Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb understand what he’s up against in 2012.

In addition to committing to pay Kolb $19 million over his first two seasons, the Cardinals also sent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire who they thought would emerge as their next franchise quarterback.

After a lackluster 2011 season, Kolb knows that he needs to produce results on the field to justify the team’s investment in him.

“I’m as anxious for this year as I’ve ever been. I’m looking forward to proving this move was right,” Kolb recently said, via told the Tucson Citizen.

Kolb missed seven games with a foot injury and a concussion. When he was healthy, Kolb didn’t perform up to expectations.

The Cardinals have tried to give Kolb some help by selecting receiver Michael Floyd in the first round. The team also took three offensive linemen over the last four rounds.

The rookies will not show up until May 11 for a three-day camp, but Kolb says he likes what little of Floyd he has seen on tape.

“He seems like a guy who fits us well,” Kolb said. “One thing that’s going to help him in our system is the way he attacks the ball.”

Over the three days of the draft, the Cardinals’ hierarchy tried to balance filling needs, finding value and adapting to a changing game. It likely will take a few years to judge the team’s performance, but coaches and officials left Tempe headquarters Saturday evening satisfied.

Their methods over the three days of the draft weren’t necessarily orthodox, nor greeted with rave reviews from some fans. And the Cardinals are fine with that.

The Cardinals were expected to draft an offensive tackle in the first round; they waited until the fourth. They went for talent over need in both the first round, by taking receiver Michael Floyd from Notre Dame, and in the third, by taking cornerback Jamell Fleming from Oklahoma.

They waited until the fourth and fifth rounds to address what was perceived as their biggest need: the offensive line. They drafted right tackle Bobby Massie from Mississippi in the fourth and guard Senio Kelemete from Washington in the fifth.

In the sixth round, they drafted another cornerback and added a quarterback. Neither is a sure thing to make the team.

Refusing to place need on a high pedestal over talent, the Cardinals hoped they followed a promising 2011 draft class with another solid one.

“A lot has been said about last year’s draft and some of the players that performed for us,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. ” I think that was a good indication of not necessarily trying to fit a perceived need as far taking players that were good fits for you. “

The Cardinals’ selections also reflected their views on how the NFL game has changed. They selected Floyd in the first round because they think he has the ability to make big plays. That’s more important in today’s game, Whisenhunt said, because moving the kickoff up last year resulted in more touchbacks.

Being able to quickly flip field position is important. Floyd is expected to help do that.

Fleming’s selection also is partly a reaction to the NFL, which has become a passing league. Teams believe now they can’t have enough quality cornerbacks. Fleming gives the team nine cornerbacks on the roster, and the Cardinals drafted safety Justin Bethel in the sixth round.

Fleming will compete with William Gay, A.J. Jefferson and Greg Toler for a starting job.

“It gives us depth at a position we need,” defensive coordinator Ray Horton said. “We’ve got to find a way to get better, and that was one of the positions we needed to get better at.”

Horton was quick to say that the expectations for Fleming are reasonable, although the youngster from Oklahoma doesn’t lack confidence.

“Do I think he’s going to be a Pro Bowl corner his first year?” Horton asked. “No, I don’t, but I expect him to come in and contribute.”

That contribution could come in multiple roles: competing for a starting cornerback’s job, playing cornerback in nickel schemes and maybe even seeing time at safety in some packages.

“He’ll get the opportunity to show me what he can do,” Horton said. “If you don’t have this kind of depth going against the Green Bay Packers, who are on the schedule and running five wides (receivers), New England with the big tight ends, with New Orleans and the Hall of Fame Game.

“If you can’t play more than one thing you are kind of forcing yourself to the way of the fullback, which is kind of an extinct position right now.”

The Cardinals didn’t have a second-round pick in this draft, having dealt it to Philadelphia last summer as part of the package for quarterback Kevin Kolb. They had chances to trade up into that round, but the price was multiple picks. The Cardinals didn’t want to pay it because they thought there was value later in the draft, especially in the offensive line.

Massie was projected by some experts to go as high as the second round but slipped to the fourth, partly because he left school a year early and had “some inconsistencies in terms of technique,” according to one scout.

“But the guy plays hard and has huge upside,” the scout said.

The Cardinals followed the Massie pick by selecting Kelemete from Washington in the fifth round. They are the first offensive linemen the team has drafted since 2009.

Massie will be given an immediate chance to start at right tackle, battling for the job with Jeremy Bridges and D’Anthony Batiste.

Kelemete is projected to move inside to guard, serving as a backup to left guard Daryn Colledge and right guard Adam Snyder.

“We haven’t drafted one (a lineman) up high in a while but you can’t say we’re going to start sliding guys just to get a guy there,” assistant head coach/offensive line Russ Grimm said. “But the two guys we picked up are good, solid, physical football players.”

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Cardinals waited until the third day of the NFL draft to address the team’s greatest need, the offensive line, then selected two players – tackle Bobby Massie of Mississippi in the fourth round and guard Senio Kelemete of Washington in the fifth.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Massie slipped farther in the draft than a lot of people had predicted, going to the Cardinals Saturday as the 112th player chosen overall.

”It just makes me hungry,” Massie said in a conference call. ”I was projected to go higher and earlier in the draft. It just makes me hungry. I’m just ready to strap on the pads and show teams why I should have been drafted earlier.”

