year-old Warner, who started eleven games in 2007 after Leinart suffered a broken collarbone. In his three seasons with the Cardinals, he has started 26 games.
Warner was the league’s MVP in 1999 and 2001, but injuries and a spotty relationship with Rams coach Mike Martz ended Warner’s career there.
Before Leinart’s injury, he was the starter and Warner came off the bench when the offense was struggling, to the chagrin of Leinart.
It’ll be interesting to see how Leinart reacts to this development. Though Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, seems to be taking his benching in stride, Leinart might start clamoring for a trade.
Warner is in the final year of his contract with the Cardinals, at a base salary of $4 million.
HORRIBLE NIGHT FOR LEINART
Posted by Mike Florio on August 24, 2008, 7:16 a.m.
Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart is entering his third NFL season. If the light is ever going to go on, it should at least start flickering now.
But in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Raiders, Leinart had nearly as many interceptions as completions.
Leinart connected on four of 12 throws, with three balls being caught by the other team. But the poor performance apparently wasn’t bad enough to get him benched.
“I know Matt’s down because he didn’t play as well as he would have liked,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “This competition, being pushed by Kurt,
has made Matt tougher. It’s one of the things you have to be as a quarterback.”
If by “tougher” Whisenhunt means “not a better quarterback,” then we agree.
The Cardinals beat the Raiders 24-0, but led by only three points at the end of the first half.
