It what must be regarded as a stunning achievement, the Cardinals actually managed to refrain from drafting a slow, fat black offensive lineman in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft to add to their large stable of busts on what is annually one of the worst lines in the league. However little else has changed as the Cardinals again start a white quarterback, a white center, and blacks at the other 20 positions.
The media and drunk white fans have been all over QB Matt Leinart. Although he has started but 16 NFL games, and for a bad team at that, every pre-season interception Leinart threw was lampooned nationally. The media and fans are known for losing patience with white players almost instantly, even amazingly successful first round picks who lead their teams to national championships and aren't named Young (as in Vince), but Leinart's biggest sin appears to have been attending a party during the offseason, pictures of which ended up on the Internet. Unlike so many NFL players, Leinart is not being arrested for crimes or for beating his girlfriend but somehow he's been turned into the second coming of Bluto from Animal House.
Veteran Kurt Warner, he of the venerable rocket arm and great accuracy, begins the '08 season as the starting quarterback. Even though he twice won the league's MVP Award and twice led the Rams to the Super Bowl, Warner was also written off by the media and drunk white fans several years ago when they decided he was unable to avoid pressure. All Warner did after taking over for an injured Leinart last year was be one of the most effective passers in the NFL at the age of 36.
Brian St. Pierre is the team's third quarterback. After that the pickings are slim. Al Johnson was slated to be the starting center but ended up on injured reserve. His place has been taken by second year man Lyle Sendlein out of Texas. Centers Patrick Ross and Scott Peters are the only other white o-linemen on the team.
Jerheme Urban, waived about 50 times by Mike Holmgren in a macabre ritual in Seattle, played in 10 games for the Cardinals in '07, catching 22 passes for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is around again as the fourth or fifth receiver, though he has the talent and consistency to be the third receiver on Arizona and a starter for a number of other teams. He's 6-3, fast and has good hands.
Sean Morey remains one of the league's old school White Special Teams Demons. Listed as a WR, he has 11 career receptions.
WR Lance Long, an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, showed enough "gritty, overachieving" ability to land on the practice squad.
Veteran Jerame Tuman is a back-up tight end.
On defense, Travis LaBoy was signed in the offseason and although not listed as a starter on the team's depth chart, should be used as one, both at outside linebacker and defensive end. LaBoy is one of the fastest pass rushers in the league but had trouble staying healthy during his stint with the Titans. He has the talent to be a breakout player in 2008.
Eighth year linebacker Monty Beisel out of Kansas State completes Arizona's complement of exactly two white defensive players.
Aaron Francisco, who is white and Hawaiian mixed, is a backup safety.
The Cardinals have a mere14 white players on their roster, but incredibly that's the most they've had since Caste Football began tracking the racial make-up of each NFL team in 2002.However Arizona remains one of the blackest teams in an artificially black dominated league.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 2 (actually 3 as LaBoy is a de facto starter)
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 14
GRADE: F
Edited by: Don Wassall
The media and drunk white fans have been all over QB Matt Leinart. Although he has started but 16 NFL games, and for a bad team at that, every pre-season interception Leinart threw was lampooned nationally. The media and fans are known for losing patience with white players almost instantly, even amazingly successful first round picks who lead their teams to national championships and aren't named Young (as in Vince), but Leinart's biggest sin appears to have been attending a party during the offseason, pictures of which ended up on the Internet. Unlike so many NFL players, Leinart is not being arrested for crimes or for beating his girlfriend but somehow he's been turned into the second coming of Bluto from Animal House.
Veteran Kurt Warner, he of the venerable rocket arm and great accuracy, begins the '08 season as the starting quarterback. Even though he twice won the league's MVP Award and twice led the Rams to the Super Bowl, Warner was also written off by the media and drunk white fans several years ago when they decided he was unable to avoid pressure. All Warner did after taking over for an injured Leinart last year was be one of the most effective passers in the NFL at the age of 36.
Brian St. Pierre is the team's third quarterback. After that the pickings are slim. Al Johnson was slated to be the starting center but ended up on injured reserve. His place has been taken by second year man Lyle Sendlein out of Texas. Centers Patrick Ross and Scott Peters are the only other white o-linemen on the team.
Jerheme Urban, waived about 50 times by Mike Holmgren in a macabre ritual in Seattle, played in 10 games for the Cardinals in '07, catching 22 passes for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is around again as the fourth or fifth receiver, though he has the talent and consistency to be the third receiver on Arizona and a starter for a number of other teams. He's 6-3, fast and has good hands.
Sean Morey remains one of the league's old school White Special Teams Demons. Listed as a WR, he has 11 career receptions.
WR Lance Long, an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, showed enough "gritty, overachieving" ability to land on the practice squad.
Veteran Jerame Tuman is a back-up tight end.
On defense, Travis LaBoy was signed in the offseason and although not listed as a starter on the team's depth chart, should be used as one, both at outside linebacker and defensive end. LaBoy is one of the fastest pass rushers in the league but had trouble staying healthy during his stint with the Titans. He has the talent to be a breakout player in 2008.
Eighth year linebacker Monty Beisel out of Kansas State completes Arizona's complement of exactly two white defensive players.
Aaron Francisco, who is white and Hawaiian mixed, is a backup safety.
The Cardinals have a mere14 white players on their roster, but incredibly that's the most they've had since Caste Football began tracking the racial make-up of each NFL team in 2002.However Arizona remains one of the blackest teams in an artificially black dominated league.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 2 (actually 3 as LaBoy is a de facto starter)
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 14
GRADE: F
Edited by: Don Wassall