Arizona general manager Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team resisted going for an offensive lineman in the first two days of the draft, opting instead to go with players higher on the team’s draft board. The Cardinals selected wide receiver Michael Floyd of Notre Dame in the first round and cornerback Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma in the third round.

The Cardinals’ second-round pick had been shipped to Philadelphia as part of the trade that brought quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona.

Kelemete, 6-3 and 300 pounds, started all 13 games at left tackle for Washington last season but is projected as a guard with the Cardinals.

”It doesn’t matter,” he said. ”I just want to be out there and help contribute to the team. Wherever the coaches need me to go, wherever they need to put me in, I’ll play.”

Kelemete was a two-time team captain with the Huskies.

”I think my strengths are my attitude, being really aggressive,” he said, ”and bringing the best out of the guys around me.”

Massie played right tackle in college, the same position he will be competing for with Arizona. The Cardinals, plagued by inconsistent line play, re-signed left tackle Levi Brown in the offseason and signed free agent Adam Snyder, who can play either guard or tackle.

”I have the opportunity to prove myself,” Massie said. ”I want to get in, learn the system, and get around the guys, my teammates. My goal is to potentially be the starter by the time the season starts.”

Massie, from Lynchburg, Va., had a year of college eligibility remaining but chose to leave Ole Miss after the team went 2-10 last season, leading to the firing of coach Houston Nutt. Massie started all 12 games last season on an offense that struggled mightily, finishing 114th nationally at 281.25 yards per game.

Overall, he appeared in 37 games at Mississippi, starting the last 29 of them. He blocked for 14 100-yard rushing performances but said he considers pass blocking his biggest strength.

”For my size, I’m athletic for a big guy,” Massie said. ”I need to work on staying low in the running game and staying on linebackers in the second level.”

He said he didn’t know why he had slipped in the draft.

”A lot of teams that talked to me and told me they were going to draft me ended up passing,” Massie said. ”That’s just how the draft goes. I’m just proud to be in Arizona.”

He said he didn’t know much about the Cardinals.

”I know they throw the ball a lot,” Massie said, ”so I’ll keep the quarterback upright.”

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona Cardinals waited until the third day of the NFL draft to address the team’s greatest need, the offensive line, then selected two players — tackle Bobby Massie of Mississippi in the fourth round and guard Senio Kelemete of Washington in the fifth.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Massie slipped farther in the draft than a lot of people had predicted, going to the Cardinals Saturday as the 112th player chosen overall.

“It just makes me hungry,” Massie said in a conference call. “I was projected to go higher and earlier in the draft. It just makes me hungry. I’m just ready to strap on the pads and show teams why I should have been drafted earlier.”

Arizona general manager Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team resisted going for an offensive lineman in the first two days of the draft, opting instead to go with players higher on the team’s draft board. The Cardinals selected wide receiver Michael Floyd of Notre Dame in the first round and cornerback Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma in the third round.

The Cardinals’ second-round pick had been shipped to Philadelphia as part of the trade that brought quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona.

Kelemete, 6-3 and 300 pounds, started all 13 games at left tackle for Washington last season but is projected as a guard with the Cardinals.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I just want to be out there and help contribute to the team. Wherever the coaches need me to go, wherever they need to put me in, I’ll play.”

Kelemete was a two-time team captain with the Huskies.

“I think my strengths are my attitude, being really aggressive,” he said, “and bringing the best out of the guys around me.”

Massie played right tackle in college, the same position he will be competing for with Arizona. The Cardinals, plagued by inconsistent line play, re-signed left tackle Levi Brown in the off-season and signed free agent Adam Snyder, who can play either guard or tackle.

“I have the opportunity to prove myself,” Massie said. “I want to get in, learn the system, and get around the guys, my teammates. My goal is to potentially be the starter by the time the season starts.”

Massie, from Lynchburg, Va., had a year of college eligibility remaining but chose to leave Ole Miss after the team went 2-10 last season, leading to the firing of coach Houston Nutt. Massie started all 12 games last season on an offence that struggled mightily, finishing 114th nationally at 281.25 yards per game.

Overall, he appeared in 37 games at Mississippi, starting the last 29 of them. He blocked for 14 100-yard rushing performances but said he considers pass blocking his biggest strength.

“For my size, I’m athletic for a big guy,” Massie said. “I need to work on staying low in the running game and staying on linebackers in the second level.”

He said he didn’t know why he had slipped in the draft.

“A lot of teams that talked to me and told me they were going to draft me ended up passing,” Massie said. “That’s just how the draft goes. I’m just proud to be in Arizona.”

He said he didn’t know much about the Cardinals.

“I know they throw the ball a lot,” Massie said, “so I’ll keep the quarterback upright.”

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) – The Arizona Cardinals waited until the third day of the NFL draft to address the team’s greatest need, the offensive line, then selected two players – tackle Bobby Massie of Mississippi in the fourth round and guard Senio Kelemete of Washington in the fifth.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Massie slipped farther in the draft than a lot of people had predicted, going to the Cardinals Saturday as the 112th player chosen overall.

“It just makes me hungry,” Massie said in a conference call. “I was projected to go higher and earlier in the draft. It just makes me hungry. I’m just ready to strap on the pads and show teams why I should have been drafted earlier.”

Arizona general manager Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team resisted going for an offensive lineman in the first two days of the draft, opting instead to go with players higher on the team’s draft board. The Cardinals selected wide receiver Michael Floyd of Notre Dame in the first round and cornerback Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma in the third round.

The Cardinals’ second-round pick had been shipped to Philadelphia as part of the trade that brought quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona.

