Dolphins to offer draft pick for Boldin?
Posted by Anthony Stalter (02/10/2010 @ 10:23 am)
The Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins might offer a third-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for receiver Anquan Boldin this offseason.
• Two people in contact with the Dolphins said last week they would be very surprised if Miami pursues a trade for Brandon Marshall — Denver says it might keep him, and Marshall wants to stay — but they could envision the Dolphins offering a draft pick (third round or later) for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin.
The Dolphins definitely need to beef up their receiver corps and if they could acquire Boldin for a third round pick, it seems like a no-brainer that they would pull the trigger on a deal. The hope would be that Boldin could make Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess and Brian Hartline more productive just by being on the field.
As for the Cardinals, I would be shocked if they don’t get at least a third rounder in return for Boldin. That seems like fair compensation for a productive wideout that still has several good years left in his legs.
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Boldin reports for physical, could be in minicamp
Posted by Anthony Stalter (05/01/2009 @ 12:15 pm)
Despite being upset about his contract situation, Anquan Boldin was at the Cardinals’ facility on Wednesday to get a physical, which could indicate that he plans on attending the team’s minicamp.
I’m not sure where Anquan Boldin’s head is in terms of his contract, but in terms of the mystery (if there ever really was one) of whether he would come to minicamp, he indeed was at the facility today to get his physical. Doesn’t make much sense to do that if he isn’t going to come to minicamp. We’ll have to double-check tomorrow, but with Boldin and Darnell Dockett both coming today, it looks like there won’t be any absences for the mandatory minicamp.
Now, whether Boldin practices, we’ll have to see. He came down with a sore hamstring at last year’s minicamp — about the time his contract issues first reached a boil. There might be some maladies for those seeking new contracts. Again, we will see. At least the drama of a missing guy will be avoided, and I would assume Boldin — and to a lesser extent, Dockett — will be tops on the media’s interview list after practice.
There were countless rumors heading into the draft that Boldin would be traded, but it appears that the Cardinals never really had any desire to deal their dynamic wideout in the first place. GM Rod Graves seems to be trying to wear Boldin and his agent out and the one weapon in Graves’ arsenal is that he knows Anquan loves playing football. It’s hard to envision Boldin holding out and while he may air his frustrations, he’s not going to allow a contract dispute interfere with him playing football.
My guess is that Anquan Boldin is going to be an Arizona Cardinal until his contract runs out at the end of the 2010 season.
Cardinals drop asking price for Boldin – what about Bears?
Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/24/2009 @ 3:26 pm)
The Cardinals have apparently lowered their asking price for wide receiver Anquan Boldin according to ESPN.com’s Sal Paolantonio.
The Arizona Cardinals have reduced their trade demands for disgruntled receiver Anquan Boldin to a second-round pick in Saturday’s draft and other considerations and are talking to at least three teams who seem to be newly interested, two sources told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio on Friday.
The New York Jets, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles have expressed interest given the downgraded demands from a first- and third-round pick, the sources said.
Cardinals general manager Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt had repeatedly emphasized at the team’s pre-draft news conference Tuesday that they would be happy to keep Boldin and eventually try to sign him to a new contract.
If I were GM Jerry Angelo of the Bears, I’d be all over this like stink on horse crap. Chicago doesn’t have a ton of holes to address after landing quarterback Jay Cutler in a trade and signing free agent offensive linemen Orlando Pace, Frank Omiyale and Kevin Shaffer. So why not give Cutler a dynamic weapon like Boldin in the passing game?
That said, the Bears did give up their first round pick and one of their thirds (they still have one compensatory selection left from losing receiver Bernard Berrian via free agency last year), so losing their second (plus whatever else the Cardinals wanted) would sink their entire draft.
Trading away two picks for Cutler was already out of character for Angelo. If he traded any more picks, the Bears would be wise to put out a search party to see where the real Jerry Angelo was being kept.
Update: Cardinals’ GM Rod Graves denies that the Cardinals have dropped their asking price on Boldin. Looks like just another internet rumor on NFL draft eve…
Titans contact Cardinals about Boldin
Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/24/2009 @ 11:15 am)
According to the Nashville Tennessean, the Titans have contacted the Cardinals about possibly acquiring wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
But the price tag, in draft picks and compensation, is a concern for any suitor. The Cardinals are reportedly seeking first- and third-round picks for Boldin, and any team that acquired him would have to pony up a new contract as well, potentially worth up to $10 million per year.
Earlier this week, Cardinals GM Rod Graves said he’d received no offers for Boldin.
Currently the Titans have two proven wideouts — Justin Gage and former Steeler Nate Washington, signed earlier this offseason. Adding a veteran receiver isn’t a necessity for the Titans, according to Reinfeldt, but “it would be nice.’’
Other veterans who could be available via trade include Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards, Cincinnati’s Chad Ochocinco and Buffalo’s Roscoe Parrish.
I like the Titans’ mindset this offseason. Even though they had one of the best records in the NFL last season, it was clear in their playoff loss to the Ravens that they lacked weapons on the offensive side of the ball outside of phenomenal rookie Chris Johnson. Nate Washington was a nice addition, but if they could somehow land Boldin, their offense would be one to reckon with in the AFC next year.
That said, they do need to add some bulk to the interior of their defensive line after losing Albert Haynesworth, while defensive end and offensive tackle remain needs as well. So is it worth it for them to give up two picks in the first three rounds to acquire Boldin or would they be better served hanging onto those selections and possibly addressing other needs?