Kelemete, 6-3 and 300 pounds, started all 13 games at left tackle for Washington last season but is projected as a guard with the Cardinals.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I just want to be out there and help contribute to the team. Wherever the coaches need me to go, wherever they need to put me in, I’ll play.”

Kelemete was a two-time team captain with the Huskies.

“I think my strengths are my attitude, being really aggressive,” he said, “and bringing the best out of the guys around me.”

Massie played right tackle in college, the same position he will be competing for with Arizona. The Cardinals, plagued by inconsistent line play, re-signed left tackle Levi Brown in the offseason and signed free agent Adam Snyder, who can play either guard or tackle.

“I have the opportunity to prove myself,” Massie said. “I want to get in, learn the system, and get around the guys, my teammates. My goal is to potentially be the starter by the time the season starts.”

Massie, from Lynchburg, Va., had a year of college eligibility remaining but chose to leave Ole Miss after the team went 2-10 last season, leading to the firing of coach Houston Nutt. Massie started all 12 games last season on an offense that struggled mightily, finishing 114th nationally at 281.25 yards per game.

Overall, he appeared in 37 games at Mississippi, starting the last 29 of them. He blocked for 14 100-yard rushing performances but said he considers pass blocking his biggest strength.

“For my size, I’m athletic for a big guy,” Massie said. “I need to work on staying low in the running game and staying on linebackers in the second level.”

He said he didn’t know why he had slipped in the draft.

“A lot of teams that talked to me and told me they were going to draft me ended up passing,” Massie said. “That’s just how the draft goes. I’m just proud to be in Arizona.”

He said he didn’t know much about the Cardinals.

“I know they throw the ball a lot,” Massie said, “so I’ll keep the quarterback upright.”

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Cardinals turned to the defensive secondary and chose cornerback Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma in the third round of Friday’s NFL draft.

It was just the second pick of the draft for the Cardinals, who sent their second-round pick to Philadelphia as part of the trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Arizona chose Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Fleming with the 13th overall pick in Thursday’s first round.

The Cardinals still have not addressed their most obvious need, on the offensive line. General manager Rod Graves said the team was not going to ”reach” for an offensive lineman but was sticking to the draft board that had Fleming on top when Arizona’s selection, the 80th overall, came around.

”We’re looking for an opportunity to address the offensive line,” Graves said, ”but you don’t want to do it at the expense of other players that can bring more to your football team, and we feel like Jamell certainly has the potential to do that.”

Graves said that ”if we can address that offensive line at some point where it makes sense we’re certainly going to do it, but the draft is not our only opportunity here.”

”We will have opportunities leading right up to training camp to address the offensive line,” he said, ”but I think the wiser thing to do is to make sure you’re getting the value for the pick.”

Fleming, who stands 5-11 and weighs 206 pounds, already has had success in the state of Arizona. He was the defensive player of the game in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale when he returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown in the Sooners’ victory over Connecticut. Then last season, he was defensive player of the game in the Insight Bowl in Tempe with seven tackles and an interception in Oklahoma’s victory over Iowa.

”I didn’t think they were going to be the team to take me,” Fleming said, ”but I did know that a lot of teams did like me and I could just ‘ball anywhere. I’m just glad Arizona picked me up.”

It’s the second year in a row that Arizona picked a cornerback early in the draft. The Cardinals chose Patrick Peterson with the fifth pick overall a year ago.

”With today’s NFL, you know you’re going to see multiple receiver sets,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said, ”and you can’t have enough of these kind of guys.”

Fleming believes that playing in the pass-happy Big 12 will help him make a quick adjustment to the pro game.

”They always say it’s a passing league in the NFL,” Fleming said, ”and that’s all we do in the Big 12 is pass. I think that’s the best place to be as far as a corner.”

Fleming had some impressive numbers at the NFL combine, including 23 repetitions bench pressing 225 pounds.

”We think he’s a solid, solid young prospect that can come in and help us and compete early,” Whisenhunt said, ”and we’re excited to get him where we did.”

Fleming said he believes he could be a standout special teams player and could even play some safety if necessary.

”I think I can play whatever y’all need me to play,” he said in a telephone conference call shortly after his selection. ”I’ll play D-tackle if I need to.”

Fleming appeared in 51 games at Oklahoma, the last 24 as a starter at boundary cornerback. He finished with seven career interceptions, five in 2010 and two last season. Fleming was out of spring football as a senior because of academic problems.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Cardinals could be thinking big in this year’s draft.

That’s big as in some mountainous offensive lineman to fill the team’s biggest need.

The Cardinals need someone to play right tackle, or at least right guard, and conventional wisdom has them going in that direction with the 13th overall pick on Thursday night.

Yet it’s no foregone conclusion, with the team still searching for a reliable No. 2 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald. That could tempt Arizona to go for Notre Dame‘s Michael Floyd.

”He’s a good young player,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. ”We got the chance to sit down and meet him and talk with him. That’s probably one of the most rejuvenating parts of this whole process is to talk to them about their challenges, what they’ve gone through, how they’ve progressed in their careers, and we really enjoyed our time with him.”

Floyd’s stock has risen steadily since the college season ended, with strong showings at the NFL combine and in his pro day workout.

At 6-foot-2, Floyd says he wants to model his play after Fitzgerald. The two, both from the Minneapolis area, are friends and reportedly plan to work out together this offseason. A question Floyd has had to deal with is about off-field issues.

A year ago, he was suspended from the Notre Dame team after a drunken-driving arrest on campus but was reinstated after he met the conditions set by the university and by coach Brian Kelly for his return. Floyd says he has learned from the situation and has taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

As always, much depends on what happens before the Cardinals get their pick.

Reilly Reif, a 6-foot-6, 313-pound tackle from Iowa, could still be on the board, although there is a considerable school of thought that he will be taken by the Buffalo Bills at No. 10. Guard-tackle Cordy Glenn of Georgia, 6-5 and 345 pounds, also is a possible choice, with Buffalo again a possibility. If the team decides to go with a guard, though, Stanford’s David DeCastro, 6-5, 316, has drawn raves. For that reason, he could be gone by No. 13, too.

Any other offensive lineman might be a reach at No. 13. The Cardinals have studiously avoided such moves in Whisenhunt‘s years with the team.

”What we don’t want to do is draft a lineman just to draft a lineman because that’s what you think you have to do,” Whisenhunt said. ”You’ve got to trust your process and you’ve got to pick the best player available that fits your team.”

Complicating matters is the absence of a second-round pick. That was sent to Philadelphia as part of the trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Arizona would consider a trade to move down in the draft, and perhaps get a second-round selection, but it seems a good share of the teams ahead of the Cardinals are willing to do so as well.

‘We would certainly like to be able to have multiple picks beyond the ordinary seven rounds, and this year we’re minus a second,” general manager Rod Graves said, ”but we’ll see what happens. We may end up getting back into a second, but if not then we’ll work with what we have and try to optimize it the best we can.”

The Cardinals addressed some of the line issues in free agency, re-signing left tackle Levi Brown and signing free agent and former San Francisco 49er Adam Snyder. Snyder can play both guard and tackle but the Cardinals probably would rather slide him in at guard.

”Obviously, getting Levi and Adam was big for us,” Whisenhunt said. ”We made no bones about the fact that we wanted to address our line. To think that you were going to be able to get three or four guys in free agency, that’s just not going to happen. However it came out, we felt like we made two strong additions in getting Levi back and getting Adam.”

Unless there’s some kind of trade, Arizona’s second pick won’t come until the third round, the 80th selection overall.

But the Cardinals have been known to find success in the later rounds.

Last year’s draft, considered to be a highly successful one for the team, had cornerback-punt returner Patrick Peterson as the no-brainer top of the list at No. 5 overall. But the Cardinals love their second-round pick, running back Ryan Williams, despite losing him to injury for the entire season. Fourth-round pick Sam Acho became the team’s starting outside linebacker and led the team in sacks with seven. The third-round pick, tight end Rob Housler, and sixth-round pick, nose tackle David Carter, became significant contributors.

”The teams that have been the most successful have had a history of strong drafts,” Graves said, ”back to back drafts, and a record of having historical success in drafting. That’s certainly what we’re working for.”

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona Cardinals could be thinking big in this year’s draft.

That’s big as in some mountainous offensive lineman to fill the team’s biggest need.

The Cardinals need someone to play right tackle, or at least right guard, and conventional wisdom has them going in that direction with the 13th overall pick on Thursday night.

Yet it’s no foregone conclusion, with the team still searching for a reliable No. 2 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald. That could tempt Arizona to go for Notre Dame‘s Michael Floyd.

“He’s a good young player,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We got the chance to sit down and meet him and talk with him. That’s probably one of the most rejuvenating parts of this whole process is to talk to them about their challenges, what they’ve gone through, how they’ve progressed in their careers, and we really enjoyed our time with him.”

Floyd’s stock has risen steadily since the college season ended, with strong showings at the NFL combine and in his pro day workout.

At 6-foot-2, Floyd says he wants to model his play after Fitzgerald. The two, both from the Minneapolis area, are friends and reportedly plan to work out together this off-season. A question Floyd has had to deal with is about off-field issues.

A year ago, he was suspended from the Notre Dame team after a drunken-driving arrest on campus but was reinstated after he met the conditions set by the university and by coach Brian Kelly for his return. Floyd says he has learned from the situation and has taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

As always, much depends on what happens before the Cardinals get their pick.

Reilly Reif, a 6-foot-6, 313-pound tackle from Iowa, could still be on the board, although there is a considerable school of thought that he will be taken by the Buffalo Bills at No. 10. Guard-tackle Cordy Glenn of Georgia, 6-5 and 345 pounds, also is a possible choice, with Buffalo again a possibility. If the team decides to go with a guard, though, Stanford’s David DeCastro, 6-5, 316, has drawn raves. For that reason, he could be gone by No. 13, too.

Any other offensive lineman might be a reach at No. 13. The Cardinals have studiously avoided such moves in Whisenhunt‘s years with the team.

“What we don’t want to do is draft a lineman just to draft a lineman because that’s what you think you have to do,” Whisenhunt said. “You’ve got to trust your process and you’ve got to pick the best player available that fits your team.”

Complicating matters is the absence of a second-round pick. That was sent to Philadelphia as part of the trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Arizona would consider a trade to move down in the draft, and perhaps get a second-round selection, but it seems a good share of the teams ahead of the Cardinals are willing to do so as well.

‘We would certainly like to be able to have multiple picks beyond the ordinary seven rounds, and this year we’re minus a second,” general manager Rod Graves said, “but we’ll see what happens. We may end up getting back into a second, but if not then we’ll work with what we have and try to optimize it the best we can.”

The Cardinals addressed some of the line issues in free agency, re-signing left tackle Levi Brown and signing free agent and former San Francisco 49er Adam Snyder. Snyder can play both guard and tackle but the Cardinals probably would rather slide him in at guard.

“Obviously, getting Levi and Adam was big for us,” Whisenhunt said. “We made no bones about the fact that we wanted to address our line. To think that you were going to be able to get three or four guys in free agency, that’s just not going to happen. However it came out, we felt like we made two strong additions in getting Levi back and getting Adam.”

Unless there’s some kind of trade, Arizona’s second pick won’t come until the third round, the 80th selection overall.

But the Cardinals have been known to find success in the later rounds.

Last year’s draft, considered to be a highly successful one for the team, had cornerback-punt returner Patrick Peterson as the no-brainer top of the list at No. 5 overall. But the Cardinals love their second-round pick, running back Ryan Williams, despite losing him to injury for the entire season. Fourth-round pick Sam Acho became the team’s starting outside linebacker and led the team in sacks with seven. The third-round pick, tight end Rob Housler, and sixth-round pick, nose tackle David Carter, became significant contributors.

“The teams that have been the most successful have had a history of strong drafts,” Graves said, “back to back drafts, and a record of having historical success in drafting. That’s certainly what we’re working for.”

The iPhones and Blackberrys started buzzing and tweeting days, if not weeks, ago: NFL general managers and other personnel executives phoning, texting and e-mailing their counterparts in other cities, trying to get a feel for their willingness to trade up, or down, in the draft.

“We’ve gotten a few (calls) already,” Cardinals General Manager Rod Graves said last week.

When it comes to draft-day trades, those involving first-round picks garner the most attention. Already this year, the Washington Redskins have swapped picks with the St. Louis Rams, moving up to second, where they are expected to select Robert Griffin III.

For many years, the Cardinals didn’t do much but listen to those calls; they rarely made trades during the draft weekend. From 2001-06, they made just four draft-day trades.

Dennis Green, who coached the team from 2004-06, preferred to stay rooted in the team’s original draft slot. His mantra was to never fall in love with players.

But since 2007, coincidentally the year Ken Whisenhunt became coach, the Cardinals have been more active during draft week. That year, they made two trades on draft week. In 2010, they made three during the draft in addition to two others that came before.

The results have been mixed, but the Cardinals have shown they won’t always sit still during the three days of the draft.

“I do believe we take more into consideration now in terms of evaluating what we have to do, or what we’re willing to do to improve our football team,” Graves said. “So much more now depends on where you get the greatest value … whether it’s in (keeping) the pick, whether it’s in moving up to select a player, or whether it’s moving back to gain things that may have a great impact on our team.”

The Cardinals enter the draft this week with seven selections. But they have no second-round pick because they traded it last summer to Philadelphia for quarterback Kevin Kolb. They have an additional sixth-round pick, obtained in a trade that sent running back Tim Hightower to Washington.

The Cardinals have no compensatory picks, which are awarded based on the quality of free agents signed and lost the previous season. So, currently, the Cardinals don’t have a lot of currency to use for draft-day trades.

“We would certainly like to be able to have multiple picks beyond the ordinary seven rounds,” Graves said, “and this year we’re minus a second, but we’ll see what happens.

“We may end up getting back into a second, but if not, then we’ll work with what we have and try to optimize it as best we can.”

In pre-draft news conferences, general managers reveal nothing and rule out even less. That was the case with the Graves.

Though general managers are talking to each other often this week, few commitments are being made because no one knows how a draft will play out.

“A lot of it’s on the fly,” 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke told reporters last week. “You try to put scenarios together in your mind that may work. You might do some of that, some phone calls pre-draft.

“There were several ones that we did last year that we were on the clock when we made the decision … it’s tight, because time is limited. I feel if you’re prepared, those decisions are very easy to make on draft day.”

Those trades, like most other personnel decisions, take time to judge. In 2007, the Cardinals were congratulated for their boldness when they sent a fourth-round pick to the Raiders to move up in the second round to select Alan Branch.

Branch, it was hoped, would become the nose tackle so vital to the 3-4 defense they wanted to install. But Branch was slow to develop, and when he did, he proved more suited to playing end. He is now with Seattle.

The trades the Cardinals made in 2010 appear far more successful. They sent a third-round pick to the Patriots to move up to Round 2 and take linebacker Daryl Washington. It was a heavy price to pay, but Washington appears to be an emerging star.

In the fourth round that year, they were able to move down and still select O’Brien Schofield, who is expected to start at left outside linebacker this year.

In the fifth round, they traded their sixth-round pick and cornerback Bryant McFadden to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick. With that, they selected quarterback John Skelton, who has a promising future.

They made other trades involving picks, too, such as receiving a sixth-round pick in 2011 from the Eagles for offensive lineman Reggie Wells. The Cardinals used that to take nose tackle David Carter, who was a pleasant surprise in his rookie season.

And sometimes the best trades are the ones teams avoid. Deciding to trade up for a player is filled with nuance. Do you think a team ahead of you is likely to draft the player you covet? Is there a team behind you in the draft that’s willing to move ahead and take him? Are there comparable players at other positions that can be selected if a trade isn’t made?

And if you have a limited number of picks, as the Cardinals do this year, is it smart to send one to another team to move up?

“There are so many extenuating circumstances,” Graves said. “And a lot depends on who is on the board. And if you miss a certain player you have an eye on, what are the chances of us getting to address that position at a later point?”

Last year, for instance, the Cardinals wanted to take a tight end. They had their eye on Rob Housler as the third round ticked away, but there were other players around there that they like, too. They decided not to trade up to get Housler.

“We were on the edge of our seat waiting,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We had him rated a little bit higher than that (third round).”

The Cardinals’ considerations in the first round were much easier last year when they had the fifth overall pick. Taking cornerback Patrick Peterson did not require much internal debate.

Things are different this year, because 12, not four, teams select ahead of the Cardinals.

“There have already been a couple of teams that said they are looking to move back,” Whisenhunt said. “When that’s the case, you never know what another team is looking at and who it’s going to throw to you or who it’s going to pull away from you.

“That’s this period, what we’ve been doing up here (in Cardinals offices), is all about, preparing yourself so that when it … gets close, you know where you stand with guys and what you’re looking for.”

Larry Fitzgerald needs a running mate, and Kevin Kolb wouldn’t mind another elite target.

Calling Kevin Kolb a disappointment in 2011 is an insult to aspects of our lives that are merely disappointing. Like, say, missing your bus in the morning, or overcooking dinner. No, Kolb was a colossal mess.

But, to be fair, much of Kolb’s undoing after his highly hyped move from Philadelphia to Arizona and his lucrative new contract with the Cardinals (six years, $65 million) lied in his inability to stay healthy. During what was to be his first full season as a starter, Kolb missed seven games, and essentially missed an eighth in Week 14 against the 49ers when he attempted only one pass.

He was bruised and battered often, and was sacked 30 times despite making just nine game appearances. And when he did have time to throw he was largely ineffective, throwing nearly as many interceptions (eight) as touchdowns (nine), while averaging just 217.9 passing yards per game with a rather pedestrian passer rating of 81.1.

Those two painful outcomes during the 2011 season have led to a key and difficult decision heading into the draft for Arizona. Does Kolb and the offense–and perhaps most importantly, Larry Fitzgerald– need another elite target at wide receiver, or another large body on the offensive line who will prevent other large bodies from crushing the highly-paid quarterback more?

We talked to Tyler Nickel from Revenge Of The Birds about the Cardinals’ strategy with their 13th overall pick. He’s leaning towards O-line help, hoping the Cards can get more out of their investment in Kolb by drafting a lineman.

1. Last year there was talk of the Cardinals needing to find a better complement for Fitzgerald at wide receiver, but they pounced on Patrick Peterson when he fell. A year later we’re still talking about that need for both Fitz, and to help Kolb. So if Michael Floyd is there at No. 13, is he the pick?

There is definitely a good chance that Floyd is the pick if he is still there at No. 13. As you said, the Cardinals have been looking for the perfect #2 WR to line up across from Fitzgerald. Although WR is not an immediate need, I have the suspicion that Floyd is pretty high on their board and they will draft the best player available.

2. If Floyd comes off the board early, an edge rusher who can be an effective outside linebacker is a possibility. Will someone like Quinton Coples be too hard to pass on if he’s still available, even though he may not be stepping into an area that’s a high priority?

Coples is seen as more of a defensive end in the NFL, and the Cardinals needs in terms of pass rusher come in the form of an OLB.

That said, there is a possibility that if Coples is there, they could take him. Calais Campbell is under the franchise tag and for all we know, they may not be able to re-sign him. Coples could come in and ideally play as a DE in the 3-4 system that the Cardinals run.

3. What about Riley Reiff? Staying upright and healthy is clearly another key to Kolb’s success, and he didn’t do either very often last year.

Personally, I’m not sold on Reiff as an LT in the NFL, but he could be an option that the club is considering. I am under the assumption that Levi Brown will be playing LT again next season, so whoever comes in will likely be on the right side.

Kolb staying healthy will be the best chance the Cards have of making the playoffs this season, and adding to the offensive line will be key to that endeavor.

4. Who do you hope the Cardinals target?

Personally, I would like to see the Cardinals target David DeCastro should he still be on the board. From everything I have seen and read, this guy can be a fixture at guard for the next decade at least. He would probably be a starter right away, and will flourish under the direction of Russ Grimm.

Today the Indianapolis Colts finally ended a season’s worth of speculation and released Peyton Manning, the quintessential franchise quarterback. While the Colts will most certainly move on swiftly by drafting a quarterback with their first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Manning is now left with deciding his own future.

Assuming he doesn’t want to retire, he now will have full control over where he plays in 2012. For the sake of this discussion, let’s also assume that Manning will be ready to play once signed. He is supposedly recovering his arm strength and looks to be getting ready to audition for a new team.

There are certain things that I think Peyton is going to want in his next team. First and foremost is a team that is ready to win and make the playoffs. In that regard, what we need is a team that has recently had some success, or is poised for a breakthrough with the right quarterback. Secondly, I think he would like to play in the best weather conditions possible. I can’t see him playing most of his games in a season in the frigid confines of the outdoor stadiums of the AFC East or the NFC East. A team with a dome or at least great weather year-round would preserve his body and neck better.

He also needs a coach that is good with veterans. Someone who won’t be insecure with having someone the stature of Manning on his team. Good management and ownership also go along with that. Having some leadership with great character already present on the team is also helpful.

I think the Arizona Cardinals provide him with that in spades. Their recent success a few years ago with Kurt Warner shows that this is a team that does know how to win with the right pieces. Their current quarterback, Kevin Kolb, was thought to be the next great qb in Arizona, but he has yet to justify the big contract that they gave him to lure him away from Philadelphia in 2011. Management obviously can get along with a star quarterback (Warner), and Coach Whisenhunt is solid. They make sure to limit the drama on and off the field as much as possible.

Larry Fitzgerald is in the prime of his career, and he is that marquee receiver that Peyton has been missing since Marvin Harrison retired. Many think that Colts’s long-time receiver Reggie Wayne, also a free agent, will sign with whatever team Manning does. Todd Heap is an excellent receiving tight end, and the Cardinals’ running game has Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling. With these weapons, Manning can pick up right where he left off in 2010, at least offensively.

Peyton would be out of the spotlight a bit in Arizona, and he’d play all his home games in warm conditions. The NFC West is still one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. He’d also have a lot of high character guys on his team like Larry Fitzgerald. I think all those reason are excellent selling points to a guy like Manning. Besides, do you really think he’d be happy in Miami with a star receiver who is not only petulant but a dropper?

Julie is a Featured Contributor for the NFL and has followed the game her entire life. She lives in Denver (no, Manning isn’t coming here), but her heart lies with the Chicago Bears.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

It’s the $63 million question.

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Cardinals vs. Seahawks | Cardinals fans | Box score | NFL scoreboard

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When the Cardinals report to training camp next fall, will coach Ken Whisenhunt put the starting-quarterback position up for grabs between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton?

Kolb signed a five-year, $63million contract with Arizona upon being acquired from Philadelphia for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick.

But injuries and ineffectiveness left him 2-6 in his eight full games as a starter this season. Skelton, meanwhile, went 6-2 when he started or played most of the game.

After Sunday’s season-ending 23-20 overtime victory over Seattle, Skelton was asked if he felt he deserved a fair shot to unseat Kolb as the Cardinals’ starter next year.

“I hope I do. That is for the coaching staff to determine,” he said, adding, “Kevin and I have a great relationship. We push each other, and we always help each other out. We will see what happens this off-season.”

As the Cardinals cleared out their lockers Monday, Kolb told reporters he fully expects to be in a battle with Skelton for the starting job, saying it only would be fair given how things played out.

He also looks forward to putting this season behind him and getting a clean slate with which to work in 2012.

“I’m looking forward to the fruits of the labor and having a great season next year,” he said.

But Whisenhunt will decide who starts next season and on Monday, he reminded reporters that he’s always had open competitions for starting positions and that won’t be different at quarterback.

“That’s the way we’ve always been,” he said.

When informed of Kolb’s comments about having to earn the starting job again, Whisenhunt nodded appreciatively.

“I would hope that every player thinks he has to earn it,” he said. “… I think you’ve got to have that with your team. You can go back and look at all the spots, and that’s the way we’ve operated no matter what the situation has been.”

Health scares

News surfaced after Sunday’s game that Skelton and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald each were dealing with some health concerns.

Skelton, who passed for 271 yards and a touchdown, fainted and fell before the game shortly after having his knee drained in the training room.

Fitzgerald took a hit in the third quarter and suffered a bruised lung, which reportedly made him spit up blood at one point.

Doctors checked out both players thoroughly, Whisenhunt said, and allowed them to play.

Whisenhunt said Skelton joked with him about the fainting spell, calling him “Mike,” as in offensive coordinator Mike Miller.

“I knew he was OK after that,” Whisenhunt said.

Skelton said he’s never passed out before and called it a “a freak thing.” He added, “I think everyone was more worried than I was.”

As for Fitzgerald, who caught nine passes for 149 yards, including three big receptions on the team’s winning drive in overtime, he was re-evaluated by doctors after the game and again Monday.

Whisenhunt said everything checked out fine.

Free-agency talk

The Cardinals have several players set to become free agents, including defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive back Richard Marshall, left tackle Levi Brown and kicker Jay Feely.

Campbell likely will be given a multi-year extension or be presented with the franchise tag. Marshall and Feely each said Monday they would prefer to return. And Whisenhunt said he hopes Brown will be back as well, although given what it likely will cost the team to retain him, that might not occur.

What’s next

Whisenhunt said he and his staff will meet for the next week evaluating the team and grading players and each position as well as every play. After that, they will take a break and do it all over again, so as not to make any judgments based on emotion from the season just having ended.

As for any potential coaching changes, Whisenhunt said Monday that it was too early to make any decisions, adding that he must sit down with his own bosses and be evaluated first.

About the only thing that separates the Cardinals from the Seahawks these days is that one of them practiced in sunny, 70-degree weather to prepare for Sunday’s season finale.

Both are not only 7-8, they took similar paths to get there. Both teams were 2-6 at the halfway point of the season. Both pulled themselves up to ground level and took a peek at the playoffs before losing last week.

Both have defenses featuring young, dynamic players and offenses that are works in progress, often minus the progress part.

“We both have done things that we are excited about,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We have won some games against good opponents. We’ve done a good job at home. They’ve done a good job at home. There is a little bit of a difference as far as they’ve had success running the ball lately. We’ve had a little bit more success throwing the football lately, especially in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a good matchup of two teams in a division that have played good football over the back half of the season.”

Both teams have a chance to finish .500 Sunday. The one that does will claim second place in the NFC West, a small consolation for teams out of the playoffs. But you find motivation wherever you can.

“It’s really important,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said of finishing .500. “That’s what we have to play for at this time. That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available, and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way.”

The Seahawks have won three consecutive games over Arizona, including 13-10 in Week 3 in Seattle. The Cardinals scored just 38 points in those three losses, which all came after Carroll became coach in 2010.

Turnovers have been the biggest problem for the Cardinals in those games. They committed nine to Seattle’s three.

In the loss earlier this year, Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb had two passes intercepted deep in Seattle territory, and kicker Jay Feely missed field-goal attempts of 51 and 49 yards.

The Seahawks were no offensive juggernaut, gaining 261 yards and scoring one touchdown, but they were far more efficient than the Cardinals.

Seattle’s offensive attack has changed since that game, while the Cardinals are much different defensively.

The Seahawks gradually came to rely more upon a physical running game, spearheaded by Marshawn Lynch, who has gained at least 100 yards in six of the past eight games. In Week 3, it was a mystery why Lynch (19 carries, 73 yards) didn’t get the ball more.

“I think we have improved in big areas, particularly after we made it through the first half and just struggled growing with the young guys up front,” Carroll said. “We started getting better and we just improved to where we can win some football games finally.”

The Cardinals had won six of seven games before last week’s loss in Cincinnati. They did it with a defense that played consistently well throughout games, and an offense that came alive in the second half, especially the fourth quarter.

Both teams will begin their off-season on Monday with questions at quarterback. Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson has displayed toughness in playing through a pectoral injury, but it’s questionable whether he will remain the Seahawks starter beyond Sunday.

“We will go into the off-season with Tarvaris as our quarterback, and we will see what the off-season brings,” Carroll said. “He was absolutely hurt and found a way to play and gave us everything he had. He gave us a chance to turn this thing around. I’ll always be proud of him for that.”

For the Cardinals, Kolb is expected to miss his third game because of concussion and his seventh overall due to injuries. The trade that brought him from Philadelphia to Arizona has not yet paid dividends.

His backup, John Skelton, has shown the ability to bring the Cardinals from behind in the fourth quarter. The problem is, his poor play early in games is a big reason they have been behind in the fourth quarter.

“I’m sure, like anything, with experience and time it will come,” Skelton said of playing better in the first half. “At the same time, there are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes.”

The Cardinals made it four in a row and six out of seven in the usual fashion Sunday — beating the Cleveland Browns 20-17 in overtime. Arizona hasn’t won this many in a row since 1999 and is at .500 (7-7) for the first time since week two of this season.

The Cardinals even have a longshot at making the playoffs with two games to go.

Following Sunday’s win, team President Michael Bidwill presented Ken Whisenhunt the game ball for becoming the winningest coach in franchise history with 43 victories. That’s a scene that was hardly anticipated when Arizona stood at 1-6 and had lost six in a row.

Through the bad times, and the public criticism that came with it, Whisenhunt stayed steady, insisting that the team would turn the corner. That happened when Calais Campbell blocked what would have been the game-winning field goal by the St. Louis Rams, then Patrick Peterson returned a punt 99 yards for a touchdown in a 19-13 victory.

A victory at Philadelphia followed. The turnaround was derailed in a loss at San Francisco, then Arizona reeled off wins over St. Louis, Dallas, the 49ers and Cleveland. Every win had a hair-raising finish.

“In our seven wins, we’ve trailed at the half in all of those games,” Whisenhunt said at his Monday news conference. “I don’t like that. You’d rather have it the other way around. But, being able to make plays at the end of the games and win, that is all part of learning how to play together as a team and win games. That’s something you have to do.”

No matter the situation — and Arizona trailed 17-7 in the fourth quarter against the Browns — the Cardinals have confidence they can come back.

“The guys stick together and they support each other,” Whisenhunt said. “That’s a big step in becoming a good football team.”

A vastly improved defense gets the biggest share of credit for the turnaround, but the performance of backup quarterback John Skelton cannot be ignored. The big second-year pro from Fordham is 4-1 as a starter in place of injured Kevin Kolb, 5-1 if you count the win over San Francisco, when he came on after Kolb went out with a concussion on the third play of the game. Against the Browns, Skelton completed 28 of 46 — both career highs — for 313 yards with one TD and an interception.

Like the rest of the offense, Skelton starts slowly and comes on strong at the finish.

“As soon as the fourth quarter comes, he takes his cape off and he comes out there,” said wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who probably meant Skelton puts his cape on a la Superman. “He makes throws, he scrambles, and he does whatever is necessary to get the victory. We know there is something special about the guy. He makes plays down the stretch.

“Everyone talks about Tim Tebow and his record as a starter, but you look at John’s record and it’s pretty good, too.”

Whisenhunt was having nothing to do with any debate over whether Kolb should return as the starter if he’s healthy enough to go. Whisenhunt said the decision was made to rest Kolb after he had a reaction to the noise and lights of the stadium on Sunday, indicating lingering symptoms of his concussion.

Kolb had been at the helm when Arizona rallied to beat Dallas in one of the Cardinals’ three overtime victories in the last seven games.

“I understand that’s a hot topic, that’s a popular topic,” Whisenhunt said, “but that’s not something we’re going to say or make any absolutes on right now, because we don’t have to do that. We’re focused on this game and who can play for us and who can win for us. I’m not trying to dodge your question or give you any insight one way or another. I really think it’s important for us to stay focused on each week. That’s what has worked for us.”

With wins Saturday at Cincinnati then at home against Seattle on Jan. 1, the Cardinals would finish 9-7, their third winning season in the last four years.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.